Chapter Forty-Four
"Sheridan, it's so good to have you back to your old self," Ivy said. Hugging her. Sheridan smiled brightly at her. "It's good to be back. You don't know how good," she said. Hugging Ethan as well. They laughed when Ali made her presence known. "Mommy! Aunt Ivy! Look!" In her arms she held an adorable, tiny kitten.
"Ali," Sheridan laughed. "Honey, where did you get this little sweetheart?" she said. Taking the kitten from Ali's arms and cuddling it close. The kitten mewled softly at her. Causing Ali to giggle. "She likes you, Mommy." "You didn't answer my question, Baby. Where'd you get the kitten?"
"Well," she began. A huge grin lighting up her face. Blue eyes twinkling. Another giggle escaping when she looked at Ethan's face. Saw the finger he had raised to his lips. "I can't tell. It's a secret." "A secret, huh?" Ivy laughed. Catching the conspiratorial looks passed between Ethan and Ali. "I bet it's a secret."
"Oh, but it is, Aunt Ivy. I can't tell a soul. I promised," Ali said seriously. One look at Ethan's face, and Sheridan laughed out loud. "You are so busted. You're a terrible liar. Your face is an open book. Not setting a good example for my daughter, either, Ethan. What am I going to do with you two?"
Ethan swept Ali up into his arms and said, "I don't know. What do you think, Ali?" Ali looped her arms around Ethan's neck and said, "We're not in trouble, are we Mommy?" Pouting at her. Ethan wore an identical expression on his face. "Aww. Sheridan. How can you refuse those faces?" Ivy said with a smile.
"I can't," she muttered. Heaving an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, Mommy!" Ali squealed. "Does this mean we can keep her? Please say yes. Please." Sheridan looked at the tiny purring bundle of white fur in her hands to her daughter's hopeful blue eyes. And back at the white bundle. And her heart melted. "Yes. We can keep her."
Ethan set Ali down on her feet. Smiling as she reigned kisses on Sheridan's face and hugged her tightly about the neck. "Thank you, Mommy. Thank you. I can't wait to take her home. What are we going to name her? Where is she going to sleep? Can she sleep in my bed with me? Oh, I can't wait to show her to Jake. He'll be so jealous."
"Ali," she laughed. "Baby, that's not very nice." "Well, he not very nice to me, either. He's been bragging about the fish his dad bought him. But I think a kitten's much better. Isn't it, Aunt Ivy?" Ivy smiled in amusement before answering her. "Much better, Darling. Now, why don't you take your new friend outside and..." That was all she got out before she sneezed. "Play," she squeaked. Before sneezing again.
"Don't go far, sweetie. We're leaving soon," she waved as Ali disappeared. Out back toward the gardens with one of the housekeepers. "Ethan!" she said. Smacking him in mock anger. "What have you gotten me into? A kitten? You and Ali planned this, didn't you? That kitten looks strangely familiar. In fact, I think I remember seeing the same kitten last week. When you had lunch with me and Ali at the mall."
"If it's Luis you're worried about, don't bother. Pilar already ran the idea by him. Well...sort of. Okay. Not really. She asked him if he'd like to have a pet." "He meant a dog, you moron. What am I going to do? This morning it was just us three. Now I'm going home. With a kitten." "Relax. It's just a tiny, harmless kitten. It's not like it can do much." "Famous last words, Ethan. Famous last words," she called out behind her as she walked out the door. Leaving Ethan and Ivy behind. Having way too much fun at her expense.
"Sheridan, it's so good to have you back to your old self," Ivy said. Hugging her. Sheridan smiled brightly at her. "It's good to be back. You don't know how good," she said. Hugging Ethan as well. They laughed when Ali made her presence known. "Mommy! Aunt Ivy! Look!" In her arms she held an adorable, tiny kitten.
"Ali," Sheridan laughed. "Honey, where did you get this little sweetheart?" she said. Taking the kitten from Ali's arms and cuddling it close. The kitten mewled softly at her. Causing Ali to giggle. "She likes you, Mommy." "You didn't answer my question, Baby. Where'd you get the kitten?"
"Well," she began. A huge grin lighting up her face. Blue eyes twinkling. Another giggle escaping when she looked at Ethan's face. Saw the finger he had raised to his lips. "I can't tell. It's a secret." "A secret, huh?" Ivy laughed. Catching the conspiratorial looks passed between Ethan and Ali. "I bet it's a secret."
"Oh, but it is, Aunt Ivy. I can't tell a soul. I promised," Ali said seriously. One look at Ethan's face, and Sheridan laughed out loud. "You are so busted. You're a terrible liar. Your face is an open book. Not setting a good example for my daughter, either, Ethan. What am I going to do with you two?"
Ethan swept Ali up into his arms and said, "I don't know. What do you think, Ali?" Ali looped her arms around Ethan's neck and said, "We're not in trouble, are we Mommy?" Pouting at her. Ethan wore an identical expression on his face. "Aww. Sheridan. How can you refuse those faces?" Ivy said with a smile.
"I can't," she muttered. Heaving an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, Mommy!" Ali squealed. "Does this mean we can keep her? Please say yes. Please." Sheridan looked at the tiny purring bundle of white fur in her hands to her daughter's hopeful blue eyes. And back at the white bundle. And her heart melted. "Yes. We can keep her."
Ethan set Ali down on her feet. Smiling as she reigned kisses on Sheridan's face and hugged her tightly about the neck. "Thank you, Mommy. Thank you. I can't wait to take her home. What are we going to name her? Where is she going to sleep? Can she sleep in my bed with me? Oh, I can't wait to show her to Jake. He'll be so jealous."
"Ali," she laughed. "Baby, that's not very nice." "Well, he not very nice to me, either. He's been bragging about the fish his dad bought him. But I think a kitten's much better. Isn't it, Aunt Ivy?" Ivy smiled in amusement before answering her. "Much better, Darling. Now, why don't you take your new friend outside and..." That was all she got out before she sneezed. "Play," she squeaked. Before sneezing again.
"Don't go far, sweetie. We're leaving soon," she waved as Ali disappeared. Out back toward the gardens with one of the housekeepers. "Ethan!" she said. Smacking him in mock anger. "What have you gotten me into? A kitten? You and Ali planned this, didn't you? That kitten looks strangely familiar. In fact, I think I remember seeing the same kitten last week. When you had lunch with me and Ali at the mall."
"If it's Luis you're worried about, don't bother. Pilar already ran the idea by him. Well...sort of. Okay. Not really. She asked him if he'd like to have a pet." "He meant a dog, you moron. What am I going to do? This morning it was just us three. Now I'm going home. With a kitten." "Relax. It's just a tiny, harmless kitten. It's not like it can do much." "Famous last words, Ethan. Famous last words," she called out behind her as she walked out the door. Leaving Ethan and Ivy behind. Having way too much fun at her expense.