12/30/04
Miss Kitty
The stars outside of her apartment were glowing through the early morning fog. Sitting back against the side of her large window, her legs crossed and her arms wrapped around her knees, Tara Maclay watched the sun rise.
It was with the new day that the blonde woman realized just how much she wanted someone to watch it with her by her side.
Sighing, she rose from the purple floor pillow she had sat on and entered her kitchen, intent on fixing herself a cup of strong tea. Because her job as a painter allowed her the choice of her own hours, it was Tara's own personal philosophy that got her up at 5:30 every morning, rain or shine. Twining around her feet as she entered the kitchen, realizing that with her entrance she was about to be fed, Tara's black and white cat Miss Kitty Fantastico meowed hungrily.
Chuckling down at her, Tara smiled and reached into the cupboard, securing down her bag of Science Diet cat food. Pouring some into Miss Kitty's bowl, the 22 year old graduate gently petted the sleek feline for several seconds, murmuring, "Yeah, that's right. You were hungry, weren't ya? Enjoy the food you have every day while I do as well – toast and fried eggs."
Miss Kitty Fantastico had been her friend Faith's idea. Ever since Faith had had to do her community service at the Sunnydale Humane Society for jacking a car last spring, the brunette had been badgering Tara to adopt a pet. Knowing that Tara had grown up without pets other than horses and a guard dog and had always wanted a personal companion of her own, Faith had finally convinced the blonde to accompany her one Sunday.
As Tara and her shorter friend walked into the feline section of the building, the painter had tried to remind her that she was 'only looking.'
Faith snorted. Poking her, she smirked knowingly, "T, you've always told me that when you graduated from college you were going to get a cat. And, believe me, I may be as tough as nails, but some of these cats here made my heart melt."
"But they're so much work, and…" Tara's protests were slowly dying on her lips when she saw the cages and various sizes and shapes of cats contained within.
"Really? All you have to do is feed them and pet them and provide them with toys. Doesn't sound too hard to me." Faith's attention was caught by a black tom whose name was apparently Butters. "Tara!" she laughed, "Look at this! Isn't he cute?"
But Tara wasn't listening to her. "Faith…" she breathed out, already an aisle and a half away, "I've found her…"
"What? Already? I thought you said you were just looking." Faith waved goodbye to Butters and made her way to where Tara crouched over a cage second from the bottom.
Poking her finger through the plastic-covered wire, Tara whispered out, "It's okay. I won't hurt you. Come here…" Over her shoulder, she asked, "I wonder what her name is…?"
Faith shrugged. The card was empty where the name should have been. "Maybe she's new. I know no one was in that cage when I worked in here two days ago," she offered, moving closer to her best friend, "C'mon, move away so I can see her."
But Tara was already unlatching the gate and gently reaching in to pick up the cat that had caught her attention. Faith moved away to allow her to back up.
In the blonde's arms was the cutest kitten Faith had ever seen, purring loudly and snuggling into Tara's light green sweater. She had a black and white face and short hair, piercing green eyes and white socked paws. She meowed, and at the sound, both of the girls' expressions melted into ones of complete adoration.
"Oh, Faith," Tara looked up at her as the kitten nuzzled her chin, her blue eyes filled with tears, "She's the one. I have to have her."
"T…" Faith shook her head, stroking the kitten, "I knew you'd find her. C'mon, let's check her out."
And Tara did, refusing to keep the kitten – which she had promptly named Miss Kitty Fantastico after a distant dream she once had – locked away in the carrying case as they drove to her apartment. Instead, the once homeless cat purred contentedly on her lap all the way home.
And that was how Miss Kitty had come to stay. Growing from a small rambunctious and curious kitten into a svelte active cat, both owner and pet couldn't have been happier with each other.
However, as Miss Kitty looked up from her food as Tara made herself breakfast, she worried about her human. Gobbling the last piece of tasty dried kibble up and licking her bowl clean, the black and white cat set about washing away the remains of her meal. Tara was lonely. As much as Miss Kitty offered her companionship, Tara was lonely for another of her kind. It had been ages since the human had brought home another human for Miss Kitty to meet, other than the brunette one that was named Faith and always dropped in when she didn't have class, and Miss Kitty, as a respectable feline, was getting concerned.
Jumping up onto the window her human had just been sitting on, Miss Kitty looked towards where she knew the moon would be shortly setting. "Please, mother," she prayed, twitching her tail in acknowledgement, "Bring the one who will make Tara happy…"