breath, and says, "No, no, he wasn't more cat than man when I married him. Thanks for asking, though."
"Yeah, sorry. I guess that was a stupid thing to say."
"Sweetheart, it's not like this is a situation anyone could be prepared for. We'll just need to make it up as we go along."
She turns to Tom, all business now. "Tom, have you been here all along? Ever since you wrote me that letter?"
Tom nods. "Yes."
"Did Eunice do this to you?"
He nods again. "Yes."
"Tom, you're different now than you were when I knew you."
"Cat too long."
"Will you get better?"
Tom nods his head up and down. Then he says, "Don't say it. Bad Tom."
I look to Gillian. "I changed him back into a man by saying 'good Tom'. It must be the opposite that turns him into a cat. But I didn't say it when I pushed him out of the house that night."
Tom responds. "Trapped in house. Spell."
"Oh, I..." I stop and gather my thoughts. "Gilly, can I talk to you in private?"
She follows me into the kitchenette, and I pull the pocket door closed so Tom can't overhear. "I kind of hoped that you'd take him to your house. But not if he's trapped here. I...this is way too weird for me. I don't want him here. It's freaking me out."
"Well, buck up, sweetheart. He isn't my responsibility any more. I divorced him over forty years ago, and he ended up this way because he cheated on me and broke my heart." She stops and takes a deep breath before she continues. I think she's struggling to put that wall back in place. "No, like the shop and her other properties, he's part of Eunice's legacy now."
"Gillian, I can't…"
"Don't be a child," she snaps. "Of course you can. And what if Kevin comes back? You need a backup, I'd say. One little girl with a bat isn't scary for long."
"Okay. I get it. No decisions tonight. But why should I even believe that it was Kevin? Because my cat said so? I didn't see anyone. So just think on it. Please?" I ask. Still, I'm pissed at her and it surprises me. I think this is the first time I've ever been mad at Gillian. I've never known her to be so mean.
"I'm not going to change my mind. I'll help you try to free him from what your grandmother did so he can go on his way, but I won't take him off your hands."
Well, thanks, Granny Eunice. And thanks, used-to-be-sweet Gillian. Because I'm ready for all of this. Sure I am.
I make up the bed in the guest bedroom for Tom, and he snuggles in, looking contented. Gillian left, but she gave a promise to return in the morning. I think she'd calmed down. When she said goodbye to Tom, her expression was wistful instead of angry.
So, time to put on my big girl pants. I've been living with this guy, Tom, in the house since I got here. Since the first time I ever visited Gran. I just need to wrap my head around it in a different way than before.
I hear him moving around in the rooms below me when I wake up. I walk downstairs and see he's managed to dress himself in a pair of his jeans and a shirt, so he's functioning better than yesterday when he couldn't even manage the robe on his own.
I'm not sure what to say, so I go for the obvious. "Morning, Tom."
He startles, then says, "Morning, Cassie." His speech is better, more normal sounding, less meow-like. So, that's good.
"You want breakfast?"
"Yes, thank you." At least he's polite.
I sort out bacon and eggs and pour him a glass of orange juice. He starts to lap at it with his tongue, then looks like he's concentrating hard, picks up the glass, and drinks it down quickly. I wonder if he's going to push his face into the food, but, with another burst of stiff concentration, he picks up his fork and carefully lifts the food from the plate to his mouth, getting faster and looser the more practice he gets.
"Sorry I scared you. Cat too long. I become Cat. Have trouble thinking."
I figure I might as well start the interrogation even though Gilly isn't here yet. What else are we going to talk about?
"Are you sure it was Kevin last night?" I ask.
"Yeah, sorry. I guess that was a stupid thing to say."
"Sweetheart, it's not like this is a situation anyone could be prepared for. We'll just need to make it up as we go along."
She turns to Tom, all business now. "Tom, have you been here all along? Ever since you wrote me that letter?"
Tom nods. "Yes."
"Did Eunice do this to you?"
He nods again. "Yes."
"Tom, you're different now than you were when I knew you."
"Cat too long."
"Will you get better?"
Tom nods his head up and down. Then he says, "Don't say it. Bad Tom."
I look to Gillian. "I changed him back into a man by saying 'good Tom'. It must be the opposite that turns him into a cat. But I didn't say it when I pushed him out of the house that night."
Tom responds. "Trapped in house. Spell."
"Oh, I..." I stop and gather my thoughts. "Gilly, can I talk to you in private?"
She follows me into the kitchenette, and I pull the pocket door closed so Tom can't overhear. "I kind of hoped that you'd take him to your house. But not if he's trapped here. I...this is way too weird for me. I don't want him here. It's freaking me out."
"Well, buck up, sweetheart. He isn't my responsibility any more. I divorced him over forty years ago, and he ended up this way because he cheated on me and broke my heart." She stops and takes a deep breath before she continues. I think she's struggling to put that wall back in place. "No, like the shop and her other properties, he's part of Eunice's legacy now."
"Gillian, I can't…"
"Don't be a child," she snaps. "Of course you can. And what if Kevin comes back? You need a backup, I'd say. One little girl with a bat isn't scary for long."
"Okay. I get it. No decisions tonight. But why should I even believe that it was Kevin? Because my cat said so? I didn't see anyone. So just think on it. Please?" I ask. Still, I'm pissed at her and it surprises me. I think this is the first time I've ever been mad at Gillian. I've never known her to be so mean.
"I'm not going to change my mind. I'll help you try to free him from what your grandmother did so he can go on his way, but I won't take him off your hands."
Well, thanks, Granny Eunice. And thanks, used-to-be-sweet Gillian. Because I'm ready for all of this. Sure I am.
I make up the bed in the guest bedroom for Tom, and he snuggles in, looking contented. Gillian left, but she gave a promise to return in the morning. I think she'd calmed down. When she said goodbye to Tom, her expression was wistful instead of angry.
So, time to put on my big girl pants. I've been living with this guy, Tom, in the house since I got here. Since the first time I ever visited Gran. I just need to wrap my head around it in a different way than before.
I hear him moving around in the rooms below me when I wake up. I walk downstairs and see he's managed to dress himself in a pair of his jeans and a shirt, so he's functioning better than yesterday when he couldn't even manage the robe on his own.
I'm not sure what to say, so I go for the obvious. "Morning, Tom."
He startles, then says, "Morning, Cassie." His speech is better, more normal sounding, less meow-like. So, that's good.
"You want breakfast?"
"Yes, thank you." At least he's polite.
I sort out bacon and eggs and pour him a glass of orange juice. He starts to lap at it with his tongue, then looks like he's concentrating hard, picks up the glass, and drinks it down quickly. I wonder if he's going to push his face into the food, but, with another burst of stiff concentration, he picks up his fork and carefully lifts the food from the plate to his mouth, getting faster and looser the more practice he gets.
"Sorry I scared you. Cat too long. I become Cat. Have trouble thinking."
I figure I might as well start the interrogation even though Gilly isn't here yet. What else are we going to talk about?
"Are you sure it was Kevin last night?" I ask.
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