Chapter Three

They arrived at the clinic. The parking lot was empty, making Winonna double-check if they were at the correct place. It was tiny. The establishment looked like a home and was in desperate need of a new paint job. She grabbed the cat and they trudged inside.

The fluorescent lights blinded her. The stench of wet animals flooded the entire space. Despite the smell and the lights, it was pleasantly welcoming inside. There were decorations hanging across the desk and photos everywhere—she assumed it was the staff, but there were children and animals. Winonna timidly approached the front desk. A young blond girl sat behind a computer that was bigger than her. She looked about thirteen.

“Good morning. How can I help you?” She asked, revealing her rainbow braces. 

“I found a stray cat.” Winonna whispered.

The girl stared at Winonna, then at the cat in her arms. It seemed as if the girl didn’t know what to do. Like this was her playroom and it was all make-believe. “Uhm…” She looked around. “Let me get my grandpa.” 

Winonna nodded without making eye-contact When the young girl returned, an older gentleman came out through the swinging doors with her. The vet. He was in a long white coat and couldn’t have been younger than 70. He wore thick glasses and had a slight hunch in this posture. When he smiled, rows of wrinkles doubled. 

“I heard you rescued a cat.” He said.

“No.” Winonna squeaked. “I found him buried in the snow last night.”

The doctor reached for a handshake that Winonna gingerly took. “I’m Doctor Griffin. May I?” He pointed at the kitten clutched in her arms. 

Winonna handed him over while her eyes looked down at his big hands.

“Ahh—poor little guy.” The doctor said. “I’m going to take him to the back for a few moments to get a closer look. I see an injury.” 

“I cleaned it with water and gave him warm milk, but I didn’t know what else to do.” Winonna said sheepishly.

“You brought him to the right place.” His smile made her feel better. “I’ll be back in two minutes.” The three of them disappeared behind the double doors. Winonna was alone. 

The doctor took longer than he quoted. Winonna waited… and waited… and waited. Pacing the floor, she was lost in thought… okay. He’s fine now. I can just leave and go home. They don’t need me. The cat doesn’t need me. 

As Winonna tugged the door open, the granddaughter came through the swinging doors and sat down at the front desk, fluttering through papers. The bells jingled above the doorframe, making Winonna’s escape known.

“Are you leaving?” The teenager asked.

“Well…” Winonna mumbled. “You don’t need me anymore, right?” 

The girl gawked, like she crushed her heart. “You can’t just leave your cat behind.” 

“He’s not my cat.” Winonna said a little too quickly. Her hands started to sweat.

The doctor came out and Winonna felt slightly dizzy. As she approached the counter once again, the vet described the kitten’s maladies. 

“He’s malnourished. No doubt from getting caught in that snowstorm and being a runt. He has a minor laceration on his head. I cleaned it up with an ointment. Here’s a sample.” He handed her the plastic tube. “Take it home with you. Put it on his head for the next couple of days to ensure it doesn’t get infected. He’s young, but nothing a warm home can’t cure.”

“Oh, I can’t take that. He’s not my cat.” Winonna backed away towards the door. 

The doctor looked puzzled. “Don’t you want to take him home?” Silence hung in the air, like the kitten in the doctor’s giant arms. 

All eyes were on her and she stammered, “He’s not mine—I found him.”

“You can keep him, you know.” He smiled with his eyes, “Maybe he found you.”

Winonna stood mute.

“Or…” He hesitated. “We have to send him to the nearby shelter for adoption.” He looked away from her as he said it. 

Winonna stopped breathing but caught a gasp, mustering up the courage to speak, she croaked “A shelter?”

“We can’t keep him here.” He paused. His face fell, making him look even older. “He needs a family—a home.” 

The walls choked her. Time froze like the icicles left behind from the snowstorm. “Where?” She whispered.

“Precious Pet’s Haven. It’s a few blocks away.” The old man sighed. “Thank you for saving hi–”  

Winonna interrupted. “Could I take him there? It’s on my way.” She lied.

The veterinarian contemplated her offer but finally acquiesced. “Take this ointment with you and relay to them the same instructions I gave you. They might not take outside medication. That’s okay. They have their own protocols.”

“How much do I owe you?” Winonna asked.

He held up his hand. “No charge for today’s visit.”

Winonna realized why it appeared as if the place was falling to pieces. 

The doctor asked his granddaughter to call the shelter, but she protested. Winonna watched them bicker, and their voices faded. All the while, the kitten pleaded through a gentle meow. Winonna was too far away for him to reach. She felt him communicating but didn’t dare look into those eyes. The doctor handed her the cat and wished her well.

She reached for him and all Winonna could muster was a meek thank you. The door jingled on their way out.

When she and the kitten were back in her car, she typed the written address into her phone. The shelter was not nearby; it was across town. Winonna drove ten miles under the limit as the sun peeked through the windshield.

“Meew.” Said the cat. 

Her body tightened. It was as if he begged her to turn around. To go home–every fiber of her soul knew it. She started to sweat through the many layers she wore. The kitten kept meowing at her.

In an instant, a small car to her left turned into a nearby lane. Winonna jumped and jerked the steering wheel to the right. The car in her blind spot honked at her. Winonna shrieked. She jolted the wheel back into the other lane. Her hands clutching the ten and two. Winonna signaled off the road and parked in a residential area. She exhaled. Her body was on fire, and her hands held the wheel so tightly that they were sore when she pulled them off. Her phone buzzed. It was Anthony but she ignored it. 

The kitten examined his surroundings; he stared up at Winonna. 

“Meeew.” The cat walked over to her, hopping over the console. He gazed at her like he sensed what troubled her. 

“Meeeew.” He repeated.

There they were—those blue eyes. And Winonna cried. 

“I’m sorry.” She yelled at the kitten. “I can’t keep you.” 

He stared at her. 

“You need a family and I don’t have one anymore.” She continued explaining as if he understood. 

“Meeew.” He nestled on her lap. 

“Stop.” She wiped her tears, “You know what it’s like to be left alone. I’m doing us both a favor.” 

The cat purred. 

Winonna remembered…

She was eight and her parents were fighting again. They had gone sledding on that snowy day. The last thing they did together as a family.

Winonna sat in the back of the car with her brother, eager to play in the snow.

“There’s a pretty big hill just up the road.” He said to everyone in the car. Their mother was silent, arms flat across her body.

When they arrived, they got all the items out and the kids raced to the top of the hill. They fell into the snow and made angels while their parents bickered all the way to the top.

“Why are they fighting this time?” Anthony whispered to his sister.

“I don’t know.” She sighed, pulling herself up and out of the snow.

When her parents got to the top, their dad set up the sled. Anthony begged to go first. Winonna was nervous. Watching her brother jump onto the plastic sled, he screamed all the way down, throwing his hands into the air when he reached the bottom. Winonna was sweating despite the cold air. Anthony ran the sled back to the top.

“Your turn.” Her dad smiled.

“I don’t want to.” Winonna stared at the snow, it glittered.

He set the sled down in front of her and knelt, “Don’t worry, I’m right here.” His big arms guided her onto the plastic board.

“I’m scared.” She said.

“You will be fine. Everything’s fine.” He pushed her forward. When she looked back, she saw her mother grab his arm and they started fighting again. Winonna lost her balance and face-planted into the snow. She cried.

“Mew.” The cat said, pulling Winonna out of her memory. 

“I’m sorry. I just can’t keep you.” She wiped her face. “I can’t do it.” Winonna turned the key back into the ignition and drove off.

When they arrived at the shelter, she jumped out of her car and took him inside. Although her heart screamed no, she pushed the door open. 

Chapter Four Coming Soon…

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