We Can’t Keep Him

It was an unusually cold day when they found him, huddled below the dryer vent, meowing pitifully. Her heart broke open immediately with compassion for the small creature, and though he couldn’t leave it out in the cold, he felt his guard rise immediately, placing a wall between them. She picked the creature up easily, placing him on her breast beneath her coat. He followed her resolutely inside.

“We have to get him some food, Ben. Check and see if we still have canned food in the cupboard from Felix,” She already had him on the counter, looking him over carefully, “I suppose I shouldn’t let him get on the counter already but I need the light. Of course, he’ll need to see the vet tomorrow, but he looks ok for tonight.”

“We’re not keeping him.”

“Not the hard food, Darling, the soft food. It should be under the sink.”

“Did you hear me, Nel?” his voice was muffled as he dug through the cleaning supplies, dish detergent and various sponges which had taken precedence over the forgotten cat food. It hurt his heart a little to see how many things had gotten in the way. Had it been so long? She hadn’t answered so he asked again as he emerged, “Hey, you heard me, right?”

“We’re not keeping him. I heard you. Shall we call him Lester?”

“Don’t name him… And especially don’t name him Lester. For God’s sake. We’re not keeping him. We’ll just call him the cat.”

“George, then?” she was scooping the food into a dish… Felix’s dish.

“Where did you find that?”

“It was above the sink. How about Frank?”

“I said no names. I’m not calling him a name.”

“Look how hungry he is, poor little thing. I think I like Finnian. We can call him Finn for short. What do you think little Finn.” Finn purred loudly, while he gulped down his food. “Would you pour him some milk, Darling?”

“Nel…” he said helplessly, but she didn’t seem to notice his distress. He turned to the fridge, poured the milk and abandoned the scene in the kitchen, to lose himself in television for the evening.

He tried to tune out the cooing from the kitchen. What was wrong with her? Hadn’t it been enough to lose Felix? They didn’t need another cat.

His wife entered the living room, cradling the kitten to her breast once again. “He won’t stop purring,” she sat next to him on the couch, placing the tiny creature between them, “I think he’s really happy to be out of the cold. He would have died out there, you know.”

“I know. And I’m glad we brought him in but Nel…”

“I know. I know. You don’t want to keep him… I set up Felix’s litter box for him. He used it already and everything. He’s really sweet. Aren’t you little Finn?” but the kitten was busy climbing up Ben’s pants to his lap.

Ben tried not to pet him. He really did but the kitten purred and kneaded and looked up at him sweetly. He was hard to ignore and Ben found his hand doing the work of its own accord.

“So, you think Finn is a good name?” his wife’s smile told him she knew all along.

“Yeah. Ok. But just until we find him a good home.”

“You said the same thing about Felix, you know.”

“I know but he broke my heart,” but even as he said the words he felt it beginning to heal. He might become whole again after all.