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“She can’t get it now anyway,” Mom argues. “Not unless you marry her again. I know you’re saying you don’t want to reopen that chapter of your past, but what if there’s happiness waiting for you there?”
Panic races through me. I have to do something, and fast, to keep my mom from heading down this road.
And I know exactly what needs to happen.
5
JENNI
“Noodle, get out of the noodles.” And this is where she got her name. When I rescued her from the local animal shelter, I had a bowl of noodles I was about to eat, and she buried her tiny head in it and started chowing down.
This crazy cat will eat noodles right out of my hand and loves to bat at them. She’s like a little orange mini tiger too, always attacking things. She likes to perch up high and look over the house like it’s her personal kingdom, so I got her a massive kitty playground. It may or may not be taking up half my family room in the basement. That entire space is dedicated to Noodle. I figure if I can’t fill my house with children, I can at least give Noodle the best life possible.
I walk over to where Noodle is feasting on a container of leftover spaghetti I needed to put back in the fridge from my cooking lesson earlier.
My doorbell rings, and I go to open it to find Langston standing on the front step.
“What’s up?” I open the door wider for him to come in.
He walks by me. “Were you serious about that date?”
“Yes, very. I need to get my mom off my back.”
“Good. Because I might need more than one date from you.”
A laugh falls from my mouth. “What?”
“It wouldn’t be real, of course.”
“Of course.” But for some reason that bugs me. Why should I care that he doesn’t want it to be real? I don’t even want to think about that can of worms. “So why the urgency all of a sudden?”
“Well, Amanda is coming into town, and I don’t want her to think I’m available.”
“Let’s go sit down,” I say. “This is a longer conversation than I thought it would be.”
He follows me into the kitchen where Noodle is curled up in one of his many cat beds.
“You hungry?” I ask. “I would offer you some of the spaghetti I made earlier, but Noodle got into it.”
Langston grins. “Sounds appetizing.”
Noodle looks up at Langston and meows.
“You’ve spoiled her with all the treats you’ve given her when you come over here.”
“I thought you said she just ate.”
“You would think she’d be full, but I guess she saved room for whatever she thinks you might be offering this time.” It’s usually a piece of deli meat or a tiny chunk of chicken.
Noodle rubs against Langston’s leg and meows again, this time in a more demanding tone.
Langston opens my fridge and pulls out a package of ham.
“Just make yourself comfortable, why don’t you?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Langston grins and pulls out some meat for Noodle. She stands on her hind legs and greedily bites it from his fingers.
“You’re spoiling her rotten.”