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He chuckled, and I found myself absently petting him behind the ears.

“But I realized something, Angela. If they aren’t amazing or awesome, that doesn’t change me. Because I’m still a superb specimen of feline perfection, even if they don’t quite measure up. I mean, so few could ever hope to hold a candle to this.” He postured himself with his chest puffed out and his nose held high, which made me burst out in laughter.

He nodded his approval.“The worst thing that can happen from meeting your grandmother is… well, nothing. Your life doesn’t change, and you just go back and live like you always have. And if we’re being totally honest here, you have a pretty great life for a human.”

I didn’t reply. I didn’t need to.

If I drew this out, Octo-Cat would just return to his usual snark, and I wanted to savor this moment while I could. And so we sat there in the moonlight for a while longer before heading back to our room.

Yes, I needed the people and animals in my life to help me through this, which at first blush might make me seem weak and incapable of handling my own challenges.

But then again, that’s why we have loved ones to begin with. To get us through the bad and to share in the good.

Hopefully tomorrow would bring the latter for Charles, Octo-Cat, Paisley, me…

And my grandmother.

11

The next morning I was already showered, dressed, and ready by the time Charles woke up. I’d spent all week planning my outfit, and now that I was actually wearing it, an odd sense of reverence washed over me.

This was one of the most important things I’d ever done. And whatever happened—good, bad, or somewhere in between—this would be a defining moment of my life.

We fed the pets, then grabbed some coffee from the continental breakfast set-up Millicent had waiting for her guests.

Charles took a pre-packaged Danish, but I was too nervous to even attempt eating anything. Besides, I’d been spoiled by Nan’s expert baking all my life and had become something of a muffin snob. The blueberry to cake ratio of the ones sitting before me was all wrong. I didn’t have to try them to know that. The baked “goods” also looked more than a few days old. No wonder there had been complaints. The longer we stayed, the more and more reasons I was finding to justify the bad reviews.

“Let me just say it one more time,” Charles said as he jabbed his key in the ignition, and I pulled my seatbelt over my lap. “I think I’ve found the right place, but we won’t know for sure until we meet her.”

I nodded once.“Right. And I’m going in without any expectations.Que ser? ser? and all that.”

Charles reached for my hand and twined his fingers through mine.“No, you’re not. And that’s okay. It’s okay to want things to go well, so stop giving yourself such a hard time about that. Whatever happens, I’ll be right here.”

“Holding my hand?” I suggested with a grin.

He returned my smile and gave my hand another squeeze.“If you want me to.”

We held hands the entire drive, except for the few parts where Charles had a left turn to make or we ran into a bit of traffic.

Octo-Cat made occasional retching sounds from the back seat.

Good to see he’d recovered from the strange bout of compassion he’d shown me last night. I wondered if he was always like that at night. If he was only crabby during the day because he was sleepy.

“I can’t believe you signed on to be Mrs. UpChuck,” my cat ground out, “but then again, the role is perfect for you.”

“Thank you,” I said with a satisfied grin as the heated leather seat warmed my posterior.

“Huh?” Charles asked, briefly glancing my way.

“Thank you,” I repeated, this time to him. “For being here, for being you, for all of this.”

“Barf, barf!” Octo-Cat shouted at us.

I ignored him and leaned over to plant a kiss on my fianc?’s cheek.

“We’re here,” Charles announced a short time later, pulling into a condominium complex. “I think.”

Every single unit was a dull tan color, both the siding and the roof. It looked like we were stepping into a strange suburban desert right in the middle of Maine.

A group of high schoolers ambled past, their hands pushed down into the pockets of overly baggy jeans. One of them leered at me suggestively, sending a fresh wave of heat to my cheeks.

“Which one is hers?” I asked as Paisley barked furiously at the passers-by.

“Well, this was the one step of the journey I felt confident about. It’s the one with all the pink plastic flamingos.”

“Oh, right, the pink sentinels,” I said, remembering the directions I myself had transcribed. “Do you think she’s home?”

Charles turned off the engine and turned his full gaze toward me.“Only one way to find out. You ready?”

I swallowed down the lump that had formed in my throat. It was so thick, it felt as if it were stuck. Suddenly my eyes burned, and my skin tingled. My heartbeat sped to an upbeat tempo, and my chest grew heavy.