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I let go of Charles’s hand and used mine to steady myself, splaying my hands out and grasping at whatever my fingers came into contact with. It felt like the car was spinning wildly out of control, but that was ridiculous. We were simply sitting here, side by side, with the engine shut off. I knew that and yet…

Charles said something, but I couldn’t make sense of the words. What was happening to me?

A million thoughts rushed through my mind, but I couldn’t grab onto any of them long enough for it to stick.

Paisley barked wildly. Charles continued talking to me in a steady, soothing voice. But I kept spiraling into an idle chaos, unmoored in a storm only I could sense.

It wasn’t until Octo-Cat climbed out of the back seat and settled himself on my chest that my breathing, heart rate, and everything else began to slow back to a reasonable pace.

I listened to him purr as I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on his fur and felt the vibrations warm my skin.“What happened?” I asked when I finally felt like myself again.

“I’m pretty sure you just had a panic attack,” Charles said carefully. He didn’t reach for me like he normally would but rather gave me some space to recover. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” I told him and then lifted my face to look at the cat sitting on my chest.

This was so much like the first time I’d met Octavius that I almost feltd?j? vu. I’d had a medical issue, come to with him on my chest. The only thing missing was…

“I’m hungry,” he said, emitting a noxious cloud of day-old lobster roll breath. “How long has it been since you last fed me?”

“Yup, there it is,” I said aloud, nodding once even though I was only confirming it to myself.

“What?” Charles asked, reaching forward slowly before rubbing my arm in a steady, soothing motion.

“Cats will be cats,” I said with a small smile. For all his faults, Octo-Cat was someone I could always count on to be himself. And that made marching into the unknown easier, knowing that stability was never more than a furry companion away.

“How did he know to do that?” Charles asked, assessing the tabby.

“Who, me?” the cat asked, then stood and moved onto my lap to look out the window.

“Happened to Ethel from time to time,” he said while staring off into the distance. “Whenever she started breathing funny, she’d grab me and hold on tight. Eventually she would feel better. Figured it would work on you, too. You know, since all humans are pretty much the same.”

Funny how even after all our time together, Octo-Cat could still surprise me. I liked that. And I appreciated him now more than ever. For all his bluster, he still cared about me and was always there for me whenever it really counted.

He was here now, which meant I could do this.

I could meet my grandmother.

Learn the truth.

And keep on living my life.

It didn’t have to change me.

And I had a feeling my merry crew of tagalong companions wouldn’t let that happen, anyway.

12

Charles held my hand while I clutched Paisley to my chest with my free arm. Octo-Cat nosed around the shrubs in pursuit of a fat robin.

“Okay,” I said on the wings of an exhale.

Charles raised his finger and poked at the doorbell.

I focused on his fingers laced through mine, on Paisley shaking with excitement, on Octo-Cat making that ridiculous cat call that was meant to sound like a bird and lure them into his deadly clutches.

I listened for footsteps hurrying toward the door, but none came.

“Maybe it’s broken,” Charles said with a shrug before tapping his knuckles against the door three times in rapid succession.

“Aww, you scared it away,” Octo-Cat whined, pulling himself onto the cement stoop to stand beside us.

I didn’t bother to translate, but I did set Paisley down and tried pounding on the door myself.

“I want to help!” Paisley said before letting out a string of high-pitched barks.

“Make it stop. Make it stop,” Octo-Cat groaned and rolled onto his back, wiggling his spine against the pavement.

Still, my grandma didn’t come to the door.

“Okay, so she’s not home right now,” Charles said, turning back toward the street. “Let’s take a walk around the complex. See if we can learn anything from the neighbors.”

I nodded as he tugged me after him.

Paisley scampered after us, and Octo-Cat returned to the shrubs.

“I’m going to wait for that robin to come back. Let me know when it’s time to go,” he said before pouncing out of sight.

“You don’t think she’s avoiding me, do you?” I asked Charles as we rounded the block.

He shook his head emphatically.“Why would she do that? She doesn’t even know you’re coming, for starters, but also I’m sure she’s dying to meet you. Why else would she have moved so close?”

She had moved close. For some reason, I hadn’t considered that fact before. Hope filled my chest. “Do you think she might be looking for me and my mom, too?”

“Anything’s possible.” Charles picked up the pace. “Oh, look. There’s someone out watering the grass.”