Sixty Seconds (7 page)

Every
day, Annie waited for the cat and felt how heavy its belly was when
it curled up in her lap. Sometimes she spoke to the cat, tiny
hushed words that said the things she couldn’t feel. Whenever the
nurse returned, Annie was alone but somehow, she wasn’t the
same.

Annie
fretted the day the cat didn’t show up. She tore at her clothes in
agitation and pointed to the tree when the nurse asked her what was
wrong.

“
Talk to me, Mrs. O’Reilly. Tell me what’s wrong,” the nurse
said, her strong arms locking Annie into a tight
embrace.

“
Cat. The cat. She’s gone,” Annie said, gasping out sounds,
trying to force the nurse to understand.

She
didn’t. “Cats come and go, Mrs. O’Reilly. It won’t hurt
you.”

Annie
shook her head and ran, stumbling along, tripping over stones and
grass in her urgency. She ran past the tree but the nurse caught
her easily and held her still.

“
I have to find her,” Annie insisted and the nurse hesitated,
seeing that Annie looked more alive than she had in an entire
year.

“
Okay, okay. Me and you. We’ll look for a cat.” The nurse
didn’t believe there was a cat but if it meant Annie would get some
exercise then it was worth it. They searched the grounds of the
hospital but there was no cat, not anywhere.

Annie
wasn’t sure how long it took, but it seemed like an eternity before
she saw the cat again. The swollen belly was gone and in its place
was one tiny white kitten with a black patch over its eye. The
kitten followed the cat around but the mother wouldn’t let Annie
touch her baby. The cat’s pregnant belly had been so large that
Annie couldn’t believe there was only one kitten.

“
Poor girl,” Annie cooed when the cat jumped in her lap,
leaving the kitten mewling on the ground. “Did you lose
them?”

“
Is that the cat we were looking for, Mrs. O’Reilly?” The
nurse’s voice made Annie jump but she nodded.

“
She came back,” Annie said, feeling an odd sense of wonder.
“I’m sorry, nurse, what’s your name?”

The
nurse flinched. It was the first time Annie had cared enough to
ask. “I’m Wendy.”

“
You can call me Annie. We should think of a name for the
cat.”

“
Maybe tomorrow we’ll bring some food,” Wendy said, watching as
a smile crossed Annie’s face.

Every
day, Annie and Wendy brought food for the mother cat. She ate her
fill then lay and fed her kitten as the sun warmed her
fur.

The
kitten grew and finally managed to jump onto Annie’s lap, gazing up
at her with interest. The mother cat hissed at her young and batted
the kitten to the ground, ignoring its whining protest. The next
day, the kitten tried to eat the food Annie lay by the tree but
this time, the mother’s response was a vicious swipe. The kitten
ran behind Annie to hide. When the mother cat left, the kitten
wanted to follow but its mother hissed and swiped until it moved
away. It was time for the kitten to go it alone.

Annie
lifted the kitten and held it against her chest, her chin resting
in its fur. One tiny tear slid down her cheek.

“
Can I take it with me?” she asked Wendy.

“
That isn’t allowed.”

“
Until we find it a home then? It could die.” Annie was
surprised to find herself caring. Just a little.

Wendy’s
voice fell to a whisper. “Maybe if we’re sneaky.”

For
weeks, everyone pretended not to notice Annie’s kitten. It slept in
her bed, joined her on walks, and most importantly, soaked up the
tears that finally made their way out of Annie’s eyes at night. It
was there, a silent comfort, when Annie woke up from her nightmares
covered in sweat. It was there, even though the mother cat never
returned.

Annie’s
heart swelled with love and the stone wall she constructed around
herself slowly chipped away. She dealt with the trauma, faced up to
the future and unleashed the dam of sorrow and love that had been
packed up inside for her for far too long.

“
Maybe I’ll take her home with me. When it’s time,” she told
Wendy who nodded and thought maybe some of her other patients could
use a white kitten with a black patch over its eye. It wasn’t long
before it really was time for Annie and the kitten to go
home.

###

Thank you for reading this short story collection. If you wish
to know more about the author then check out her blog for more
information –
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