Chapter Eighteen

I woke before Lore did today, and decided to while away some time digging in the dirt. She found two treasure chests and two maps; I found three maps and a little Tiki idol. Something tells me we’ll need some shelves to put some of these ornaments, like that blue vase I brought with me. It would look better there than on the desk.

We may be old timers now, but that doesn’t stop us having some close time together. Lore’s love of sunbathing paid off too; I wondered how she’d look with a tan.

The triplets grew from kittens to cats today. We’d been wondering whether to keep Oceana…

Ariel…

…or Aquarius. At least this time it’s easy to tell the cats apart, even though Oceana and Aquarius look very similar. He has a thicker coat, and Oceana has a different eye colour.

All three of them are adorable, though. It was only a phone call from a certain young man that decided the matter in the end.

He was very insistent that we kept Aquarius. I had noticed the amount of time he’d spent with him during his teenage years, and Dylan has a way of making it very hard to say no to him.

Believe it or not, I really hate this part. You can’t not get attached to them all, even though you know you have to give some of them away. What I can suggest though, is that Darya takes them in when she leaves. I’m sure she’ll give them a good home, whether or not she stays with Steve.

With the five cats reduced to three, and the twins now away at University, things had quietened down considerably. We had some time to ourselves – a lot of time, and it got me in the mood for a little chat.

“So,” I began, “Any idea what you’d like to do, now we’re alone again?”

“Yes,” I replied, a smile slowly spreading across my lips as I realised my learning wasn’t quite over, “I’d like to see more of this world. I came to learn more about it, but I’ve heard there’s much still yet to see.”

I grinned in reply as I slapped her leg.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” I smiled, “Well, I’ve found these maps, and it’d be a shame to let them go to waste.”

A new found excitement welled within at the prospect as we began to make plans.

“I’ve been thinking, in fact,” I said, “We could do with buying a holiday home somewhere. It’d be nice for the twins to have a proper honeymoon if they get lucky enough.”

I frowned in puzzlement as I turned back to him. With all I’d learnt through the years, it became apparent that I’d missed one or two details.

“What’s a honeymoon?” I asked.

I smiled sadly as the one regret in my life began to rear its head.

“Something we couldn’t manage at the time,” I began carefully, “It’s a traditional holiday for newly-weds. We can certainly afford to treat them, make sure they don’t miss out like we did.”

“That’s a very nice idea,” I smiled, “Maybe we can visit the different areas first, find out which would be the better spot.”

“Now that’s a good idea,” I smiled. As we rose from our seats, I scooped her into my arms as we finalised the little details.

“Have I told you lately that I love you?”

I chuckled into his ear as he pulled me closer.

“Have I told you lately that I love you too?” I grinned in reply.

Raquel has made a habit of inviting herself inside lately. I’m not sure why… although I have the funny feeling it involves a cat called Pisces. I knew I’d forgotten something…

I felt I needed a change of clothes, and thought to buy some more suitable attire for our holiday. Teddy made very subtle hints about sleeping under the stars, bringing up the time I had to sleep in a tent because I couldn’t afford a bed. I did warn him that one didn’t sleep too well in a tent, although I did admit that the experience itself was very pleasant, and worth repeating on the basis that, this time, I had a choice. So we booked a mountain holiday and chose to stay at a campsite.

When I returned from the shops, I called the adoption service so I could deliver my promise to Raquel, and hand over Pisces to her. She and her new cat remained in the house for a while, and on noting the shops were still open, all this talk of cats reminded me of one more thing I needed to do.

Namely buy Aquarius a mate. I chose a Ragdoll I named Amphitrite, after the sea goddess and consort of Poseidon. I learned well of my mistake with Hydra – I will never name a cat after a fierce creature ever again.

Amphi really is a darling, and her laid back manner makes a refreshing change from the hyperactive cats darting about the house. She even gets on well with strange animals – that has to be a good sign.

With everything now taken care of, it was time for us to leave. My lip curled in disdain at the thought of leaving our house in the care of that nanny, but pets are easier to look after than children. Although I hear there’s an intelligent creature in the mountains that is very friendly, and is even open to new surroundings like I was. It would be wonderful to meet with someone else in the same position I started in, and if he wishes to come back with us, so much the better. Since this is but the first of our travels, I would feel far happier letting him stay with the cats next time.