Brendan looked out.
“Why are we here?”
“Best view in the building.”
“You worked here twelve years and never told me?”
“I had boundaries.”
Brendan shook his head.
“You’re weird.”
“I know.”
Daniel stood by the glass.
This time he could feel the sun later.
He knew he could leave.
That made all the difference.
In October, the orange cat arrived.
Not intentionally.
Walt had been feeding a stray for several weeks.
Orange coat.
White patch beneath its chin.
Loud opinion about breakfast.
Lily saw it crossing the yard.
Stopped.
Looked at Daniel.
Then at her drawing on the refrigerator.
Then back at the cat.
Daniel immediately knew he was doomed.
“No.”
Lily said nothing.
“No.”
She pointed toward the drawing.
“That is artistic interpretation.”
The cat sat on the porch.
Meowed.
Lily looked at him.
Daniel folded his arms.
“Absolutely not.”
The cat walked to Lily and rubbed against her leg.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Evelyn, who had arrived ten minutes earlier, watched from the doorway.
“You’re losing.”
“I know.”
“Badly.”
“I know.”
Lily picked up the cat.
“Captain.”
Daniel opened his eyes.
“Captain?”
“Yes.”
“Why Captain?”
Lily looked at him with an expression Claire used to make whenever Daniel asked a question whose answer she believed should have been obvious.
He dropped it.
Captain moved into Birch Road that afternoon.
Evelyn bought nothing for him.
Daniel noticed.