Chapter 1The Cat Who Saved Me

The day after I broke up with Jay, he came over while I was at work and packed up all his stuff.

Everything except the cat he'd adopted with his ex-girlfriend.

Online, they say that calico cats with those splotchy, unfortunate-looking orange patches are the absolute worst. I crouched down in front of the cat and tried to sound menacing.

"Your deadbeat dad abandoned you," I hissed. "I'm your evil stepmother now."

"You don't listen to me, I'm shipping you off to Siberia."

"Someplace where you'll have to row a boat for a hundred years just to get back."

That night, I felt something licking my hair. In my drowsy state, I thought I heard a tiny voice in my head.

Stepmom, don't ship cat away. Cat gets seasick.

* * *

I jolted awake, fumbling for the lamp switch. The cat was sitting on my pillow, and we stared at each other.

"Leo, was that you talking?"

"..."

Silence.

My heart rate settled. I looked at Leo's big, innocent face and thought, what a vivid dream. I gave his head a little scratch and lay back down. A few minutes later, that damp feeling was back, along with a faint, whiny voice.

Stepmom, why Daddy no want me?

My eyes flew open. In the darkness, I could just make out a furry cat butt parked right in front of my face.

"Leo?"

The licking stopped. The air was still for a full minute, and then it started again. I was getting annoyed. "Leo, if you lick me one more time, Mommy's going to get mad."

Cat giving Mommy a bath.

"LEO!"