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Back The Newcomer
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“Whatever you call it. Yeah. It’s full of a lot of old weeds and trash and stuff, and she made herself like a little nest in there. Maya heard them mewing just now when we were getting my book bag out of my car and we followed the sound to that pipe.”

“Four little kitties,” Maya reported, holding up four fingers. “I want a kitten, Letty.”

Letty knelt down beside her niece. “Those kittens need their mama right now. Midnight is feeding them and taking care of them, so we can’t take them away from her. They’re her kittens, not ours.”

“I would feed my kitten,” Maya protested. “And I would take care of it and it could sleep in my bed with me.”

“I’m afraid not,” Letty said, shaking her head. “It’s Midnight’s job to take care of her babies. Just like it’s my job to take care of you. Besides, Miss Ava doesn’t allow pets in the motel, do you, Miss Ava?”

“She doesn’t,” Isabelle volunteered. “My whole life I’ve wanted a dog, and my whole life she’s said pets don’t belong at motels.” She glared at Ava. “Super unfair.”

Maya’s lower lip began to tremble. “But I waaaaaant a kitten!”

Letty tried to put her arms around her niece, but Maya pushed her away. “No! I don’t like you, Letty. I want my mama to take care of me. Not you.”

“Maya!” Ava said. “That’s not very nice.”

Isabelle sat down on the floor and pulled Maya onto her lap. “Letty’s right, Maya Papaya. We can’t take those kittens away from Midnight, or they might die.”

Letty winced at the teenager’s reasoning, but Maya’s deep blue eyes widened at the mention of death. “Do kittens go to heaven when they die? Like my mama?”

“I don’t know,” Isabelle replied. “But if heaven is where everyone is happy, then yeah, I bet there are kittens and puppies and all kinds of animals in heaven with the people we love.”

“Oh. But I still want a kitten now.”

“Someday,” Letty said. As soon as she made the vague promise she recognized it as the same lame response her own mother gave over the years whenever she and Tanya begged for a pet, or a house with a real yard, or a trip to the beach. “Someday.”

She stood up and dusted off the seat of her shorts. “Someday,” she said, “I promise we will have a house of our own and you will have a pet. But in the meantime, you and Isabelle could help Midnight by putting out some extra cat food for her, couldn’t they, Miss Ava?”

Ava sighed. “That cat’s supposed to be earning her keep chasing rats away from the dumpster. But I guess I could pick up a bag of food when I go to the store.”