that my hand stretched oddly down to the short version being reflected. I stared at the glass then my cat. Then the mirror again as I held my hand above Grisou’s giant head and saw it reflected in a way that made me wince.
“I take it the secret is out.”
“Argh.” Yeah. That was my mature reply to my cat talking to me.
His giant eyes didn’t blink. He stared until I fidgeted.
“Are you going to eat me?” Asked every human before a massive set of jaws unhinged.
“Depends. Did you smuggle out any bodies? Or bring back the loose skin bits you lost?” My cat was definitely talking.
A part of me thought I should scream. But I was Naomi, who’d seen and used magic, faced down demons and The Chill. Was I really going to get freaked out that my pet could communicate?
“Since when can you talk to me?”
“Since the day we met. Not my fault you’re hard of hearing.” He licked a paw and slicked his fur back.
“How come I can hear you now?”
“Because you’re finally turning into the witch you were meant to be.”
“Making you my familiar.”
My cat hissed. “Implying I’m your slave. Not likely, witch.” That quickly, he went hostile.
Definitely my pet. How many times had I been petting him and he purred, only to suddenly attack? “If you’re not my familiar, then what are you?”
“None of your business.” Said with a haughty air.
“And here I thought we were best friends.”
“A best friend wouldn’t try and keep me locked up in the house.” Giant pussy pouted.
I snorted. “Since when has a door stopped you from getting outside?”
“The house isn’t always cooperative with my excursions.”
Interesting the cat spoke of the house as sentient. “Do you talk to the house?”
“Do you talk to the vacuum?” was his sassy reply.
“I used to talk to the robot one we had at my old house.” I wanted to be known as the polite human if Skynet ever did come to pass.
“That’s weird.”
“So is a talking cat.”
“Am I talking, or are you going crazy?” he purred.
I blinked, and I swear he smirked.
“No, I am not crazy,” I huffed.
“If we ignore the fact you’re talking to your pet.”
“Everyone talks to their pets,” I argued.
“How many of them reply?” He looked so damned smug, until he suddenly dove at his hindquarters for a fierce lick.
“You can’t be the only talking cat in the world.”
“Only special people can hear me.”
“Like who? Who else do you talk to?”
“Trish, and a few others. But soon many more will be able to hear my voice.”
“Speaking of Trish, I should call her. Let her know I’m home.” My best friend must have been so worried. So worried, she never came to see me in the hospital. Or maybe she had but I didn’t know because of the whole coma thing. Had to be.
I exited the bathroom naked and glancing constantly at my boobs. I poked a nipple for fun and watched it retract. It worked. Yay. I’d read stories about franken nubs, filed under the boob jobs gone wrong.
I skimmed a hand over my flat tummy. Flat. Damn. I couldn’t help but palm it.
Check me out. Darryl thought I’d come crawling back? Ha. Not with this body I wouldn’t.
I could see why women loved doing revenge videos. The next time he saw me, I totally wanted to make him regret his behavior and cruel words.
Knowing what I did now, I wished I’d given Kane a chance. He’d always seen me as desirable. If only he weren’t dead.
He’s not.
The certainty filled me. False hope, given what everyone said. But I clung to it. So long as there was no body, I could believe he lived. Lost in the woods. He’d return or be found. We’d make up and have sex. Lots of sex.
Naked-with-the-lights-on kind of sex.
I dressed in pajamas and glanced around for reading material. Nothing. Not even Grandma’s old books. Should I pop downstairs to grab something? Winnie told me to go to bed. Only I wasn’t tired. She’d give me heck if she saw me gallivanting around. She and Geoff were like clucking hens.
Gawd, I loved my kids. Nice to know they appeared to reciprocate.
I hesitated by the stairs. I was being a ninny. I had every right to go downstairs and get a book if I wanted to. It was my house.
I still snuck, slowing as I heard voices coming from the kitchen. Winnie and the deeper timbre of Jace.
“Pack your things. Come home with me, tonight.”
“You know I can’t