old.”
“I’m aware of that,” I replied sarcastically, “Stop looking at me that way!”
He went on, “It was bound to happen sometime…”
We worked our way down the stairs to the spot where the cats were fed, but there was no sign of her. I was surprised to see them come out right away, for they usually never showed themselves without Stella nearby. I looked around for her, checking her favorite benches, finally opening the bag and pouring out some food.
Ethan and I stood back and watched as a group of mangy looking cats came slithering out of the underbrush. They set upon the food frantically, barely looking over at us. I recognized the little tabby cat Stella called Freddy, noticing it was visibly pregnant, its bony frame barely able to support what could only be a litter of kittens.
I chuckled, “I guess she should have named it Fredericka,” I said.
And suddenly, I knew she was gone.
My eyes filled with tears, meeting Ethan’s as he stepped closer to enclose me in his arms. I was going to miss her, and I was stunned, barely able to process the idea. As scattered as Stella had been, hearing her ramble on about the past was a comfort to me. She was one of the few links I had to the mother I never knew, and I now could feel those memories slipping away from me. There was one less person on earth I could talk to about it.
I started shaking, trembling uncontrollably when I realized that it wasn’t Stella I’d spoken to last night, at least not the flesh-and-blood Stella. Her spirit couldn’t rest until she was sure her beloved cats would be taken care of. It was both sad and shocking.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan whispered in my ear.
“I’m okay,” I replied, but my voice was quavery. I wanted to tell him what happened last night, but I didn’t want to worry him about my return to nocturnal surfing. My mind was filled with awe as I thought about what it meant. I had seen a dead woman, and spoken with her… was this just some phantom I’d conjured up in my own mind, or could it be another manifestation of my hybrid powers? Did this mean I might be able to see my mother?
Being a scientist’s daughter, I’d always been taught to be skeptical about the ghostly sightings and spiritual gibberish that Evie wanted so desperately to believe. Her cadre of mediums and fortune tellers had never proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they could communicate with spirits. I thought about all the times I’d teased Evie about her beliefs, and now, without even looking for it, I had just been provided with empirical evidence of an afterlife. It was disconcerting, but strangely comforting.
Just then, a jogger I’d seen before came trotting by, pausing for a beat to watch the strays scarfing down the food. “Too bad about the cat lady,” he panted, checking his time while running in place, “But I guess none of us can live forever.” He plodded off, his feet crunching on the gravel.
Ethan looked at me with apprehension dawning in his eyes.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SERENDIPITY
Ethan was quiet on the walk home, his face distant and preoccupied. It was just as well, as I had a lot to think about, and I tended to clam up when I felt sad. When we got onto Abby’s drive, he stopped me, wrapping his arms around me and burrowing his face in my neck.
“I guess it’s up to me to feed the cats now,” I said, thinking about Stella’s request.
He held me tighter, rubbing my back. We were just starting to relax into each other when a powerful engine roared around the corner, startling us. Ethan pulled me behind him as a sports car lurched into the driveway, coming to a screeching halt. It was a familiar bright red, but longer and lower to the ground than the Porsche. I looked around Ethan’s shoulder to see Cruz step out of it.
He looked at us with a smirk, “Now, why am I not surprised?”
“Welcome back Cruz.”
Ethan looked at the car, and then at Cruz with raised eyebrows, “Whoa! She lets you drive the Testarossa?”
“I have carte blanche in the garage,” Cruz said haughtily, throwing his overnight bag over his shoulder, “So, how are things here in tinytown? Are you two kids behaving?”
Ethan and I exchanged an amused glance, “Your mom misses you,” I called after him as he jauntily strolled into the house.
“I have