Emily, are you home? Ian stormed into the flat, his breath catching when he saw his wife huddled in the hallway. She was curled up on the floor, sobbing so hard her words came out in hiccuped whimpers.
I cant make sense of whats happened, Emily. You were crying, I could barely hear you. And then, as if the universe were mocking us, my phone died. Whats wrong, love? You look like youve seen a ghost.
Morris Emily managed to choke out the name. Hes not here.
He what? Ians fists clenched. Where could he have gone? Did he hide somewhere in the flat?
No. Your sister Molly she said Morris bolted into the stairwell when she stepped out with Harry for a walk. But you know Morris, Ian he would never dash out on his own. Hed never run into the cold when he could have died out there. I think she let him out on purpose
What?! Ians knuckles whitened. Wheres she now?
She said shed gone to the corner shop I dont know. Ive searched the whole flat, and theres no sign of him. No one near here has seen him. How could that happen, Ian? Could a person really be that cruel, to fling a defenseless animal into the street in winter?
A person no. But Molly she could. Shes done similar things before. Dont worry, her feet wont be on our floor any longer. Honestly, why did we ever let her stay?
—
A month earlier
Ian was trudging toward the bus stop when a glint of gray caught his eye beneath a layer of snow. At first it looked like a stone, but the stone trembled as if it were an old, rattling refrigerator. That odd vibration forced him to stop. Hed never seenor heardrock shiver from the cold before.
Curiosity got the better of him. He stepped off the pavement and knelt, brushing away the powder. It wasnt a stone at all, but a tiny, gray kitten, shivering like a leaf in a gale.
Well, look at that Ian said, scratching his chin. What are you doing here, little one?
He didnt need to ask. Anyone could tell a stray kittens purpose: survive however it could. The kitten made no plaintive cries, no desperate mews; it simply lay there, trembling, resigned to being ignored by the world, trying only to keep its body warm.
Ian lifted the frail creature, brushed the snow from its fur, slipped it under his coat, and bolted for the approaching trolley. As the vehicle rattled away, he thought of Emily, who had been talking about getting a kitten a grey one with a stripe but theyd never found the time to visit a shelter. Fate, it seemed, had dropped one at his feet. If destiny hands you something, you take it.
Emily, Ive got a surprise for you, Ian called out, stepping into the flat later that afternoon.
Oh, youre spoiling me these days, Emily laughed, slipping into the hall. Gold earrings, a new phone, tickets to the cinema whats this one? A voucher for a ski resort?
Even better! Ians eyes lit up as he unzipped his jacket and produced the shivering kitten. I found him outside. Isnt this exactly what you wanted? Grey and striped?
Goodness, Emily gasped, cradling the trembling animal. Hes freezing! Put him here, Ill warm him up. And you, get cleaned up, wash your hands, and head to the kitchen. Dinners on the table.
Emily gazed at the kitten and smiled, What a beautiful little thing
Thus Morris entered Ian and Emilys lives. They argued over names for a good halfhour, tossing around dozens of possibilities before finally settling on a classic.
Morris feels right, more than Tom or Lucas, dont you think?
Absolutely, love.
The happy incident happened at the end of November, as the first snow fell. The kitten had not yet tasted the harshness of a British winter street. Thank heavens for many, that first night would be the last.
In the two weeks that followed, Morris became the centre of their world. They fell in love with him the moment he crossed the threshold, and each day their affection grew stronger. Morris, for his part, adored Ian and Emily kind people who would never hurt him or toss him out like his previous owners. He settled easily, even when he knocked a remote off a dresser; they merely asked him to be more careful.
Ill be more careful, I promise! Morris said in his own feline way, leaping back onto the nightstand and nudging the remote with his paw.
Everything was perfect until a knock sounded at the front door.
Who could be coming this early on a Sunday? Ian squinted at the clock; it was half past six. Outside, darkness still clung to the streets.
Maybe the neighbours? Emily guessed. Something happened to them?
Ill go check.
Ian opened the door to find his sister Molly, arms loaded with a battered suitcase, and a chubby fiveyearold boy perched on her hip. The child, Milo, stared up at the flat with wide, curious eyes.
Hey, brother, Molly smiled, a hint of mischief in her tone. Mind if we pop in?
Well Ian hesitated.
I know, I know, I should have called. I was in such a rush I didnt even think to ring the bell. Its early, I know youd probably be asleep. So let us in? And could you help with the suitcase? Ive been dragging it up to the fourth floor and my legs feel like jelly.
Ian swallowed his irritation and let them in. The suitcase felt out of place; nobody ever arrived with luggage unannounced.
Whats happened to you?
What, isnt it obvious? Molly replied, shrugging. My husband threw me out. Hes found some other woman, can you imagine? Ive got nowhere to go. If you dont mind, Ill stay here for a while, until I sort things out. We could even ring in the New Year together. Its been four years since weve spoken, after all.
You know why we fell out, Ian said quietly. Lies are a shaky foundation for any relationship.
Oh, stop. Molly waved a hand. As they say, who lives in the past, sees the future dim. How many times must you remind me? Everyone makes mistakes.
Ian wanted to protest, but the thought of starting the day with a fight made his stomach turn. And Emily would never approve if he started laying blame on a sister whod just been driven out of her home. Yet, a grievance lingered.
Five years earlier, their father had died. The sizeable threebedroom flat Ian owned was slated to be inherited by both him and Molly. There were no other relatives. At the time, Molly was pregnant the father of the child still a mystery. Their mother, Margaret, had been pressing Molly to convince Ian to give up his share of the inheritance, arguing the flat was more needed for the baby than for a single man.
Ian, still living in a student hall, acquiesced, thinking he could later secure his own place through a mortgage the common route nowadays.
When Milo was born, Molly sold the flat, moved in with a new lover, a businessman named Val, who claimed he needed cash to expand his company. She told Ian, The flat is mine now, Im doing what I think is best.
Ian erupted, demanding at least half the proceeds as a fair share. Money never materialised; Val claimed it was all being invested in his venture. Their mother stayed out of it, saying grownups would sort themselves out.
Years earlier, when Ian was a schoolboy, hed found a stray kitten on the street and brought it home. It vanished shortly after. He never suspected his mother shed let the animal stay because there was space in the country house they lived in then. The only person who could have taken the kitten was Molly.
Tell me where you put it! Ian had shouted.
Molly never confessed, though Ian could see the lie in her eyes. The first kitten had haunted her from the moment she saw it. She later brought another one, which also disappeared. Coincidence? Unlikely.
Their mother merely shook her head, and Molly shrugged, pretending innocence. Since then, Ian stopped rescuing stray animals altogether, and his relationship with his sister grew cold and strained.
Now, with Molly back at the door, Ian felt a knot of dread tighten.
Ian, cant she stay a bit? Emily sighed heavily. Let her crash here for a while. She cant be kicked out onto the street with a baby. New Years almost. Perhaps youll finally reconcile.
Fine, Ian waved a hand. If youre okay with it, she can stay.
But his gut told him trouble was on the horizon. And it wasnt long before it proved right.
The next day Molly began complaining about Morris. He keeps waking me up, sprinting around the flat, lying on my sofa, staring at me in that odd way. Her fiveyearold Milo developed a nasty cold.
Its definitely an allergy to your cat, Molly told Ian, recalling how her own cat, Whiskers, used to look like a cucumber.
Not necessarily. He could just be sick, Ian replied. You walk him outside all the time. Even if it is an allergy, what do you expect? Morris is family.
Oh, youre full of it, Molly laughed. Family member I thought youd outgrown that childish habit of dragging stray animals home. How does Emily still put up with you?
Emily loves animals as much as I do. You, on the other hand, seem to despise them. What have they ever done to you?
Theyre a nuisance. I cant sleep because of Morris. My son cant rest either. Its stress! When you have kids of your own youll understand.
Ian fell silent. Children were a sore spot. He and Emily had tried for years without success; doctors offered no explanations. Molly knew all this, perhaps from their mothers whispered counsel, and she pressed the wound anew.
I think the only solution is to rehome your cat, Molly said, eyes gleaming. Milo is my nephew, Im your sister. We cant keep suffering because of a cat. Hes just an animal. Ill make sure you never have to see him again.
Do you even know what youre saying? Ian snapped. A shelter? Morris lives here, not there. If you dont like him, thats your problem. I didnt invite you. Find somewhere else to live.
In his mind, a dark thought flickered: Send the child to a shelter, if you think thats clever. He kept it to himself, knowing it would only inflame the argument.
Molly pretended to calm, but her hatred for Morris lingered. When Ian and Emily were out, she shooed the cat off the couch, dumping him into the far corner so he could not even see her. Morris endured the abuse, then began to retaliate. He tipped her phone off the nightstand, then accidentally snatched at the hem of her favourite sweater.
Youre ruining my things! Molly shrieked. Why would anyone keep a pet they cant train? My own cat never does that!
Molly kept quiet as her son Milo grabbed Morris by the tail, snatched his favourite plush mouse, and stashed it in his suitcase a petty theft.
Listen up! Ian roared, his voice cracking the tension. Remember youre staying in my flat. If you want to stay, keep your hands off my cat!
Alright, alright, calm down Molly muttered, backing away.
On the night before New Years, Emily called Ian, her voice choked with tears, trying to explain something Ian couldnt grasp. He asked for the day off and hurried home.
When he burst through the front door, he saw Emily in the hallway, curled up, weeping.
Emily, are you home? he demanded, his voice trembling. I cant make sense of this. You were sobbing so hard I couldnt hear a word. Then my phone died, as if the world were against us. Whats happened, love? You look like youve seen a phantom.
Morris is gone Emily whispered, barely audible. Hes not here.
Gone? How? Ians fists balled. Where could he have vanished to? Did he hide somewhere?
No. Your sister Molly said he bolted into the stairwell when she stepped out for a walk with Harry. But you know Morris, Ian he would never run out on his own. Hed never face the cold when he could have died out there. I think she let him out on purpose
What?! Ians knuckles turned white. Where is she? Wheres Molly?
She said she went to the corner shop I dont know. Ive searched everywhere, and theres no sign of him. No one has seen him. How could that be, Ian? Could a human be that vicious, to chuck an innocent creature into the street in winter?
A human no. But Molly she could. Shes done this before. Dont worry, her feet wont be on our floor any longer. Ill find Morris, I promise.
Ian spent the rest of the night roaming the dim streets, the cold biting his cheeks, but Morris never reappeared. The darkness seemed to swallow him whole.
When Molly finally arrived with Milo, Ian gave her a hardwon interrogation.
Why did you do it? he shouted. Why did you toss the cat outside? You know he almost died!
I didnt do anything, brother, Molly shrugged. I just opened the door and he ran. I didnt chase after him. My child comes first, not some stray cat.
Ian stared into her eyes and saw the lie, the smugness. He knew she had done it deliberately, perhaps even taken him far away.
Tomorrow is New Years. Ive bought the champagne. Lets not argue over nonsense, shall we? Molly cooed, trying to smooth things over.
Fine, Ian said, his voice flat. Pack your things.
What?
Do you have a problem hearing? Pack your suitcase, or Ill throw it out the window. And go!
He drove Molly, Milo, and the battered suitcase to the station, handed over a few pounds for tickets, and told her bluntly,
You can go to your husband, your mother, even sleep on a bench at the station. I dont want to see you again. And Im sorry for your sons mother.
Later that evening, his mother called, accusing him of coldness.
Molly came to you as family, and you drove her away with a child. How could you?
Shell figure something out. Shes not a child. Im done talking to her.
On 31December, the festive table sat halfempty. The clocks chimes neared ten minutes from midnight, and the champagne bottle still lay sealed. Neither Ian nor Emily felt any joy. Their beloved cat was missing, and hope seemed to have vanished.
Ian, do you hear that? Emily asked suddenly, eyes wide. Someones rattling at the door.
Molly again? Ian muttered, rising from his seat.
He opened the door, and there, trembling and snowcovered, stood Morris. The cat shivered, but somehow survived the freezing night and found his way back.
Emily! Hes back! Hes back! Ian cried, scooping the cat into his arms.
They rushed him to the heater, fed him, and Emily clutched him to her chest, refusing to let go for a single second. Morris purred contentedly, as if to say, Im home, where Im loved.
Ian, a minute to midnight, Emily whispered. Will you open the champagne?
Of course!
Ian popped the cork, poured the sparkling wine into flutes, and as fireworks exploded outside, cheers rang through the street.
They say theAnd as the final fireworks faded, Morris curled into Emilys lap, sealing the promise of a fresh start for the onceshattered family.
