Eleanor, are you home? Ian burst through the front door, his breath fogging the hallway as he froze on seeing Natalie huddled in the entrance, shoulders shaking with sobs. I cant make sense of whats happened to you. You were wailing so hard I couldnt catch a word. And then, of course, the phone died at the worst possible moment. Whats going on, Natalie? You look like a ghost.
The Milo is gone, Natalie whispered, her voice cracking. Hes not here.
How could he just vanish? Ians eyes widened. Where could he have gone? Did he hide somewhere in the flat?
No. Your sister Victoria she told me Milo bolted into the hallway when she stepped out with Michael for a walk. But you know, Ian, Milo would never run off on his own. Why would he head out into the street, where he almost froze to death? I think she let him out on purpose
What? Ian clenched his fists. Where is she now? Wheres Victoria?
She says shes at the corner shop I dont know. Ive been looking for Milo all night and theres no sign of him. Nobodys seen him. How can that be, Ian? Could a person really be that crueltoss a helpless animal onto a winter street? Is that even human?
A personno. Victoriayes. Shes done this before. Dont worry, her feet wont be roaming our flat any longer. Honestly, why did we ever let her stay?
A month earlier
Ian was walking toward the bus stop when a strange gray shape caught his eye beneath a crust of snow. At first he thought it was just a stone, but the rock trembled as if an old, rattling refrigerator were shivering in the cold. It was the only thing that ever made him notice something out of the ordinaryhed never heard stone shiver before.
Curiosity pried him off the pavement. He knelt and brushed the snow away, only to realize it wasnt a stone at all but a tiny, gray kitten, shivering helplessly.
This is Ian murmured, scratching the back of his head. What are you doing here, little one?
It was a rhetorical question. Anyone could guess why a stray kitten would be out in the bitter cold: to survive, however feebly. It didnt meow, didnt beg; it simply lay there, its tiny body trembling as if it had accepted that the world didnt care.
Ian scooped the frail creature up, brushed the snow from its fur, shoved the kitten into his coat, and sprinted to the bus, clutching it with one hand. While the trolley rattled toward the depot, the memory of Natalies longstanding wish for a grey, tabby kitten flickered in his mind. Shed always wanted one, but theyd never found the time to visit a shelter together. Fate, it seemed, had dropped a bundle of fur right at his feet. When destiny offers, you take it.
Natalie, Ive got a surprise, Ian announced, stepping into their flat.
Honestly, youve been spoiling me lately, Natalie said, smiling as she slipped into the hallway. First gold earrings, then the new phone Ive been dreaming about, tickets to the cinema whats next? A holiday in the Alps?
Better, Ian beamed, unzipping his jacket to reveal the kitten. Found him out on the street. Grey and stripedjust what you asked for, right?
Natalie gasped, cradling the shivering creature. Hes freezing! Put him here, quick. And youstrip off, wash your hands, get into the kitchen. Dinners ready.
She stared at the kitten, eyes softening. Hes gorgeous
And so Milo, as they decided to call him, entered Ian and Natalies life. They tossed around a dozen names before settling on the classic Miloit felt right, more fitting than any Tom or Lucas.
The incident occurred at the end of November, just as the first snow fell. The kitten hadnt yet learned the bitter realities of a London winter. Thank heavens, because for many, that first night would be the last.
In the two weeks Milo lived under their roof, the couple grew fiercely attached. They fell in love with him the first day and the affection deepened with each sunrise. Milo, for his part, adored his new peoplehe never got shouted at for spilling a drink or knocking a vase; they merely asked him to be more careful.
Will do! he seemed to purr, leaping onto the bedroom dresser ten times a day and, on a few occasions, sending the remote tumbling to the floor.
Everything was blissfuluntil a knock at the door shattered the peace.
Who could be at the door on a Sunday morning? Ian squinted at the hallway clock; it read half past six. The street outside was still dark.
Maybe the neighbours? Natalie suggested. Did something happen to them?
Ill check.
When Ian opened the front door, Victoria stood there, her fiveyearold son, Max, clinging to her leg.
Hey, brother, she said, smiling. Were dropping by. You dont mind, do you?
Actually
Dont worry, I know youre busy. I didnt have time to call earlier; I figured youd be asleep. Can you let us in? And could you help with my suitcase? Im struggling up to the fourth floor.
Ian stepped aside, though the presence of a suitcase felt oddly out of place for a casual visit.
What happened to you? he asked.
My husband kicked me out, Victoria replied bluntly. Hes taken another woman, can you imagine? I have nowhere to go. If youre okay with it, Ill stay here for a while, maybe until I figure things out. We could even ring in New Year together. Its been four years since we really talked, and were not strangers, are we?
I know why were not close, Ian said quietly. A relationship built on lies cant stand.
Ah, stop. Whos counting the years? We all make mistakes. No ones perfect.
Ian wanted to argue, but the thought of starting the day with a fight didnt sit well. Natalie would never approve of him lashing out at a sister who had just lost everything. Yet there was a reason to resent Victoria.
Five years earlier their parents had died, leaving a threebedroom flat in the city to be inherited by Ian and Victoria. With no other relatives, the property was supposed to be theirs joint. At that time Victoria was pregnant, though the fathers identity remained unknown. She kept pressing Ian to relinquish his share, claiming she needed the house more than he did as a single man. Their mother urged Ian to give her the share, arguing the child needed a home.
Ian, still a student living in a university dorm, gave in, believing hed later find his own place. He imagined a mortgage would sort him outas most do these days.
When the baby arrived, Victoria sold the flat and moved in with a new boyfriend, Val, who was starting a business and needed cash. Its my flat, Im doing what I must, she told Ian. He erupted, demanding at least half the proceeds, but Vals business expenses swallowed everything.
Their mother stayed out of it, saying adults would sort themselves out. Ten years later, when Ian was a grown man, he remembered picking up a stray kitten on the street as a child, only for it to disappear. He never suspected his mother, whod allowed the animal to stay then. The only plausible culprit? Victoria.
Tell me where you put it! Ian shouted. Victorias eyes averted; she never admitted it. Every time he brought a new kitten home, one vanished. Coincidence? Unlikely.
Their mother merely rolled her eyes; Victoria shrugged, pretending innocence. Ian stopped rescuing strays.
Thus, the tension between brothers remained thick.
Now, with Victoria and Max in the flat, the atmosphere grew poisonous. She began complaining about Milo: He disturbs my sleep, runs around the flat, sprawls on the sofa, looks at me weirdly. Max developed a cold, which Victoria blamed on the cat.
It must be an allergy, she told Ian. My little boy was as healthy as a cucumber before.
It could just be a virus, Ian replied. You take him out for walks, remember? Even if its an allergy, what do you propose? Milos part of our family.
What a joke, Victoria laughed. Family member? I thought youd outgrown that childish habit of dragging animals home. How does Natalie even put up with you?
I love animals, as does Natalie. You seem to loathe them. What have they ever done to you?
Theyre a nuisance. My sleeps ruined, my son cant rest. When you have your own children youll understand. The words cut deep; Ians own longing for children was a raw wound. He and Natalie had tried for years with no success, doctors offering no answers. Victoria, fully aware of this, seemed to relish the sting.
Maybe we should put Milo in a shelter, she suggested coldly. Misha is my nephew, Im his aunt. I cant keep fighting over a cat. Its just an animal, after all. Im sure Mum would say the same.
Do you even know what youre saying? Ian snapped. What shelter? Milo lives here. If you dont like him, youre free to leave. I didnt invite you. Find somewhere else to live.
He imagined, darkly, sending his own child to a sheltera thought that never left his mouth, but lingered in his mind.
For a while Victoria seemed to settle, but she kept pushing Milo away from the sofa, shoving him into a corner. Milo endured, then subtly retaliatedknocking her phone off the nightstand, snagging at her favourite sweater.
Your cat is ruining my things! she shouted. Why keep an animal you cant control?
She never mentioned how Milos own brother, Max, had once grabbed Milos tail and hidden his favourite soft toy in the suitcasea petty theft.
Im warning you, Ian warned, voice low but fierce. Youre staying in my flat. Touch my cat again and youll regret it.
Fine, fineno need to get worked up
The night before New Years Eve, Natalie called Ian, her voice trembling with sobs. He couldnt piece together her words, only sensed something grave. He asked to leave work early and drove home.
He burst through the door, his eyes catching Natalie curled in the hall, still weeping.
Ian, are you home? he shouted, voice raw. I cant make sense of anything. You were crying so hard I heard nothing. Then the phone diedtypical. What happened, Natalie? Youre not yourself.
Milos gone she whispered, barely audible. Hes not home.
How could he disappear? Ian asked, panic rising. Where could he be? Did he hide somewhere?
No. Your sister Victoria said he ran out when she stepped out for a walk. But you know Milohe wouldnt run off on his own. Why would he go out in that weather? I think she let him out on purpose
What?! Ians fists clenched. Where is she now? Wheres Victoria?
She might be at the shop I dont know. Ive been looking everywhere, but hes vanished. Nobodys seen him. How can that be, Ian? Could a person really be that cruelthrow a defenseless animal onto a winter street? Is that even human?
A personno. Victoriayes. Shes done this before. Dont worry, she wont be back. Ill find Milo.
That night, as darkness swallowed the streets, Ian searched in vain. The next morning, Victoria arrived with Max, and Ian interrogated her with a fury that bordered on obsession.
Why did you do it? Why did you let the cat out? He almost died!
It wasnt me, brother, Victoria shrugged. I opened the door, he bolted. I didnt chase after him. My child comes first, not some cat.
Ian saw the lie in her eyes, the smugness. He knew shed meant it. Shed deliberately set Milo free, perhaps even taken him farther away.
Tomorrows New Years Eve, Victoria cooed, brandishing a bottle of champagne. Lets not fight over this, shall we?
Im not staying, Ian snapped. Pack your things.
What? Are you hard of hearing?
Gather your luggage, or Ill throw it out the window. And go.
He drove Victoria and Max to the station, handed over a few pounds for their tickets, and told her in no uncertain terms that she was no longer welcome. Dont call again. Never show up at my door.
Later that night, his mother called, accusing him of being coldhearted. Victoria reached out to you as family, and you turned her away with a child? Is that right, son?
I think shell manage, Ian replied, unwilling to keep the conversation going.
On New Years Eve, the couple sat at their dining table, the clock ticking down the final ten minutes to midnight. The champagne bottles lay unopened, the air heavy with anxiety. How could they celebrate when their beloved Milo was still missing?
Natalies voice trembled. Ian, do you hear that? She pointed to the door, where a faint scratching sounded.
Victoria again? Ian muttered, rising from his seat.
He flung the door open. There, shivering but alive, stood Milo, his grey coat frosted, eyes bright with relief. He had survived the night, braving the cold to find his way home.
Natalie! Hes back! Hes back! Ian cried, scooping the cat into his arms. They wrapped him in a blanket, fed him warm milk, and Natalie clung to him, refusing to let go.
Milo purred contentedly, a tiny miracle of survival. The New Years fireworks burst outside, lighting the sky as the couple toasted with sparkling wine.
Happy New Year, Natalie whispered, eyes shining. Will you open the champagne now?
Of course, Ian replied, popping the bottle, the fizz spilling into crystal glasses. The room filled with cheers as the clock struck twelve.
They say the way you meet the New Year is the way it will be. For Ian and Natalie, the year would be marked by Milos safe return, the warmth of family, and the promise of new lifeNatalies hand resting on her belly, feeling the stir of a future that Milo seemed to sense in his purrs.
