I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 14: The Kitten Conundrum
The sun hung low in the sky as Jon and Gloria drove home, the car filled with shopping bags from their recent spree. Gloria hummed along to the radio, clearly in a great mood. Jon, meanwhile, leaned against the window, watching the city pass by..
That was until something caught his eye.
A small cardboard box sat on the sidewalk near a lamppost. It was damp, battered, and barely noticeable among the city's background noise. But something inside it moved.
Jon's instincts kicked in.
"Gloria, pull over."
She frowned. "What? Why?"
"Just trust me."
Gloria gave him a curious look but complied, easing the car to the curb.
Jon stepped out, walking toward the box. The moment he got close, he heard it—a soft, barely audible mew.
Kneeling, he peered inside. A tiny orange kitten, no older than a few weeks, curled up in the corner, trembling. Its fur was messy and matted, its eyes wide with fear.
Jon scanned the area, searching for any sign of a mother cat or an owner. Nothing. Just the lonely little creature shivering inside the box.
Gloria walked up behind him and gasped. "Ay, pobrecito…" She knelt beside Jon. "Someone must have abandoned it."
Jon sighed. "Figures. A kitten this small won't last long out here alone."
Gloria leaned down. "Poor little thing." She turned to Jon, expectantly.
Jon's jaw tightened. He wasn't a cat person. Never had been. But looking at the tiny ball of fur, helpless and alone, something inside him twisted.
He knew what it was like to be alone.
Before he could second-guess himself, he reached in and gently scooped up the kitten. It barely resisted, its tiny body warm against his hands.
"I'm taking it," he said simply.
Gloria's lips curled into a warm smile. "I was hoping you'd say that."
---
Back at the Pritchett house, Manny was the first to react.
"A kitten!" he gasped, eyes lighting up. He reached out and gently stroked the little ball of fluff in Jon's arms. "It's adorable!"
Jon sat on the couch, letting the kitten rest in his lap. It was still nervous but didn't fight him.
"I found it abandoned," Jon explained. "I figured it wouldn't survive out there alone."
Manny nodded solemnly. "That was the right thing to do. But… what about Jay?"
Jon sighed. "Yeah. That's the problem."
Gloria crossed her arms. "Jay is not an animal person. It will take some convincing."
Jon smirked. "Good thing I'm charming."
Manny grinned. "Oh, we're using that?"
Gloria smiled. "Of course! We need a strategy. Jay will say no immediately, so we need to break him down."
Jon chuckled. "Alright. Here's the plan…"
---
An hour later, Jay walked through the front door, already in a grumpy mood.
"Hey, I'm home," he called.
Jon, Gloria, and Manny exchanged glances. Showtime.
Gloria was the first to move. She practically glided to Jay, her smile radiant, her voice soft and sweet.
"Jay! You are home! You look so handsome today."
Jay squinted at her. "What do you want?"
Jon, still seated on the couch, held up the kitten.
Jay froze.
"Oh, hell no."
Manny stepped in, cranking up his best puppy-dog eyes. "But Jay, look at it! It's so tiny!"
Jay shook his head. "Nope. No way. I know what happens. I say yes, and suddenly I'm cleaning up after a cat for the next ten years."
Jon stood, cradling the kitten. "Jay, I'll take care of everything. I found it abandoned. It needs a home."
Jay frowned, looking at the kitten, then at Jon. "Kid, I like you, but—"
Gloria cut in, her voice dipping into that dangerous disappointed wife tone. "Jay…" She sighed dramatically. "This little thing was alone in a box. Alone. Just like Jon was when he was a baby."
Jon blinked. "Wow. Playing that card, huh?"
Gloria ignored him, keeping her gaze locked on Jay. "Are you really going to say no?"
Jay groaned. "Oh, come on—"
Manny hit him next. "Jay, please? Jon saved it. You always say we should do the right thing. Isn't this the right thing?"
Jay exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples. "Damn it."
Jon smirked. "That's a yes."
Jay pointed at him. "Fine. But you are responsible for it. You feed it, clean it, take care of everything. If I so much as step in cat poop, you're paying for my shoes."
Jon grinned. "Deal."
Gloria cheered. Manny gave Jon a high five.
Jay sighed. "What's its name?"
Jon blinked. "…I didn't think of one yet."
Manny perked up. "How about Simba?"
Gloria beamed. "Or Naranjito! Because it's orange!"
Jon shook his head. He looked down at the little ball of fluff in his arms.
"…Ghost," he said finally.
Jay raised an eyebrow. "Why Ghost?"
Jon smirked. "Because when you're not looking, it'll be everywhere."
Jay grumbled but waved a hand. "Fine. Whatever. Just keep it away from my chair."
And the kitten—Ghost—let out a tiny, satisfied meow.
---
Later that evening, Jon sat on his bed, watching as the tiny kitten explored his room. Ghost was cautious at first, sniffing everything, tail twitching. But eventually, he curled up on Jon's pillow and let out a soft, contented purr.
Jon ran a hand through his messy black hair and smirked. "Guess this is home now, huh?"
The kitten's response was a sleepy meow.
Jon chuckled.
Outside, he could hear Gloria humming as she cooked, Manny laughing at some TV show, and Jay muttering about "damn cats" under his breath.
Jon leaned back against the headboard, his eyes drifting to the ceiling.
He never thought he'd get attached to this family so fast.
But maybe… just maybe…
He was exactly where he was supposed to be.