“I didn’t know petting an animal could be so … “

“Nice? Pleasant? Fun?”

“Comforting.”

I blinked, and then shoved him playfully. “So there are some feelings in there. Scooter’s a darling – when you’re on his good side.”

“And that’s very rare, isn’t it?” Raine chuckled, looking at the cat still napping in my lap.

I gave the window a brief glance; it was night. A small wave of terror seized my chest, but then it settled down again.

There were so many things I had to do!

Visit papa, open the house and move our stuff in, get Scooter settled, thank Mrs. McCarthy -

“Hello, earth to Aidan!” Raine was suddenly really close to my face, and I tilted back.

“Yeah?”

“You spaced out for a moment.”

“I tend to do that,” I sighed. “My brain just goes on a tangent and then there are other things to think about, and then it all gets put into this huge list – “

He had put a hand over my mouth. “Learn to relax, tomato head.”

My eye twitched involuntarily. “Ai ahm NOFF ah tohmahtow headh!”