Chapter 55
I shot Ethan an accusing look as I reclaimed my phone. “I told him I wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t believe me.”
“Of course he didn’t!” Astrid’s voice rose, showing her evident anger. “That bastard!”
“Astrid, please.” I cut her off, pressing my fingers to my throbbing temple. “I don’t care about him right now. I just need to know where Snow is…”
“They probably let her out on purpose, knowing how much you care about her!” Astrid’s voice was filled with anger. “Audrey, you focus on getting better. I’ll put up missing cat posters and get everyone I know looking for her.”
I pressed my lips together, fighting back tears. “Okay. Thanks, Astrid.”
The line fell quiet after we ended the call. Ethan shifted in his chair, staring at me with a concerned expression.
The timeline might work in our favor,” he said, his voice carrying that gentle optimism I’d come to associate with him. “If Snow went missing this morning, she likely hasn’t ventured far. Most cats stay within familiar territory.”
His words sparked a memory that made my heart skip. “Last night…” The realization hit me with sudden clarity. “I saw her last night, right before…”
If she hadn’t knocked over that tea… The thought remained unfinished, but its weight pressed against my chest. That small accident might have saved my life.
The memory of James going to my apartment last night flashed through my mind. Hastily, I grabbed my phone and dialed James. “James.” I struggled to keep my voice steady when he answered. “Last night, when everything happened… did you see my cat? A large white Ragdoll?”
The pause that followed stretched so long I wondered if the connection had failed. When he finally spoke, his voice carried an unusual roughness. “No.”
He added, almost too quickly, “What’s wrong?”
Helt something inside me deflate. “Snow’s missing. She’s always been shy around strangers… if you didn’t see her, she must have been hiding somewhere.”
My voice sounded distant to my own ears as I added, “I’ll keep looking.”
“Of course.” There was something odd in the way he softened his tone. “Call if you need anything.”
I managed a quiet “thanks” before ending the call. The phone felt unusually heavy in my hand as I set it down, closing my eyes against the sudden burn of
tears.
Everything I cherished was gone. First the cancer forced me to give up Blake – five years of love reduced to medical necessities and divorce papers. Now it seemed determined to take away my last source of comfort. Was it too much to ask for a few final months with my beloved cat?
Ethan’s voice cut through my spiral of despair, warm and reassuring. “Let’s not assume the worst. Snow knows your scent, knows her home. She’s probably just found a quiet spot to wait for you.”
You mentioned she’s shy, easily startled?” His gentle reminder of Snow’s personality traits felt like a lifeline. ‘She’ll come out when she feels safe.”
Something in his words ignited a spark of determination. My eyes snapped open as I pushed myself upright. “Dr. Evans – I need to talk to her about discharge.‘
“Already ahead of you.” A small smile played at the corners of his mouth as he held up his phone, displaying a series of text messages. “Alex checked with her. You’re cleared to leave.”
“Let me handle the paperwork while you get changed. Then we can search the neighborhood together. Deal?”
The lump in my throat made it difficult to speak, so I just nodded, hoping he could read the gratitude in my eyes.
“Back in a few minutes His voice carried a note of encouragement as he headed for the door.
1/2
ging clothes felt like an ordeal, each movement sending waves of disco
