Chapter 7
After dinner, Dayla helps Keri clean up, then checks on mama cat while Keri takes the Chinese food containers to the trash can outside. Mama’s still laying on her side in the middle of the room, but the sunbeam is long gone. As Dayla strums her swollen belly, Keri returns.
“What are your hours tomorrow?” she asks, leaning against the door frame to watch Dayla pet the cat.
“I’m off, believe it or not.” Then she turns, frowning. “Wait, do you need me to check on the cats on weekends? I forgot to ask before, and now it occurs to me you might be home then. Or do you work tomorrow?”
Laughing, Keri tells her, “You know I have to rest sometime, right? I’m not even going to think about that damn pool until Monday morning.”
“So that’s a no then?” Part of her is disappointed. She’d be
