I stared at Tinkerbell as I absentmindedly pushed my food around my plate.
Did I hate cats? No. Was I wary of black cats? Absolutely.
"So, Tinkerbell, huh?"
"She was an old friend's cat."
An old friend? Must have been someone special for him to keep their cat.
"And your old friend didn’t take their cat back because...?"
Theodore glanced at Tinkerbell, a rare softness in his eyes.
"We co-parent her."
I nearly choked. "You co-parent..."
Theodore didn’t respond, the silence stretching between us. The atmosphere felt heavier than I intended, so I attempted to lighten the mood.
"So, what’s the custody arrangement? You get her Monday through Friday, and your friend takes weekends?"
"I have her until she returns."
He didn’t say it, but it felt like the sentence should have ended with
