She was sitting on the porch, watching the last few leaves fall from the maple tree in the front yard when the old red truck came to a stop not far from her. The back was loaded with bags of groceries, and she’d started out to help when Diana opened the door and hollered at her.

“Come over here and take this in the house first. We found it sitting in the middle of the road.”

Carmen wasn’t sure she wanted to handle something they’d picked up on the road, but she recognized a cat’s paw when it shot out the hole in the side of the box. “Is it a cat? You know how much I love cats and kittens. Eli is allergic to them, so we could never have any of them in our house.” She peeked inside the flap and held back a squeal. “Just look at those kittens! Oh, Diana, this is wonderful! Look at their mama.”

“You better go show them to Tootsie and get her approval before you start naming them.” Diana handed her the box and picked up four bags of groceries.

Carmen held open the door and then followed her inside. “Tootsie, come and see what some evil person did with these poor babies.” She dearly loved cats. Her grandmother always had at least a dozen or more backyard cats, as she called them, and Carmen had loved them even better than her doll.

Tootsie hopped up out of her recliner so fast that she dropped the book she’d been reading. “Who did what to a baby?”

“Look, Tootsie.” Carmen set the box on the floor, and the mama cat hopped out and rubbed around Tootsie’s legs, purring the whole time.

“Oh. My. Goodness. Isn’t she pretty?” Tootsie sat down on the floor, and the cat crawled up into her lap. “Did I hear you right? Someone left her in the middle of the road in that box. Were they out of their minds? That’s so cruel.”

“They should be shot.” Carmen moved the box closer to Tootsie. “There’s three little kittens, and they don’t even have their eyes open.”

“Bless their little baby hearts,” Tootsie crooned as she reached over with her free hand and touched each of them with a forefinger. “Well, we’ll give them a home. I’ll keep the mama cat, and y’all can each have a kitten when we get back to Sugar Run.”

“Oh, kittens!” Joanie came down the stairs and went right over to pet the cat and then the babies. “I’d love to have one, but with the move I’ll have to pass.”

“That’s okay,” Carmen said. “I’ll take yours. That way mine won’t be lonely.”

“And I’ll take whatever is left.” Luke carried in the last of the food. “But if all y’all want this litter, I’ll go to the shelter and adopt one when we get back. I miss having a cat around.”

Diana dropped down on her knees. “I’ll take one for sure. It’ll be company now that Rebecca is gone. I haven’t seen you smile like this in weeks, Carmen.”

“I’m happy. I mean I’m really happy right now,” she said. And for the first time since the divorce papers had arrived, she really was. “I’ll sign the papers when I get home, and I’ll have a cat.” It didn’t seem like such a big deal, but for the first time since she’d married Eli, she would have something of her very own without even asking him.

“Good.” Tootsie picked up the cat and curled it up in her arms like a baby. “Her name is Dolly because I’m reminded of the song ‘Coat of Many Colors’ when I look at her. We’re going to be great friends.”

“And the kittens’ names? There’s a jet-black one with an orange face, and two yellow ones.” Carmen picked all three up and nuzzled them.

“That’s for each of y’all to decide, but Dolly is mine.” Tootsie eased up on her feet and carried the cat to the recliner. “We’re going to get along just fine. Sweetheart, you better enjoy this litter because as soon as we get home and you get them weaned, you’re going to the vet for a little operation.”

“Diana, you brought them in, so you get to choose the first one; then, if you’re serious, Luke, you can choose next, and I’ll take the critter that’s left,” Carmen said.

“I want one of the yellow ones.” Luke pointed at the squirming kittens.

“I’ll take the other yellow one.” Diana held out her hands.

“I’m already in love with this little black one.” Carmen handed off the other two to Luke and Diana. “Y’all can fight over how you’re going to divide them. One has white feet, and the other has a black tip on its tail.”

“Let’s fight later.” Diana put the kitten back in the box. “Right now, I should be getting some dinner on the table and putting away the groceries.”

“I am starving.” Luke grinned as he handed his kitten to Joanie. “You babysit, and I’ll help Diana. We’ll have dinner ready in no time.”

Joanie leaned over and whispered to Carmen, “You really do look happy, but so does Diana. What do you think happened, other than finding a box of cats, on that little trip to town?”

“I don’t know, but we should make her tell us later tonight, right?”

“Let’s all meet in my room after Luke goes out to the motor home,” Tootsie said. “I hate climbing up those stairs.”

“Deal,” Carmen said softly, and then raised her voice. “There were about four mama cats in my granny’s barn when I was growing up. They always had a couple of litters a year, and I loved them. I’d spend hours in the barn naming them and playing with them when we went to see her for holidays.”

“So this brings back memories?” Tootsie asked.

“Yes, but what it does even more is help bring me closure where Eli is concerned. He’s got his new woman and a baby on the way. I’ve got a cat that I could never have before because of his allergy. Actually, I think he just didn’t like cats, and what he said went in our house. Now I can do whatever I damn well please. Kate can have the job of upsetting him now,” Carmen said.

“Congratulations,” Diana called from the kitchen. “You’ve gone through all the stages if you’ve got even a little closure.”

“If I’m honest,” Carmen said, “I’m still harboring some—no, not some—a hell of a lot of anger.”

Diana stuck her head around the door. “That, too, will pass with time. Trust me.”