Just Like the Other Girls(71)

As she approached the road she heard mewing. She stopped, straining her ears over the sound of traffic. She could definitely hear something. She parted the grass, surprised and delighted when she saw a tiny kitten nestled among the long blades. He was black with white paws and a pink nose. At first she thought he was hurt but then she decided he was just lost. She scooped him up, and as he looked at her, from his little fluffy face, her heart melted.

Katy carried him the rest of the way home, hoping she’d be allowed to keep him. He nestled his head against the crook of her arm and it was so natural she already felt they had a special bond.

‘What have you got there?’ exclaimed Elspeth, as Katy bounded into the kitchen with the kitten in her arms.

Viola was sitting at the large pine table, her maths books sprawled out in front of her. She looked up with a disgusted expression. ‘Urgh! It’s some manky flea-ridden animal,’ she cried.

‘It’s a kitten,’ said Katy, stroking his head protectively. ‘He’s not flea-ridden.’

‘Please take him out of the house,’ said Elspeth, her mouth set in a disapproving line. Her adopted mother never shouted, not like Katy’s real mum had.

‘Can’t I keep him?’ pleaded Katy.

Just then Huw strolled into the room, a newspaper tucked under his arm. ‘What have we got here?’ he said, beaming at Katy and extending a hand to stroke the kitten’s soft little head.

‘I found him,’ she said, reluctantly allowing Huw to take him from her. He held the kitten up, like a vicar about to baptize a baby. The kitten looked tiny in his large hands.

He chuckled. ‘I think you’ll find he’s a she.’ He tickled her chin. ‘Cute little thing.’

‘Can I keep her? Oh, please, please,’ she begged. She was on the verge of tears. She hadn’t asked for anything since arriving from the children’s home eight months ago.

Viola began to protest straight away but Huw held up a hand to silence her. ‘I don’t see why not.’

‘Now, Huw,’ began Elspeth, her fine eyebrows drawn together, ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. I haven’t time to look after a pet …’ She moved away from Viola and pushed Katy’s hair off her face. ‘Really, Kathryn, you should be wearing an Alice band.’

Usually Katy liked Elspeth touching her hair, but now she felt impatient and moved away from her mother’s grasp. She wanted the kitten desperately. ‘I’ll look after her,’ she promised. Huw was still holding the kitten and his big jolly face lit up as she began purring.

‘I think it will be good for Katy,’ said Huw. ‘A lesson in responsibility.’ He winked at Katy and she threw her arms around his large middle. In that moment she’d never loved anybody more.

Elspeth rolled her eyes, but Katy could see she was relenting. ‘Okay, then, as long as you promise to feed it and –’

They were interrupted by a huffing from the table. Viola pushed back her chair, threw her pen across the room and stormed out. For once, Katy didn’t care.

Katy decided to call the cat Mittens because of her little white paws. For the first time, she experienced real happiness. The cat slept upstairs with her in the attic and every evening, after another horrible day at school where she was ignored or jeered at for being a geek, or laughed at for her strong accent by everyone except Mandy, she’d come home, cuddle Mittens and feel everything would be okay.

And every day Mittens got bigger. Katy read books on how to look after a kitten, took her out into the garden so that she could get used to her surroundings and would know her way home when she was eventually allowed outside. And as March turned to April, Katy spent hours in the garden, playing with her new pet. Viola would scowl in their direction, but she didn’t seem bothered by the cat. Katy couldn’t understand it. How could anyone fail to find Mittens the most adorable ball of fluff imaginable? Maybe Viola wasn’t an animal person, she thought one day, while she was grooming Mittens. Katy was suspicious of anyone who didn’t like animals.

One Sunday evening, as she was coming down to feed Mittens, she heard Viola and Elspeth in the kitchen. The Top Forty was on the radio and she could hear Nik Kershaw’s ‘Wouldn’t It Be Good’, which she loved. She had a poster of him on her wall.

‘She’s always with that stupid cat,’ she heard Viola say, her arrogant voice grating on Katy’s nerves instantly. ‘Why did you say yes?’

‘We’ve talked about this. The poor girl has been through a lot. More than you could ever imagine.’ Katy felt a rush of love towards Elspeth, who always stuck up for her.

‘Oh, Mother. I find it tiring, I really do,’ said Viola, sounding much more grown-up than her thirteen years. ‘Why do you always have to have some kind of project?’

She could hear Elspeth sigh. ‘She’s not a project. She’s my daughter.’

‘I’m your daughter.’

‘I know that.’ She sounded cross.

‘But you’re supposed to love me more,’ Viola said petulantly.

‘I have enough love for each of you.’

‘You always take her side …’

‘Because you can be mean, Viola. It hurts me to think a child of mine can be nasty.’

‘So can you, Mother. I’ve seen the mind games you play with Daddy. How you always have to get your own way.’