The Cat Who Saved Me

The day after I broke up with Jay, he came over while I was at work and packed up all his stuff.
Everything except the cat he'd adopted with his ex-girlfriend.
Online, they say that calico cats with those splotchy, unfortunate-looking orange patches are the absolute worst. I crouched down in front of the cat and tried to sound menacing.
"Your deadbeat dad abandoned you," I hissed. "I'm your evil stepmother now."
"You don't listen to me, I'm shipping you off to Siberia."
"Someplace where you'll have to row a boat for a hundred years just to get back."
That night, I felt something licking my hair. In my drowsy state, I thought I heard a tiny voice in my head.
Stepmom, don't ship cat away. Cat gets seasick.

1
I jolted awake, fumbling for the lamp switch. The cat was sitting on my pillow, and we stared at each other.
"Leo, was that you talking?"
"..."
Silence.
My heart rate settled. I looked at Leo's big, innocent face and thought, what a vivid dream. I gave his head a little scratch and lay back down. A few minutes later, that damp feeling was back, along with a faint, whiny voice.
Stepmom, why Daddy no want me?
My eyes flew open. In the darkness, I could just make out a furry cat butt parked right in front of my face.
"Leo?"
The licking stopped. The air was still for a full minute, and then it started again. I was getting annoyed. "Leo, if you lick me one more time, Mommy's going to get mad."
Cat giving Mommy a bath.
"LEO!"

2
I was sure of it now. That was Leo's voice.
We were face-to-face again. Leo just looked sleepy.
"Leo, can you talk?"
He didn't make a sound.
I looked down, thinking to myself, Have I been so stressed lately that I've developed a split personality?
The moment the thought crossed my mind, the familiar little voice piped up again.
Stepmom, cat sleepy.
I'd named him Leo. When Jay first brought him over, he confessed the cat was a relic from his last relationship. I didn't say anything, just gave the cat a new name. Now, being able to hear his thoughts was a revelation.
"Oh my god! Leo, Mommy can hear you!"
Leo just blinked at me groggily. Stepmom, cat sleepy.
I scooped him up and gave him a big squeeze. "Okay, okay, let's sleep. I hope I can still hear you in the morning."
"And stop calling me Stepmom. I was just trying to scare you earlier. You've been with me since you were three months old. I'm your real mom."
He didn't answer, just started purring. He was probably already asleep.

3
Leo wasn't very old. I'd asked Jay about his age, but he'd been evasive. We only got an estimate from the vet when he went in to get neutered. He was about a year old now, but he was already a solid ten pounds, his face as round as a dinner plate.
I remembered when I first met him. He was a tiny thing, maybe three months old. Jay had told me his ex never really liked cats. She'd just pretended to for the image, but she never took care of Leo, which is why he took him. Leo had been a scrawny little kitten. Now, the suction-cup bed on the window groaned under his weight.
The next day was Saturday. I woke up unusually early and the first thing I did was look for Leo. Sure enough, he was sunbathing in his window perch. Hearing me move, he looked over, then trotted toward me.
Stepmom, cat hungry.
A huge grin spread across my face. Oh my god, I could actually hear my cat's thoughts. It was the most amazing, frustrating thing in the world. I desperately wanted to tell everyone, especially that jerk Jay.
But first things first.
"Leo, didn't Mommy tell you? I'm your real mom. Stop calling me Stepmom."
Leo tilted his head. Mom?
"That's right! Mommy's good boy!" I scooped him up and covered him in kisses, then popped open a can of his favorite food.
"It's a beautiful day. You want to go outside and play?"
Leo was already devouring his food, but he managed to answer between noisy chomps. Yay! Go outside!

4
Ever since Leo was a kitten, I'd been working on socializing him. We started with late-night walks when no one was around, then moved to daytime strolls when the park was quiet. Slowly, he got braver, and now we regularly went out to sunbathe. They say a well-socialized cat is less stressed at the vet, and it's true. When Leo went in for his surgery, he acted like he was visiting Disneyland, tail held high, exploring every corner of the clinic as if he owned the place.
After he finished his breakfast, I got out his harness.
Mom, cat no wanna wear.
"Leo, this is to protect you. If something tries to attack you, Mommy can pull you away safely, okay?"
Oh...
He didn't seem to fully grasp it, but he dutifully lifted his paws so I could put on the little pink harness with the bow.
I usually carried him in the elevator. We lived on the fifth floor, so it was pretty convenient.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a tall guy and a giant Samoyed. Leo, who had been bouncing with excitement, immediately burrowed into my arms.
Mom, cat scared.
"It's okay, Mommy's here," I soothed him. "We can just take the next one."
I waved a hand to signal for them to go ahead, but the guy, wearing a baseball cap, didn't seem to see me. He gave me a questioning look, then his eyes fell on the cat in my arms, and he seemed to understand. I thought he was going to hold the elevator, but instead, he took a step forward, blocking my view of the dog. Leo, no longer able to see the source of his fear, stretched his neck out, trying to get a peek.
I whispered a thank you and stepped into the elevator.
Mom, he say he goin' downstairs to eat poop. Can cat eat poop?
I practically fled the elevator, trying to stifle a laugh.
"Leo, poop is not food."
Mom, doggo so sad.
"Doggo? Is that the dog's name? Why is he sad?" He'd looked perfectly happy and well-cared for to me. Clean white fur, bright eyes. The owner, the tall guy in all black, had a "don't talk to me" vibe, but you could tell he was handsome under that cap.
Leo didn't answer right away. "Why is he sad?" I asked again.
Leo's voice was filled with somber pity. He say his dad no let him eat poop.
I nearly died laughing.

5
There was a big park right next to our apartment complex, with trees, a lake, and a huge lawn. On weekends, it was packed with people—old, young, and plenty of pet owners like me.
We were being followed by a fluffy brown poodle. Leo was giving it a dirty look.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Mom, dog bad. Dog pee everywhere.
"Hahaha! No, Leo, that's what dogs are supposed to do outside."
A golden retriever a little ways off was staring intently at Leo. "Why is that one staring at you?"
Goldie say his owner best chicken-cooker in whole world. I dunno. Bet not as good as Mom!
A little further on, we met a German Shepherd that looked incredibly smart. "They say German Shepherds are really smart, Leo."
Mom, cat smart too.
"Yes, Leo is very smart."
He say when he was puppy, he help old lady cross street.
"He did what?"
Leo's translations were a constant source of surprise. I never knew the animal world was so dramatic.
We walked around for a bit and a little girl shyly asked if she could pet my cat.
"Can she pet you, Leo?" I asked. I had to respect his opinion now that I could hear it.
Leo hesitated. Okay. But only one pet.
The little girl was very gentle. As she stroked his fur, Leo started purring, basking in the warm sun. I felt a wave of pure happiness.
Soon, a crowd of kids started to gather. I knew it was time to go. There was a shortcut back to our building. As we were walking, I saw a familiar figure up ahead.
Mom, it's Doggo!
I looked closer. It was the Samoyed from the elevator. I'd never seen them before that day. They must have just moved in. Leo seemed to really like the dog, so I was about to go over and say hi when a calico cat suddenly darted out from the bushes, blocking our path.

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