Chapter 19

"Lady Sapphire is at the Nakasone girls' house," Keone said, his voice concerned. "And the poor cat is sick. The girls are home alone and don't know what to do."

"Oh no! Lady must be having her kittens!" Elvira exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "I'll call the mobile vet. I have him on speed dial already." The older woman fumbled her phone out of the pocket of her loose pants.

"Elvira, tell the vet to meet us at the Nakasones' house," Keone instructed, and told her the address on Plumeria Street.

"Let's worry about how Lady came to be at the girls? house later," I said. Elvira nodded, already preoccupied with making the call.

Meanwhile, Aunt Fae jumped into action. "We'll need to gather some supplies for the birth—towels, a first-aid kit, soft cat chow, and a carrier," she said, moving briskly around the kitchen. "Plus, food for all involved."

Everything kicked into high gear. Elvira spoke to the vet, her voice jittering with a mix of haste and excitement. Meanwhile, Keone and I turned into Aunt Fae's personal assistants, scrambling around to gather the supplies she directed us to.

Aunt Fae somehow managed to fit everything into a single tote bag topped by the cat carrier. My arms sagged under its weight as she handed it to me. The gravity of our mission had decided to manifest itself in a very literal sense.

Soon we were ready to go. Keone led the way to Sharkey and Elvira got into her own car parked beside it in the driveway.

The air was thick with the scent of the recent rain, and the lush greenery of the area seemed to be watching us in silent anticipation. We made it to the Nakasone home in record time with Keone at the wheel of the white SUV.

Sandy and her sister were waiting for us with the front door ajar, their faces stricken and pinched. "Thanks for coming, Uncle Keone," Sandy said in a subdued voice. "We didn't know who to call."

Windy narrowed her eyes at me but remained silent as we trooped up onto the porch. I had plenty of questions for the girls, starting with how the heck they had Lady in the first place—but decided to save them for later, as both girls looked chastened and tear-stained, worry for the cat clear in their postures.

They led us to Lady Sapphire, who was nestled in a blanket on the living room couch. The Himalayan cat looked enormous, her sides distended with pregnancy. She gave a wavering, miserable mew at the sight of us.

My heart went out to her. Who knew a cat could stir up such emotions?

Elvira Scarborough flew across the room to kneel beside her pet. "Oh, sweetie. I'm here now, and so glad to see you."

The unhappy meow turned to a purr as Lady rubbed her head on Elvira's hand.

I glanced at the Nakasone girls. However they'd come to have Lady, they had to have seen the posters around town and known she wasn't a stray. The two had turned to each other and were crying silently in each other's arms.

Aunt Fae and I began the construction of what I decided to call ‘Fort Sapphire,' using the towels and carrier. "She will likely be more comfortable in a cavelike, cozy setting," Auntie said.

Meanwhile, Keone spoke to the girls. "Lady's not sick. She's having kittens and the vet is on his way. Lady Sapphire is in good hands."

"Or she will be, soon," I said. "And meantime, we'll take care of her as well as a bunch of amateur cat midwives can."

Sandy and Windy came to sit on either side of Lady as Elvira knelt in front of the Himalayan. "We found her on the street in Hana," Sandy said.

"We didn't know she had an owner," Windy said. "She didn't have a collar."

I bit my lips on a rebuttal—how could that be true? Lady was kept securely in her backyard. Someone had to have taken her out on purpose.

Elvira Scarborough's gaze took in the girls' unkempt appearance and the house's humble furnishings. "As long as Lady's okay, I don't care how she came to be here," she said. "I can see you took good care of her, and I'm glad you called for help when she needed it."

The vet arrived, his professional demeanor immediately putting us at ease. Relief washed over us as he set to work, examining Lady Sapphire, and preparing for the imminent arrival of her kittens.

As we watched the vet in action, a mix of worry and hope filled the room.

Despite the circumstances, there was a sense of unity among us—a shared determination to see this through together. In that moment, I couldn't help but appreciate Keone, Aunt Fae, the vet, Sandy and Windy, and Elvira most of all. Her gracious attitude regarding the girls had created an atmosphere where everyone could calm down and bond.

Lady Sapphire seemed to benefit most of all. Surrounded by love and support, the cat visibly relaxed between contractions, purring, and flexing her paws as Elvira stroked and cooed to her. "She'll be a mother any moment now," the vet said.

I could hardly wait to see the kittens. I reached out and took Keone's hand and squeezed it hard, my eyes prickling, as Lady's first baby entered the world.

The first kitten born was a petite little thing, her coat as gray and white as the snow-capped Himalayas. The second, a bit larger, sported a distinct dark smudge on its forehead. Keone remarked, "That's not a birthmark, that's a badge of honor for surviving!" This earned a few smiles around the room.

Just when we thought Lady Sapphire was done with her labors, the vet announced, "Looks like we've got a bonus."

A third kitten made its entrance, the smallest of the lot but with a loud mew that drowned out the others, causing Lady to turn and give it extra attention. "That one's the squeaky wheel," Aunt Fae observed.

Once Lady Sapphire and her kittens were declared healthy and well, the vet took his leave amid many thanks and holiday wishes.

Elvira approached me, her eyes shining with joy. "Looks like we've got a trio of champions here," she said, her voice filled with warmth and happiness. "It's going to be so wonderful watching them grow. They're already spoken for by future owners, you know."

She let the girls touch the kittens as they nursed, and stroke Lady's head as the new mother lay purring softly, her eyes half shut with tiredness and contentment.

Eventually it was time for Elvira to leave with Lady Sapphire and her newborns. We helped her pack up ‘Fort Sapphire,' ensuring the little feline family would be comfortable for their ride home.

As Elvira left, she turned to say, "Thank you, girls, for calling for help when Lady needed it, and for taking such good care of her."

The girls nodded, clearly guilt-stricken, but remained quiet as Elvira left with the carrier, closing the door behind her.

With Elvira gone, the house immediately felt empty in spite of the five of us crowded into the small living room.

Aunt Fae tried to turn the mood around. "Well, I think we have some unfinished business," she said, her eyes twinkling. "We left in the middle of a big project we could use some help with." She turned to the Nakasone girls. "How about you two come over to our house, and we finish decorating several gingerbread houses?"

The girls' faces lit up at the suggestion. They called their father for permission on the landline, and then we all piled into Sharkey for the short drive to our house.

The five of us spent the rest of the evening in a whirlwind of frosting, candies, and edible glitter. The gingerbread houses turned out to be more sugar than structure, but the laughter and camaraderie made up for their architectural shortcomings.

As I looked around the house, now filled with the sweet smell of gingerbread and the memory of a joyous evening, it was hard not to marvel at how the day had unfolded. Sitting on the couch, nibbling a sugar roof tile and sipping hot apple cider, I watched Keone helping Windy pipe the edge of her house as Aunt Fae washed up some dishes. Sandy came and sat beside me on the couch.

"You had to have known everyone was looking for Lady Sapphire," I said gently.

Sandy looked down at her hands. She licked a bit of frosting off one of her fingers.

"Windy brought the cat home after going to play at a friend's house in Hana. She said she found her lost in the street. She didn't have a collar on. Windy called her Princess." Sandy glanced up at me with troubled brown eyes. "I knew Windy was lying, especially after I saw the poster in the post office. But Princess made her so happy. I couldn't tell on her. We kept Princess inside our rooms and hid her when Dad and Auntie came home. They never noticed we kept the doors shut when they were there. Princess slept a lot. Now I know why—she was getting ready to have her babies." Sandy's eyes filled and overflowed. "She is such a pretty, sweet cat. We're going to miss her so much."

"You took good care of her," I said. "You knew when to call for help when she was in distress. The vet said she was well-nourished, and her coat looked beautiful."

"I brushed her every day." Windy must have been listening in because she continued, "Maybe Mrs. Scarborough will let us have one of her kittens." Her eyes shone with hope.

"The kittens are very valuable," I said gently. "She said they are all spoken for."

Windy's head fell forward like a flower on a wilted stem. "I don't know why I said that. She would never give us a kitten. We're lucky she didn't call the cops on us."

Keone and I exchanged a helpless glance; Windy was right about that. He patted the little girl's back. "Maybe your dad will let you get a different cat."

Aunt Fae cleared her throat from the kitchen. "Have you girls seen the movie, It's a Wonderful Life?"

They shook their heads.

"Well, you'll love it. We should eat one of these gingerbread houses and watch it together. Give me your dad's phone number and I'll call and ask if you can stay later and get picked up after it's over."

The girls brightened a bit at this. Both of them squeezed in on one side next to me on the couch. "Do you have popcorn, Auntie?" Sandy asked. "Popcorn makes movies better, our mom used to say."

"Sure do, sweetheart," Auntie said, fetching some microwave popcorn from the cupboard.

Keone joined us, sitting on the other side of me. After the popcorn was ready, Aunt Fae handed the bag to the girls. We settled in, munching popcorn and gingerbread washed down with apple cider, and enjoyed the movie.

Aunt Fae to the rescue, once again.