1.13 - Left Behind

"You'll have to drag me out by my feet!" Ruby screams while Kerry drags her out by her feet. 

It is of no use: the decision to move is final and the day has come. The furniture has already been transported, now all that's missing in the new high-rise apartment is a family to move into it.
Ruby refuses to cooperate and Jade is screaming somewhere in the background to support her sister.

The new home isn't huge, but it's an upgrade. Kerry has a room, the kids have a room, and there's a large living and dining room so they can invite others over and don't have to celebrate birthdays in the park.

"It's so empty!" Jade remarks.
"Of course! We're not done furnishing yet," Kerry says.

Jade runs into the bigger one of the two bedrooms. "Woaaah, this is all ours? I love it!"

"I hate it," Ruby grumps.
"Yeah, I hate that Richie isn't here," Jade is suddenly reminded of their protest earlier. "But I get the top bed!"
"Fine, I didn't want it anyway."

The living and dining room is Kerry's favourite part of the house, perhaps even more so than her very own room where she can work (mostly) undisturbed. She got a little bit too excited buying new furniture, so she will have to be careful with her spending for the rest of the month, but in a few monthly wages she will make this house look nice and homely and amazing.

The kids are finished with their own house tour and come trampling into the dining room where Kerry still admires the dining table.
"You two wanna help get your toys from the boxes?", she asks. Jade runs ahead, but Ruby refuses to stop looking sad today.



Kerry squeezes her shoulder, knowing very well that there's nothing she can do to comfort her daughter, other than wait for time to do its healing magic.
Maybe she should take the kids for a walk around the new neighborhood once everything important is unpacked.

***

"Oh lord that's just what I needed now," Kerry says."Girls, go play on the slide or something. Ruby, you keep an eye on your sister."
"What? Why do I always have to-"
"I said go play. Now," Kerry says in the no-nonsense tone that only moms can master.

The kids scurry off. A curly-haired man is just about to pass Kerry but is quickly stopped by her.
"Wait. Don't just walk away now."
He clears his throat. "Kerry. It's been a while! How are you?"
There are a few seconds of silence. Then, Kerry looks over to where her kids are playing and states "She's yours."

The man nods. He doesn't ask which girl Kerry is talking about. The wildfire curls on the older one gave it away the moment he saw his daughter. "She's very pretty."
He just says it like this.

"And you? Still teaching?" Kerry asks with fake interest disguising her concern.
"Yep."
"Still living in the old place?"
"Yep."
There's not much to say between the two of them.

You better be on your way now, Kerry attempts to communicate telepathically.
"Riiight," he says, as if he understood, "I need to leave now. Was good to see you again."
He doesn't actually leave. He just walks a few steps until Kerry can pretend she doesn't see him anymore, then stops to stare at Ruby.

"Mom, who was that man?" Ruby asks.
"No one important, just a guy I knew from school."
Ruby raises an eyebrow in suspicion but is quickly distracted when Kerry offers them ice cream.
"Wooow, it's so weird you were in school too, mom! That must be sooo long ago!" Jade says.

Kerry is walking next to her children, but everyone is in their own world.
Ruby is, of course, back to her thoughts of Richie. Jade is contemplating ice cream flavors and hoping that the ice cream parlor is one of those cool ones that have flavors like watermelon and apple. And Kerry tries to think of an excuse to send Ruby to a far away high school once she is of age, instead of the one her father teaches at.

***

They took everything with them except for the cat tower. It's all they left behind for him.

Insubordinate. And churlish!

"Meow-rrow?" Richie looks around the now empty room, but no one responds. He tries to reach the windowsill to peek out, secretly hoping to find these rambunctious, rapidly growing girls outside.

They had seriously left him alone! 

Of course this is still his territory to rule, but what good is a ruler without any servants to rule over? Besides, who is going to clean his litter box now? He can't just be expected to go outside like, like... an ordinary cat! Preposterous!

Richie wonders if he can still squeeze through the cat flap.