The City Girl's Homecoming. Kathy Douglass

while they’d eaten the main course, but knew she had to bring it up.

      Mrs. Crockett lifted her eyebrow but didn’t reply. Instead she scraped her spoon around the inside of her bowl.

      “I know you don’t want to move in with her family and you won’t have to. Grace has found a wonderful senior living home. She visited the facility and liked it. Best of all, it’s only twenty minutes away from her house, so she and her children will be able to visit you regularly. And you’ll be able to visit her.”

      “I appreciate all that you and Daniel are trying to do for me,” Mrs. Crockett said, speaking slowly.

      “But?”

      “How can I possibly leave my babies? They need me. I can’t just abandon them to fend for themselves again. If I can’t stay in this house, then fine. I’ll just have to think of something else.”

      “There is nothing else,” Megan said gently. She’d tried every legal maneuver she could think of, pushing the envelope as she stretched her creativity. Nothing worked. Mrs. Crockett was going to be evicted.

      One of the cats rubbed against Mrs. Crockett’s leg. She picked him up and rubbed her nose into his fur. “So you just expect me to turn my back on them and forget they exist? I can’t.”

      When other people looked at Mrs. Crockett they saw a crazy cat and dog woman. Megan saw more than that. She saw a woman with a kind heart and a lot of love to give. People judged her because she chose to give that love to stray animals. Megan knew the reason why she did that. Mrs. Crockett had once told Megan that animals didn’t join the military and break their mother’s heart. Mrs. Crockett couldn’t risk loving people again. That didn’t mean people couldn’t love her.

      “I’ve been thinking about that and I believe I have a solution.”

      “Let’s hear it.” Though Mrs. Crockett might have been trying to sound cool, Megan heard the hope and excitement in her voice.

      “The Whitaker sisters run the Furever Paws Animal Rescue on their property. We can take the animals there.”

      “Bunny and Birdie?”

      Megan nodded.

      “They’ve always been nice girls.”

      The Whitaker sisters were in their sixties and hadn’t been girls in nearly half a century. But then Mrs. Crockett was ninety years old, so even at their advanced age, they still seemed like girls to her.

      “Then you know they’ll take good care of your animals.”

      “I’m sure the shelter is a good place, but I want more than that for my babies. I want them to have good homes where they’ll be loved.”

      “The shelter tries to find good homes for the animals.”

      “Can you promise they’ll find a home for mine?”

      “I don’t think they’ll be able to keep them all together,” Megan said honestly.

      “No, I don’t suppose they will.”

      “But I’ll make sure they each find a good family. I promise you that.”

      Mrs. Crockett heaved a heavy sigh, then looked around her kitchen. “So many memories. I look around this house and there are memories everywhere. I moved in here after my Harvey died. I raised my boy here. I’m going to miss this place.”

      “I know. And if there was a legal way you could stay here, I would be in court arguing it. But there isn’t.”

      “I know. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me.”

      “The new place your grandniece found sounds nice. You’ll have a private room. The room is big enough for you to have a small sitting area, so you’ll be able to take some of your own furniture. It won’t be the same as living here, but it’s still something. And of course you’ll carry your memories inside you.”

      “You’ll find good homes for all of them? No matter how long it takes?”

      Megan drew her finger across her chest. “I cross my heart.”

      “All right then, I’ll go.”

      Thank goodness. Megan stood. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to help you pack.”

      Mrs. Crockett stood, as well. When they reached the front door, she gave Megan a hug. “You’re a good girl, Megan. I hope you find a family soon, too.”

      Megan nodded. After fourteen years of searching and not finding one, she knew it wasn’t going to be nearly as easy as finding families for the animals.