Celebrate the Season--The Twelve Pets of Christmas

by Taylor Garland

  “Two years,” Mrs. Alvarez replied. “But there’s good news here—because Ms. Ferrino already said that as soon as she finds a new job, she and Charlie will adopt a dog for sure!”

  Quinn barely heard that last part, though. After Mrs. Alvarez said “two years,” it was like her ears shut down. “Two years?” she repeated incredulously. “Two years? But Buddy can’t wait that long! He’s already so sad and lonely!”

  Mrs. Alvarez chose her next words carefully. “Well, Quinn, of course the hope is that Buddy will be adopted long before then,” she said. “Just because the Ferrinos won’t be his forever family doesn’t mean he won’t find a different one.”

  “You mean separating Buddy and Charlie?” Quinn asked slowly. The thought was almost worse than imaging Buddy living in the shelter for two more years.

  “I know it’s not ideal,” Mrs. Alvarez replied gently. “But ultimately, the best thing we can hope for Buddy is that he finds a loving home as quickly as possible. Right?”

  Quinn nodded without saying a word. The big lump that had formed in her throat made it hard to speak.

  “And even though that won’t be Charlie, look how much Buddy has gotten from his visits,” Mrs. Alvarez continued. “And I think Charlie’s gotten a lot from Buddy, too.”

  Quinn tried to smile.

  “Sometimes it’s not easy to work or volunteer here,” Mrs. Alvarez said. “Sometimes things don’t work out quite the way we hoped. But that’s the thing, Quinn—there’s always hope. There’s hope for every single animal we take care of. And hope for every single person who comes through that door.”

  Just then, the buzzer rang. Quinn jumped. “That’s Dr. Lu,” she exclaimed. “She’s been getting to know Applesauce.”

  Mrs. Alvarez raised her eyebrows. Quinn saw a flash of the hope she’d mentioned.

  Mrs. Alvarez pressed the button on the wall and leaned close to the intercom. “How’s it going?” she asked.

  Dr. Lu’s voice crackled over the speaker. “I’m ready to adopt Applesauce! What do I need to do next?”

  “That’s wonderful news!” Mrs. Alvarez replied, grinning at Quinn as she made the thumbs-up sign. “Quinn will be right there to get Applesauce so you can fill out some paperwork.”

  Quinn tried to match Mrs. Alvarez’s enthusiasm. It really was great news that Applesauce would have a home of her very own. But Quinn couldn’t shake the feeling that it was always the other dogs who got lucky… and never Buddy.

  “Don’t give up on Buddy,” Mrs. Alvarez told Quinn, as if she could read her thoughts. “I still believe the right family will find him. It’s just taking longer than we would like.”

  “I won’t give up,” Quinn replied.

  But as she hurried down the hallway to get Applesauce, Quinn couldn’t bear to even glance in the direction of Buddy’s pen, where he and Charlie were having so much fun together. She thought about how hopeful she’d been the other day—that maybe a Christmas miracle was possible for Buddy and Charlie.

  Now, though, Quinn had to admit… maybe not.

  The moment the bell rang after school on Monday, Quinn powered up her cell phone. Her fingers drummed the desk excitedly as she waited for an Internet connection. On Mondays and Thursdays, there was this perfect window of time—immediately following school for Quinn and right before lunch for Annabelle—when the girls could text for a few minutes. Quinn looked forward to it all week.

  Annabelle: Q??? you there???

  Quinn: yes heyyyy! How r u?

  Annabelle: pretty good. We started swimming today in PE my hair is like dripping everywhere

  Quinn: PE?

  Annabelle: Gym. They call it Physical Education here

  Annabelle: guess i’m picking up the language lol

  Annabelle: so what’s up with u???

  Quinn: Busy busy busy. Off 2 shelter in a min

  Annabelle: aww! Adopting lots of pets??

  Quinn: yup!

  Quinn: 12 Pets of Xmas is going so great! 5 pets adopted, 7 2 go

  Annabelle: yayyyyy! Did u get my msg last nite?

  Quinn: not until this morning. Sorry i didn’t call u back. Is everything ok?

  Annabelle: yeah. i have a super special surprise for you for xmas

  Quinn: you don’t have 2 get me anything!

  Annabelle: too late and IM NOT TELLING

  Quinn grinned as she read Annabelle’s text. Then she started typing.

  Quinn: Surprise sounds good. I have one 4 u 2. It’s not big so don’t get 2 excited or anything

  Quinn couldn’t help giggling to herself. Technically, a plane ticket wasn’t that big—even if a trip to California would be!

  Annabelle: Ooh ooh ooh is it one of your ornaments? With bumblebee’s picture painted on it?

  Quinn: I’ll never tell

  Annabelle: fine be that way. Are u going caroling soon

  Quinn: probably but it won’t be the same without u

  Annabelle: well duh. How could it be. Lol

  Quinn: seriously tho. i miss you. Let’s video chat soon.

  Annabelle: next weekend?

  Quinn: for sure. I gotta get to the shelter… mrs. alvarez is expecting me…

  Annabelle: bye q catch you later

  Quinn: byeeeee

  Quinn tucked her phone in her pocket, still grinning. Annabelle was going to be shocked when she told her about the plane ticket! All her hard work painting ornaments was paying off, too. She only had about ten more to paint before she would earn enough for a ticket to California!

  When Quinn arrived at the shelter, though, she could tell something was wrong. Mrs. Alvarez and Tommy were staring at the computer with worried looks on their faces. They didn’t even notice when Quinn walked in.

  “Hey,” she said awkwardly. “Um—is everything—”

  Mrs. Alvarez looked up and managed a smile. “Hi, Quinn. How was school today?” she asked.

  Quinn shrugged. “It was good. How is everything here?”

  Tommy’s forehead was wrinkled from his deep frown. “You want to tell her, Ma, or should I?”

  “Tell me what?” Quinn asked nervously. Was one of the animals sick? Or—Quinn didn’t want to think about it—had one of the recent adoptions failed?

  “It’s the kittens.” Mrs. Alvarez sighed. “We had a lot of visitors over the weekend, and some adoption inquiries for the kittens.”

  Quinn was surprised. “But—that’s good news, right?”

  “Two kittens. Two families,” Tommy explained. “We tried to convince them to take the pair together—or take a kitten and their mama—but nobody would budge.”

  “Wait a minute,” Quinn began. “You mean split the kittens up? Split all three of them up?”

  Mrs. Alvarez nodded.

  “No!” Quinn exclaimed. “We can’t do that! They’re too young! They’re—”

  “They are young, but not too young to be adopted,” Mrs. Alvarez replied. “They’ve been eating kitten food for a couple of weeks now, and they’re in great health. Dr. Trazler checked them on Friday. No, we don’t have a good reason to prevent their adoptions.”

  “How about keeping a family together?” Quinn asked hotly. “I think that’s a good reason.”

  Tommy and Mrs. Alvarez looked at her, surprised. Quinn felt her face flush.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just—”

  “We agree a hundred percent, kiddo,” Tommy said. “Nobody wants to see them split up. I mean, just look at them—the kittens fall asleep in their mother’s arms, for Pete’s sake.”

  Quinn nodded. She’d seen them do that before. It was the cutest thing in the world—and all the proof she needed that the kitty family should stay together.

  “There has to be a way!” she exclaimed.

  Mrs. Alvarez looked thoughtful. “If someone else put in an adoption application for all three before the kittens’ adoptions were finalized…” she mused.

  Quinn’s heart leaped. “Is that all?” she
asked. “We just need to find someone willing to adopt all three?”

  Tommy and Mrs. Alvarez exchanged a look.

  “I mean—I know that’s still a challenge,” Quinn continued. “But… it’s also a chance. Please—can I have a few days? I’ll do everything I can to find a family who will take all three of them. Please let me try at least.”

  “I suppose I could just happen to lose these other applications,” Tommy joked.

  Mrs. Alvarez swatted his hand away from the forms. “No—none of that,” she scolded him playfully. “Though it may take me a little longer than usual to check all their references. It is a very busy time of year around here.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Alvarez,” Quinn said gratefully. “I’ll get started right away—unless—do you need me to help with something else at the shelter today?”

  Mrs. Alvarez shook her head. “No, Quinn, go ahead and work on finding a family for the kittens and their mama,” she replied. “This needs to be our top priority.”

  Quinn nodded, then hurried toward the cat wing. She glanced in to see the two kittens in a playful mood, pouncing and leaping as they tried to catch their mother’s twitching tail. Then Paisley pulled the kittens close and started to groom them, licking their faces with her pink tongue. The kittens closed their eyes; Quinn could just imagine the sound of their happy purrs.

  Whatever it takes, she promised herself. Then she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Eliza. It was only two words, but it said everything:

  KITTEN EMERGENCY!!!!!

  Fifteen minutes later, Eliza arrived. Her cheeks were pink and she was out of breath from running through the frosty afternoon air.

  “I’m here. What’s going on? How can I help?” she panted.

  “Thanks so much for coming,” Quinn replied. “It’s—come on, let’s talk in the cat visiting room.”

  To Quinn’s surprise, though, the cat visitation room wasn’t empty. Ms. Ferrino was there, studying from an enormous textbook.

  “Oh! Sorry!” Quinn exclaimed. “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” Ms. Ferrino said. “I don’t want to be in the way. I’ve been trying to get a little studying done while Charlie spends time with Buddy. Mrs. Alvarez said I could use any empty room.”

  “You don’t have to go,” Quinn said quickly as Ms. Ferrino began to pack up her notes and books. “We’ll find another place.”

  Ms. Ferrino smiled wryly. “To be honest, I was needing a brain break anyway,” she said. “Have you ever studied so hard it feels like your brain’s about to melt out of your ears?”

  Quinn and Eliza nodded in sympathy. “Maybe once or twice,” Quinn said.

  “A week!” added Eliza, laughing.

  “So what’s going on with you two?” Ms. Ferrino said. “You looked so serious when you burst in here.… I was a little worried.”

  Eliza turned to Quinn. “Yeah, tell it all,” she said. “Your text left me with, like, a hundred questions.”

  “It’s Paisley and the kittens,” Quinn explained. “If we can’t find someone to adopt them all, they’re going to be split up!”

  Eliza sucked in her breath sharply. “No! That’s too sad!” she replied.

  “That’s why we can’t let it happen,” Quinn said firmly. “We’ve got to find a way to keep them together—which means finding a family willing to adopt all three of them.”

  Eliza turned toward Ms. Ferrino. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in adopting some cats?” she asked hopefully.

  No! Quinn wanted to yell. She didn’t want Ms. Ferrino to feel like she had been put on the spot. Besides, if the Ferrinos adopted anyone, it should be Buddy.

  “I wish we could,” Ms. Ferrino said, choosing her words carefully. “But now isn’t the right time to add a pet to our family—especially not three pets at once.”

  Eliza wasn’t fazed. “Well, I had to try,” she joked.

  “That’s the spirit,” Ms. Ferrino told her. “There’s no harm in asking! But we’ll also need to get the word out.…”

  Quinn’s face brightened. “Do you want to help?” she exclaimed.

  “Sure—if you want me to,” Ms. Ferrino replied. “I feel like I owe the Marion Animal Shelter such a debt. The residents at Candlewick just adore Nana, and Charlie loves spending time with Buddy.”

  “You don’t owe us anything,” Quinn said. “But we could definitely use the help. If we can’t find a family to adopt all three of them in the next few days…”

  Quinn’s voice trailed off, and she could see from Eliza’s and Ms. Ferrino’s faces that she didn’t need to finish her sentence.

  “So! Spreading the word,” Ms. Ferrino said, getting back to business. She opened her notebook to a fresh page. “I can take a photo of Paisley and her kittens looking adorable and upload it. If people share it around social media…”

  “Yes!” Quinn exclaimed. “And I was thinking we could make a flyer to post around town. There’s a copy machine in the office and I know Mrs. Alvarez won’t mind if we use it to make a bunch of copies.”

  “Maybe we could put a picture of the kitty family on it, too,” Eliza suggested.

  “That’s an awesome idea!” Quinn said. “We can’t print them in color, but maybe if it’s a really clear pic it won’t matter. I was also thinking of offering three free custom ornaments to anyone who adopts the whole family. There’s a special word for that, but I forget what it is.”

  “Incentive,” Ms. Ferrino chimed in. “And I think that’s a great incentive, Quinn!”

  “Yeah, everybody has been talking about your ornaments,” Eliza added. “My mom wants to order one with Snowdrop on it.”

  “Wow—of course! I’m happy to add Snowdrop to the list,” Quinn said, grinning. Suddenly her face lit up. “Hang on—I’ll be right back!”

  A few moments later, Quinn returned. Her arms were full—of kitties!

  “Awww! They’re here!” Eliza crooned.

  “This is the mama, Paisley,” Quinn said, placing a beautiful calico cat in Eliza’s lap. “And this is Polka”—Quinn paused as she handed an orange-striped kitten to Ms. Ferrino—“and his sister, Dot.”

  Quinn gave Dot a kiss on her forehead. She tried not to play favorites, but the pure white kitten with a big orange spot on the back of her head—and a striped orange tail—had always held a special place in her heart.

  “They are such loves,” Ms. Ferrino said, laughing as Polka tried to climb up her sleeve.

  Quinn reached behind her and opened a drawer that was stocked full of cat toys. “Polka! I’ve got a mousey! Come get it!” Then she tossed a catnip mouse across the floor. There was a furry blur as Polka and Dot raced after it. But the kittens weren’t paying attention to where they were going. They skidded across the floor—and crashed into each other! Everyone cracked up.

  “A photo is not even going to capture this level of cuteness,” Eliza announced.

  “Agreed. Maybe I should post a video instead,” Ms. Ferrino said, nodding.

  “Too bad we don’t have any money,” Quinn said. “Can you imagine if we made a commercial with these crazy kitties?”

  “That would be the best commercial ever,” Eliza said, giggling.

  And that was all it took for Quinn to have another amazing idea. “Maybe the kitties can be their own commercial!” she exclaimed.

  “What do you mean?” Eliza asked.

  Quinn gestured to the kittens, who were playing tug-of-war over a feather toy. “They do this all day long,” she explained. “It’s like constant cuteness, cranked up to level eleven on the cute scale. But nobody gets to see it because they’re back here in the cat wing.”

  “Go on,” Ms. Ferrino said encouragingly.

  “What if they were on display?” Quinn continued, still figuring out her plan even as she tried to explain it. “Not here—the animal shelter is a little too far out of the way. But if they could be in, like, a store window downtown…”

  “It’s the last week
end before Christmas,” Ms. Ferrino said.

  “People are going to be shopping like crazy!” Eliza exclaimed.

  “Right?” Quinn said. “So if we could get one of the stores downtown to let Paisley, Polka, and Dot hang out for a few hours… and they were all putting on their cute show…”

  “You will get so many applications,” Eliza predicted. “Mrs. Alvarez will probably have to shut down the shelter, because there won’t be any pets left.”

  Quinn laughed. “That would be crazy,” she told her new friend. Then she turned to Ms. Ferrino. “Tell me honestly… is this a stupid idea? Is there any chance it could actually work?”

  “There’s always a chance,” Ms. Ferrino said firmly. “Now we just have to find a store that would let us do it. The restaurants are out—that would be a health department violation.…”

  “The post office?” Eliza guessed.

  “What about that place that sells handmade vases and necklaces and stuff?” Quinn asked. “They’re really busy during the holidays.”

  Ms. Ferrino nodded slowly. “Yes—that’s the right track,” she replied. “But I’m not sure that’s the right store. So many fragile and breakable items…”

  “You’re right,” Quinn admitted. “I didn’t even think of that. If Polka and Dot escaped from the window display and ran wild through the store…”

  “Catastrophe!” Eliza cried, clapping her hands over her mouth as she burst into laughter. Even Ms. Ferrino started to laugh at the thought.

  Suddenly, Quinn’s eyes grew wide. “The bookstore!” she exclaimed.

  “The new one that opened last month?” asked Ms. Ferrino.

  “Yes!” Quinn said eagerly. “The owners were here last week. They love cats—they adopted Rufus to live in the store—oh, I hope they say yes!”

  “What are you waiting for?” Eliza asked Quinn, giving her a gentle nudge. “Go! Call them! Call them right now!”

  Quinn grabbed her phone and hurried back to the front desk so she could pull Rufus’s adoption paperwork and call his owners. She was so excited that she didn’t even realize she was holding her breath.