After that Mittens is careful to never talk to Julia around me. He sees what I’m doing.

I still get to spend time around her when he’s not around, though, since he goes to work and she works from home.

One day it’s particularly stormy, and the sound of the wind blowing outside is extra loud. Isabelle is sleeping on Julia’s lap like she used to, despite her different body.

“My husband is terrible in bed,” Julia remarks out of the blue.

I flinch.

“Isabelle, what’s gotten into you and Mittens?” she moves on as if she hadn’t said anything. “You’re all …weird… and Mittens is acting all depressed and cuddly.” she kisses Isabelle’s head.

I meow.

“Shh, don’t wake Mittens.” she warns, then the wind blows something into the window with a thunk and we all flinch.

“Go back to sleep, old boy.” she says.

“All the village through, a soft and gentle wind blew,” she sings, trying to lull Isabelle back to sleep. She has an amazing voice, she could be a pro. I wonder if she is. There’s so much I don’t know about her, so much I’d like to ask her.

What’s going to happen to her at the end of Mittens’s plan? The question haunts me as I sit next to her and listen to her lullaby, drowsily.

“Oh, it’s time to put you back.” she says, looking at the clock.

She eases Isabelle off her lap, trying not to wake her up and inevitably failing. Isabelle jumps off and slinks off to go hide somewhere. She knows me going in the carrier means Mittens is coming back, and she likes to hide when he’s around.

I support her in this- better if both cats show they hate Mittens than just one. Even if Isabelle isn’t aggressive, Julia has to notice her disappearing.

Julia’s face is heavy as she takes me back to my carrier. I don’t resist, but meow to tell her I don’t like it.

“I know, I know.” she says.