“Shit.” Manny went into the building and pounded up the steps to his apartment as fast as his legs could carry him. Tangy hopped off the couch to greet him as soon as he burst through the door.

“Yeah, yeah, I know you’re hungry.” He left his stuff on the counter and went to shower. The hot water beating against his skin gave him some clarity, but didn’t melt away the cold lump of dread in his gut.

Once Tangy was fed and had clean litter, he sat at the breakfast bar with a folder containing all his financial documents. He still owed close to thirty grand in student loans. The number would’ve crossed forty grand, had it not been for Aurya. He could beat that number back a little more this month, but after that…

Manny swore. He wouldn’t be able to make the minimum payment on top of paying rent and bills. He’d be once again stuck in a debt loop, never able to repay it all. Interest alone was almost five hundred per month. Even with penny pinching and giving the bank all his disposable income, he couldn’t keep up. His gig on Marketplace wasn’t enough with how slowly jobs trickled in.

At this rate, he’d cross the thirty thousand again by early next year. “Fuck!” He slammed his hands against the counter, then raked them through his hair.

“Dude, calm down.” Damon appeared beside him, leaning against the counter.

“Leave me alone, Summers,” Manny groaned. “I need to figure this shit out before the feds come after me.” He looked down at the receipts, the numbers that held him hostage, that would hold him hostage for the rest of his life if he didn’t do something.

Damon grimaced at the pages. “Okay. We can figure something out together, but you need to be proactive about this. Just… think. What can you do to generate more income, or save money? There has to be something. Write it down.”

“Okay,” he said on an exhale and pulled a pen from the kitchen drawer. “I could… get a second job, something part time.”

“Good, good. What else?”

Manny ground his teeth. “I could sell my Switch and… I guess I could save more on food. Take lunch to work more often, stop ordering out.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“I… I still have my grandmother’s wedding band.” The words made his throat raw. “It has to be worth—”

Damon shook his head. “Nah, man. Grandma gave you that for your lady. You can’t—”

“What other fucking choices do I have, Summers?” he yelled.

“Alright.” He back away with his hands up. “It’s all on you, Delgado.” And he went to lounge on the couch.

Manny rapped the pen against the counter, one more possibility lingering in the back of his mind. He could give up Tangy. It would save a little more money if he didn’t have to worry about buying her food and litter. He’d been lucky that she’d never gotten sick enough to need a vet. One of those bills would put him back another thirty thousand in debt.

Amie had talked to him about surprising her kids with a pet. Tangy was a year old and properly house trained. As if on cue, she jumped on the counter and laid across his papers. Almost properly house trained.

He stroked her soft black fur, and she stretched out even more. The lady in 1C had found Tangy and her siblings abandoned in the old lot behind the building. With the shelters in their area overloaded, they had taken on the task of finding good homes for all. But for months, Tangy lingered, even after all her siblings were adopted. 1C told Manny it had something to do with black cats and bad luck or whatever.

People were crazy. How could anyone look at that sweet face and not melt into a puddle of goo? Tangy’s form blurred and stretched as tears welled in Manny’s eyes. “Fuck.” He laid his forehead on the table.

Amie would let him visit whenever he wanted, but it didn’t make this any easier. Tangy had been a steady rock in the shifting landscape of his life. The one thing he was sure would be there at the end of the day. Letting her go might break him.

I like your cat, Aurya had said.

Manny swiped at his tears and grabbed his phone from the end of the counter. “Smile, Tangy.” She rolled onto her back and he snapped a picture. He added a crown filter before posting it to his WhatsApp status with the caption: the prettiest queen. Maybe Aurya would see it. Maybe it would make it her smile.

He opened the bag from the coffeehouse, the garlicky scent of the spinach dip wafting up to his face. Money worries would be waiting for him later. For now, he could enjoy this food with some mind-numbing TV.

And live.

Just a little.