“..Con los fotógrafos. Then the meet concerning the festival exhibits, and visiting the fairgrounds.”

Ahk. It’s my thirteenth time reciting todays ‘todo list’ if it’s my first. There’s too much to remember at all times and there doesn’t seem time to remember it and get ready all at once. I adjust my skirt - I begin to button my blouse but then pause again to email Ms. Weinstein the new changes in our day’s schedule.

I’m made to believe the message goes through, but I never trust that these sorts of things won’t have some sort of a glitch. I return to buttoning my blouse again, reminding myself to call her before I get in the car.

There are still all the details to arrange with Craft - Dios - and lunch to consider-

I pause again, and send Ms. Weinstein a request to find something my Kitty Kat will like to eat relatively near to the fairgrounds. Goodness knows we won’t be able to get lunch until nearly 3 p.m., if that early, but it would be a shame to make the angel wait any longer than that if it can be helped…

I start buttoning my blouse for the tenth time, mouthing to myself, “Call Ms. Weinstein, and ask her to bring a snack for Kattar…”

“Mami?” Kat pulls me from my thoughts, knocking on my open door with one baby fist, and looking up at me with that sad scared expression that refuses to leave his face.

“Si, amorcito? Something you need, precious?” 

His mouth opens slightly, and then he shakes his head quickly, beginning to turn around like he might go back out. 

Dios. Not this now…

“Did you wash your breakfast dishes and put them all away?” I say to stop him before he goes.

He halts, looking at the floorboards, and nods mildly, that solemn expression still covering over his pretty face.

“And I put the stepping stool back where it goes.”

“That’s my good baby,” I coo, stooping over to kiss his nose. He smiles just barely, still looking scared at who knows what. But at least his look isn’t so sad as it had been. 

I turn back to the vanity, as I secure my last three buttons and pick up the silver jewelry box.

Kat is next to me in a moment, climbing up on the wooden chair, and sitting on his little knees so he can study us both in the mirror.

“I look like a tiger,” he laughs, not quite happily, closing his fingers and holding his chubby hands above his head like little ears.

The tear streaks are still on his cheeks from last night.

“Didn’t you wash your face this morning, Kitty Kat?”

When he looks up at me, the streaks seem to stand out bolder on his face.

“Lo siento,” he mumbles.

“We’re alright, sweetness. Mami’s got you,” I smile softly, trying to make him smile back as I wipe his face with my handkerchief. “This is better isn’t it? Now you look like a cute kitty.”

This time his smile is a little bigger, as he looks at himself in the mirror, before turning to put both his little hands on my cheeks.

“You look like Princess Jasmine,” he giggles, and his eyes close into little rainbows the way Victor’s would on the rare occasions when he chose to smile. “But you’re not going to marry Aladdin.”

“Never. It’s just going to be Mami and Kitty Kat,” I say with a bit of firmness as I pick him up so I can sit in the chair. 

He looks at my face for a minute, his eyes like black checker pieces before he peers back at the vanity, settling himself on my lap with both elbows on the table. He watches mildly as I open up the green jewelry box and lay out my earrings. Then all of a sudden he picks up a big pair of hoops and holds them beside his face, inspecting his reflection.

“Can I get my ears pierced, Mami?” 

At first I doubt whether he’s serious, but he looks at me as if this is the most important moment of his life.

“Of course, mi principe,” I can’t help laughing. “We’ll schedule a day for it some time soon, yes?”

He nods seriously and looks back at the mirror as I fasten my watch. I don’t look up, but I see how his eyes darken with fascination as the clasp closes with a click.

“I like your bracelet…” he begins almost too quietly for me to hear him.

“Un reloj. It isn’t a bracelet. This is a watch. And you need to speak up when you want people to hear you.”

I can tell as plain as day what he’s thinking, but I wait for him to say it out loud as I adjust my earring. He says nothing, studying my face as if he’s judging whether he thinks I’ll say ‘yes’ before he bothers to ask at all.

When I smile and pinch his cheek, he takes two deep breaths and asks steadily, trying to look me in the eye…

“May I…may I have it, please, Mami?” 

This won’t do.

I take his chin in my hand so he can’t look away, and smile so he knows it’s okay. He smiles back at me now, and his eyes squint like he’s staring at the sun.

“Whatever you like is yours, precious. Here,” I remove the watch and fasten it to his small wrist, watching his eyes shine in his face as I do. It’s much too big for him, but he seems satisfied, watching the second hand jump for two seconds with his finger on the glass. Then he slides the silver jewelry box over to him and pulls out one of the bangles.

“This one too. May I have this one too, please?” 

I can’t help but laugh.

“Fine, fine. But let’s not wear them both at once, eh? If you’re too shiny it will be dangerous for Mami to drive.”

“Si.”

Getting down from my lap, he goes to put the bracelet in his room as I go to the walk in closet for my shoes. I’m not sure exactly when he reappears behind me, unfolding and wrapping himself in one of my woven shawls.

“Aye! My darling is greedy today,” I laugh, pulling the shawl down over his face, “Must you have this too?”

“Everything is mine,” he laughs in the little evil way he likes to copy from cartoons. 

I fold my arms over my bosom, “Kattar…what do you say?”

He pouts, unwrapping the shawl and handing it up to me. “Please.”

“Does Mami ever say you can’t have anything nice if you just say please?”

He shakes his head as I tie the shawl around his head and shoulders so it won’t fall off.

“Anything my kitty wants is his.”

“Anything?” He looks at me, his expression darkening a little doubtfully, and I know what he’s going to ask.

“Of course, anything. Do you doubt Mami?” I laugh quickly, standing up with a clap of my hands. “So should we tell Ms. Weinstein to bring gyros to the park for our lunch? My kitty Kat will like that, yes?”

He seems a little bewildered but he nods, as I keep chattering, selecting my purse and shoes, and heading down the stairs. He follows me slowly with one hand on the wooden banister.

“And she’ll bring you some Fig Newtons and take you over to the park so you can play while Mami looks over the fairgrounds with Mr. Craft.”

Ugh, Craft. 

“Won’t that be nice?”

He nods, smiling faintly but he’s back in his little cloud again, and doesn’t say anything else until Ms. Weinstein approaches us in the hall just outside my office.

“Who is this mysterious hooded vigilante?” she laughs squatting down to look Kat in the face. 

She pretends to gasp when he looks up at her, and clasps both his cheeks in her hands. “Kattar?! I didn’t even recognize you. Are you being a superhero today?”

He gives her a little shrug, but his frown relaxes a bit.

“Superheroes aren’t too cool to give a big smile for Ms. Lily are they?”

To that he shakes his head adamantly, and grins up at her like the dentist is checking his teeth.

Ms. Weinstein laughs and slips a matchbox car out of her dress pocket which she hands to him, mouthing “Ferrari,” as she looks back at me.

“Mr. Craft.” she says with an unmistakable sigh, despite her pleasant smile. “You two were talking about going to see the fairgrounds today? He says he’s ready to take you whenever you’re ready to go.”

Kat is rolling the car over and over again in both hands like she just gave him a lump of gold.

“Of course. Shall we go in an hour?”

“He was thinking just the two of you should go,” Ms. Weinstein says, raising both eyebrows and pursing her lips.

“Then he’s more audacious than I gave him credit for,” I laugh lightly. “But you’ll have to tell him I go next to nowhere without my darling assistant…”

Ms. Weinstein smiles at that, and glances down at Kat, putting one hand on his head as he looks up at her whispering with awe: “The doors open up.”

Children have the oddest whims…

“... and my three-year-old too,” I laugh as Ms. Weinstein glances up at me and Kat holds up the car for me to admire.

“Mami, the doors-”

Whenever those little cars are around you’d almost think he was like any other child. But what on earth is so special about cars I’ll never know.

“Kattar, when other people are talking…”

“Perdon,” he says quickly, but his expression doesn’t darken the way it usually does as he squats down on the floor and drives the car round and round Ms. Weinstein and I.

“I’ll need you to watch him at the park for me, while I work out the details with Craft, Lilith. Take him to my office now if you would, so I can talk with Moira and Magdelena.”

“Of course,” she laughs, taking Kattar by the hand, as Magdelena crosses the hall to greet me.

I hear Ms. Weinstein murmuring to Kattar as they walk away, “Let’s go to Mommy’s office to play with your new car.”

He gapes up at her holding up the car, suddenly beaming, his eyes vanishing with giddy shock and glee, “The hood opens too!” and she gasps back down at him “Does it?! Wow! That’s so cool!”