Since I love combining the prompts of the day, Word of the Day and 3TC, I have decided to bring back Flash Fiction Friday-as time permits.

So, without further ado, here is my story for today.

Gina and Joseph lived on the outskirts of a tiny southeast Texas town, enjoying a dream the both of them had wished for their entire marriage… to live close to the water. They knew it was probably temporary, yet they tried to make the most of their time, fishing when they could, playing with their puppies, and making lots of friends in the neighborhood.

Gina had recently acquired a new kitten, she named her after the Spanish word for white socks…calcetines blancos-Callie is what she shortened it to. She was black all over except for her white feet, and tuxedo. Joseph was unsure how Callie fit into their lives, and seemed to take every conceivable opportunity to express his dislike for the cute little kitten. Gina was determined to make the arrangement work, however, and tried to show all the pets equal loving all around.

Daily she made the pups their special diet, complete with snacks and treats containing pumpkin seeds and sweet potato. The pups really loved these treats, but Callie just got her own dry food, suggested to Gina by her grandfather. He said kittens needed no treats, just dry food to keep their delicate systems in balance. It seemed to Gina that the harder she tried, the more Joseph complained that the pups were not agreeing with the kitten and she was just about ready to find Callie a new home. She was tired of the daily squabbles and whining about it.

The younger of the pups, Smokey, had recently suffered a serious allergic reaction to some shampoo the groomer had tried for the first time on her. After two weeks, a shot, and other medications, she was still scratching and causing further infection. Gina was tasked with taking her back to the vet to see whet else could be done, and she decided to ask her while she was there if she knew of anyone needing a new kitten. Upon arrival, she met a lady in the waiting room and being the overtly, cerebral person she was, struck up a conversation with her and discovered she had recently had to put her beloved cat down.

Believe it or not, the lady Gina was talking to accepted the offer to take Callie home with her, they exchanged numbers and as soon as Gina was done with Smokey and the vet, she went home to get Callie’s belongings together and wait for the lady’s arrival. Although she was sad at the prospect of having to give up her kitten, she knew it was best for everyone because she found out some disheartening news while the vet was treating Smokey for her bumps and itching. It turns out, Smokey was allergic to Callie! Gina did not know that was even possible, yet it made her decision quite easy.