“Do you think it’ll be all right?”
He turned to look at her. “We’ve known for years that our daughter is different. It’s not about what we decide to do, or where we choose to live, it goes beyond that.”
“Yes, I know,” she looked at him ruefully, “but I wish there were something we could do to help.”
He shook his head. “Look honey, it’s not about us. She … sees things. It’s a gift.”
“No dammit, it’s a curse.”
“Hey,” he said gently, “it’s a gift and a curse. Everything has two sides. Can’t we just live with that? I mean, she can. Why can’t we?”
She gave him a long searching look. “What about the cat?”
“The cat?”
“You know what I mean. With Charlotte, everything means something. There are no coincidences. That cat showed up for a reason.”
He smiled sadly. “Would you want our daughter to be any other way?”
“No, I guess not. Damn you, you’re always so logical.”
“Not really. Just realistic. She’ll be fine with the cat. We’ll be fine with the cat. Now try to get some sleep.”
“OK.” She kissed him, and she turned over in the bed. Then she felt his arm around her, and she knew that somehow it would be all right.