Chapter 35

“Do I?” Tyche asked. “Do I?”

JW turned away. Had Tyche noticed ... or been taller ... she would have seen her dad’s shoulders shaking ... trying to keep from laughing ... but ... while tall for four ... she was still short for kid ... and didn’t notice him trying NOT to laugh.

The Vet said, “What do you think.” Not necessarily a question. Not a statement of fact, either.

In later years, as she grew from a tall four year old to a rather spectacular teen, she mentioned to prospective boyfriends that her daddy always knew where she was.

“I’m chipped,” she said.

Talk about a game changer...

Right now ... she wasn’t sure ... but ... the possibility...

That and Crossroads ... Hey ... possible. And the Powers that Be could always find her ... yeah ... none of her friends ... but they were older ... and most of them knew the Powers too.

Chipped ... I’m Chipped. She was sure.

Sometimes ... sure is all it takes.

The Vet nodded ... he was nodding about her instructions concerning the felines ... but she didn’t know that. She thought he was nodding about ‘the chip’.

“Twenty-five dollars each ... you sure you want them chipped?”

“How much do you charge?”

“The state pays me,” he said.

“Daddy? Two hundred dollars.”

The girl behind the counter took her picture ... this kid was going on Facebook with the cats.

Eight cats ... Twenty-five each... $200 ... and the kid didn’t count on her fingers ... yup ... Facebook.

“How old are you?” the Counter clerk asked.

“22,” said JW. Can’t be helped ... the clerk was cute and JW ALWAYS thinks girls are talking about him. Facts, ma’am ... just the facts.

“Four,” said Tyche.

“Four? And you did multiplication in your HEAD?” exclaimed the clerk. “My sister is 10 and still can’t multiply!” She learned to ignore married men when she was a cheerleader.

“Two hundred, daddy.” Tyche said ... again.

“Use your debit card.”

And another reason to put this kid on Facebook ... her own credit card.

Fanny pack and Tyche sorted through MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Pay Pal. She proffered the VISA.

Counter clerk ran the card ... it worked. Nobody called to check. She looked at Tyche and Tyche said, “Trust Fund.”

Tyche retrieved the card ... the Vet chipped the cats ... and Murray held the door while the kittens marched ... single file and in-step ... out to the Visitors Slot in the parking lot. Miss Counter Clerk reset the camera from pictures to movie and videoed the march out to the 544. The kittens sat ... in unison ... and waited for someone to open the door.

Silver mom and Murray followed the kittens and sat ... Murray hadn’t figured out lever door handles ... yet.