All I wanted to do was sleep. I felt safe now, with TammyLee, and Amber, and I trusted that we would eventually go home. So I switched off and slept while TammyLee sat at a table and ate breakfast. I must have slept for hours, for when I woke up, we were in a different room, and Amber was there, lying on TammyLee’s feet. She looked dry and fuzzy, and much better, and TammyLee’s hair was dry.
There were families around the room, and some of the children were still asleep. It was quieter, except for a man with a woolly microphone that looked like a cat’s tail. Followed by a cameraman, he was interviewing people very loudly.
‘This disaster has brought the whole community together,’ he was saying. ‘And families made homeless by these terrible floods are still coming in …’
His voice made me drowsy, and I drifted off to sleep again, this time in TammyLee’s arms. She was yawning and snoozing too, and Amber was stretched out on the floor, snoring. We were all exhausted.
‘Wake up, Tallulah, quickly.’ My angel whispered urgently to me. ‘This is very important.’
Instantly, I was sitting up, on full alert, my whiskers twitching. Something was going to happen.
Chapter Fifteen
FROM A DISTANCE
‘You are needed, now more than ever, Tallulah,’ said my angel, and for once, she was crystal clear in her iridescent colours. She was so radiant that I thought one of us was going to die. I looked at Amber, and she was breathing. I looked at TammyLee and there was a strange light around her. Squinting my eyes, I watched until the face of a golden angel materialised from its blaze. I’d never seen her before.
‘Who is she?’ I asked.
‘She is the mother love angel,’ said my angel, respectfully.
I studied the new angel, fascinated by the swerving colours of her robe: intense pink, aqua and silver white. Mysterious images and pictures flickered in the energy she was generating, constantly changing. For one fleeting moment, I saw a cat’s face, and it was my own mother, Jessica, and then she was gone, like something melting in the sun. She hadn’t liked me when I was a kitten, but now her brief appearance had radiated love, which made me glow with happiness. I wanted to play and jump in the air, but I was restrained by the cat harness.
‘Be calm,’ said my angel, ‘and do exactly what I tell you. Exactly. Now … watch the door.’
As she spoke, a new family was coming in through the door, a young mum with a little boy who was dressed in a tiny denim jacket and jeans. Their pushchair was laden with bags of food and toys. Like most of the new arrivals, they seemed stressed and anxious, and stood looking round the hall for somewhere to sit.
‘Meow, as loud as you can, and put your tail up,’ said my angel urgently.
My voice called out, an echoing meow, and another, and another. Amber woke up with a jump, and so did TammyLee.
‘What’s the matter, Tallulah?’
‘Keep meowing,’ said my angel. ‘You are calling that family.’
I did, and the little boy turned his head and looked at me with bright blue eyes.
‘Tat!’ he squealed, and tugged at his mother’s arm. ‘Look!’
I changed my voice to a purr-meow. The little boy was Rocky, and he was running towards me, and towards his true mother, TammyLee.
It was a mesmerising moment, and I sensed the angels forming a circle of light around us, weaving it into a celestial umbrella, sheltering us … Amber and TammyLee, me and Rocky.
With sudden clarity, I understood the nature of miracles. The flood disaster had turned out to be a blessing for TammyLee.
‘Don’t strangle the poor cat!’ Kaye came bustling after Rocky, a smile of humour in her eyes.
The reality of Rocky was exciting for me. He was bigger, and confident on his feet, square and sturdy as he stood gazing right into my soul with those unforgettable eyes. I could hear him breathing, and feel his vibrant energy.
He didn’t look at TammyLee, but sat on the floor and put his face close to mine. I responded by kissing him on the nose, and purring. He squealed and laughed and wrapped his little arms around me.
‘Tat mine,’ he said, and I struggled out of his tight grip, being careful not to scratch him. He touched my tail and felt my whiskers, he put his ear against me and listened to my purr. ‘Tat purr,’ he said in delight, and tried to imitate the sound. I rolled over on my back, and he examined the pink pads of my paws.
‘Gently … gently,’ said Kaye, breaking into our circle of light. She looked at TammyLee. ‘I am sorry,’ she said, ‘but he does love cats … and dogs,’ she added, as Amber tried to get in on the act by squirming along the floor. ‘Is your dog OK with children?’
‘She loves them,’ said TammyLee. She smiled at Rocky, but he still didn’t look at her. He was only interested in me.