PAUL WATCHED LUCKY curl up in the open suitcase. She was missing most of her tail. Lost it in a kitchen accident. She knocked a pot off the counter and it landed on her, despite her name. Lucky was now curling up on top of a folded blazer and Paul knew it would not go well for her. Perhaps, Jinx would have been a more apropos name. Lucky was one of three cats that Paul and Hannah owned. She was the only female. Her tortoise shell colouring made her stand out from the other two. Paul had heard that only female cats had more than two colours, and at least in his small world, that was true. Dusty, the British Longhair was a monochromatic, smoky, ashy colour and Ned was a two tone tabby, orange on orange. Lucky was the only one Paul had been at the adoption for. The two males had come with Hannah, who was now prepping for a work trip to Calgary. The cats always seemed to know. Paul didn’t know if they recognized the suitcase, or could just feel the tension.
Hannah came down the stairs now: “Oh! C’mon Lucky! I need that clean, I’m going to wear it during my presentation.” She quickly turned at the landing and skipped down the last few steps. She picked up Lucky in one hand and stuffed a travel toiletry bag into the side of the suitcase with the other. “Paul, instead of just standing there, you could keep
…
Kenneth Roland grew up in St. Catharines. He enjoys writing stories with a humorous flair that border on, but don’t quite touch reality. He now works as a software developer in Waterloo, where he lives with his wife and an oversized pug. His next book, Hacking Emotions for Fun and Profit is being released in October 2023.