Death Row

Chapter 33

Ben and Christina were huddled around a cardboard box in Ben’s clothes closet. Joni stood behind them, beaming like a proud midwife.

Ben was mesmerized by Giselle and the spectacle inside the box. “Seven kittens. That’s… amazing.”

Christina grinned. “I can’t believe you’ve never seen a cat have kittens before.”

“Or wanted to. But somehow… this is different.” Ben peered down at the seven smoky-gray kittens nuzzling at their mother’s side. “Have I ever mentioned how grateful to you I am for giving me this cat?”

Christina arched an eyebrow. “As I recall, you were pretty grumpy about it at the time.”

“I was stupid.” You’ve made my life better, he wanted to add. You always have. You make everyone’s life better.

“I was so scared,” he said quietly. “When I knew that madman had you. I was terrified.”

“Afraid you’d have to do your own legal research?”

“I was afraid of losing you.”

Christina looked at him, a strange but not altogether unpleasant expression on her face.

Joni cleared her throat. “Well, I don’t think I’m needed here anymore. I’ll call you in the morning, Ben. In a few weeks, we can start trying to find homes for these little guys.” She left the apartment.

“We’re going to give them away?” Ben said.

“Like you were planning to keep all seven kittens?”

“Would that be bad?”

She laughed. “No, Ben. Not if that’s what you want.”

“Christina…”

“Yes?”

He swallowed. “Oh, nothing.”

He wanted to kick himself. Why was he always so stupid and backward? What was it Ray had said? If I learned anything, it’s that every day is precious. Every day. You can’t waste a single minute.

“Christina,” he tried again.

“Ye-es?”

He stared down at the carpet. “This is probably a dumb idea, but you know, they’re having a new exhibition of Thomas Moran paintings out at the Gilcrease starting this weekend-”

“I know.”

“-and I wondered if you… might want to go.”

“You mean-with you? This would be like, like a…” A slow grin spread across her face. “Are you asking me out?”

He took a deep breath. Every day is precious. “Christina, I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but I-I-”

“Yes?”

He wiped his forehead. “You’re really important to me. Really really… important to me. I… you’re… very… important.”

Christina smiled, a smile of mercy. “Be quiet, Ben.” She turned away, returning her gaze to the contents of the cardboard box. “You need to pay more attention to what’s going on around you.”

He knitted his brow. “And that is?”

She scooped up the tiniest of the smoky-gray kittens and held it in her hands. “Life.”