Francine lies on the floor next to her parents' bed, peering at a grey cat that has slunk to a far corner under the bed. "Come here, Lassiter. Here kitty, kitty, kitty," she says, stretching her arm underneath the bed.
She sighs and gives up, getting up from the floor. She dusts herself off and says to her mother, "I don't know why that cat hates me. Or does he spend all day under the bed normally?"
"No, he's out and about usually. He's the sweetest cat," her mother says, putting away some clothes into a drawer.
Francine crosses her arms, "Well, I think he hissed at me from under there."
"He's probably mad you left him behind. And you hardly ever visit, though I'm very glad you're here for Mother's Day."
They leave the bedroom and walk back to the living room, where Francine's father is watching a baseball game on television. "I didn't leave him behind. When I moved back here after breaking up with John, you and Father got so attached to him, I could hardly have taken him away from you. Plus the place I moved to didn't allow pets," Francine says.
"Well, I understand that, but he's a cat; he doesn't understand that. He thinks you abandoned him," Mother says, sitting on the couch and lighting a cigarette.
Sitting down next to her, Francine lights up as well, "He's probably happier here anyway."
"You would be too. You should move back," Mother says.
"Mother . . . I thought we said we weren't going to hassle Francine while she was here," Father says, looking up from the game.
"All right, all right," Mother says, throwing up her hands, "It's just that we miss you. I know Zanesville isn't the most exciting place on Earth, but you have people here who love you. Can you say the same about Cleaveland?"
"Maybe," Francine says, smiling.
Mother sits up, "You've met someone, haven't you? I thought there was a little spring in your step when you got here. Tell me all about him!"
"What if he was a she, would you still be so excited?" Francine says, trying not to laugh.
"She? What do you mean? Oh, Francine! I'm never going to have grandchildren, am I?" Mother says and faints on the couch.
"Francine! Quit teasing your mother!" Father says, getting up and grabbing Mother's cigarette before it burns anything, "Go get the smelling salts in the cupboard!"
Francine gets up and thinks, "And they wonder why I hardly ever come home!"
As she walks down the hallway, Lassiter appears in the doorway of her parents' bedroom. When he sees Francine, he runs back under the bed.
Blog Love Omega Glee is a novel by Wred Fright about two bloggers who fall in love while the world falls apart, which is being serialized on his blog. To start reading from the beginning or read another installment, please visit Blog Love Omega Glee Central on WredFright.Com. If you like what you've read, or you've read all of Blog Love Omega Glee and want more Fright, then please read his first novel, which is available in print and as an ebook.
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