A mystical silver cat appears as eight-year-old Beau Rivière sleeps. Beau has lost his mother who was all he had in the world other than his Uncle Dane in New York City. He has just moved to New York from the Louisiana Bayous and is having a painful time adjusting. The silver cat is so familiar to him and he knows she was once his in a life that was quite different from the one he is now leading. The cat gives him a powerful sense of belonging and clarity, but who is she? Why does he hear the name Geneviève ?
A silver tabby walks into the bedroom and curls up beside me, purring. She rubs her face against my hand. The dream is so clear it makes me sit up. Only it wasn’t a dream and it isn’t a silver tabby. Lying beside me is a purring brown cat wearing a gold collar with pink roses. This cat isn’t one of Sphinx and Dane’s. Where did she come from? I stroke her and she rises and rubs my face over and over, purring louder. I then hear sounds at my bedroom door. Standing before me is the little boy whose pictures are on the mantle.
He rushes over to me. “Gwinveer was my kitty but Mommy and Daddy say she’s yours. I want her to be yours.” Not knowing how to respond, I just smile. He climbs on the bed beside me and we both stroke the cat. “Don’t be sad, Beau.”
“My mama died.”
“I’m sorry.” I notice his eyes are empathetic, as if he understands.
“You must be Griffin. Your mom and dad are downstairs, aren’t they?”
“Yep!” He takes my hand and pulls me up and leads me to his bedroom. The brown cat follows. “You finish my tower?” he asks, looking at the skyscraper I made.
I nod. “I hope you’re not mad.”
“I like it. We build together now, Beau.”
He empties a Lego container and pulls me down to the floor. I follow his lead because he’s kind of a willful little guy and something tells me that it’s best not to upset him. “What are we building?” I ask.
“A castle,” he replies and starts working on the foundation.
I have to work slowly because he’s small and it takes him longer to find and connect blocks but I like playing with Griffin. He’s a better builder than any two-year-old I’ve ever seen. I can’t say why, but being with him pleases me. Griffin scolds the kitty when she wants to lie precisely where we’re building, so I put her in my lap.
Dane comes in and smiles when he sees us playing. “I see you two hit it off.”
“We’re cool, Dane,” I smile.
Dane’s eyes go to the kitty. “David and Lia brought Guinevere all the way from England for you, Beau.”
I’m very happy about Guinevere but I keep thinking about the silver cat in the dream. There was a world inside my head that slipped away. Where did it go? David, Lia, and Griffin… Who are they? I love my uncles very much and wish I wasn’t causing them to worry. I don’t mean to. I just don’t feel like talking or eating. One of the other cats comes in the room and Guinevere chases her out with a hiss and a spit, making us laugh. “We know who the new alpha cat is,” Dane laughs. I’m trying to be myself again but I’m so tired. I’m afraid to sleep because when I do, the bad guys can get to me. It’s been worse since Mama died. It’s as if they’re gloating. I can’t talk about the bad guys with anyone. I wish I could.
Dane leaves, saying he’ll check on us again in a bit. Griffin is preoccupied building a turret so I walk out to the hallway to listen to the voices. I recognize David’s voice from his songs. The female voice must be Lia’s. It’s all so familiar and yet I can’t put my finger on it. They say Griffin and I should play a little longer because we’re such dear friends and the simplicity of a toddler is good for me. Griffin is my dear friend? Is that what I felt? I hear Sphinx saying he hopes Guinevere and Griffin will help heal me. Heal? How do you heal from your mama being taken from you? I’ll never see her again for the rest of my life.
“Come back, Beau!” Griffin calls.