Goldie

"Dad, you need to calm down--you know your heart won't take this."

"My heart has nothing to do with it--it's what you do with your time that makes me crazy.  Always driving me to drink."

I sighed, "I have never,-"

"Your mother drove me to drink."

"Mother was a good woman and a fool to marry you," I teased, tousling what was left of his gray hair, "Tell me more about her."

"She was lovely..."

"Lovely.."

"And loved you so very much," Dad smiled, "She only held you for a few hours..."

That was a part of the story where Dad shut down.

My mother died after giving birth to me and I wasn't sure why.

No one really knew except that her heart gave out while she held me.

"I'll tuck you in," Dad said as if I were a child once again.

"No," I laughed, "You get to bed! Bright and early for the opening tomorrow and we have new cakes!"

"Cakes...whatever did I do to turn this into a cake shop?"

"I like sweets and it's good for business..."

My father eyed the television and then kissed me on the cheek.

"Don't be out too late tonight."

"I will call if I am going to be. No drinking, no jail,-"

"NO MEN!"

I laughed again, pulling on my coat and heading out, "I love you, Dad!"

"I love you more!"

I heard him cough on the way out and hesitated before making the final decision to go have a night out with my girlfriends.

"Tonight I am going to have fun and...hopefully not worry about my father too much.."

I hailed a cab and proceeded down the road, watching the world go by in a blur.

"Thank you," I handed the cabbie the faire and headed into a dark club where I found my two best friends, Rachel and Becky.

"Oh, you look so pretty in that dress!" Becky swooned as I sat down and ordered a tea, "Wow...living on the edge, I see."

"I don't want to get drunk and not have my wits about me. I promised Dad."

Rachel shook her head, "He rules you."

"He doesn't," I frowned, "He's old, he's sick..he's all I have left.."

"Well, he's alright tonight?" Becky asked, "We do love your dad and you know it."

I smiled, "I know..he's lonely."

Rachel smiled, "Bring him out to party next time!"

I laughed and peeked over at the window.

"What..."

"What what?" Rachel looked passed me, "I don't see anything."

"A black cat.."

"Bad luck," Becky said, downing her vodka.

"They are not," I scoffed, "But I swear that's the same...No, it can't be. He's too far from the shop."

Rachel and Becky continued to talk while I pushed passed a few people to see if it truly was the same feline who'd been outside the shop earlier in the day.

"My...gods..." I gasped, "It is you.."

I tapped on the window as the little fellow--big for a street cat--meowed at me.

"I might just have to take you home with me," I said, "I don't have any treats this time.."

"Will you come back and let this cat be a cat and do cat stuff?!" Rachel pulled me away from the window, taking us back to the booth.

When I looked back at the window, the black cat was gone.