Page 106 of New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe
‘I’ve saved a table for you. Would you like a drink while we go through the paperwork?’ asked Tori.
‘Two chai lattes, thanks,’ said Tom.
‘Can I have an almond croissant too?’ asked Simone. ‘Oh,and some of those homemade cat treats? We can take a couple of bags home for Valentine.’
‘Of course. Grab a seat and I’ll be back in a jiffy,’ said Tori. By the time she had returned with their order, Valentine was already curled up in Simone’s lap. ‘Looks like someone’s found his happy place.’
‘I hope so,’ said Simone. ‘Thanks so much for letting us adopt him.’
‘Oh, it’s not me you need to thank, it’s Izzy,’ she said, nodding in her friend’s direction.
‘But if it wasn’t for the café, you’d probably never have met Valentine,’ said Izzy.
‘What you’re both doing is fantastic,’ Tom said gratefully.
‘Thanks, I appreciate that.’ Tori felt a lump forming in her throat. If it wasn’t for the Cosy Cat, would Valentine still be waiting to find his forever home? The partnership between the café and New Beginnings had meant that Izzy had been able to offer a rescue space to more cats in need, including Pablo. What would have happened to them otherwise? She felt proud she was doing something helpful, useful, and realized she hadn’t felt that sensation in a while.
Tori and Izzy chatted happily to Simone and Tom while the café was quiet, and Tori loved hearing about everything the couple had set up at home for Valentine. Simone was eager to show her pictures of Valentine’s new bed, which was baby blue and covered in tiny navy pawprints, as well as all the toys and treats they had for their new family member.
‘I think that’s everything,’ Tori said, as Tom and Simone finished signing the paperwork. ‘Valentine is officially yours! Congratulations! Shall we get him loaded up and ready for his trip home?’
‘Are you okay to put him in the carrier for us?’ asked Simone. ‘He knows you best so it might be a bit less scary for him?’
‘Of course. Let’s give it a go.’ Tori took the carrier from Tom and scooped Valentine up from Simone’s lap, where he had been purring contentedly, and held him close to her. ‘Now you be good, little man. We’re going to miss you around here, you know.’ She kissed him on top of the head and, before he had the chance to realize what was happening, popped him headfirst into the carrier and shut the door behind him. ‘There you are. He’s good to go.’
‘We’ll take the best care of him, Tori,’ said Tom.
‘We really will,’ agreed Simone. ‘Thanks again for all your help. We’ll let you know how he settles in.’
‘Do! I’d love to see some pictures once he’s made himself at home,’ said Izzy.
‘Before you go, do you mind if I grab a picture of you all for our socials?’ said Tori.
‘Of course,’ said Tom, putting his arm around Simone and holding Valentine’s carrier up for the camera.
‘Perfect, thanks. Have a safe trip home.’ Tori and Izzy waved at the window as they watched the couple drive away. It was a bittersweet feeling. Tori was pleased that Valentine was ready to start his new life, but she also knew she wasgoing to miss him like crazy. She knew she’d feel the same way when the rest of the cats went off to their forever homes too, but reminded herself that she’d always have Ernie at home to love and treasure. He was going nowhere. Opening Instagram, she posted the picture of Valentine with the caption,Happy Caturday! We’re pleased to share our first ever adoption! Congratulations Tom, Simone and Valentine! #caturday #adoptdontshop #todayisagoodday
The rest of the day passed in an endless flurry of coffees and cream teas. Saturday was always one of the busiest days at the Cosy Cat and there wasn’t a table free for longer than two minutes all afternoon. Joyce’s Sussex apple pie with whipped cream was proving popular and Tori remembered to stash a couple under the counter for Pete and Beth before they sold out. At four thirty, just as she was starting to think about giving the cats their early evening treats, Tori looked up and was surprised to see two men in uniform standing in front of her.
‘I’m so sorry, we’re fully booked this afternoon, but if you’d like a takeaway—’
‘We’re not here for coffee, I’m afraid, Miss. Are you the owner?’ the taller of the two men asked, pulling an ID card out of his pocket.
‘Erm, yes, well, along with my mum.’
‘We’re East Sussex Council’s Animal Welfare – I’m Adam and this is my colleague, John. We’ve received some complaints over the conditions your cats are being kept in.Today is a preliminary visit so we can assess the situation and remove any animals that may be suffering.’
‘Suffering?’ whispered Tori, her mouth dry, ‘but they aren’t suffering at all. We work in partnership with a rescue centre and our local vet has been helping us too. I don’t understand who’s said that…’
‘The names of all complainants are entirely confidential,’ John, who had a neatly manicured brown moustache quivering above his top lip, replied curtly.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Joyce, who had appeared at Tori’s side, ‘we’ve got nothing to hide, have we? I’m sure once the inspectors have looked around, they’ll see that.’
‘The welfare of the cats has been Tori’s number one priority since opening,’ said Jean Hargreaves, as she rose from her seat using her walking stick for support. ‘Do you imagine that any of us would come to a café where we thought animals were suffering, young man?’ There were murmurs of agreement throughout the Cosy Cat, and the inspectors took a step backwards as Jean approached them. Tori was full of admiration for Jean’s gravitas and hoped to have some of her bravery when she was in her eighties.
‘I think you’ve been given some wrong information,’ said Maggie, who had been having tea with Jean.
‘If you find any cats are suffering, I’ll eat my hat,’ agreed Cora, pointing to Mr Wiggles who was in his usual place, curled up happily in her lap.
