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“He did?” said Harriet. “How interesting.”

“Mom reading a romance novel also doesn’t mean she’s stopped loving Dad,” said Odelia. “It just means she enjoys reading about the different aspects of love and romance. And Dad having flirty patients doesn’t mean he’s not faithful to mom, though I have to admit I might need to have aword with him about that. He’s much too naive for his own good, that one.”

Her parental unit probably didn’t see it, but he was a very handsome man and a real catch, and lately she had the impression some of his lady patients took advantage of the fact that he was a little clueless about the other sex.

“So he’s not going to marry Miss Burnett?” asked Dooley.

She laughed, causing Chase to look up and give her two thumbs up.

“No, he’s not going to marry Miss Burnett,” she said.

“And what about Uncle Alec and Charlene? He wants to be her chaperone when she goes out with Charlie Manger.”

She grimaced.“I’m sure they’ll work it out,” she said. “They’re both old and wise enough to know what they’re doing.” She sighed. “Look, life is a rocky road, you guys, and so is love. It’s not like in the movies that a couple meet, hold hands and then it’s a fade-out on the happy embrace.There will be trouble along the way, and it’s a testament to the strength of the relationship and the love that a couple share whether they’ll make it through those difficult times.”

“So what about Brutus and his birds?” asked Harriet. “He’s been seeing birds in his dreams, and I’m convinced it’s not birds he’s after but other girls.”

Odelia gave Harriet a slightly skeptical look.“Birds? Really? Come on, Harriet. I think you need to relax a little. Have some faith in your mate, all right? If you keep this up you’re going to end up suffocating the life out of your relationship.”

“It’s just birds,” Brutus murmured. “Red birds and green birds and yellow—”

“Yes, yes, yes,” said Harriet. She looked skeptical at first, but then finally nodded. “You’re right,” she said. “Maybe I am a little too much sometimes.”

“How about all the time?” said Dooley, and they all looked at him in wonder, then burst into laughter.

“You’re right, Dooley,” said Harriet prissily. “But that’s because I’m a very passionate cat. And that’s what Brutus loves about me, doesn’t he?” She directed a hopeful look at her boyfriend. “Right, my love muffin?”

“It was just birds,” Brutus repeated, still looking slightly offended.

“Oh, my ironman, I’m sorry,” said Harriet, leaning over and giving him a peck on the cheek. “Can you ever forgive me?”

He glanced over, and the ice quickly melted when he caught Harriet’s pleading look. “Of course,” he said finally.

“Oh, honey bunny!”

“Oh, bright eyes!”

“Oh, big daddy!”

“Oh, angel face!”

And then they both hopped down from their respective chairs and scooted over to those same rose bushes they liked so much and disappeared from view.

“Guess they’ve got some more birds to look at,” said Dooley. He sighed and glanced up to Odelia. “But that still doesn’t answer my question. Am I ever going to find true love?”

“And me?” asked Max hopefully.

She smiled at her two cats, and caressed their furry cheeks.

“Of course,” she said. “But you have to give it time. Love doesn’t like to be coerced, you know, bent to your will. It comes on its own accord or it doesn’t come at all. Just look at me and Chase. Do you think I wanted some cocky cop to knock me off my feet? Of course not. But it happened, and now I’m glad he did.”

“Even though he gave you saggy skin?” asked Dooley, wide-eyed and hopeful.

“Absolutely. In fact I wouldn’t want to change anything. Not for the world.”

On her lap, Grace let rip a tiny burp, then grabbed for her mother’s nose and pressed it like a button.

“So we just have to be patient?” asked Dooley.

“Just relax, Dooley,” Odelia said. “And don’t worry so much. Just be grateful for what you have and try to live in the moment. That’s what it’s all about, after all.”

She didn’t add that she often had a hard time following her own advice.

“I do like what I have,” said Dooley. “For one thing, I have the best best friend in all the world in Max, and that’s not something a lot of cats can say.”

Max looked visibly touched, and even Odelia choked up a little.

Just then, Chase came up and said,“I don’t think it’s a mole. It might be mice.” He gave Max a hard look. “Max. You have to step up your game here, buddy. Mice in my backyard? That just won’t do, you know. Not with four cats in the house.”

“Just leave him be, babe,” said Odelia. “He’s trying to find true love.”

Chase took a seat.“Well, I can tell him all about that. Cause I’m an expert on true love.” And then he gave Odelia such a look of devotion that her heart melted.

He leaned in for a kiss, and that’s the moment Grace chose to gurgle, “Mama!”

Her eyes went wide.“Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, she burped,” said Chase.

“No, she said ‘Mama!’”

“No, she didn’t.”

“I heard it, too,” said Max.

“And me,” said Dooley happily.

“Oh, dear,” said Odelia.

“What?” asked Chase.

“I think she spoke cat language.”