Chapter 2
“It’s April 2025. I came back home for a visit.”
Standing in front of the old house where Grandma and I used to live, I hadn’t even inserted the key yet when the door gently creaked open with a push.
The air inside smelled of dust, dampness–and a faint, familiar scent of cat.}
“Kitty McSnuggles-” I called out.}
A beam of sunlight cut through the window. An orange cat jumped down from the sill and circled my legs gracefully.
Her tail stood high like she was claiming her territory… or welcoming an old friend home.”
I smiled. “You still remember me, huh?”
The camera shook a little–Chantal Levitt was adjusting the gear. She was fresh out of college. I just hired her as my assistant videographer.”
I sat on the front steps, hugging my knees. The cat curled up beside me, purring like a distant dream.
“Her name’s Kitty McSnuggles. Grayden and I rescued her as a kitten when we were kids.”
I turned slightly to the camera, my tone gentle.}
“Grayden and I… we’ve known each other since we were little. His house was right next door. Back then, he wasn’t great at school, so I’d help him with homework… or pretend to. He’d doodle little stick figures in my notebook and say one day he’d be a star and act in scripts I wrote.”
I laughed softly.
“He talked big. But somehow, he made it happen. A talent scout spotted him when he was 16.0
“It was summer evening. He had a guitar slung over his back and told me goodbye. I remember he was sweating like crazy in a denim jacket.
“He told me, ‘I’m leaving first. When you get into a uni in the city, we’ll meet again there.’
“I didn’t cry. Didn’t ask him to stay. Just nodded and told myself-‘I’ll make it. I have to.”
The cat stirred. I reached out to stroke her back.
“And I did. I chewed through three English vocab books. Didn’t even take any cram classes. Got into the best media uni in the city–all on my own.
“Eventually, I became his manager.
“I got him gigs, secured endorsements, scheduled press, pulled all–nighters handling scandals. I stood by him through two of the toughest years of his career.
“I thought I’d be by his side forever.”}
I took a quiet breath, my eyes drifting toward a beat–up box in the corner of the yard.
“She had kittens.”
I paused.”
“Kitty McSnuggles gave birth right there, where we used to stack firewood. Picked a pretty good spot.”}
The camera followed me as I walked over and crouched down.
A handful of kittens lay curled together, their eyes still shut, nestled against their mother’s belly.
“Just now, Grayden messaged me again,” I said. “He said he wants to properly say goodbye this time. Said he doesn’t want me to regret anything.”
“I didn’t reply.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear.”
“Regret? How could I ever regret anything?”
“I don’t regret giving him everything I had to stay by his side. I always believed–I mean really believed–he’d make it big one day. That everyone would love him. If I could’ve, I’d have stayed with him forever.
“It’s just that….”
My lashes dropped, and my voice went soft again. “ALS isn’t something I can control.
“I was his manager. And… I used to be his girlfriend.“}
That “used to be” caught in my throat and came out slow.”
“But he doesn’t need a manager with ALS. He doesn’t need a girlfriend who’ll hold him back.“M
I looked up and smiled. “He’s Grayden Graves. He belongs where the lights shine the brightest.“M
I finished talking and reached down to pick up a kitten.
But the next second–my arm froze.
Like something had gripped it.
My shoulder wouldn’t budge. My fingers wouldn’t curl. I stayed locked in place like a paused frame in a film. Even the light… seemed to stop moving.
11:40 AM
D
