11 Child custody

Penny went under the shrub to rescue a kitten, but

this wasn't a kitten.

What welcomed her was a petite young boy. He looked a little gaunt and pale, but his eyes were brooding as if he were the grim reaper himself.

"What are you?"

"What are you?"

They asked in unison, but Penny was most taken aback because his low-pitched voice didn't match his sickly appearance. He frowned while her brows rose. Before she could say anything, she heard a soft 'meow' from somewhere. Averting her eyes, she caught a small and frail kitten coming from his other side. "Oh." Her lips formed an o-shape. "There's the kitten."

A big smile appeared on her face as she looked up at the boy. "I thought you were."

Did he look like a kitten to her?

The boy looked at the girl's round face and noticed

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11 Child custody

that her nose looked pink. He bit his tongue, knowing whatever he was about to say was rude.

"It looks hungry and... oh, it has a company?" Curiosity was seen in her eyes as she stared at the cute rain frog.

Seeing this, the boy looked at the cat and froze.

"A rain frog?" she mumbled. "I didn't know there's some in here."

Penny glanced at the boy, only to furrow her brows upon seeing the horrified look on his face. Earlier, this guy had already looked sickly, but now it seemed he was about to go into the light!

"Kitty, are you okay?" she asked, watching him twist his neck like a rusting robot. The moment they were face to face, Penny panicked. "Are you dying?!"

"He help."

"Help?" Penny was about to summon her superhuman strength and carry him, but then, noticed the frog coming closer to him. His face stiffened even more, and he was holding his breath until his neck turned

taut.

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11 CHAT tedy

scared of frogs?" her panic subsided, moving closer but finding it hard to move freely because of the shrub she was

hand on his leg, making him wince as she put her weight on it to reach

scared of it? It's safe!" she reassured, a

also a child once, and she was

like this back then.

were more things scarier

innocent little creatures. Even so, she knew

was valid, and she felt sorry for

okay now." She nodded at him encouragingly, smiling wide until her eyes were squinting. "This

Great aunt?

a sigh of relief, flinching wherever

in this

38

you out," she said, almost scolding him. "But I know it's probably because you were trying to rescue

the situation was the opposite. It was more like the cat was rescuing

pull. herself out of the shrub. As she tried with

added, "I

you take

looked up at him.

home," he said, a

I think it won't survive out

all alone."

it home...?" Penny pouted as her eyes fell

small, its hairs still thin and dirty. It reminded her of herself, abandoned by

such a young age.

shallow breath slipped past her lips as she

48

"Huh?"

it home, you can't ask for shared custody," she negotiated. "Giving her to me

did it sound like they were talking about child

in this?

she said was right. He wasn't capable of raising it. He didn't even know if he would

here every Thursday, same time. You

the little

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