| I stood by protectively, but a short distance away. I did not want to be accused of setting off the alarm. Anyway, Mom seemed to know exactly what she was doing, which was to trade the baby for Zoe�s collar and take Baby Ellie in her arms and make funny noises. Katy looked very proud. Erik looked even prouder. Zoe looked on in rapt attention, waiting for something more to happen, like Erik forgetting to hang onto her collar. Katy, sprightlier than I�ve seen for a long while, went around the corner to the guest room in which Josie the Fat Cat had been temporarily and suddenly domiciled. Josie came home with Mom the day after our Middle of the Night Adventure. After a bit, Josie poked her head out of the guest room and gave us all a small sniff. �Oh, the Squeaky One returns,� Josie said. �I thought I was on vacation.� She then vanished under the bed for the rest of the evening. Katy explained to me that Josie�s eyes get really big and the fur on her tail puffs up when Baby Ellen goes off. Well, yeah. Katy said that Josie would probably be much happier with me and Mom and Zoe for a little while. I looked at Zoe�s wide eyes and rapidly waving tail, thought about her pray drive, and respectfully decided to disagree. Another few weeks of playing revolving rooms and closing doors wouldn�t hurt Josie, though. After all, she�s just a cat and is used to these things when she comes to stay. Abruptly, Baby Ellie went off, just as I had predicted, but was quickly stifled by a large part of Katy�s maternal anatomy. I watched from afar, Zoe watched from close-up, and Mom just sat there grinning. Mom smelled almost as excited as she smelled the day she picked me up at the airport and met me for the first time. Quiet descended upon our house. Erik put Zoe in her crate and left for a hockey game. Mom fixed dinner for herself and Katy. I dozed by the fire. Baby Ellie made faces from inside her portable puppy crate. She certainly is more interesting than the television; Mom and Katy watched here throughout dinner instead of the evening news. I think I may actually like Baby Ellie; she smells like Family. I have to remember to ask Mom, though, what is �Uncle?� Uncle Sailor and Aunt (or is it Sister?) Zoe |
| BABY ELLEN continued |
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