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***
Beatrice arrived at the house first thing in the morning. Her shift at the restaurant didn’t start until noon, so she could check in on Bird beforehand.
The sun slanted through the leafy canopy above the street as Bea unlocked the red door to the house. Mrs. Hobbes had given her the key along with a list of information to know about the cat. She didn’t know Beatrice already had Bird’s routine memorized because of all the days she’d spent here with Ben when all the unpleasantness with Hero and Claudio was going on last year.
It was strange to open the door to a darkened hallway, a heavy silence, where usually Benedick would be here to greet her. He would kiss her cheek and pull her into a hug, then hold her hand as he led her upstairs, and by some miracle she no longer hated that at all… but he was in Wellington now, and she was alone.
She made sure the timed cat-feeder in the kitchen was properly set and that the litter box was clean, humming as she worked. Then she took a cat treat from the bag in the kitchen and headed upstairs to where she knew the cat would be hiding- most likely, either curled in a sunbeam on the woven red-gold carpet in the Hobbes parents’ bedroom, or lounging comfortably under Ben’s desk.
This time, Bird wasn’t in either spot. She was stretched out, snoozing on the pillow in Ben’s long-empty bed.
“Aww, you miss him too, huh?” Bea asked, waving the treat in front of the cat’s little face. Beatrice was loath to admit to anyone else just how intensely she missed her boyfriend, but Birdie was safe. She understood.
Predictably, Bird immediately woke up and gobbled the treat from her hand, grudgingly allowing Bea to stroke the tortoiseshell fur of her back. She purred, flicking her tail.
“We’ll have to stick together, won’t we, Birdie. We’ll keep each other company, and Ben will be home for a visit before we know it. Yeah.” Beatrice smiled.
Birdie purred some more.
Being around cats always cheered Bea up, so she’d been thrilled when the Hobbeses asked her to cat-sit during the many research trips they often took.
Now, Beatrice settled in to play with Bird, waving a feather on a string for her to pounce at, snapping photos to send to Ben. She knew he missed Bird- and her- very much too.
She felt close to him, sitting here on the floor of his room where they’d spent so much time together, playing with Bird like this. Bea was even wearing the purple and green plaid button down she’d stolen from Ben so many months ago. It was the closest she could get to a hug from him. It didn’t even smell like him anymore, she thought dejectedly. She could take another shirt from his dresser- but it wouldn’t be the same. It was a stupid thought, anyway.
Still, she couldn’t be too sad. Not with Birdie’s cute little fuzzy face peering up at her, eager for her to throw a spring toy to be fetched.
Between the feather and the springs Bea threw for her to hunt, Birdie grew tired eventually, though pleasantly so. She even trusted Bea enough to allow her to pick her up for a proper cuddle before Bea left.
Cradling Birdie in her arms, Beatrice kissed the cat’s head, thinking of all the snuggling they had done together with Ben before he left for uni.
“I’ll see you later, sweet girl,” Bea whispered. “Thanks for letting me play with you. Be good. I know you always are.”
When she put the cat down, Bird followed Beatrice downstairs, waiting patiently at the door to see her off.
She stopped to send Ben the photos before she left. He’d asked for them, when he heard she’d be cat-sitting. Said his flat felt empty without Bird underfoot, and he needed to see her. Beatrice knew the feeling.
Bird, getting bored, flounced off to the kitchen for lunch. Beatrice couldn’t blame her.
Still, she couldn’t wait to come back tonight. She, Birdie, and Hero could use the tv and have a Netflix marathon. Then Beatrice and the cat could have a video call with Ben.
It wasn’t as good as seeing him in person, but it was something to look forward to.
***
Meanwhile, in Wellington, Ben had just finished morning classes and started the walk to meet Freddie and Balth for lunch on the quad. And then his phone went off. He kept it on low or silent during the day, but he felt it vibrate in his pocket and reached for it immediately.
It was a text from Bea. “Bird misses you! ❤️”
Then in quick succession, a burst of photos came through, as promised. Birdie, asleep on Ben’s pillow at home. Birdie, jumping around and chasing her yellow feather toy. Birdie yawning, her teeth on adorably menacing display. Ben missed her more than ever, if that was even possible.
The final photo came in then. Beatrice, cradling the cat like a baby, grinning at the camera as Bird looked rather bewildered. Her tortoiseshell fur against Beatrice’s golden hair really was lovely. Ben felt this last photo like a physical squeeze of his heart.
Beatrice was taking care of Bird like the cat was her own, and Ben had never seen anything so adorable in his life. He’d never loved anyone as much as he loved Beatrice in that moment.
He wanted so badly to be where she and Bird were right now.
“What are you smiling about?” Freddie asked when he sat down at their usual table, nose still in his phone.
“Just my two favourite girls,” he said happily, showing her the picture of Bea and the cat. “Bea’s cat-sitting. And breaking my heart!”
“If that wasn’t so cute, I’d be mortally offended,” Freddie snarked.
“You’re my th- well, fourth favourite girl, after Hero,” Ben said, without looking up from the phone. He was now focused on making the picture of Beatrice and Bird his lockscreen photo.
“Gee, thanks,” Freddie said sarcastically, exchanging an amused look with Balthazar that said, get a load of those heart-eyes.
“Reckon we know what he’s writing his sonnet about for Marlowe class,” Balth snorted. "His favourite girls."
Ben didn’t even hear the two of them snickering. He was still stuck in his phone, now busy texting Beatrice entirely too many sparkle heart emojis in response to the photos.
Well- no. You could never have too many sparkle heart emojis for the cutest girlfriend and cat in the world.
***