Episode One Hundred and Ninety-Two: Solstice Gift

I stretched, reaching up to the skylight, when I paused, hands still raised in the air. Soft snoring still filled the room from Indigo, yet sunlight streamed in from above. And not just a little.

Bright beams of light filled the room, and faint birdsong as well.

Within seconds, I’d dressed, brushed my teeth, and raced out of my room, leaving Indigo behind, still sleeping.

I found the Cat across the balcony in his cat tree, staring out the window to the rooftop deck.

“Cat, you could have woken me…” I hurried in his direction, checking my phone. I’d definitely slept in. I didn’t like being late.

His tail flickered languidly behind him as he glanced over his shoulder at me.

“You aren’t late, you have today off.” He turned back to the rooftop deck, like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Bright sunlight blazed in from the windows, making him look like he was glowing.

“Today’s a work day, though…” My words trailed off as I double-checked in my head. Sometimes the days blurred together, but I was sure I had another day before the ‘weekend’. Not that work followed a normal work week all of the time. What I thought might be a Monday, a customer might think it's Friday.

“It’s part of your gift,” he said in a soft voice.

It took way too long to connect the dots to the solstice, which wasn’t that long ago.

“Really?” I asked, still unsure of what was going on. I glanced out the window at the bright sunshine and the hot tub, before looking back down at the shop below.

“Yes, though coffee and breakfast would be appreciated,” he said, turning to me with an almost grin on his little cat face. “I might be a little hungry.”

This was doable, and felt more normal.

“Of course I’ll make breakfast.” I chuckled as I picked him up and pulled him to my chest. A faint whiff of forest leaves arose from him as I held him. His fur always felt so soft and fluffy. “Though let's do coffee first. I’m thinking peppermint mochas.”

He purred as I scratched his ears, walking down the steps to the front counter. He leaped to the counter as we moved close. 

From there, making two mochas didn’t take any time at all. The minty-chocolatey smell always reminded me of the Solstice. Given today was my gift, it just felt right.

I carried both drinks into the kitchen and set them on the island as the Cat followed me in. Yet, somehow he beat me to the island.

Bacon already sat on the counter, along with a pan, and the oven was preheated.

“Thank you, Betty,” I said as I doled the bacon out on the pan and into the oven. Curiosity got the best of me. “What else is part of the gift?”

The Cat turned away from me again with that partial smile. “You’ll see.”

I cracked a bunch of eggs into a bowl and quickly mixed them up before adding salt and pepper. Scrambled eggs were a fast cook, so I waited until the bacon was almost done before pouring them into a pan.

I wasn’t sure what to make of the jolly version of the Cat. Asking questions didn’t give me anything, so making breakfast it was. Bacon was always a good bribe.

I jerked as claws dug into my shoulder as Indigo landed, but they didn’t really hurt. She just surprised me.

“Whoa, you spooked me there,” I whispered as she nuzzled my chin before pouncing on the counter.

“I make eggs!” she chirped as her tail snapped out behind her.

“Sorry, Indigo, I’m almost done already.” I felt a little bad, but it was later in the morning than normal. “We slept in.”

“Slept in?” she turned to the Cat as her eyebrow ridges drew together. A low chirp came from her, and he freaking nodded.

I plated up the eggs for each of us, but at that nod, she started running around in circles.

“Present day! Present Day! Present Day!” Her voice filled the space, so joyous.

The Cat coughed, and she froze, but then she pranced to her plate of food.

“Well, you know what’s going on,” I muttered, taking a piece of bacon.

Indigo’s eyes went wide, but she said nothing. Instead, she shoved her snout into her eggs and wouldn’t look at me at all.

I chuckled, since all of her fancy eating had gone out the window at the moment.

I shook my head but didn’t press. Indigo wasn’t the type of dragon to keep secrets, and putting her on the spot would ruin the mood. Plus, I didn’t mind surprises sometimes. Whatever this was, everyone was happy. It had to be good.

I sipped my mocha and slowly ate my food, knowing we weren’t in any hurry. A random day off felt good and brought me so much joy. It felt like I was appreciated more than normal. 

Not that my work was stressful; it wasn’t most of the time. The only thing that weighed on me was the Cat and his curse, to be stuck in the shop. But right now, I lightly shoved that out of my mind. After today, I’d dig into the book Indigo got me for my gift, and push the Lorestone to find out more about the Fates themselves.

Today I was going to enjoy myself. And whatever else was part of my gift.

Indio finished first, followed by the Cat, who ate at least half of the bacon from the center plate. 

Once I finished, I sipped at my coffee a little more before finishing it off.

“Alright, do you want another coffee?” I asked the Cat.

His teacup was sitting empty near his plate. “I am well, thank you.”

I turned to head to the front counter to make another mocha when warmth blazed from the floor. 

Things rippled ever so slightly, and the room shifted. The wall separating the kitchen from the storage room vanished, opening up into a massive living space.

Betty appeared on the counter near the sink, and the living room from upstairs appeared down here. The fireplace appeared on the far wall, where there were usually bookshelves. 

The massive windows moved to what I thought of as the front of the shop. Instead of the usual trees, it now faced a different forest. To my right, a staircase leading upstairs to a second floor appeared, along with an archway to a dining room.

“Cat?” I asked, letting my voice trail off. This was a massive change, and it didn’t look like the shop at all. Just a very cozy living space.

“Oh, pretty,” said Indigo as she went flying through the giant space. She vanished through a hallway by the stairs. “Library!”

I hurried in that direction and found a decently sized library, with books covering every wall except the window, where a window seat took up a decent amount of space.

I made my way back to the living space, passing a new front door that looked like it belonged on a house. The living room had one more addition, sliding glass doors that led out onto a deck with a pergola. 

“What’s going on?” This time, my voice came out a little firmer. “I feel like we’re in a cabin in the woods.”

The only cabins I knew about like this were from horror movies.

A knock came from the front door, making me jump.