Claire shook her head with a small smile on her face. "I can't believe you two both got me kittens without consulting each other. They're beautiful, thank you. Can I hold one?"
"Of course! Which one do you want to try first?" Alex asked eagerly, glad to see her finally smiling even if it wasn't as widely as usual.
"I'll go with the black one since it looks like the orange one already fell asleep on Ethan. I don't want to disturb it." She held her hands out for the kitten to sniff first. "Hey, baby. I know you're probably really scared right now but it's okay. I've got you."
She gingerly took the kitten from him, who meowed weakly in protest but ended up burrowing into her arms. "Poor thing. It must be hard not being able to see to familiarize itself with the house. Did it seem to be doing okay before I showed up?"
"Yeah, it knows where the litter box is and everything. It's smart."
Claire smiled. "Smart, huh? Is it a boy or a girl?"
"A boy."
