Kelli frowned then and flipped back through a couple of pages before answering.
"Well, Ali only gave me a very basic explanation of this book, but from what I can understand, and from what we have back at the apartment, the better description for what we may be is bond-mates, not soul-mates. It's a subtle difference in language, but it's important. From what I can gather the magic that was activated when we kissed senses our emotions and personalities and links two people who are most compatible with each other at that moment. So it may not really be a matter of fate, but one of proximity and an already existing emotional bond."
I nodded then said, "It would not be a very efficient system to give a potential Neko such a short time to find their one soul-mate, if such a person existed. So what you are saying is if there is a strong emotional bond between two people that any two people can form that bond and activate the transformation?"
"That's what it looks like to me, though I'm certainly glad I was the one you picked," she said as she kissed the back of my hand.
"Well, my love, now that my eyes have opened I don't think that there is anyone else I could or would chose."
Kelli giggled and replied, "Wow. We are so sappy aren't we sweetie?"
"No comment," I protested as I shook my head and started giggling too.
Kelli went back to studying the magic book then, while I continued on towards my parent's house, the miles flowing along like a lazy river. The drive always took about three hours, and sometimes it seemed shorter or longer depending on the circumstance. Tonight, it seemed to pass very, very slowly. I was still sort of hung up on what my parent's would say about my transformation, what they would think now that their daughter was a Neko. Would it be like everyone else I had run into up to now, where the surprise was not that I had cat like features, but that I was the first one that they had seen, even though I was their child. Would that be part of the magic that was transforming me? I just did not know. Between Kelli and me, though, we would figure it all out.
Eventually we got to my parent's house and we parked the car on the street so that we did not wake anyone up pulling into the long driveway. We got to the porch, and both of us took our shoes off so that we would be quiet as we snuck into the house. I slowly unlocked the door and we quietly made our way into the house, and I locked up behind us as silently as I could. We then made our way to the stairs leading down into the lower level, and were quietly giggling together as we successfully made it into my room. We tossed our bags in the corner and then got undressed and crawled under the covers of my bed. It was not nearly as big as the bed we shared in our apartment, but we liked cuddling close as we slept so it was roomy enough. I was still nervous about the next morning, but with Kelli spooned against my back while she was rubbing my ears and kissing my neck soon had me relaxed and I drifted off into a pleasant sleep.
I woke up the next morning as Kelli was pulling on a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, and she grinned at me as I laid there looking at her.
"Morning sleepyhead. You ready for this," she asked.
"God no! I am so freaking out right now. What are they going to say?"
Kelli cocked her head to the side and thought for a second before she replied, "Well, if it's like everyone else that we've come across then they aren't going to say anything. They won't remember you any other way. If they do notice, well, they are our parents and I think they will still love you no matter what."
Kelli then took me into her arms and kissed me with all of the love she could muster, and I melted into her warm embrace. She then held me for a couple of minutes while stroking my hair, whispering nothing but love into my ear. Then she stood up and bent over to give me one last tender kiss and turned to the door.
"I'm going to head up, ok," she asked and I nodded. "Just get dressed and come up soon. No hiding, or I will personally come back down and drag you upstairs no matter how dressed you are or not."
"Fine, I will be up in a minute," I replied after sticking my tongue out at her, and with a final chuckle Kelli left my room and made her way upstairs.
I heard both sets of our parents exclaim in delight as she moved into the kitchen, and with my Neko hearing I could hear their conversation as if I was in the room with them. I believe I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating that because we grew up together nearly all of our lives, living next door to each other for all of that time, we both looked to each other's parents as just a second mother and father. And our parents treated the both of us as equal daughters and sisters. It was a wonderful way to grow up, and one of the best traditions that we had as a family was the Valentine's Day breakfast. It was kind of cool that Kelli and I now had a Valentine to bring to the festivities, even if it meant that it was still just the six of us.
"Oh Kelli, it's so great to see you again," I heard my mom exclaim, as Kelli giggled, probably because one of our dads hugged her while lifting her off of the floor. Some things never change.
"Is Myka here with you already," her mom asked. "Let me guess, she is still in bed."
"No mom, she's up. She just needed a couple minutes longer to get dressed than I did," Kelli whispered loudly, not thinking that I could still hear her.
"MYKA ANN CARLISLE," my dad shouted in his booming voice.
He was followed right after by Kelli's dad, "GET YOUR LAZY BONES OUTTA THAT BED AND GET UP HERE LITTLE GIRL!"
"Do you think she could hear you two at all," Kelli's mom said in a mocking tone to the two men in the house.
"What," I heard one of our dad's say, in an effort to act innocent of wrong doing, and everyone in the kitchen had a laugh at that.
By this time I had pulled on a pair of sweat shorts and a somewhat modest belly shirt and I made my way to the door, feeling like I had a molten ball of lead in my stomach. I really hoped my parents would be ok with what I was now, or that the magic would have done its thing to them so I didn't have to worry about it, but I had put this off for too damn long.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," I grumbled as I made my way slowly up the stairs.
I got to the open doorway that lead into the family and kitchen areas of the house, and I rounded the corner and was immediately pulled into a spinning hug like Kelli probably had been, and I giggled in spite of the fear that I was feeling at that moment.
"Hi dad," I gushed as my actual dad swung me around a second time and kissed me noisily on the cheek.
"Hey there little girl," he answered back. "We weren't expecting you for another hour or two so this is a very pleasant surprise."
No one had said anything yet, and I turned and gave my other dad a hug as well while Kelli looked on with a smile and a mischievous glint in her eye. Maybe the magic had done its job here too, and I began to relax some. I should have known, however, that I would not be that lucky.
"Oh dear god, Myka," my mom exclaimed at that moment. "Were you just down in your room making all of us wait so you could put on some silly cat costume to tease us with. That is so like you."
I sighed at that point and pushed away from my dad and stood by Kelli who took my trembling hand in hers. I then looked up at my parents with all of the fear and tension that I had felt over this moment evident in my now tear filled eyes. I used my other hand to wipe away some of the moisture and I took a deep shuddering breath before I began.
"Mom, dad," I said, and it was clear that I was addressing all of them. "There is something really big I need to tell you."
I was so close to not being able to keep things together and both moms came and took my other hand in both of theirs. God I was more frightened at this point in time than when I had woken up with an actual tail and cat ears, but Kelli squeezing my hand encouraged me to tear the Band-Aid off, so to speak.
"These aren't costume ears, and this isn't a costume tail," I blurted out, lashing my tail back and forth to make my point. "Something happened on New Year's, something pretty damn wonderful, but I've been scared as to how you all would react."
"What do you mean, those aren't costume pieces," Kelli's mom asked then.
It was Kelli who spoke next, however.
"Go on mom, both of you, touch them. Feel them. It's ok."
My mom at that point reached up and gently tugged on my left ear, causing it to twitch a bit. She jerked her hand back at that and gasped like she had been burnt, and my heart sank further in my chest, if that was possible. While that was happening, Kelli had guided her mom's hand to the base of my tail and encouraged her to pet and scratch it. Almost like reflex, as her hand moved over my sensitive tail, I closed my eyes and began to purr contentedly. I looked over at my dads to see what their reaction was and both of them were lounging around the table looking at me with curiosity in their eyes, but were content to wait until their wives had had their turn.
"What happened Myka? How in the world did this happen," my mom asked.
"Did you go through some lab experiment to earn a little money," Kelli's mom gently asked as well. "If that's why you did it you could have come to us for help, you know," the last being said with a warm smile.
"Can you tell us what happened," my dad asked, finally.
"Yeah, I can," I replied. "But, before I do I need to ask how much you all believe in the possibility that magic exists?"
"All of you need to keep an open mind at this point," Kelli said somewhat forcefully, drawing attention to herself for the moment. "The story is a little strange, and most of it is probably hard to believe unless you've lived it, but we have both lived it, so listen and try to believe just a little bit."