Kiki woke in her apartment the next morning with Prissy rubbing against her shoulder, trying to wake her. It was their usual morning routine. Prissy heard the alarm, Kiki hit the snooze, and Prissy went to work. This morning, the cat didn't need the alarm. The rays of sunshine glaring through the windows was enough.

As she began to gain consciousness, memories of the day before rushed to her mind. The memory of spending a would-be Christmas with Taren and his family. The ...