The moment the bell rang after school on Monday, Quinn powered up her cell phone. Her fingers drummed the desk excitedly as she waited for an Internet connection. On Mondays and Thursdays, there was this perfect window of time—immediately following school for Quinn and right before lunch for Annabelle—when the girls could text for a few minutes. Quinn looked forward to it all week.
Annabelle: Q??? you there???
Quinn: yes heyyyy! How r u?
Annabelle: pretty good. We started swimming today in PE my hair is like dripping everywhere
Quinn: PE?
Annabelle: Gym. They call it Physical Education here
Annabelle: guess i’m picking up the language lol
Annabelle: so what’s up with u???
Quinn: Busy busy busy. Off 2 shelter in a min
Annabelle: aww! Adopting lots of pets??
Quinn: yup!
Quinn: 12 Pets of Xmas is going so great! 5 pets adopted, 7 2 go
Annabelle: yayyyyy! Did u get my msg last nite?
Quinn: not until this morning. Sorry i didn’t call u back. Is everything ok?
Annabelle: yeah. i have a super special surprise for you for xmas
Quinn: you don’t have 2 get me anything!
Annabelle: too late and IM NOT TELLING
Quinn grinned as she read Annabelle’s text. Then she started typing.
Quinn: Surprise sounds good. I have one 4 u 2. It’s not big so don’t get 2 excited or anything
Quinn couldn’t help giggling to herself. Technically, a plane ticket wasn’t that big—even if a trip to California would be!
Annabelle: Ooh ooh ooh is it one of your ornaments? With bumblebee’s picture painted on it?
Quinn: I’ll never tell
Annabelle: fine be that way. Are u going caroling soon
Quinn: probably but it won’t be the same without u
Annabelle: well duh. How could it be. Lol
Quinn: seriously tho. i miss you. Let’s video chat soon.
Annabelle: next weekend?
Quinn: for sure. I gotta get to the shelter… mrs. alvarez is expecting me…
Annabelle: bye q catch you later
Quinn: byeeeee
Quinn tucked her phone in her pocket, still grinning. Annabelle was going to be shocked when she told her about the plane ticket! All her hard work painting ornaments was paying off, too. She only had about ten more to paint before she would earn enough for a ticket to California!
When Quinn arrived at the shelter, though, she could tell something was wrong. Mrs. Alvarez and Tommy were staring at the computer with worried looks on their faces. They didn’t even notice when Quinn walked in.
“Hey,” she said awkwardly. “Um—is everything—”
Mrs. Alvarez looked up and managed a smile. “Hi, Quinn. How was school today?” she asked.
Quinn shrugged. “It was good. How is everything here?”
Tommy’s forehead was wrinkled from his deep frown. “You want to tell her, Ma, or should I?”
“Tell me what?” Quinn asked nervously. Was one of the animals sick? Or—Quinn didn’t want to think about it—had one of the recent adoptions failed?
“It’s the kittens.” Mrs. Alvarez sighed. “We had a lot of visitors over the weekend, and some adoption inquiries for the kittens.”
Quinn was surprised. “But—that’s good news, right?”
“Two kittens. Two families,” Tommy explained. “We tried to convince them to take the pair together—or take a kitten and their mama—but nobody would budge.”
“Wait a minute,” Quinn began. “You mean split the kittens up? Split all three of them up?”
Mrs. Alvarez nodded.
“No!” Quinn exclaimed. “We can’t do that! They’re too young! They’re—”
“They are young, but not too young to be adopted,” Mrs. Alvarez replied. “They’ve been eating kitten food for a couple of weeks now, and they’re in great health. Dr. Trazler checked them on Friday. No, we don’t have a good reason to prevent their adoptions.”
“How about keeping a family together?” Quinn asked hotly. “I think that’s a good reason.”
Tommy and Mrs. Alvarez looked at her, surprised. Quinn felt her face flush.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just—”
“We agree a hundred percent, kiddo,” Tommy said. “Nobody wants to see them split up. I mean, just look at them—the kittens fall asleep in their mother’s arms, for Pete’s sake.”
Quinn nodded. She’d seen them do that before. It was the cutest thing in the world—and all the proof she needed that the kitty family should stay together.
“There has to be a way!” she exclaimed.
Mrs. Alvarez looked thoughtful. “If someone else put in an adoption application for all three before the kittens’ adoptions were finalized…” she mused.
Quinn’s heart leaped. “Is that all?” she asked. “We just need to find someone willing to adopt all three?”
Tommy and Mrs. Alvarez exchanged a look.
“I mean—I know that’s still a challenge,” Quinn continued. “But… it’s also a chance. Please—can I have a few days? I’ll do everything I can to find a family who will take all three of them. Please let me try at least.”
“I suppose I could just happen to lose these other applications,” Tommy joked.
Mrs. Alvarez swatted his hand away from the forms. “No—none of that,” she scolded him playfully. “Though it may take me a little longer than usual to check all their references. It is a very busy time of year around here.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Alvarez,” Quinn said gratefully. “I’ll get started right away—unless—do you need me to help with something else at the shelter today?”
Mrs. Alvarez shook her head. “No, Quinn, go ahead and work on finding a family for the kittens and their mama,” she replied. “This needs to be our top priority.”
Quinn nodded, then hurried toward the cat wing. She glanced in to see the two kittens in a playful mood, pouncing and leaping as they tried to catch their mother’s twitching tail. Then Paisley pulled the kittens close and started to groom them, licking their faces with her pink tongue. The kittens closed their eyes; Quinn could just imagine the sound of their happy purrs.
Whatever it takes, she promised herself. Then she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Eliza. It was only two words, but it said everything:
KITTEN EMERGENCY!!!!!
Fifteen minutes later, Eliza arrived. Her cheeks were pink and she was out of breath from running through the frosty afternoon air.
“I’m here. What’s going on? How can I help?” she panted.
“Thanks so much for coming,” Quinn replied. “It’s—come on, let’s talk in the cat visiting room.”
To Quinn’s surprise, though, the cat visitation room wasn’t empty. Ms. Ferrino was there, studying from an enormous textbook.
“Oh! Sorry!” Quinn exclaimed. “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Ms. Ferrino said. “I don’t want to be in the way. I’ve been trying to get a little studying done while Charlie spends time with Buddy. Mrs. Alvarez said I could use any empty room.”
“You don’t have to go,” Quinn said quickly as Ms. Ferrino began to pack up her notes and books. “We’ll find another place.”
Ms. Ferrino smiled wryly. “To be honest, I was needing a brain break anyway,” she said. “Have you ever studied so hard it feels like your brain’s about to melt out of your ears?”
Quinn and Eliza nodded in sympathy. “Maybe once or twice,” Quinn said.
“A week!” added Eliza, laughing.
“So what’s going on with you two?” Ms. Ferrino said. “You looked so serious when you burst in here.… I was a little worried.”
Eliza turned to Quinn. “Yeah, tell it all,” she said. “Your text left me with, like, a hundred questions.”
“It’s Paisley and the kittens,” Quinn explained. “If we can’t find someone to adopt them all, they’re going to be split up!”
Eliza sucked in her breath sharply. “No! That’s too sad!” she replied.
“That’s why we can’t let it happen,” Quinn said firmly. “We’ve got to find a way to keep them together—which means finding a family willing to adopt all three of them.”
Eliza turned toward Ms. Ferrino. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in adopting some cats?” she asked hopefully.
No! Quinn wanted to yell. She didn’t want Ms. Ferrino to feel like she had been put on the spot. Besides, if the Ferrinos adopted anyone, it should be Buddy.
“I wish we could,” Ms. Ferrino said, choosing her words carefully. “But now isn’t the right time to add a pet to our family—especially not three pets at once.”
Eliza wasn’t fazed. “Well, I had to try,” she joked.
“That’s the spirit,” Ms. Ferrino told her. “There’s no harm in asking! But we’ll also need to get the word out.…”
Quinn’s face brightened. “Do you want to help?” she exclaimed.
“Sure—if you want me to,” Ms. Ferrino replied. “I feel like I owe the Marion Animal Shelter such a debt. The residents at Candlewick just adore Nana, and Charlie loves spending time with Buddy.”
“You don’t owe us anything,” Quinn said. “But we could definitely use the help. If we can’t find a family to adopt all three of them in the next few days…”
Quinn’s voice trailed off, and she could see from Eliza’s and Ms. Ferrino’s faces that she didn’t need to finish her sentence.
“So! Spreading the word,” Ms. Ferrino said, getting back to business. She opened her notebook to a fresh page. “I can take a photo of Paisley and her kittens looking adorable and upload it. If people share it around social media…”
“Yes!” Quinn exclaimed. “And I was thinking we could make a flyer to post around town. There’s a copy machine in the office and I know Mrs. Alvarez won’t mind if we use it to make a bunch of copies.”
“Maybe we could put a picture of the kitty family on it, too,” Eliza suggested.
“That’s an awesome idea!” Quinn said. “We can’t print them in color, but maybe if it’s a really clear pic it won’t matter. I was also thinking of offering three free custom ornaments to anyone who adopts the whole family. There’s a special word for that, but I forget what it is.”
“Incentive,” Ms. Ferrino chimed in. “And I think that’s a great incentive, Quinn!”
“Yeah, everybody has been talking about your ornaments,” Eliza added. “My mom wants to order one with Snowdrop on it.”
“Wow—of course! I’m happy to add Snowdrop to the list,” Quinn said, grinning. Suddenly her face lit up. “Hang on—I’ll be right back!”
A few moments later, Quinn returned. Her arms were full—of kitties!
“Awww! They’re here!” Eliza crooned.
“This is the mama, Paisley,” Quinn said, placing a beautiful calico cat in Eliza’s lap. “And this is Polka”—Quinn paused as she handed an orange-striped kitten to Ms. Ferrino—“and his sister, Dot.”
Quinn gave Dot a kiss on her forehead. She tried not to play favorites, but the pure white kitten with a big orange spot on the back of her head—and a striped orange tail—had always held a special place in her heart.
“They are such loves,” Ms. Ferrino said, laughing as Polka tried to climb up her sleeve.
Quinn reached behind her and opened a drawer that was stocked full of cat toys. “Polka! I’ve got a mousey! Come get it!” Then she tossed a catnip mouse across the floor. There was a furry blur as Polka and Dot raced after it. But the kittens weren’t paying attention to where they were going. They skidded across the floor—and crashed into each other! Everyone cracked up.
“A photo is not even going to capture this level of cuteness,” Eliza announced.
“Agreed. Maybe I should post a video instead,” Ms. Ferrino said, nodding.
“Too bad we don’t have any money,” Quinn said. “Can you imagine if we made a commercial with these crazy kitties?”
“That would be the best commercial ever,” Eliza said, giggling.
And that was all it took for Quinn to have another amazing idea. “Maybe the kitties can be their own commercial!” she exclaimed.
“What do you mean?” Eliza asked.
Quinn gestured to the kittens, who were playing tug-of-war over a feather toy. “They do this all day long,” she explained. “It’s like constant cuteness, cranked up to level eleven on the cute scale. But nobody gets to see it because they’re back here in the cat wing.”
“Go on,” Ms. Ferrino said encouragingly.
“What if they were on display?” Quinn continued, still figuring out her plan even as she tried to explain it. “Not here—the animal shelter is a little too far out of the way. But if they could be in, like, a store window downtown…”
“It’s the last weekend before Christmas,” Ms. Ferrino said.
“People are going to be shopping like crazy!” Eliza exclaimed.
“Right?” Quinn said. “So if we could get one of the stores downtown to let Paisley, Polka, and Dot hang out for a few hours… and they were all putting on their cute show…”
“You will get so many applications,” Eliza predicted. “Mrs. Alvarez will probably have to shut down the shelter, because there won’t be any pets left.”
Quinn laughed. “That would be crazy,” she told her new friend. Then she turned to Ms. Ferrino. “Tell me honestly… is this a stupid idea? Is there any chance it could actually work?”
“There’s always a chance,” Ms. Ferrino said firmly. “Now we just have to find a store that would let us do it. The restaurants are out—that would be a health department violation.…”
“The post office?” Eliza guessed.
“What about that place that sells handmade vases and necklaces and stuff?” Quinn asked. “They’re really busy during the holidays.”
Ms. Ferrino nodded slowly. “Yes—that’s the right track,” she replied. “But I’m not sure that’s the right store. So many fragile and breakable items…”
“You’re right,” Quinn admitted. “I didn’t even think of that. If Polka and Dot escaped from the window display and ran wild through the store…”
“Catastrophe!” Eliza cried, clapping her hands over her mouth as she burst into laughter. Even Ms. Ferrino started to laugh at the thought.
Suddenly, Quinn’s eyes grew wide. “The bookstore!” she exclaimed.
“The new one that opened last month?” asked Ms. Ferrino.
“Yes!” Quinn said eagerly. “The owners were here last week. They love cats—they adopted Rufus to live in the store—oh, I hope they say yes!”
“What are you waiting for?” Eliza asked Quinn, giving her a gentle nudge. “Go! Call them! Call them right now!”
Quinn grabbed her phone and hurried back to the front desk so she could pull Rufus’s adoption paperwork and call his owners. She was so excited that she didn’t even realize she was holding her breath.
On the third ring, Quinn heard a familiar voice. “Hello, this is Turn the Page! How can I help you?”
It was Juniper!
“Hi, is this Juniper?” Quinn asked in a rush. “This is Quinn Cooper from the Marion Animal Shelter.”
“Oh, hi, Quinn!” Juniper said brightly. “Are you calling about my new best friend, Roofy-poofy? He’s doing great!”
“That’s awesome!” Quinn exclaimed. “How does he like the bookstore?”
“He loves it,” Juniper replied. “He likes to perch on top of the bookshelves and watch people coming and going. And every afternoon, he curls up in the sunny window and purrs and purrs. You should follow our page online; we post pictures of him every day!”
“That’s so cool,” Quinn said. “I’ll definitely follow your page.”
“We’re going to start a new thing, ‘Reviews by Rufus,’” Juniper continued. “Of course, James and I will be the ones writing the book reviews, but we’ll make it sound like Rufus is writing them. Isn’t that funny?”
“Yeah, that’s hilarious,” Quinn replied—but she was still thinking about the sunny front window Juniper had mentioned. “So, I’m really glad to hear that Rufus is doing so well… but I was calling for another reason.”
“Oh—okay,” Juniper said. “Go on.”
“I actually need to ask a favor,” Quinn said. “Do you remember those kittens we have for adoption?”
“Of course,” Juniper said. “They’re so precious.”
“Well, we’re desperately trying to find a home for them,” Quinn began. Then she told Juniper the whole story.
Quinn had barely finished speaking when Juniper rushed to answer. “Of course the kittens can hang out in our front window this weekend!” she exclaimed. “We’re happy to help find them a home! I’m with you—we’ve got to keep those sweet babies together.”
“Thank you so much!” Quinn exclaimed gratefully.
“As soon as we hang up, I’m going to talk to James,” Juniper said. “He handles all the displays and decorations. I’m sure he will come up with something fantastic for the front window.”
“Really?” Quinn said.
“You know what? I bet we could live-stream it on our website!” Juniper exclaimed. “Everyone will tune in to see the kittens in the bookstore display! This could totally go viral!”
“I hope so! Then we’ll definitely find a home for Paisley, Polka, and Dot!” Quinn replied.
“We’ll do everything we can,” Juniper promised. “Can you bring the kittens over on Saturday morning? Maybe around nine-thirty?”
“We’ll be there,” Quinn said. “Thank you so much, Juniper! This is going to be great!”
Quinn slipped her phone into her pocket and hurried back down the hall. There were photos to take… posters to draw… signs to hang… and not a moment to lose!
On Saturday morning, Quinn and her dad picked up the kittens bright and early. Mrs. Alvarez had already placed them in a carrier with Paisley. The kittens didn’t quite know what to make of the strange box with small holes cut into the sides.
“Don’t be scared, kitties,” Quinn whispered to them as she stuck her index finger through one of the slits. “Today is going to be an adventure!”
One of the kittens nudged her finger—then licked it with a scratchy tongue. Quinn knew that kitten kisses were a good sign.
“Thank you for setting this up, Quinn,” Mrs. Alvarez said. “I’m very optimistic.”
“So am I,” Quinn replied. “Don’t forget to check the bookstore website. Juniper said they would live-stream the kittens all day!”
“Wouldn’t miss it!” Mrs. Alvarez said.
As Quinn was leaving, a couple came in with their young daughter. “Hi. We were wondering if we could meet some of your puppies,” the man said.
“Oh! We have a great dog who’s ready to be adopted!” Quinn spoke up. “His name is Buddy. And I’ll tell you a little secret: He’s one of the best dogs ever. Like in the history of the whole world.”
Quinn smiled brightly and waited for the family to respond. While it would be heartbreaking for Charlie and Buddy to be separated, it would be even more heartbreaking for Buddy to spend the next two years at the shelter—without a family and home of his very own.
“What do you think, sweet pea?” the mom asked her daughter. “Want to meet a dog named Buddy?”
But the little girl stuck out her lower lip and shook her head back and forth. “Puppy,” she said firmly. “Want a baby puppy.”
The parents smiled apologetically at Quinn. “Sorry. She’s just had her heart set on a puppy,” the dad said as they walked toward the front desk.
Quinn understood—kind of. People wanted what they wanted, and you couldn’t force them to choose an animal they didn’t want. Besides, it wouldn’t be good for Buddy if the family had their hearts set on a puppy instead.
All the same, she wished that one of these families, one of these days, would just give Buddy a chance.
Didn’t every pet deserve a chance?
Maybe next time, Buddy, Quinn thought.
The bookstore was just a few blocks away, but Quinn and her dad drove there anyway so that the young kittens wouldn’t catch a chill.
“I’m going to drop you off right out front,” Dad said. “I’ll be back as soon as I find a parking space.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Quinn said gratefully. “Mrs. Alvarez said I didn’t have to stay all day, but I kind of want to.”
“We can stay as long as you want,” Dad replied.
“Come on, kitties,” Quinn said to the cats in the carrier. “Let’s go find your family!”
After double-checking to make sure the carrier door was securely fastened, Quinn climbed out of the car, holding the carrier tightly in her arms. The bookstore was just a few doors down, but Quinn could already see a flurry of activity in the front window. James was putting the finishing touches on the display—and it was more incredible than Quinn had ever dreamed it could be!
An enormous, Victorian-style dollhouse filled the front window. It had four stories with real lights that glowed with soft warmth. As she looked closer, Quinn realized that each room was stocked with a different type of cat toy: There were catnip mice and feather toys and bouncy balls and a toy with a brass bell. Some of the rooms had soft velvet cushions—the perfect place for a sleepy kitten to take a nap!
Miniature icicles, glittering in the light, hung from the eaves of the dollhouse; a toy sleigh pulled by eight reindeer was perched on top of the roof. Above that was a banner that read ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS; garlands of tiny twinkle lights made the scene even more festive.
And the dollhouse wasn’t all. Outside of it was a large, pretend park with all kinds of kitten-sized equipment—swings, a slide, and a merry-go-round!
Best of all, though, was the beautiful sign hanging behind the display. It read:
Quinn, beaming, knocked on the window to get James’s attention. He turned around and waved.
“This is amazing!” Quinn yelled through the glass. “Incredible!”
“Come on in,” James said, beckoning to her. “I’m almost done!”
Quinn hurried inside the door, where Juniper was placing trays of fresh-baked cookies on the counter. “Morning, Quinn!” she said brightly. “Want a cookie? Technically, they’re for Santa, but I don’t think he’ll mind sharing.”
“Thanks!” Quinn replied. “Juniper—the display—it’s perfect! I don’t even know what to say.”
“Glad you like it!” Juniper replied. “James and I were brainstorming, and we wanted, you know, a literary theme—so of course ‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’ came to mind right away. Can you get more adorable than kittens in a dollhouse?”
“I doubt it,” Quinn replied.
Juniper’s eyes twinkled. “So what do you think… are they ready to move in?”
“Let’s do it!” Quinn said.
Juniper led Quinn across the store to the front window. “There’s a little door here,” she said, showing Quinn the small door that led to the display. “Want to go in?”
“Into the display?” Quinn asked in surprise.
“Sure! It’s fun,” Juniper replied. “Cramped but fun.”
Quinn pushed the cat carrier through the small door, then climbed through herself.
“Hey, Quinn,” James said. “What do you think? Any suggestions?”
Quinn shook her head. “It’s perfect,” she said. “And the kittens are going to love it!”
“I can’t wait to see what they do,” James said. “All right… now for the moment of truth… release the kittens!”
Quinn knelt down to open up the cat carrier. Paisley, Polka, and Dot were huddled together at the back. For a long moment, they just stared at her.
“Come on, kittties,” Quinn said in her calmest, most soothing voice. “You can come out now!”
But they still didn’t budge.
For the first time that day, Quinn started to worry. What if they’re too nervous to come out? she wondered. What if they’re too scared to play like they do back at the shelter?
“I have an idea,” James said. He plucked one of the feather toys from the dollhouse and dangled it in front of the carrier door.
Dot cocked her head. She took a tentative step forward… then another one.…
James moved the feather a little farther away.…
Dot followed it.…
Quinn, holding her breath, didn’t move a muscle. Just a few more steps and Dot would be out of the carrier. The tiny kitten hesitated. Her body was perfectly still. Only her eyes moved, ever so slightly, as she watched the feather toy twitch and tremble. Then—
Whoosh!
In a blur of fur, Dot bounded out of the carrier, with Polka chasing her tail. Quinn giggled as she scooped up the kittens and placed them in the dollhouse. Soon they were running up and down the stairs, chasing each other through the rooms and pausing only to play with the toys they discovered along the way.
When Paisley came out of the carrier, Quinn knew it was time to get out of the display so that the cats could be the stars of the show. James made a few adjustments to the webcam; then he and Quinn crawled through the little door again.
“How does it look?” James asked Juniper, who was staring at her phone.
Juniper glanced up with a grin. She held out her phone so James and Quinn could see the screen. “And we’re streaming!” she announced.
“The kittens are live?” Quinn squealed.
Juniper nodded. “Hang on… gotta post the link….”
Quinn reached for her phone, too. She wanted to text it to everyone she knew—from Mrs. Alvarez and Ms. Ferrino to Annabelle and Eliza.
Just then, Dad walked into the bookstore. “You’re attracting quite a crowd out there,” he told Quinn. “The kittens are going to have a pretty big fan club when all’s said and done. So what happens now?”
“Now… we wait,” Quinn replied.
The bookstore was bustling with activity all day: A volunteer wearing a Santa suit posed for pictures with kids, while James and Juniper helped customers find the perfect book and managed to keep warm cookies, fresh from the little oven, on the counter all day. Quinn helped however she could—while keeping an eye on the kittens, too. She couldn’t believe how many people were watching the video of them play on the bookstore website! Quinn had to believe that at least a few of them would be moved to adopt Paisley and her kittens.
After all, how could they resist?