Рейчел Уэллс - Alfie And George

‘I know exactly how you feel. I’m just so happy right now. I can’t wait to have that lovely little boy living here.’

‘It might be hard at first, he’s going to need a lot of time and attention and we need to make sure Summer doesn’t feel left out.’ Jonathan was always the voice of reason.

‘I know, Jon, and that’s why I’m taking a year off work, remember. I’ll have time to give them both the attention they need. Nothing worthwhile is easy but we are going to do this and we’re going to do it really, really well.’

‘Maybe I should listen to you more in future,’ Jonathan laughed.

‘Finally! It’s about time you realised that. But seriously, Jon, we’re going to be all right.’

‘No, Claire, we’re going to be more than all right.’

I checked on George, who was snoring gently, before I got ready to go out. I went past the living room, where Claire and Jonathan were snuggled on the sofa, and left the house. There was someone I needed to see. I had taught my humans a lot, and of course my plan had ultimately worked, despite it going terribly wrong, but they had taught me a great deal too. Seeing my families pulling together, all of the parents reaffirming their love, or looking for new love, had opened my eyes. Being a parent, whether of a child or a kitten, gave you a different perspective. Love and parenting worked in so many different ways. For example my first human, Margaret, didn’t have human children, she had Agnes and then me, we were her babies and she parented us brilliantly. She showered us with love and affection, not to mention pilchards. And it was the same with Claire and Jonathan before Summer came along. You were parents to your pets, your pets were parents to you. There were no rules when you loved — you just took care of each other.

That was what I had learnt. I had also discovered that nothing is forever, so you need to snatch whatever happiness you can, when you can. You need to hold tight to what’s important to you and nurture and cherish it. You need to appreciate everyone you love every single day. Everyone had learnt something when George was missing, and I wondered if perhaps I had learnt the most.

It wasn’t late, but I gently bumped the cat flap and waited in the back garden. After a few moments, Tiger emerged. The sky was dark blue, the moon bright and round; stars sparkled at us, it was a beautiful night. We sat on the back step, the place where our plan had gone wrong, looking up at the moon together, sitting side by side in silence.

‘How did today go?’ she finally asked, flicking her whiskers at me.

‘Wonderful, brilliant, it couldn’t have gone better if I’d planned it myself. Toby is a lovely little boy. I feel sad he doesn’t have a forever family already, but we’re also so lucky that we’re going to be it for him. You’ll love him too!’

‘Another kitten to worry about,’ Tiger grinned.‘Although perhaps it’s time to hang up your hat when it comes to plans to fix things.’

‘As if I will ever do that! Anyway, I don’t think he’s as naughty as George, or as bossy as Summer, but yes, of course I’ll worry about him, and love him, and do all I can to take care of him.’

‘Because that’s the kind of cat you are.’

‘It is. But I also need to appreciate those who help me, with George and my families, a bit more than I do at the moment,’ I said. My thoughts were clear but I was finding it hard to articulate them.

‘Anyone in particular?’ Tiger asked.

‘You know who I mean, Tiger. You. You’ve always been there for me, even after that business with Snowball you still were my best friend, and now you’re my co-parent.’

‘I’ve never heard of a co-parent,’ she said. She looked slightly embarrassed, probably because I had alluded to the time she told me she was in love with me.

‘You know I’ve learnt that love comes in all shapes and sizes. I think with Snowball it was young love, my first ever romance, I suppose, but we didn’t have too many responsibilities back then. I’ll always miss her a bit but life is different now and I wouldn’t change it for all the pilchards in the world.’

‘You wouldn’t?’

‘Tiger, what I’m trying to say, which I’m not doing very well, is that you’ve been by my side when it matters and I want us to be like that for a very, very long time.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Our relationship — we’re best friends, we’re parents and we love each other. All that teasing about us being an old married couple, well, I see it now. Maybe not the passion of youth but a more mature kind where we love each other properly.’ I felt so flustered by this conversation.

‘So you think we’re like an old married couple?’ Tiger asked, her voice slightly mocking.

‘Yes, well, less of the old, but a married couple who have the utmost respect for each other, who both love George in a way where he will always come first, but also a couple who have fun, who laugh with each other, and have deep, deep feelings of love for each other — that’s how I feel, Tiger. And vanity aside, none of us are getting any younger, it’s about time I saw what was right in front of my face.’

‘Me.’

‘You.’

‘Oh, Alfie, I never thought you’d say this, I mean, I never dreamed after Snowball …’

‘Shush. Some things take longer to figure out. Like with Toby, that’s not an overnight thing and we aren’t either.’

‘But … we’re rock solid?’ Tiger asked. Her eyes were full of everything I loved about her: warmth, fun, friendship, beauty. I had taken her for granted for so long but now my eyes had definitely been opened.

‘Unbreakable. Like the best things in life, we’ve been worth waiting for, and now, Tiger, my love, the wait is over.’

‘I’ve loved you for so long, Alfie.’

‘I know, and I’m sorry it hasn’t been plain sailing, but now I can return that love. And I know one little kitten who will be incredibly happy.’

As we both looked at the moon, my heart was full — of my families, of my cat friends, of Tiger and, most of all, of our kitten, George.

I feel so lucky to be able to write a third Alfie book, so firstly I think a big thanks needs to go to my readers — thank you for buying my books and I hope you will continue to do so! Alfie has become such a part of my life, and my family, so it means a lot to me.

Thanks as always to my wonderful agents, Diane Banks Associates and everyone there, Kate, Diane, Chloe and Robyn. Also to all at Avon but especially my lovely editor Helen Huthwaite — still such a pleasure working with you!

To my family and friends who have been as supportive as always. You know who you are and how invaluable you are to my life. And my son, Xavier, who has been amazing as always.

I ran a Twitter competition to have someone’s cat as a small character in this book, and so I want to thank everyone who entered, it was so difficult and I would have loved to have chosen all the cats! There could only be one winner though, so congratulations to Pinkie, who is such a gorgeous cat, and her owner, Victoria Nikiforou — thank you both for being part of my book.

A special mention for Moira and Charles Huthwaite. I hope you like our tribute to Mr B: always missed but never forgotten.

Again, it has been a joy to bring Alfie to life once again, so a massive thanks to anyone who has made this possible and I hope you enjoy Alfie & George.

Before George, it all started with Alfie the Doorstep Cat …

Discover the first book in the Sunday Times bestselling Alfie series.