Chapter 22
Koshka, the family’s Russian Blue cat, greets the two at the door. She purrs and rubs against Ivan while he removes his shoes and dons slippers. Margaret follows Ivan’s example and takes off her outdoor footwear. At the same time, Ivan takes a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet and gives them to her. Koshka moves to Margaret’s feet and rubs against her legs.
“This is a good sign.” Ivan chuckles. “She likes you.”
Margaret picks up the cat and cuddles her. “Hello, Koshka. It’s so good to meet you.”
“Do you have a cat?”
“I used to, but since I’ve worked in this position, I don’t have any pets. I travel too much. It wouldn’t be fair to them.”
“Well, Koshka is special. She’s almost human. She’s trained to sit and eat on command. Can you believe that?”
Ivan’s grandmother ru
