Allyssa skipped into the shop, grinning ear to ear. It was only a brief trip since her uncle had needed to come since he’d run out on a few items, but she was still here. Her parents and sister followed her in at a more controlled and leisurely pace.

”Allyssa, slow down or you’ll hurt yourself.” Her mother said patiently in Russian. Allyssa sighed but slowed down all the same. She was too excited to notice her speed, but her parents weren’t.

”Remember, your sister gets to choose the middle name.” Her father added in English after a moment of silence. Allyssa rolled her eyes and laughed in good humor. She already knew that and was prepared if her sister had weird names. ”Clay.” She said, looking her sister dead in the eye with all the seriousness she could muster about her.

Her sister pursed her lips in thought before looking dead serious in the eye at Allyssa. ”Winston.” Immediately Allyssa nodded, her seriousness breaking apart as she started hopping up and down in delight. It’s a perfect name this time! She squealed in her thoughts.

She pointed to a cat she’d seen when she’d encountered the girl when they’d first been here that summer. ”That one.” She said and looked at her parents who nodded in approval. Delighted, she slowly and tenderly picked the cat up before cuddling it protectively in her arms.

”Clay Winston Schmidt. Oh, what a perfect glorious name.” She murmured into the cat’s fur. Her sister slowly and gently stroked the cat once before stepping away politely. With a big grin, she made her way to the front. Turning to her sister, she gestured to her pocket. Immediately her sister understood and helped get the money out.

”Your home is gonna be with me, isn’t it?” Allyssa murmured quietly to the cat in Russian. Her sister looked at her but didn’t say anything. After that, it hardly seemed like a second had passed after she’d handed over the money that they were leaving.

Allyssa knew that taking care of a pet was hard work, but she was more than prepared to do whatever it took to keep one healthy. Even if her sister wasn’t willing to help, she would still manage to take care of her new cat by herself. With her parents watching, of course. She was still only a child and therefore her parents were bound to make sure nothing harmful happened.

Word Count: 409
What animal do you wish to purchase? Gray Mackerel Tabby
What do you want to name it? Clay Winston Schmidt
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? May 23rd 2025