"Have her call me at work then" Jenn replied before giving her the phone information.

There was no turning back now. Even if no one called for days or weeks or months, like an ugly girl on prom night, she would have to wait.

"Did anyone call" Neil said.

"Not yet."

"Let me know when someone calls"

"I'm not sure we can take her to the SPCA if no one calls Neil"

"I know, but you know anything long term would be up to Bella"

They both sighed with knowing smiles. She, because suddenly thoughts of the two furballs eventually becoming friends and snuggling together was an image too cute for words. He, because the thought of two furballs snuggling together in Bella's favorite place in the apartment - the pile of neatly folded sweaters in his closet - seemed inevitable.

"Well call me as soon as you hear anything. When I get home tonight I will create a posting for craigslist. Maybe her owner will spot it. Do we know if she is a she?"

"No idea."

"Well call me if you hear anything."

For the next couple of hours Neil focused on writing a demurrer that was due the following week --- wait that has nothing to do with the story. Oh yes. Jenn knew she that she couldn't just wait for some stranger to call. So she spent the next half hour searching the internet for clues that might lead her closer to finding the kitten's home.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What's the point of the chip if we can't use it to return Chloe to her home."

"Honey. What's up? Kinda have to finish this thing that's due tomorrow. And when did you start calling her Chloe."

"I thought you were working on a demurrer."

"Not really the point but maybe we should give it more than half an hour. Someone will call."

The next 3 and a half minutes seemed like an eternity.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"It's only been five minutes."

"How did you know it was me."

"Your number comes up ..."

"Wait someones calling in, it might be the owner. I'll call you back."

"Hello? Jenn? Hello? So I was thinking about growing a goatee. Maybe highlighting it with like a lightning bolt before the next annual Joshua Tree trip. Jenn? So Neil, does it bother you that Jenn just hung up on you? Not as much as it does that all this thin humor of me talking to myself is not being heard by anyone."

California Civil Code section 3249 provides that any suit against a bond surety or surties may be brought by ... and must be commenced within six months from the last date for the filing a stop notice as provided by section 3184 of this chapter. In order to prevail on its action against the payment bond, plaintiff must allege...

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Was that the owner?"

"No, Christina wanted to know if we could hang out this weekend. Maybe have lunch."

"Are you going to go?"

"I think so. Do we have plans?"

"I'm not sure but I can go surfing or something."

"What are you doing?"

"Just finishing up a pleading. I should probably get back to it though. We can talk ..."

"What if no one calls?"

"Or we can talk now. I think someone will call."

"Should I stop at the pet store on the way home and get a bed?"

"For Chloe? She seemed fine without one. But it can't hurt."

"Can we ..."

"It's up to Bella."

"I am going to get some groceries and also pick...that's my other line it might be the owner."

"Jenn? Jenn? I need to get some cool shoes. Jenn. Alright this is boring."

The world is lost on me. These are the words that created the opportunity that I could not say no to. Do you remember the first time you became aware of your mortality, that the world did not revolve around you and you alone? I don't. Remember that is. I had a thought when I was in college. I can recall every single one you know. The one that perhaps religion should not be about acting divine in order to fashion yourself to be like god. Maybe instead we should actively seek to destroy all that is human in order to witness even for a moment what is left - it must be divine. So this is the thought I have been working on for about 9 years and I think I have finally worked it out to its conclusion. The secret to life and all the answers to all the questions we have ever asked is simple once you look at it from the right angle. The purpose to life ...

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What are you doing?"

"Not sure. Just started to writing these random thoughts and ..."

"The lady called and said Polly belonged to her."

"Do you want to hear something funny? She lives two houses down. She sounds like an elderly lady. She just adopted Polly a couple of months ago and I guess she has a cat door in the back so that Polly can go in and out. Polly must have wandered to the front of the house gotten frightened by the storm. If we hadn't found her she probably..,"

"Would have gone to the backyard and into her cat door. And by found don't you mean ..."

"Catknapped her? That's how we will remember Polly. When an act of altruism became catknapping."

And that is the story of how a small kitty, a can of fancy feast, a cold night and pending rainstorm, and a sincere affection for animals almost turned into cat knapping.