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Lorey was far too happy and full of hope to be mad at him for anything before. Once more she took his face in her hands and kissed him.
"I'm going to go check the messages... gosh, I'm shaking."
And even though she shook a bit, Lorey managed to make it out the door of the bedroom, and into the kitchen, just as Damian and Raquel left.

The landline was a sleek little system placed into the wall, hardly any bigger than a cell phone. A little wireless earpiece served as receiver, which she placed in her ear, and pressed the one for voicemail.
Anxiously, she waited.
"You have one new message," the flat electronic voice told her, making her heart pound even more. Lorey was so shaky that she had to sit down in a chair. Finally, though, the voice of the old shopkeeper came on, all rough but joyful in her ear.

"Hello Miss Burnheart," she said. "I received your application, and have called to tell you that you've been given the position! I'm so desperate around here. And you were such a sweet thing when you stopped in the shop that I know you'll do great. So pop on in, honey, on Friday, and we'll start talking schedules and all that nitty gritty nonsense. Ta!"

It made her heart soar.

"We should!" Lorey laughed and hugged him back with all her might. Usually she wasn't one to let people fuss over her, but it was about time she let her hapiness be celebrated.

---

"I'm... trying!"
As Lorey and Richard milled about the house, Damian had been charged with carrying everything. "Everything" entailed a cat bed, litter box, litter, food supplies, toys, brushes, flea medication, regular medication for Trinity's upper respiratory infection, and a collar with a tag engraved with her name.
The only thing he wasn't carrying was a cylindrical cat tower, which rolled ahead of him with slight pushes of his foot.

Damian loved Raquel, and he had to keep telling himself that.
"We should... probably get her litter box and food set up in the laundry room," he said, wrestling everything upon the kitchen table. "And let her get used to us in there so she doesn't get lost in the house and have an accident..."

Damian appreciated the kiss, and actually blushed once Richard came in. "You have... and I keep saying that it is not a problem..."
He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, but soon stopped once he realized with horror that he was turning into Richard.

Lorey went over to the small crate, and looked inside, past the little bars, to see a calico cat with lovely green eyes looking back at her.
"A cat..." she cooed, already whispering little things to it as she placed her fingers upon the bars of the carrier. Trinity did her best to press her head against Lorey's fingers, only to find that this didn't work well at all. One little paw reached through the gaps to take hold of Lorey's finger with her claws, surprisingly gentle.

It would have been completely sweet if Lorey wasn't so distracted with the fact that Trinity was living up to her name with three legs.
"What happened to you?" she whispered.

"While you have a sense of humor," he said, cocking his own brow and nodding towards Raquel while her back was turned. It seemed to be a day full of surprises, all of them good and not just all for one person. Damian watched them coddle Trinity with a smile.

"I'll go set things up," he murmured, taking the bag of litter under his arm along with food and the pan.

Lorey rubbed her index finger along Trinity's forehead, listening to her purr. The poor thing was trying to hard to get every bit of attention from everyone who would bother, head pressed against the bars and one front paw reaching out for touch.
"So that's where you two went... I got a job at the flower shop, but there was no one to tell!"

Lorey started blushing and speaking haltingly until she could find the words to just say anything at all.
"Oh, I don't need all the attention, just some smiles and everything." She felt like Trinity was the one who should be celebrated, not her. New addition to the house, and everyone was fussing over her and her job...

Damian emerged from the laundry room on the other side of the house, hearing just in time the news.
"That is wonderful! We should have some kind of champagne around here somewhere... small personal bottles, I'm afraid I never bought anything truly fancy..."
And off he went to the refridgerator to retrieve small bottles, one for each of them.
As he rummaged, Damian called over his shoulder, "And if you'd stop blushing and fussing, we might be able to have a nice dinner."

"B-but there's nothing that I want!" she said, smiling and laughing out of nervousness. "Truly, I'm just happy I got the job--"

Damian came up from behind and handed her a personal bottle of sweet champagne, along with everyone else as well.
"Nonsense, I know you enjoy reading... I'm sure we could do something there."
He twisted the cap off his green bottle, waiting for everyone else to do the same before making a toast.

"No, there's nothing--" she protested, being cut off by Damian's rather loud proclamation of,

"To Lorey, her almost annoying desire to be quiet and sweet, and to her future success and happiness!" He took a swig to that, before moving on with a comedically dry tone. "And to Richard, who, I suppose, should be credited with a great deal of her happiness and his to hers." Another deep drink was taken before he made a gesture to Raquel. "And to the woman I love, need I say more?"

"Thank you..." Lorey joined in her sipping, smiling with Raquel at the bubbles. She'd never really had the chance to drink often, but it was something she did like in small amounts. They felt like a little strange family then, all huddled around a cat's crate with champagne, toasting one another.

"So, Lorey, what will it be?" Damian asked, recovering from his embarrassment at Raquel's own toast. His arm was wrapped around her side in an affectionate hug nonetheless.

"There's nothing," she still insisted, then looking for Richard for a bit of help. "I just want everyone to be happy, that's the only possible thing. Just to be here and have some peace for a change..."

"What if we ordered from that fancy restaurant close to the flower district?" Lorey asked while sinking into Richard's hug. She'd always wanted to go there, but never had the money, or the stomach to stand rich foods. But then, she was much better than she had been, and wanted to try something made with quality ingredients for a change.
"I wouldn't know where to start, but we could see if they have what you'd like."

Damian bit his tongue, so ready to make a nefariously dirty joke concerning Lorey to Richard. Knowing it would probably earn him another black eye, though, he said nothing.

"I shall warn you all against things with names you cannot pronounce. But if Lorey would like food from the Celestial, then that is where we shall eat from."