Staas flashed a grin at Ira. "Yes, yes, it will stay that way. Promise." He'd promised himself and he'd promised his kids--in his heart, if never out loud--and he wasn't going back on those promises. Ever. But it still didn't hurt to add one more to the pile.
After he'd finished the tale, like something out of a Lifetime Movie, really, he waited as Ira digested all the information. He'd noticed the shock and rage on his friend's face, and was grateful for it. He felt the same every time he thought about it. Yet at the same time, he had the underlying emotion of gratitude that Angel had been willing to let go of her daughter at all. She could have made it really hard on them, and strung Alida and Staas along while she rehabbed over and over, and possibly really damaging Alida in the process.
But still. She'd sold her daughter.
As Ira fiddled with Lady's tail, Staas once again stroked her head nad under her chin. He could get used to this cat thing. Theo would be pleased.
"Thanks," he murmured, his eyes still on the little pink nose and nearly translucent whiskers.
"Yeah." He sent a reassuring smile to Ira. "Yeah, for both of them. Their mothers both signed all their parental rights away. I paid through the nose for an awesome family attorney, and all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed. No way was I risking anything going wrong."
He pulled his hand back and took another sip of tea, quickly following it with the last little bit of chocolate. "So, dude, if you have any other questions, feel free. Now or later or sometime in the future. I really don't mind." He smiled again around another sip of tea. "Those are pretty much my deepest darkest secrets right there, but that doesn't mean I don't have other interesting tales to tell." His grin shifted to a wicked one.