Kyle turned to Sayuri and said, "This is your fault."

"What?! How is it my fault?!" Sayuri asked in indignation.

"Kitty is supposed to be spayed, yet she is pregnant. Sounds like someone I know," Kyle replied.

"Huh," Sayuri snorted, "Unlike someone who's method is not 100%, Kitty's method is supposed to be a done deal. Sounds like someone didn't do a good job."

"I did too …." Kyle's voice trailed out when he remembered.

He had asked Sari, his girlfriend then, to actually send Kitty for spaying. She had also taken care of Kitty during the post-op period, and thus, Kyle did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

Otherwise, he would have known if Kitty had not undergone the operation. She would have been shaved and the stitches would be visible for a few days while healing.

Did she lie to him and not have it done?

After all, there were some who felt spaying and neutering their pets to be "going against Nature / God" and one who had done so were cruel and evil. One viewed such acts as "going against God" sort of thing.

In reality, it was further from the truth.

There were many reasons why spaying and neutering would be good.

It would be due to health reasons, or, simply to ensure quality of life. Though Kyle was not lacking money, not spaying his pets would mean they would be having a new batch of cats each year. Those cats will have cats and so forth.

Could anyone really afford to raise so many cats?

No.

It wasn't just the financial aspect of feeding them, but also in ensuring that they were always played with, healthy (more money spent to go to the vets) and so forth. Most people just threw away the newborn kittens, or killed them outright. Some threw them away at restaurants etc as it would be "survival of the fittest" and if they were meant to live, they will. This was more humane?

That was supposed to be better and less evil as compared to one who cut off their reproductive capabilities?

Kyle found that laughable.

Snuffing out an innocent life. Throwing them out and shirking all responsibilities and pretending that was fine. See how they would feel if they were kicked out of their home, away from the comfort and warmth, no love and never knowing when the next meal will come from. Having to fight just to eat.

Kyle's thoughts went back to the present and looked at Kitty, who blinked at him innocently.

Then he looked at Aki, a pure-white cat who also looked at him innocently.

He sighed.

Finishing his breakfast quickly, Kyle went and examined Kitty. He had not been playing with Kitty much ever since his kids were born; mainly because she now spent time with his kids instead.

He was fine with that as Kitty was rather clingy, and he could enjoy more 'me' time with Sayuri. Thus, he didn't notice any changes she had gone through.

The only thing she still kept on doing was stealing his underwear once in a while.

Come to think of it, it was happening more frequently now. It must be because she is nesting, indicating that her due date is anytime soon.

"And all this time, I just thought you were getting fat," Kyle said.

Kitty's pregnancy bump was not noticeable when she sits down as she likes to sit on her stomach rather than on the side. Even during those rare moments she is lying on her side, Aki would be lying right next to her, snuggling close and effectively hiding the bump.

"Kitty is going to have babies?" Rory asked excitedly as she came up to her father.

"Yes, my princess," Kyle replied, picking her up and putting her on his lap, then placed Kitty on her lap.

She stroked Kitty's head lovingly and Kitty purred. She then got up on her hind legs, putting her paws on Rory's shoulder.

Rory smiled until Kitty used Rory as a stepping stone to climb onto Kyle's shoulders and head.

"Looks like Kitty missed you," Sayuri said with a laugh, seeing that.

Rory pouted and Alex rolled his eyes, "Kitty has bad taste."

Kyle gently picked up Kitty from his head and placed her on Rory's lap again, "Be good, Kitty. You can't be climbing high places anymore, okay?"

"Why does Kitty love you so much, Daddy?" asked Rory.

"I don't know," Kyle said, "Cats are like that. They choose their Masters, not the other way around."

"Like how Aki chooses Mummy?"

"Yes, just like that," Kyle said, "This does not mean they don't love you. They just … have a favourite."

"Do you have a favourite, Daddy? Am I your favourite?" Rory asked, looking up at her father expectantly.

"What are you saying?" Kyle said, hugging her tightly, "I love all of my children. Even if Alex treats me like I'm his enemy, he is still my son and I love him. I may show my love in different ways, and I may treat you differently - but that is because even if you are my children, you are yourself as well. But my love is the same. Do you understand?"

Kyle deliberately said "all" his children, to include Lianne.

Lianne knew this and she smiled to herself. They may not be able to acknowledge their mother-daughter relationship openly, but it was enough that those that mattered, knew.

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Things passed by pretty quickly after that.

Life was like a blur.

There was both life, and uncertainties of life.

Life, as Kitty gave birth to a healthy batch of kittens. Four kittens, to be exact. One black like the mother, one white like the father and two were black and white.

Their names? To be fair, each kitten could be named by one member of the family.

Thief - a black and white kitten that was mostly black. The area around his nose, and to the lower jaw was white, however. The pattern made him look like he was wearing a mask. Something like Zorro. Alex was thinking Zorro was a good name until his father suggested it.

So, Thief, he was named.

Socks - another black and white kitten, that was mostly white but had some patches of black, especially on its four paws, making him look like he was wearing socks. Naturally, Socks was its name. Named by Rory.

Onyx - the pure black kitten, named by Kyle.

Izumi - the pure white kitten, named by Lianne. Sayuri had said that she didn't have any ideas and had given the task of naming the white kitten to Lianne. She could tell how Lianne seemed to be quite enthralled by the white kitten.

Kyle was grateful to Sayuri for this gesture. He had wanted to do so initially but he was worried that his current kids might misunderstand and be jealous. After all, he was basically taking care of Lianne and rather close to her.

With Sayuri showing silent support like this, Lianne's integration into the family was natural.

If only he could do the same for Joseph but Kyle figured he should not be too greedy.

As for Lianne's diagnosis?

The surgeon explained in more detail as to the procedures that were needed.

Honestly, Kyle didn't know what to think but was resolute in thinking of the best. The surgeon had told them that from the looks of the test results, there were a few possibilities.

The best-case scenario was to fix the valve, that is, doing an Annylopasty. This basically meant that a special ring would be placed around the leaking valve to make it close tight.

If repairing is not feasible, then they would have to replace the valve itself.

By this, it meant that they would remove the heart valve and replace it with either a mechanical valve or a biological tissue valve (basically, a valve made from cow, pig, or human heart tissue). Due to Lianne's age, a mechanical heart valve is recommended as it can last longer.

However, there would be an increased risk of blood clots, thus she would have to be taking blood thinners for the rest of her life.

When Kyle heard this, his mind was in a whirl.

His little girl was going to go through so much?

When he listened to everything that the surgeon told him, there was one question in his mind which he never asked.

What was the success rate?

The heart surgery was a major thing in itself, and knowing the rate of success - or failure - would not do any good. He knew that the surgeon would do his best, and that is all that is needed. The rest, as they say, is up to God.

Knowing the rate, in his mind, was not useful.

This is because there is no such thing as a 100% success rate for surgeries. Even if there is a 99% success rate, and you expect everything is okay - but it just happens that you're within the 1% that is not?

It would be devastating.

Kyle would rather hope for the best but expect the worst. He did not want to be fooled by statistics.

In this context, Kyle and Lianne were of the same mind. She didn't ask either.

As for how she was feeling?

Everything felt unreal, really.

She felt fine but listening to the surgeon talk, it did not look like she was fine. Inside, her heart was a mess.

Literally.

She sighed. Life can be so uncertain.