Child custody

Penny went under the shrub to rescue a kitten, but this wasn't a kitten. 

What welcomed her was a petite young boy. He looked a little gaunt and pale, but his eyes were brooding as if he were the grim reaper himself. 

"What are you?" 

"What are you?"

They asked in unison, but Penny was most taken aback because his low-pitched voice didn't match his sickly appearance. He frowned while her brows rose. 

Before she could say anything, she heard a soft 'meow' from somewhere. Averting her eyes, she caught a small and frail kitten coming from his other side. 

"Oh." Her lips formed an o-shape. "There's the kitten."

A big smile appeared on her face as she looked up at the boy. "I thought you were." 

Did he look like a kitten to her? 

The boy looked at the girl's round face and noticed that her nose looked pink. He bit his tongue, knowing whatever he was about to say was rude. 

"It looks hungry and… oh, it has a company?" Curiosity was seen in her eyes as she stared at the cute rain frog. 

Seeing this, the boy looked at the cat and froze. 

"A rain frog?" she mumbled. "I didn't know there's some in here."

Penny glanced at the boy, only to furrow her brows upon seeing the horrified look on his face. Earlier, this guy had already looked sickly, but now it seemed he was about to go into the light!

"Kitty, are you okay?" she asked, watching him twist his neck like a rusting robot. The moment they were face to face, Penny panicked. "Are you dying?!" 

"He — help."

"Help?" Penny was about to summon her superhuman strength and carry him, but then, noticed the frog coming closer to him. His face stiffened even more, and he was holding his breath until his neck turned taut. 

"You're scared of frogs?" her panic subsided, moving closer but finding it hard to move freely because of the shrub she was stuck in. "If you don't mind, excuse me."

Penny placed a hand on his leg, making him wince as she put her weight on it to reach for the rain frog. She grabbed it without fear, making the boy lean back as she retrieved it. 

"Why are you so scared of it? It's safe!" she reassured, a little sorry for him. 

Penny was also a child once, and she was also scared of little creatures like this back then. However, she quickly realized there were more things scarier than these innocent little creatures. Even so, she knew the fear was valid, and she felt sorry for the little guy. 

"It's okay now." She nodded at him encouragingly, smiling wide until her eyes were squinting. "This great aunt already took care of it!" 

Great aunt?

"Tha — thanks." The boy heaved a sigh of relief, flinching wherever she waved the frog in her hand. 

"You shouldn't be in this place if you're scared of innocent creatures checking you out," she said, almost scolding him. "But I know it's probably because you were trying to rescue the cat."

The boy didn't answer, but in truth, the situation was the opposite. It was more like the cat was rescuing him. 

"Anyway." Penny cleared her throat, trying to pull herself out of the shrub. As she tried with great difficulty, she added, "I have to go… and…"

"Can you take care of it?"

She stopped and looked up at him. "Huh?"

"I can't take it home," he said, a little embarrassed for asking this favor. "But I think it won't survive out here all alone."

"Take it home…?" Penny pouted as her eyes fell on the pitiful kitten. 

It looked frail and small, its hairs still thin and dirty. It reminded her of herself, abandoned by everyone at such a young age. 

Another shallow breath slipped past her lips as she smiled. "You can't take it back."

"Huh?"

"If I'm going to take it home, you can't ask for shared custody," she negotiated. "Giving her to me means you are not capable of raising it. Don't bother me in the future!"

"..."

Why did it sound like they were talking about child custody? Or rather, why did she sound so experienced in this?

The boy felt a little dissatisfied with it, but what she said was right. He wasn't capable of raising it. He didn't even know if he would reach adulthood. 

"Fine," he said, but was curious. "Can I visit it?"

Penny pondered. "I'll come here every Thursday, same time. You can play with it then."

Hearing this, the little guy was appeased. 

After their brief negotiation, the boy handed the cat and Penny managed to slip out of the shrub. But as soon as she got out, her surroundings dimmed. 

"Penny…" 

Penny looked back and saw Haines towering over her. He looked disgruntled and stressed, and Penny immediately knew she caused trouble back home.

"Uncle Haines." Penny wore her prettiest smile to appease him, holding a cat with both her hands and a rain frog in her little grip. "I found a cat and his little companion!" 

Seeing her smile so brightly, Haines's worry slightly subsided. "Penny, you made everyone worry. Come. Let's go home."

"Okay."

Having said that, Penny carried her new friends to the car while Haines helped her out. 

When they left, the young guy slowly crawled out of the shrub. He gazed at the silver Mercedes-Benz's rear while dusting himself off. 

"What a strange piggy," he mumbled, remembering her pink nose and her white complexion. 

At the same time, a few black cars suddenly pulled over in front of him. 

"Renren!" an elderly man in a luxurious suit and an elderly woman came out and rushed to the boy. "Are you alright? We've been looking for you! Why are you out here? Winter might've ended, but the air is still chilly!"

The young guy looked at his elders and only said, "I went out for a walk."

"Oh, goodness!" the old lady almost cried, thinking this was an hour away from the residence of the boy's cousin. "If you didn't like to be with your cousin, you should've told Grandma!"

"We thought something bad already happened!" added the old man. 

Their concerns and worries not only came from his disappearance but also from many other factors. The young guy they called Renren understood that. However, that wasn't his priority right now. 

"Grandma, Grandpa, can I visit my cousin every Thursday?"