My husband and I were dressed and ready for a nice night out — dinner and a show. Since we’d been burgled once before, we turned on a little “night light” and put our chubby cat out in the backyard.

When our ride arrived, we walked out… and of course, our cat slipped right between our legs, sprinted inside, and ran upstairs. She loves to bother our parakeet, so we couldn’t leave the two of them alone together. My husband rushed back in to catch her.

Not wanting the driver to think our home would be empty all night, I casually said my husband was just inside saying goodnight to my elderly mom.

A few minutes later, my husband got into the car — sweaty, frustrated, out of breath. As soon as the car pulled away, he said… (to my absolute horror and silent laughter):

“Sorry it took so long… she was hiding under the bed again. I had to gently nudge her out, wrap her in a blanket so she wouldn’t scratch me, and carry her downstairs. But I finally got her back outside. Hopefully she stays out of the vegetable garden tonight.”

The silence from the driver? Unforgettable.