| A Dream Within a Dream! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Eighteen |
As Catherine pulled the curtain tightly closed, she spun around as she heard Vincent huskily say, "Catherine?"
Catherine smiled and said, "I thought you were sleeping Vincent."
He dreamily said, "I believe I was, however, I am not sleeping now. Was that Father leaving?"
Catherine happily said, "Yes Vincent, he didn't want to wake you just to say goodnight. And...Father indulged me by granting my request! He is allowing me to have the night shift to watch over you."
Flirtatiously Catherine then said, "So now...it is just you and me."
Vincent tenderly pleaded, "Perhaps then it is time to indulge me Catherine...and come lay at my side..."
Catherine walked toward Vincent and teasingly said, "I told Father I would sleep in the chair."
Vincent without saying a word, made room on his bed for her and begged her with just a look to join him.
She stood over him, and smiled, as she felt her resolve melt away. She then snuggled in beside him, and justified doing so, by saying, "Well...as long as I don't fall asleep."
She brought her arm up over his waist, and thought of how his warmth intoxicated her. She gently
snuggled in, and could sense Vincent was still in that place one smolders in, after just waking up. She felt his hand come up and pull her closer to him, as he kissed her hair.
Vincent held Catherine, feeling disappointed, the day had not gone as he had planned. They were to have a date at the Falls, where he had planned to ask her to marry him.
And so he said, "Catherine..."
Catherine softly whispered, "Yes Vincent?"
Vincent looked down at her and said, "We were to go to the Falls together today. I was looking so very forward to it."
Trying to make Vincent feel better, Catherine replied, "We will still go. We just have to wait for another day, when you are feeling up to it."
To which Vincent anxiously said, "Waiting, we are always waiting Catherine, because of moments lost to us, or stolen from us."
And so in reply, Catherine told him she sometimes felt that way too, and then admitted, nearly losing him today, made her realize maybe they have been putting too much value on the future, and today was proof, their lives can be changed, or taken away from them at any time. And also shared, as this
horrendous day was coming to an end, she found this day did have value, as it came with a valuable lesson.
Asking what she felt the lesson was exactly, she simply replied, "Maybe just live for the moment."
Softly, Vincent repeated, "Ahh yes...living for the moment..."
And so as Vincent contemplated what Catherine had said, to live for the moment, instead of an illusive tomorrow, he tightened his embrace, and explained, "I long to be more impulsive. But life for me has to have a rhythm, and a time for things, a schedule and a pattern...it is perverse for me to move from that thought."
To which Catherine admitted, "I am pretty structured too. And I love to plan ahead. But I only mean, we don't want to have regrets by over planning. Do you know what I mean by not planning too much, and then regret putting things off?"
She then giggled as she said how tired she was, and added, "I think I am talking in circles."
Vincent with concern, said, "Yes, you are tired and for good reason. Maybe you should get settled in."
Catherine reluctantly got up, and after hugging Vincent goodnight, she retreated to her spot next to him, in the makeshift bed, and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Vincent lovingly looked at Catherine, as she slept away in the huge chair that cradled her, all burrowed in under one of the warm downy quilts Mary had sewn.
As he watched his beautiful Catherine, he thought of how sweetly bold she had been to stand before Paracelsus today on his behalf. His small yet mighty Catherine. How he loved her.
Poetically he then thought to himself..."O what a falling off was there..."
It wasn't a moment later, when Mary peaked in, saying, "Vincent, I have brought you some nourishment. Oh my is Catherine sleeping? I brought her some too."
Vincent sat up to say, "Yes Mary, she only just now fell asleep."
In reply, Mary said, "I think after a day like this, sleep is more important. Oh my, I hope I didn't wake you."
With a slight nod, Vincent said no, he wasn't sleeping. He then added, "I was just thinking how of how hungry I am. Mary, your instincts are sublime."
Happy to know her intuition was indeed on track, she smiled, and said, "I hope this soup will hit the spot."
As Mary set everything up for Vincent to eat, she asked, "How are you feeling Vincent. Has the drug completely worn off?"
With a tip of his head, he told Mary, "I believe so. I am feeling alert now as the fuzziness has dissipated."
With a disgusted tone, Mary expressed, "I cannot tell you how angry it makes me, he injected you all with who knows what! It must be unsettling and frightening to be violated like that."
To which Vincent admitted, "Yes...it was quite frightening being rendered helpless, unable to fight back and protect those I love."
As Mary sat down beside him, she replied, "Well for once, it was you who needed the help, and the situation called for the others to step up."
Secretively, Mary added, "Between you and I, I believe that coming to your aid has been life affirming for a few of the others, and has bolstered them up a bit. Oh my, you should hear Mouse and Pascal tell their side of the tale."
Thinking if this gave them a boost of sorts, then Vincent was glad of it.
It was then Mary looked at Catherine, and said, "She looks so like my cousin on my mother's side. You know the one from south Philly. Her jaw line and her eyes...they could easily claim Catherine as one of their own. Of course I don't believe any of my family had green eyes, but the shape of her eyes..."
As Mary went on and on about a cousin Vincent never knew, or would ever hope to know, he began to yawn, and found her story was a great sleep inducing aid.
As she finally noticed how sleepy Vincent looked, she gently bowed out from telling the rest of her lineage, and as she gathered up the dishes, she sweetly said, "Good night Vincent. I will check on you in the morning."
Softly Vincent whispered goodnight, and thanked Mary for taking such good care of him.
To be continued
Chapter Nineteen
Catherine smiled and said, "I thought you were sleeping Vincent."
He dreamily said, "I believe I was, however, I am not sleeping now. Was that Father leaving?"
Catherine happily said, "Yes Vincent, he didn't want to wake you just to say goodnight. And...Father indulged me by granting my request! He is allowing me to have the night shift to watch over you."
Flirtatiously Catherine then said, "So now...it is just you and me."
Vincent tenderly pleaded, "Perhaps then it is time to indulge me Catherine...and come lay at my side..."
Catherine walked toward Vincent and teasingly said, "I told Father I would sleep in the chair."
Vincent without saying a word, made room on his bed for her and begged her with just a look to join him.
She stood over him, and smiled, as she felt her resolve melt away. She then snuggled in beside him, and justified doing so, by saying, "Well...as long as I don't fall asleep."
She brought her arm up over his waist, and thought of how his warmth intoxicated her. She gently
snuggled in, and could sense Vincent was still in that place one smolders in, after just waking up. She felt his hand come up and pull her closer to him, as he kissed her hair.
Vincent held Catherine, feeling disappointed, the day had not gone as he had planned. They were to have a date at the Falls, where he had planned to ask her to marry him.
And so he said, "Catherine..."
Catherine softly whispered, "Yes Vincent?"
Vincent looked down at her and said, "We were to go to the Falls together today. I was looking so very forward to it."
Trying to make Vincent feel better, Catherine replied, "We will still go. We just have to wait for another day, when you are feeling up to it."
To which Vincent anxiously said, "Waiting, we are always waiting Catherine, because of moments lost to us, or stolen from us."
And so in reply, Catherine told him she sometimes felt that way too, and then admitted, nearly losing him today, made her realize maybe they have been putting too much value on the future, and today was proof, their lives can be changed, or taken away from them at any time. And also shared, as this
horrendous day was coming to an end, she found this day did have value, as it came with a valuable lesson.
Asking what she felt the lesson was exactly, she simply replied, "Maybe just live for the moment."
Softly, Vincent repeated, "Ahh yes...living for the moment..."
And so as Vincent contemplated what Catherine had said, to live for the moment, instead of an illusive tomorrow, he tightened his embrace, and explained, "I long to be more impulsive. But life for me has to have a rhythm, and a time for things, a schedule and a pattern...it is perverse for me to move from that thought."
To which Catherine admitted, "I am pretty structured too. And I love to plan ahead. But I only mean, we don't want to have regrets by over planning. Do you know what I mean by not planning too much, and then regret putting things off?"
She then giggled as she said how tired she was, and added, "I think I am talking in circles."
Vincent with concern, said, "Yes, you are tired and for good reason. Maybe you should get settled in."
Catherine reluctantly got up, and after hugging Vincent goodnight, she retreated to her spot next to him, in the makeshift bed, and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Vincent lovingly looked at Catherine, as she slept away in the huge chair that cradled her, all burrowed in under one of the warm downy quilts Mary had sewn.
As he watched his beautiful Catherine, he thought of how sweetly bold she had been to stand before Paracelsus today on his behalf. His small yet mighty Catherine. How he loved her.
Poetically he then thought to himself..."O what a falling off was there..."
It wasn't a moment later, when Mary peaked in, saying, "Vincent, I have brought you some nourishment. Oh my is Catherine sleeping? I brought her some too."
Vincent sat up to say, "Yes Mary, she only just now fell asleep."
In reply, Mary said, "I think after a day like this, sleep is more important. Oh my, I hope I didn't wake you."
With a slight nod, Vincent said no, he wasn't sleeping. He then added, "I was just thinking how of how hungry I am. Mary, your instincts are sublime."
Happy to know her intuition was indeed on track, she smiled, and said, "I hope this soup will hit the spot."
As Mary set everything up for Vincent to eat, she asked, "How are you feeling Vincent. Has the drug completely worn off?"
With a tip of his head, he told Mary, "I believe so. I am feeling alert now as the fuzziness has dissipated."
With a disgusted tone, Mary expressed, "I cannot tell you how angry it makes me, he injected you all with who knows what! It must be unsettling and frightening to be violated like that."
To which Vincent admitted, "Yes...it was quite frightening being rendered helpless, unable to fight back and protect those I love."
As Mary sat down beside him, she replied, "Well for once, it was you who needed the help, and the situation called for the others to step up."
Secretively, Mary added, "Between you and I, I believe that coming to your aid has been life affirming for a few of the others, and has bolstered them up a bit. Oh my, you should hear Mouse and Pascal tell their side of the tale."
Thinking if this gave them a boost of sorts, then Vincent was glad of it.
It was then Mary looked at Catherine, and said, "She looks so like my cousin on my mother's side. You know the one from south Philly. Her jaw line and her eyes...they could easily claim Catherine as one of their own. Of course I don't believe any of my family had green eyes, but the shape of her eyes..."
As Mary went on and on about a cousin Vincent never knew, or would ever hope to know, he began to yawn, and found her story was a great sleep inducing aid.
As she finally noticed how sleepy Vincent looked, she gently bowed out from telling the rest of her lineage, and as she gathered up the dishes, she sweetly said, "Good night Vincent. I will check on you in the morning."
Softly Vincent whispered goodnight, and thanked Mary for taking such good care of him.
To be continued
Chapter Nineteen
