| Beyond my Dreams! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Three |
Please revisit Catherine and Vincent's Wedding Index...changes!
Sheepishly, Mouse entered the Tunnel Main, wheeling the emptied cart, feeling
badly about how the mission went, thinking he was more stealthy than that.
Thinking out loud, he lamented, "Vincent is tricky since he got married, and I
fell for his trick, and now have to tell Father and Mary all about it."
As Mouse entered the Dining Hall, he heard Mary eagerly call after him. At first
he acted as if he had not heard her, and began to pick up his pace, but inevitably
he realized he was trapped like a rat, and there really was no where to escape.
So he slowed down, and with a rolling of his eyes, he reluctantly turned toward
her to ask, "What Mary?"
Incredulously, she replied, "What? You know what! Did you see them?"
Timidly Mouse shifted his feet as he stalled for time, answering, "Yes...Mouse
saw them."
Impatiently she then asked, "Well! How are they?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he answered, "Looked all right to Mouse."
Mary was happy to hear they looked all right, but really wanted specifics, and
so she asked, "Mouse...what I want to know is...did they look...did they look
like they were having a good time?"
Nodding, Mouse answered, "Yes...Catherine looked like she was having a good
time, and Vincent..."
Then with a twinge of jealousy, Mouse poutingly added, "...well Vincent looked
like he was having a lot of FUN, even more fun then when scouting with Me."
Upon hearing Mouse's report all was well with the honeymooners, Mary had
not picked up on Mouse's sadness.
And so with a smile, Mary heaved a relieved sigh, and congratulated him saying,
"Well done Mouse! Mission accomplished! Since we know they showed up at
the drop off site looking well, the case is now closed! And don't worry, Vincent
and Catherine needn't know you were there secretly checking on them."
Mouse's gulp was audible as Mary applauded his stealth, so timidly he began to
walk backwards, to make his escape before he had to give any more details.
Thinking his departure seemed a little abrupt, Mary couldn't help but become
suspicious! So before he could get away, she demanded, "Stop right there Mr.
Mouse!"
Stop he did, and as he obediently pivoted around on his heel, Mouse looked
guilty, as Mary stepped closer to inquire, "Mouse? You did go
undetected...didn't you?"
"Oh Great!" Mouse thought, "Have to admit I fell for a trick!"
Finally a cringing Mouse replied, "Well....sorta..."
Bringing her hands to her mouth, Mary gasped, "Oh no...what do you mean by
sorta?"
Hesitantly he answered, "Vincent and Catherine didn't see...only heard Mouse."
Defending his case, Mouse quickly added, "Vincent tricked Mouse into
answering him, and now knows I was spying."
He then lowered his eyes, as he dejectedly expressed, "Vincent is tricky since he
got married."
Seeing he felt badly, Mary assured him, "It's all right Mouse, I mean they knew
someone would be bringing the cart..."
Mary then went on to rationalize, "...and...it just so happened, you were still
there!"
Dejectedly, he shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Guess so."
And so with care, Mary asked, "So what's really wrong?"
Mouse hesitated, before he answered, "With Vincent married now, things just
aren't the same anymore."
Thoughtfully, Mary agreed with him, saying, "Yes things are different now
aren't they? But the friendship between you and Vincent will never change."
Downheartedly, Mouse complained, "Already has! Vincent always doing junk
with Catherine now."
So excitedly she reminded him, "What about the other day, when you two hiked
to the Crystal Caverns?"
With a downhearted nod, Mouse agreeably said, "I remember Mary, and it was
fun...just like it used to be. But not sure when we can go again! Seems like he'd
rather hang around Catherine more."
Mary smiled to herself at Mouse's naiveté, and tried to explain things in such a
way he might better understand. And so with care, she explained, "Its just that,
well, Vincent has fallen in love, and has to share his time with all of us now.
You want him to be happy don't you?"
Mouse stood scuffing his feet in the stony dirt, and said, "Guess so..."
With a motherly hug about his shoulders, Mary bolstered sweet Mouse by
telling him, "We all own a special place in Vincent's life and heart. Catherine
cannot take that away, nor does she want to. She cares about you very much
too Mouse. So try not to feel sorry for yourself. I guarantee once Vincent and
Catherine come back from their Honeymoon, things should get back to normal.
Besides, you have been very busy yourself with all the renovations."
Taking in a trembling breath, Mouse realized she was right. He had been very
busy too. Feeling a little better about things, he gave Mary a smile saying,
"You're smart...and right, guess I have been busy too! Too busy for just
horsing around."
She then suggested, "Why don't you ask William if he has any Pineapple
Zucchini Bread left from lunch. You have got to be hungry after such a hike."
Thinking a slice of that sweet bread did sound good, he admitted, "Guess I am
hungry, and have a thank you note for William too, from Catherine."
Thinking it was so sweet of Catherine to think of thanking William, Mary
gleefully expressed, "A thank you note? How nice!"
She then told Mouse to run along, and she would relay the news to Jacob.
She watched Mouse enter the Kitchen Alcove, and stood for a moment,
digesting all the information he had gathered for her. Oh my! She was so
relieved both Vincent, and Catherine were hosting happy demeanors, which
could mean only one thing...and that was, all of the honeymoon activities thus
far were harmonious! Yes...ALL of them!
Now to tell Jacob all seemed well with the honeymooners, and to also inform
him, Mouse was feeling a little dejected, and missing Vincent's companionship.
She hoped maybe Jacob could help out someway.
Meanwhile, nearing their temporary home, Catherine heard Vincent let go of a
yawn.
Turning to him she urged, "Why don't you take a nap? You were up so late last
night, and awake early this morning."
Thinking a nap did sound nice, Vincent bartered, "Why don't you take one with
me...and I will help you with our food preparation upon our waking?"
Thinking it seemed fun to fix lunch while he slept, she said, "I could...but I
really want to surprise you, so when you wake up, everything will be ready."
As he stretched out on their luxurious bed, he asked, "All right then...I will nap,
however allow me to slumber only but a little Catherine...I don't want to sleep
away my day with you."
Bidding him a peaceful rest, she covered him, and promised to wake him in a
short while.
Catherine went to their little kitchen corner to put away their fresh supplies, and
came upon a vegetable she never saw before! It appeared to be a gourd of sorts,
with a long winding neck, and so she contemplated what could be done with it.
See Catherine with Ghord Below Teehee
Happily it dawned on her, it might be delicious to dice up, cook through, and
season to taste as a side dish.
Humming along as she worked, she chose a knife to cut up this most unusual
looking veggie. Finding the shell too hard to cut through with her small paring
knife, she then picked a larger butcher type knife, and tried to slice it again. Still
unable to penetrate the outer covering of this now coveted vegetable, Catherine
became even more determined to do so! Now aggressively trying the ginsu hack
method, the knife unfortunately became deeply embedded, and she couldn't get
it out of the gourd!
By now Vincent's sleep was disrupted by all the commotion, and as he peered
through a squinting eye, he wondered what in the world was going on!
Understanding now, that his Catherine was having the battle of her life with a
gourd, he decided to discreetly watch, to silently cheer her on from the bed's
vantage point. So he turned to lean on an elbow to better watch her.
With both hands, she grasped the knife's handle, and with the gourd dangling
from the blade, she slammed it down to the stone's surface, and split it wide
open!
Finding Catherine's Chef techniques both intriguing and entertainingly cute,
Vincent said, "Bravo!"
Catherine turned red, and waited a moment before asking, how long he had
been awake?
With a smile in his eyes, Vincent hesitated before admitting he had been
watching his darling wife's attempt to cut up the goose neck gourd for a time
now, and jokingly answered, "Long enough to see you are quite resourceful,
and very determined!"
With a raised brow, Catherine said, "Yes I am."
And so as Vincent rose from the bed, he said, "As long as I am awake..."
So together, they began the preparation of their meal, deciding William's
Ratatouille recipe, would be great to try, using the gourd and the other veggies
they had on hand.
As they sat down to dine, Vincent turned his head so he could better listen. He
then with surprise, told Catherine, "Narcissa is coming."
Excitedly, Catherine said, "A visit from Narcissa? How nice!"
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he raised a brow and agreeably said,
"Indeed!"
Just then, they heard Narcissa call out a greeting, wanting to let them know it
was her coming up upon them.
However...with Vincent's keen awareness skills, it was not necessary.
To be continued
Chapter Four
Sheepishly, Mouse entered the Tunnel Main, wheeling the emptied cart, feeling
badly about how the mission went, thinking he was more stealthy than that.
Thinking out loud, he lamented, "Vincent is tricky since he got married, and I
fell for his trick, and now have to tell Father and Mary all about it."
As Mouse entered the Dining Hall, he heard Mary eagerly call after him. At first
he acted as if he had not heard her, and began to pick up his pace, but inevitably
he realized he was trapped like a rat, and there really was no where to escape.
So he slowed down, and with a rolling of his eyes, he reluctantly turned toward
her to ask, "What Mary?"
Incredulously, she replied, "What? You know what! Did you see them?"
Timidly Mouse shifted his feet as he stalled for time, answering, "Yes...Mouse
saw them."
Impatiently she then asked, "Well! How are they?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he answered, "Looked all right to Mouse."
Mary was happy to hear they looked all right, but really wanted specifics, and
so she asked, "Mouse...what I want to know is...did they look...did they look
like they were having a good time?"
Nodding, Mouse answered, "Yes...Catherine looked like she was having a good
time, and Vincent..."
Then with a twinge of jealousy, Mouse poutingly added, "...well Vincent looked
like he was having a lot of FUN, even more fun then when scouting with Me."
Upon hearing Mouse's report all was well with the honeymooners, Mary had
not picked up on Mouse's sadness.
And so with a smile, Mary heaved a relieved sigh, and congratulated him saying,
"Well done Mouse! Mission accomplished! Since we know they showed up at
the drop off site looking well, the case is now closed! And don't worry, Vincent
and Catherine needn't know you were there secretly checking on them."
Mouse's gulp was audible as Mary applauded his stealth, so timidly he began to
walk backwards, to make his escape before he had to give any more details.
Thinking his departure seemed a little abrupt, Mary couldn't help but become
suspicious! So before he could get away, she demanded, "Stop right there Mr.
Mouse!"
Stop he did, and as he obediently pivoted around on his heel, Mouse looked
guilty, as Mary stepped closer to inquire, "Mouse? You did go
undetected...didn't you?"
"Oh Great!" Mouse thought, "Have to admit I fell for a trick!"
Finally a cringing Mouse replied, "Well....sorta..."
Bringing her hands to her mouth, Mary gasped, "Oh no...what do you mean by
sorta?"
Hesitantly he answered, "Vincent and Catherine didn't see...only heard Mouse."
Defending his case, Mouse quickly added, "Vincent tricked Mouse into
answering him, and now knows I was spying."
He then lowered his eyes, as he dejectedly expressed, "Vincent is tricky since he
got married."
Seeing he felt badly, Mary assured him, "It's all right Mouse, I mean they knew
someone would be bringing the cart..."
Mary then went on to rationalize, "...and...it just so happened, you were still
there!"
Dejectedly, he shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Guess so."
And so with care, Mary asked, "So what's really wrong?"
Mouse hesitated, before he answered, "With Vincent married now, things just
aren't the same anymore."
Thoughtfully, Mary agreed with him, saying, "Yes things are different now
aren't they? But the friendship between you and Vincent will never change."
Downheartedly, Mouse complained, "Already has! Vincent always doing junk
with Catherine now."
So excitedly she reminded him, "What about the other day, when you two hiked
to the Crystal Caverns?"
With a downhearted nod, Mouse agreeably said, "I remember Mary, and it was
fun...just like it used to be. But not sure when we can go again! Seems like he'd
rather hang around Catherine more."
Mary smiled to herself at Mouse's naiveté, and tried to explain things in such a
way he might better understand. And so with care, she explained, "Its just that,
well, Vincent has fallen in love, and has to share his time with all of us now.
You want him to be happy don't you?"
Mouse stood scuffing his feet in the stony dirt, and said, "Guess so..."
With a motherly hug about his shoulders, Mary bolstered sweet Mouse by
telling him, "We all own a special place in Vincent's life and heart. Catherine
cannot take that away, nor does she want to. She cares about you very much
too Mouse. So try not to feel sorry for yourself. I guarantee once Vincent and
Catherine come back from their Honeymoon, things should get back to normal.
Besides, you have been very busy yourself with all the renovations."
Taking in a trembling breath, Mouse realized she was right. He had been very
busy too. Feeling a little better about things, he gave Mary a smile saying,
"You're smart...and right, guess I have been busy too! Too busy for just
horsing around."
She then suggested, "Why don't you ask William if he has any Pineapple
Zucchini Bread left from lunch. You have got to be hungry after such a hike."
Thinking a slice of that sweet bread did sound good, he admitted, "Guess I am
hungry, and have a thank you note for William too, from Catherine."
Thinking it was so sweet of Catherine to think of thanking William, Mary
gleefully expressed, "A thank you note? How nice!"
She then told Mouse to run along, and she would relay the news to Jacob.
She watched Mouse enter the Kitchen Alcove, and stood for a moment,
digesting all the information he had gathered for her. Oh my! She was so
relieved both Vincent, and Catherine were hosting happy demeanors, which
could mean only one thing...and that was, all of the honeymoon activities thus
far were harmonious! Yes...ALL of them!
Now to tell Jacob all seemed well with the honeymooners, and to also inform
him, Mouse was feeling a little dejected, and missing Vincent's companionship.
She hoped maybe Jacob could help out someway.
Meanwhile, nearing their temporary home, Catherine heard Vincent let go of a
yawn.
Turning to him she urged, "Why don't you take a nap? You were up so late last
night, and awake early this morning."
Thinking a nap did sound nice, Vincent bartered, "Why don't you take one with
me...and I will help you with our food preparation upon our waking?"
Thinking it seemed fun to fix lunch while he slept, she said, "I could...but I
really want to surprise you, so when you wake up, everything will be ready."
As he stretched out on their luxurious bed, he asked, "All right then...I will nap,
however allow me to slumber only but a little Catherine...I don't want to sleep
away my day with you."
Bidding him a peaceful rest, she covered him, and promised to wake him in a
short while.
Catherine went to their little kitchen corner to put away their fresh supplies, and
came upon a vegetable she never saw before! It appeared to be a gourd of sorts,
with a long winding neck, and so she contemplated what could be done with it.
See Catherine with Ghord Below Teehee
Happily it dawned on her, it might be delicious to dice up, cook through, and
season to taste as a side dish.
Humming along as she worked, she chose a knife to cut up this most unusual
looking veggie. Finding the shell too hard to cut through with her small paring
knife, she then picked a larger butcher type knife, and tried to slice it again. Still
unable to penetrate the outer covering of this now coveted vegetable, Catherine
became even more determined to do so! Now aggressively trying the ginsu hack
method, the knife unfortunately became deeply embedded, and she couldn't get
it out of the gourd!
By now Vincent's sleep was disrupted by all the commotion, and as he peered
through a squinting eye, he wondered what in the world was going on!
Understanding now, that his Catherine was having the battle of her life with a
gourd, he decided to discreetly watch, to silently cheer her on from the bed's
vantage point. So he turned to lean on an elbow to better watch her.
With both hands, she grasped the knife's handle, and with the gourd dangling
from the blade, she slammed it down to the stone's surface, and split it wide
open!
Finding Catherine's Chef techniques both intriguing and entertainingly cute,
Vincent said, "Bravo!"
Catherine turned red, and waited a moment before asking, how long he had
been awake?
With a smile in his eyes, Vincent hesitated before admitting he had been
watching his darling wife's attempt to cut up the goose neck gourd for a time
now, and jokingly answered, "Long enough to see you are quite resourceful,
and very determined!"
With a raised brow, Catherine said, "Yes I am."
And so as Vincent rose from the bed, he said, "As long as I am awake..."
So together, they began the preparation of their meal, deciding William's
Ratatouille recipe, would be great to try, using the gourd and the other veggies
they had on hand.
As they sat down to dine, Vincent turned his head so he could better listen. He
then with surprise, told Catherine, "Narcissa is coming."
Excitedly, Catherine said, "A visit from Narcissa? How nice!"
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, he raised a brow and agreeably said,
"Indeed!"
Just then, they heard Narcissa call out a greeting, wanting to let them know it
was her coming up upon them.
However...with Vincent's keen awareness skills, it was not necessary.
To be continued
Chapter Four
