| The Shore of Dreams! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Twenty |
And so Catherine ended her search, as she found Vincent in his chamber, sitting on the edge of his bed, and he had his face within in his hands.
As she stepped forward, she tenderly spoke his name, “Vincent?”
And because he didn't answer, she walked in further, and asked, “Vincent...what has you so upset? Is it the interviews? Because Jen agreed that if you really don't want us to, then we won't do them. She just thought it would be fun that's all. Like I said, it was just talk.”
Vincent stood as he in an impassioned manner, said, “Its not just the interviews…I suppose doing an interview or two would be exciting for you both, and would be all right.”
Woefully, she questioned, “Then what is it Vincent?”
Vincent paced a bit, before he leaned on the table as he helplessly said, “I don’t know how to do this…”
Lovingly, Catherine asked, “How to do what?”
He looked up through his fallen hair, and said, “Be the man you require me to be! I do not know if I can accept this teetering between our two worlds.”
Vincent began pacing again as he said, “When you decided to move here, I believed it would be to the exclusion of your old life. However, I can see now I possessed a naive point of view…your old life seems to keep pulling you back.”
Catherine softly said, “I am still in transition that’s all. Once this whole prosecution case is wrapped up, and I have moved out of my apartment, well then it will be different…but Vincent you must understand something right now. I will always be connected to the world above. It was and will always be a part of me. There are people I know and love there, people I can't turn my back on and just forget.”
She explained further, by tenderly sighting, “Even Father still has ties above. I know you understand all this…”
Vincent with a tearful faraway look in his eyes asked, “What if…one day…you are above, and you decide...you had made a mistake.”
Catherine lowered her head, as she now understood, and so lovingly she said, “Vincent, I will never change my mind about moving here with you...never."
Without a response, Vincent pitifully hung his head in such a way that broke Catherine’s heart.
And so she assuredly added, “As I walked the streets today, I longed for the tunnels. I longed for you. I could never live apart from you now.”
With tears in her own eyes, she asked, “How can’t you know that Vincent?”
She then brought her hand to her heart, and softly whispered, “Aren’t you listening?”
Catherine stepped up to Vincent and cradled his head to her, and as she soothed his hair, she said, “Oh Vincent, all you have to do is listen. Tell me what you hear?”
Huskily he whispered, “That we are a part of one another.”
Catherine bent her head to rest upon his, as she tenderly said, “I believed you when you first revealed this to me. Do you remember? We were parting from one another here in the tunnels.”
Catherine reminisced, “You had just saved my life, and you told me we were a part of one another, I remember thinking at the time, it must be true. How else could you have found me in the park, or in that townhouse to rescue me.”
Vincent whispered, "And...I remember you told me, you owed me everything…”
Catherine smiled and said, “And you told me, I owed you nothing.”
Sadly, she sighed, “That was the only thing you ever said to me that wasn’t true…I owe you my life, and all I have become.”
Catherine then lifted Vincent’s chin, so she could look into his beautiful blue eyes. And as she looked deeply into them, she penetrated his soul and reminded him, “It was then you said, we were apart of one another, and wherever I would go, you would be with me.”
Vincent remembering nodded as he said, “Yes…”
Catherine then expressed, “That was when I first knew, our lives in some fashion would one day be forever intertwined, somehow, someway.”
Lovingly Catherine added, “And look! It has come to pass…here I am...here in your world sharing my life with yours. You are my world now…you are my everything.”
Vincent freed a tenuous breath as he stood, and took Catherine in his arms. He looked down into her loving eyes, and embraced her.
As Vincent once again felt secure on the path, where their individual lives were uniting, he masterfully said, “Catherine, I will walk you home.”
Catherine smiled as she said, “You have never called my chamber “Home” before. I love that! Home is how it feels to me now too.”
Hand in hand, they walked contentedly, through the torched-lit tunnels, back to Catherine’s chamber.
Meanwhile, Jennifer could not sleep, as she was so worried about Vincent and Catherine, and her mind kept wandering back to Ronald. She couldn’t help wondering what he and Lisa could be doing, and couldn't help but wonder if Ronald has kissed her yet!
Deciding to get up and read for a little while, Jennifer hoped it would make her sleepy. So she lit another candle, and sat at the little writing table. She tried to concentrate, and fulfill Mary’s next reading requirement of moving on to the next three chapters of Wuthering Heights.
As she turned the page, she heard Ronald at the threshold softly say, “Jenny are you awake?”
Jennifer felt her heart pound as she said, “Yes I am Ronny, come on in.”
Ronald hesitated a moment, and had his head bent demurely as he walked in. Shyly he said, “I wanted to check on you before I went to bed.”
Jennifer stood to greet him, so happy yet shocked, he had left Lisa so soon!
Smiling Jennifer said, “That is so sweet of you, but yes, I am fine. I feel so cozy here.”
to which Jennifer then inquired, “But what about Vinny? Do you know if Cath had found him?”
Ronald smiled as he relayed, “Funny you should ask, I just caught a glimpse of them heading for Catherine’s chamber, and they were holding hands. So I think it is safe to say that all is well.”
Jennifer heaved a sigh and said, “Wonderful news!”
She then shook her head in wonderment, as she pondered, “With all the passion swilling around those two, isn't it hard to believe they have not done “IT” yet?”
Ronald started coughing as her question caused him to choke on his own air!
Seeing his shocked reaction, Jennifer then said, "Ooops maybe I shouldn't have said anything about that uh?"
He laughed as he regained his control and said, “Jenny, do you always say whatever you are thinking?”
To which Jennifer sweetly said, “No…not always Ronny.”
Ronald squinted as he said, “Well I can’t imagine what it would be you hold back on saying then. You seem to be so open. I must admit I have never met anyone quite like you.”
Jennifer raised her eyebrows, as she surmised, “No I am sure you haven’t.”
Ronald stepped closer as he asked, “Seriously, Jenny, what does make you hesitate? What do you hold back on?”
Jennifer looked up at Ronald, wondering if she should really say what was in her heart.
Slowly she said, “Well there are a few things…”
Ronald coaxed a little more by beginning her sentence for her, saying, “Like…”
Jennifer cleared her throat as she said, “Well, for starters, I guess I am surprised you are not still with Lisa. I imagined you would maybe, stay with her for the night. And…I am holding back on asking why you had left her so soon.”
Ronald bent his head, and seriously said, “I will be open enough with you to tell you…the subject had come up…but I just couldn’t stay.”
Jennifer hopefully questioned, “You couldn’t?”
Ronald shook his head slightly and said, “No Jenny, I couldn’t.”
Jennifer marveled and stated, “I am beginning to think my idea of love and romance may be off the morality meter or something!”
Ronald queried, “How do you mean Jenny?”
Jennifer said, “Well it is just if I really cared for someone, and felt we were falling in love, I don’t think I could hold back. I would have to jump right in there with both feet!”
Jennifer laughed as she clarified, “Well not that feet would have anything to do with it. I mean I don’t have a foot fetish or anything like that!”
Ronald laughed a moment and said, “Well there you go, I must agree with you there…if and when I ever care deeply for someone again, and sure I was falling in love, well, I don’t believe I would hold back either.”
Jennifer with hope in her heart, started thinking he must not like Lisa as much as she had suspected he did! Surprisingly she asked, “”You wouldn’t?”
Ronald stepped closer still, as he looked down on Jennifer, and seriously said, “No…I wouldn’t.”
Jennifer’s world stood still, as she looked up at this handsome man, and listened to his deep resonating voice as he asked, “Jennifer, you said there were a few things you hold back on? Tell me another.”
Thoughtfully, Jennifer closed her eyes, and decided to just go for it, as she said, “My feelings…”
Ronald asked, “Your feelings Jenny? You seem to wear your heart on your sleeve! That is hard to believe.”
Jennifer sweetly opened her eyes, and as she looked up into Ronald’s beautiful brown eyes, she clarified, “Well, I suppose I should say, I hold back on revealing my feelings. Like…the feelings I have…for you.”
To be continued
Final Chapter Twenty-one
As she stepped forward, she tenderly spoke his name, “Vincent?”
And because he didn't answer, she walked in further, and asked, “Vincent...what has you so upset? Is it the interviews? Because Jen agreed that if you really don't want us to, then we won't do them. She just thought it would be fun that's all. Like I said, it was just talk.”
Vincent stood as he in an impassioned manner, said, “Its not just the interviews…I suppose doing an interview or two would be exciting for you both, and would be all right.”
Woefully, she questioned, “Then what is it Vincent?”
Vincent paced a bit, before he leaned on the table as he helplessly said, “I don’t know how to do this…”
Lovingly, Catherine asked, “How to do what?”
He looked up through his fallen hair, and said, “Be the man you require me to be! I do not know if I can accept this teetering between our two worlds.”
Vincent began pacing again as he said, “When you decided to move here, I believed it would be to the exclusion of your old life. However, I can see now I possessed a naive point of view…your old life seems to keep pulling you back.”
Catherine softly said, “I am still in transition that’s all. Once this whole prosecution case is wrapped up, and I have moved out of my apartment, well then it will be different…but Vincent you must understand something right now. I will always be connected to the world above. It was and will always be a part of me. There are people I know and love there, people I can't turn my back on and just forget.”
She explained further, by tenderly sighting, “Even Father still has ties above. I know you understand all this…”
Vincent with a tearful faraway look in his eyes asked, “What if…one day…you are above, and you decide...you had made a mistake.”
Catherine lowered her head, as she now understood, and so lovingly she said, “Vincent, I will never change my mind about moving here with you...never."
Without a response, Vincent pitifully hung his head in such a way that broke Catherine’s heart.
And so she assuredly added, “As I walked the streets today, I longed for the tunnels. I longed for you. I could never live apart from you now.”
With tears in her own eyes, she asked, “How can’t you know that Vincent?”
She then brought her hand to her heart, and softly whispered, “Aren’t you listening?”
Catherine stepped up to Vincent and cradled his head to her, and as she soothed his hair, she said, “Oh Vincent, all you have to do is listen. Tell me what you hear?”
Huskily he whispered, “That we are a part of one another.”
Catherine bent her head to rest upon his, as she tenderly said, “I believed you when you first revealed this to me. Do you remember? We were parting from one another here in the tunnels.”
Catherine reminisced, “You had just saved my life, and you told me we were a part of one another, I remember thinking at the time, it must be true. How else could you have found me in the park, or in that townhouse to rescue me.”
Vincent whispered, "And...I remember you told me, you owed me everything…”
Catherine smiled and said, “And you told me, I owed you nothing.”
Sadly, she sighed, “That was the only thing you ever said to me that wasn’t true…I owe you my life, and all I have become.”
Catherine then lifted Vincent’s chin, so she could look into his beautiful blue eyes. And as she looked deeply into them, she penetrated his soul and reminded him, “It was then you said, we were apart of one another, and wherever I would go, you would be with me.”
Vincent remembering nodded as he said, “Yes…”
Catherine then expressed, “That was when I first knew, our lives in some fashion would one day be forever intertwined, somehow, someway.”
Lovingly Catherine added, “And look! It has come to pass…here I am...here in your world sharing my life with yours. You are my world now…you are my everything.”
Vincent freed a tenuous breath as he stood, and took Catherine in his arms. He looked down into her loving eyes, and embraced her.
As Vincent once again felt secure on the path, where their individual lives were uniting, he masterfully said, “Catherine, I will walk you home.”
Catherine smiled as she said, “You have never called my chamber “Home” before. I love that! Home is how it feels to me now too.”
Hand in hand, they walked contentedly, through the torched-lit tunnels, back to Catherine’s chamber.
Meanwhile, Jennifer could not sleep, as she was so worried about Vincent and Catherine, and her mind kept wandering back to Ronald. She couldn’t help wondering what he and Lisa could be doing, and couldn't help but wonder if Ronald has kissed her yet!
Deciding to get up and read for a little while, Jennifer hoped it would make her sleepy. So she lit another candle, and sat at the little writing table. She tried to concentrate, and fulfill Mary’s next reading requirement of moving on to the next three chapters of Wuthering Heights.
As she turned the page, she heard Ronald at the threshold softly say, “Jenny are you awake?”
Jennifer felt her heart pound as she said, “Yes I am Ronny, come on in.”
Ronald hesitated a moment, and had his head bent demurely as he walked in. Shyly he said, “I wanted to check on you before I went to bed.”
Jennifer stood to greet him, so happy yet shocked, he had left Lisa so soon!
Smiling Jennifer said, “That is so sweet of you, but yes, I am fine. I feel so cozy here.”
to which Jennifer then inquired, “But what about Vinny? Do you know if Cath had found him?”
Ronald smiled as he relayed, “Funny you should ask, I just caught a glimpse of them heading for Catherine’s chamber, and they were holding hands. So I think it is safe to say that all is well.”
Jennifer heaved a sigh and said, “Wonderful news!”
She then shook her head in wonderment, as she pondered, “With all the passion swilling around those two, isn't it hard to believe they have not done “IT” yet?”
Ronald started coughing as her question caused him to choke on his own air!
Seeing his shocked reaction, Jennifer then said, "Ooops maybe I shouldn't have said anything about that uh?"
He laughed as he regained his control and said, “Jenny, do you always say whatever you are thinking?”
To which Jennifer sweetly said, “No…not always Ronny.”
Ronald squinted as he said, “Well I can’t imagine what it would be you hold back on saying then. You seem to be so open. I must admit I have never met anyone quite like you.”
Jennifer raised her eyebrows, as she surmised, “No I am sure you haven’t.”
Ronald stepped closer as he asked, “Seriously, Jenny, what does make you hesitate? What do you hold back on?”
Jennifer looked up at Ronald, wondering if she should really say what was in her heart.
Slowly she said, “Well there are a few things…”
Ronald coaxed a little more by beginning her sentence for her, saying, “Like…”
Jennifer cleared her throat as she said, “Well, for starters, I guess I am surprised you are not still with Lisa. I imagined you would maybe, stay with her for the night. And…I am holding back on asking why you had left her so soon.”
Ronald bent his head, and seriously said, “I will be open enough with you to tell you…the subject had come up…but I just couldn’t stay.”
Jennifer hopefully questioned, “You couldn’t?”
Ronald shook his head slightly and said, “No Jenny, I couldn’t.”
Jennifer marveled and stated, “I am beginning to think my idea of love and romance may be off the morality meter or something!”
Ronald queried, “How do you mean Jenny?”
Jennifer said, “Well it is just if I really cared for someone, and felt we were falling in love, I don’t think I could hold back. I would have to jump right in there with both feet!”
Jennifer laughed as she clarified, “Well not that feet would have anything to do with it. I mean I don’t have a foot fetish or anything like that!”
Ronald laughed a moment and said, “Well there you go, I must agree with you there…if and when I ever care deeply for someone again, and sure I was falling in love, well, I don’t believe I would hold back either.”
Jennifer with hope in her heart, started thinking he must not like Lisa as much as she had suspected he did! Surprisingly she asked, “”You wouldn’t?”
Ronald stepped closer still, as he looked down on Jennifer, and seriously said, “No…I wouldn’t.”
Jennifer’s world stood still, as she looked up at this handsome man, and listened to his deep resonating voice as he asked, “Jennifer, you said there were a few things you hold back on? Tell me another.”
Thoughtfully, Jennifer closed her eyes, and decided to just go for it, as she said, “My feelings…”
Ronald asked, “Your feelings Jenny? You seem to wear your heart on your sleeve! That is hard to believe.”
Jennifer sweetly opened her eyes, and as she looked up into Ronald’s beautiful brown eyes, she clarified, “Well, I suppose I should say, I hold back on revealing my feelings. Like…the feelings I have…for you.”
To be continued
Final Chapter Twenty-one
