“I can’t wait to keep loving you,” Rosalie whispers as they pull apart to meet each other’s eyes.
“It’ll be a wondrous adventure,” Catherine agrees. “That we’ll start by... facing our mothers, together?”
“Exceedingly romantic,” Rosalie says, laughing as Catherine wrinkles her nose. “But like you said, we’ll decide together. I’ll learn to speak up to my mother like you did, for you.”
Catherine sighs, smoothing Rosalie’s hair from her face. “Speak up to your mother for yourself.” Rosalie frowns. “You can pretend it’s for me, for a while, for good practice.”
“Deal,” Rosalie says, her hands sliding down Catherine’s chest to tighten the belt of her dressing gown. “We decide?”
“We decide, together,” Catherine agrees.
Rosalie takes her hand and they turn and head up the stairs, fingers interlaced. Their slightly damp palms pressing tight help bolster Catherine as they come around the staircase on the second floor, staring down the hall toward the sitting room where Mother and Father are hovering just outside, the Tisend family’s voices murmuring within.
“I’ll be right inside,” Rosalie says as they reach the doors.
She squeezes Catherine’s hand and then lets go, walking into the sitting room, head held high. Catherine watches her go, elated, and bereft without the press of her fingers. Then Mother shuts the door, leaving them in the relative silence of the dim hallway.
Father glances at Mother, nudging her gently. Mother opens her mouth, but nothing comes out, and the happy bubble in Catherine’s chest starts to deflate.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted,” Catherine starts.
“We never said that,” Father says.
Catherine glances at him, calm and smiling, then looks back to Mother, who’s still just standing there, blank.
“I know it will be more difficult,” Catherine continues. “And it won’t look the way you envisioned for my future but I—I truly hope you’ll still—that you can...” She falters as Mother just continues tostareat her. She can feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes again.
Father sighs and releases Mother’s hand to step forward, wrapping Catherine in his arms. The moment her cheek hits his shoulder, she loses the fight with her tears, fisting her hands into the back of his simple brown housecoat.
“If she makes you happy, that’s all that matters,” Father whispers. “Didn’t I tell you that yesterday?”
Catherine sniffles, pulling back to meet his eyes. “I wasn’t sure if—I wasn’t sure you’d feel that way about Rosalie,” she says, glancing at Mother over his shoulder.
She’s still painfully unsure.
Father scoffs and Catherine looks back at him. He takes her hands and squeezes. “All I’ve ever wanted was for you to find someone to love and build a life that made you happy. You haven’t chosen the easiest path.”
“I know,” Catherine says, gripping at his hands, afraid they might slip away.
“But it’s brave of you,” Father says firmly. “All I ask is that you be cautious with whom you trust, and you visit us very often.”
“That I can do,” Catherine promises, watching the way he smiles at her. Like nothing has changed. Like she’s still the girl he’s known all her life.
“She’ll come around, I’ll make sure of it,” he adds, softer.
Catherine blinks, watching more than feeling his hands slipaway. He steps back to wrap his arm around her mother’s waist. Mother’s still not smiling. Still barely moving.
“Mother?” Catherine hears herself say.
“This is not the choice I would make,” Mother says, her words soft. Still, they echo around the hall, bowling into Catherine’s stomach.
“I know,” Catherine says haltingly.
“You’re giving up so much.”
Her mother’s eyes are wide and shining, grieving the life she wanted for Catherine. The marriage, the babies, the social status. But those wereherdreams,herhappy ending.
“I know,” Catherine repeats, stronger. “But they’re not things I want. Can you—” She hesitates. Father nods at her and Catherine takes a deep breath. “Can you—will you still help me, even if it’s not what you want for me?”
