Choose


Nancy



“Leave me now.  Please.”
Petition…confident of the granting.

“No.”
Obstinate ... one syllable drawn long.

“You must … go.”
Startled by denial.

“Why?”
Disposed to confrontation.

“Catherine … please.”
Disbelief ...  impatience.

“No!” 
And calmer.
 “No.  Don’t … beg … me.  Is this not what you want?  I thought we … you … wanted … this.”

“Catherine.”
 Almost … anger.

“Am I not … the woman … you … love?”

A hurtful … endless …hesitation .

~

She yanks the faded quilt from his bed … drags it over her shoulders. 
Edges bunch at her throat … tight … in knotted fist.

She … become despair … retreats to the farthest corner.  
The air … thick on the inhale … catching … chokes.
Tears …  too deep to shed … burn.

He … become sighted stone … stares.
Deaf … to the resonance in the old pipes. 
Breathing … or not.
The world … life … gone black.
Dead.
Stones are … dead things after all.

~

“Why do you … cover … yourself?”
The words surprise the chamber …him … her …  

 “I’m … cold.”
The blanket hitched closer …she regrets the effort … to answer. 

“Come nearer to me.  I … am … fire.”

And he’s there … a blazing where blue eyes had been … laying flame to everything … a conflagration straining toward her … almost upon her.

“How … close … will you … allow … me, Vincent?” 
Doubt.
 And … God help them … hope … gasping … for  life.

“Allow … Catherine?”

The coverlet … loosed by gentlest tug … slips to the rug … shoved further by booted foot.
Arms … taking her … tight and determined … to himself.

And sworn at her ear … his only truth.
“You are the woman I love … the woman I want … the only woman … I’ve … always … loved.”

~

His lips … pressing tiny kisses at her breast ... pause. 
An agony of uncertainty …desire …urgency ...
“Will you … stay … with me?”

“The choice … is it … mine … Vincent?” 
Mischief. 
Challenge.

Promise.
“Always and forever … it remains yours, Catherine.”

A caress for his cheek.    

Covenant.
“Vincent … for always and forever … for as long as we both may live and into … throughout … Eternity…  I will stay with you and … I will … love you.”

“You rob death of finality and fear, Catherine.
You create me … immortal …  blessed.
If I could … if there were … I would do more … than love you …”

~

He did.


for you, H


6 comments

  1. LOVE this, Nancy. Such a vivid picture you create. Even if I do want to kick Vincent none-too-gently in the shins during the first part ;)

    Wonderful to see this,

    Krista :)

  2. Wow Nancy!!! This is amazing!!! Yep, have to agree with Krista, and happy to see that he chose otherwise in the end. Love it!

    Hugs,
    Linn

  3. Poor Vincent was just being his perfect,sacrificing self, Krista, but Catherine always knows how to give him what he really wants! Go, Catherine!
    Thank you for always, always being so very kind to me.
    Nancy

  4. Linn, you are such a sweet, caring and charitable person. Thank you. I'm really glad you liked this little piece.
    Love,
    Nancy

  5. I love how beautifully you wrote such a moment. Truly Nancy, you bring Vincent and Catherine to life so very well; tell a story about them in a wondrous way.
    Thank you Nancy for sharing it all with us.

    love,
    Brit

  6. Ron and Linda gave us the the story of Catherine and Vincent wrapped in so many ribbons and pretty tissue. You do some lovely unwrapping in your writing, Brit. Thanks for liking Choose. Love, Nancy

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