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. Krista
    Posted at March 16, 2012 at 1:36 PM

    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. Linn
    Posted at March 17, 2012 at 8:31 PM

    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. Posted at March 18, 2012 at 7:36 PM

    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. Posted at March 18, 2012 at 7:37 PM

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

  5. Brit
    Posted at April 15, 2012 at 12:26 PM

    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. Posted at April 17, 2012 at 11:19 PM

    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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