ALL I NEED
Chapter Eighteen

It was a very common Sunday in spring, due to the endless days of pouring rain. When the day was clear, I could see the flowers outside and the very green grass. I used to be fascinated by nature, but now everything looks irrelevant and dead to me, even though it's spring and things are supposed to be starting to live again after the rigorous winter. For me, it was still a very freezing winter.

Still wearing black and mourning the loss of those that I cared for, partially Harry's loss and my own loss, I stayed sitting on a couch close to the glass door to the balcony, watching the shy sun illuminating the tree in front of my balcony, the little birds singing cheerfully outside.

Two more days had passed since I read the final copy of the wedding invitation, and by now everyone knew when and where it was going to be. My mother took charge of everything, now completely with my consent, since I could not even look at anything that reminded me of this wedding. Mr. Henderson kept his treatment of me, buying me dresses, flowers, jewels, trying to make me smile at them. Like my mother and my father, he believed that I was only traumatized by the sinking and tense about the wedding, but that everything would change with time. Cal, however, knew what was going on. He seemed concerned for me, but too preoccupied with his own problems to do something to help me.

Saturday evening my father and my brother had to travel to Pittsburgh to visit Hockley Steel and stay there for a week, and now, Sunday morning, there I was in my room where I found myself so many times, sticking with Harry's promise not to freeze inside. Susan had just come to announce that Molly Brown was downstairs with her son and my mother and that they wanted to see me. I requested that they come to my room. It was difficult even to walk.

"Cathy?" There was a knock on the door, and then someone opened it. My mother's head popped in. "Can we come in?" I nodded. She entered and opened the door for Molly and her son, who came right after her.

"Hello, Cathy!" Molly said cheerfully as I stood up. She gave me a tight hug. "How are you?"

"You know," I said quietly as my mother closed the door and she nodded confidentially. She knew how I was. "And you?"

"I'm all right, yes. I want to introduce you to my son, Larry." She gestured to the young man at her side. He seemed about my age. Elegant in a suit, with brown hair and dark eyes, he kissed my hand softly. "Larry, this beautiful lady is Catherine Hockley."

"How do you do, Miss Hockley?" he asked politely after letting go of my hand.

"Cut that Miss Hockley thing. It's Catherine." I smiled fondly. "Your mother is a very close friend of mine."

"Yes. She talks a lot about you." He smiled kindly.

"Well, Cathy." Molly gestured excitedly to my clothes. "You have so many beautiful dresses. I think it's time for you to stop mourning, honey. Even though you’d look beautiful even in rags, I would love to see you in one of these dresses when we go out now."

"Go out?" I frowned and she nodded. My mother was sitting on a bed with a wide smile on her face, watching us.

"I'll get your mother to go with me to buy you a wedding gift and you will go with my boy to help him choose something for Mr. Henderson," she said cheerfully. I didn't know if that was a good idea.

"Molly, I don't think--"

"I won't accept no as a response. Now, where's that maid of yours? Let's choose you a beautiful dress to make you shine with the sun outside!" she said with a wide smile, and I looked at her son, who nodded confidently at me. Maybe she was right. If I didn't go out, I would freeze faster.

My mother stood up and called Susan to help me get dress while she accompanied Molly and her son downstairs for a brief tea while I got dressed. Molly chose a beautiful cream dress, very light and without a lot of extra decoration. It reminded me of the last time I saw Rose on the Titanic boat deck. She was wearing one like that. The difference was that hers had details in pink and purple, and mine was plain cream. I left my hair loose, as I always liked, and put on a silver necklace also chosen by Molly, with a small pendant with a C, representing my first initial.

When I was finally ready and went downstairs, Molly took me outside for the first time in days and her son directed me to their car, while my mother went with her to our car. Soon both cars left in different directions.

Inside the car, I looked at Larry, who seemed a little nervous after telling the driver to go downtown. I couldn't stand the discomfort and soon spoke up.

"Do you have any idea of what to buy?" I asked casually, and he glanced at me with a grin.

"No, and from what my mother told me of your very close relationship with Mr. Henderson, neither do you." He smiled sarcastically and I couldn't help but smile back. "But don't worry about that. I will find something."

"You?" I asked thoughtfully. "I thought you needed my help. Of course, I'm not very much help, as you know already, but--"

"You're not going to help me with anything." He smiled and looked at me. "You're going to meet Mr. Lowe. While you're with him, I will look for something alone. It's not hard to find a present for a millionaire. Anything expensive enough will do."

My jaw dropped. All of this was Molly's plan. I couldn't believe it. All of this--the gift excuse, forcing me to dress differently, everything. I loved Molly Brown. I smiled excitedly, looking away from Larry. He smiled at my reaction as I felt the flame that was vanishing in my heart start to grow again, slowly warming the rest of my frozen soul.

"Thank you so much, Larry," I said after a few seconds of thinking that I would see Harry again. "I don't even know what to say."

"Don't worry about that." He smiled cheerfully. "From the little that she told me about you, it's a pleasure to help."

I took his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers, and squeezed gently in a thank you response. I didn't even know him, and I already felt like he was my brother, much more of a brother than Cal.

*****

"Here we go," Larry said after helping me to leave the car. I looked around and we were in front of a park a little way away from downtown, but close. "Come with me. I know where he is." He took my hand in his, and after gesturing to the driver to wait, we walked through the park.

"How long do you think we can make this work?" I asked him as we walked side-by-side.

"You easily have a few hours, four or five. After that, it will be too late, and I think it would be better for us to go back," he answered, looking around. "There he is." He pointed. Close to the water, Harry leaned against a tree, watching the water with an intense gaze.

When we were close to him, he was finally brought back to earth and looked at us. His eyes met mine and he smiled widely, his eyes shining in the sunlight, like the first time we talked, walking around the deck of the Titanic.

"She's all yours now." Larry smiled, letting go of my hand, which Harry gently took in his own hands. "You have four hours. I will meet you here then."

"Thank you, Larry," Harry said as he pulled me closer to him, still holding my hand. I smiled at Larry and he winked at us, leaving the park. "Hello," Harry said quietly as I suddenly hugged him tightly. "What is it?" he whispered quietly, his arms around me in a warm embrace. "It's all right now."

"Harry, I feel like I'm dying as the days pass..." I said under my breath, trying to hold back my tears. I wanted this moment never to end. I wasn't frozen anymore.

"Don't say that, Catherine," he said in my ear as my forehead touched the right side of his neck. One of his arms was on my back as he took my hand with his other hand. "I know the wedding is in one month. I received the invitation. But please, don't give up. I need you to be strong...I know it's difficult, but I need time."

"What are you going to do?" I asked as he walked calmly with me at his side, leaning against the tree again.

"I don't know. Molly is trying to help us." He let go of my hand, but I kept it over his chest as he touched my face fondly, caressing it. "If I could, I would take you with me right now, but I can't do that. We need time."

"We have less than a month," I whispered quietly, closing my eyes. It was incredible how everything seemed so perfect and alive when he was around.

"I think you will have to marry him," he said, his voice concerned. I tilted my head back to look at him. "I'm sorry. It kills me as much as it kills you. But I promise you again that it won't last long. He's not treating you badly, is he?"

"No," I said quietly. "Still, I don't want to...to..." My voice faded.

"Sleep with him?" he asked quietly, looking into my eyes. I nodded, looking away from his eyes. "You won't."

"Harry, if I marry him, I will have to--"

"You won't," he stated clearly again, and I frowned, looking back at him. "You won't sleep with him, trust me." And I felt that steadiness of a officer in his voice. Whatever he was going to do to prevent me from staying with Henderson, I'm sure he was serious.

Chapter Nineteen
Stories