Spanish

Catherine stood up suddenly, paced across the room and back again, walked through a door, moved some object. She took a pen and sat at the desk. With a curse she stood up again.
For once, she had nothing to do there.

Nothing…

When Joe had given her some time off, he hadn’t guessed this: he had thought that, after losing such an important case, she would need some rest to raise her morale. Certainly she had several nights of sleep to catch up on.

Yet, she couldn’t sleep. She didn’t want to go to the theatre, or to the movies, or to a concert, either. She didn’t feel like meeting anyone (what's more, she hadn’t that many options there: Jenny had gone out, Joe was still at the office, and she had lost touch with most of her remaining friends since she had started working hard at the District Attorney office). In her current mood she didn’t dare to go Below; her common sense didn’t let her interrupt the community activities by going down at the middle of the week without any warning, no matter how welcomed she would have felt herself there.

"Catherine…"

Vincent was waiting at her balcony. She embraced him inattentively, but then she stepped out of the embrace, unable to remain motionless. After long minutes of watching her pace, he stated: "You are restless."

She shook her head, frowning stubbornly. He didn’t push. In fact, maybe he should go back Below, leave her alone… but he couldn’t let her fighting against this while he had the cure.

"I can help you," he offered.

Her irritation exploded in the only way it could. "How could you?! I doubt if you have ever felt this. Patience…" she buffed "quietness… perfection… That is you… not me. I’m tired of pretending…"

"Come with me…" Vincent stretched out his hand.

"Go away" that was all she could do to not hurt him further.

"Come…"

Catherine pressed her lips together in a pale line, her eyes shining with irritation.

Vincent took her hand with quiet kindness, yet he pressed it firmly while he guided her toward her balcony. Surprised, and yet trying to get herself together, she let him do whatever. She barely wondered what he was about to do.

"Do you trust me?"

After a moment, she nodded. He placed her on his back and descended, so her forearms could reach around his generous shoulders. The belt of solid leather fixed their bodies together. While he raised and put her legs around his waist, he whispered: “Hold on”. That was all.

Then, there was the air and the space, the hanging over the abyss. Catherine wanted to scream, and perhaps she did, if not with her lips, then with her spirit, which he was so used to hear. Fear, adrenaline, filled her ears with bee’s buzzing… or was it the wind? Vincent kept silent, his strength devoted to move quickly and efficiently while he fought against gravity and fear.

Then, his feet touched ground. Gently the pressure of the belt disappeared, and Catherine, weak and trembling, fainted on the arms that were already raised to support her.

Slowly, with the stillness and the silence, came the comfort. The breeze against her sweating skin was nice, and when she dared to open her eyes, millions of tiny lights against black velvet glittered at long distance. Vincent’s deep voice filled silence.

"I usually come here to think."

Catherine was attracted to the border of the abyss. In front of them, the city was huge and full of lights… but was down, distant, as mortals’ troubles through gods’ eyes.

Vincent made her sit, her feet hanging in the void. The woman grabbed onto him with the knuckles white of fear and effort. Yet, few times before had she felt such peace.

Vincent embraced her with his arms, protecting, and he caressed a side of her face with his nose. It tickled.

"That is my world" Catherine noticed, incredulous.
 

"That it is."