Journeys
Lynn
Chapter Two
Kanin was showing Father his plans for a new room when the emergency intruder signal made them both lift their heads from the drawings. Father turned to Kanin, apprehension in his eyes.
“I have been afraid that something like this would happen! What are we going to do? Vincent is gone to see Catherine, and we have intruders!”
“I’ll go.” Kanin got up.
“No!” A voice spoke from the doorway. “We heard the message on the pipes. We’re on the way!” Lon turned as he spoke, and disappeared along with his brothers before anyone could reply.
“Wait! Wait!” Father called after them. He got up and hurried as well as he was able to the doorway, but they were long gone. “Do they know where to go? How will they find their way?”
“I guess if they haven’t forgotten the language of the pipes in ten years, they can probably find the 17th Street entrance, Father.” Kanin couldn’t help smiling at Father’s worried face. “Anyhow, they’re on the way, and I think it’s a brave intruder who’ll stand up to the three of them.”
The triplets were back in Father’s study in a few minutes. “It was a drunk who stumbled into the entrance by leaning against it. He just wanted to find his way out, and he won’t remember a thing tomorrow.” Lon frowned. “But we gotta fix that entrance door, it opens way too easy. We wedged it shut for tonight, we’ll go down there tomorrow and fix it.”
Father was slightly disconcerted that everything had been taken care of so quickly and so easily. “Yes, yes, thank you boys, it was a good job done, and yes, it does sound like some repair is necessary. Thank you…thank you again.”
The triplets ducked their heads in acknowledgment and left hurriedly before he could say anything else. They were embarrassed by his thanks.
Father sat down at his desk, relieved that the emergency was over, but not convinced that Vincent hadn’t been needed. “Vincent should have been here!”
Kanin was still in the room, having waited with Father to hear the outcome of the emergency. He had not been one of the group who besieged Vincent with appeals not to leave them, and he felt faintly contemptuous of the fears they had shown. He was one of a number of tunnel dwellers who thought Vincent was being taken advantage of, and he saw an opportunity to make his opinion known. “Why? Everything that could be done was done. He wouldn’t have done anything differently. And the triplets aren’t the only men in the tunnels who are capable of defending them, Father. There are quite a few of us who are able and willing to take responsibility for defense.”
“Well, in ordinary circumstances I agree, we have adequate defenders, but in the case of something more serious….”
Kanin knew exactly what Father was aiming at: in case violence was called for. This was exactly why a number of tunnel dwellers thought that Vincent was being called upon unfairly. Defending the tunnels when violence and even elimination of the danger were called for was a terrible responsibility, and should be shared among all those able to do so.
Kanin said nothing further; he didn’t want to tackle Father on this subject alone. Father’s skills as a debater and his moral ascendancy over the tunnel folk made it a scary proposition to go up against him. But Kanin had much to be grateful to Vincent for, and it was time that someone stood up in his defense. This incident had decided him to call for a general meeting on the subject of tunnel guardianship in the near future.
********
Although Kanin had not met Devin before, he went to him for support in the matter of tunnel protection, and Vincent’s part in it. He’d seen Devin’s ability to face Father in a couple of small incidents that had taken place in the few days that Devin had been in the tunnels, and he thought that if anyone could cope with him Devin could. He knew from stories told about their childhood, and from what he’d seen in the last few days of their interaction, that Devin cared a great deal for Vincent, so he decided to ask for Devin’s support.
Devin was enthusiastic about helping. “God yes, let’s get something decided about this. I heard the story about his being crowded out of going topside for just a few days, after Catherine had arranged every detail. It’s time something was done about it. Vincent is too good hearted to protect himself; I guess you and I are gonna have to do it for him, huh?” He grinned at Kanin, and stuck out his hand.
Kanin shook his hand with pleasure. “It won’t be just the two of us, there are a lot of people who agree. But Father thinks no one but Vincent is capable of defending us.’ Kanin stopped short of mentioning the kind of violence that Father depended upon Vincent for, but Devin knew what was unspoken.
“I know what you mean. We’ll need to have some plain talk on the subject; I realize that. Do you think that there are people who are willing to go…all the way in defending the tunnels?”
“Well, I am. This place is my life, and I’ll defend it with my life. My wife and my child live here. You can bet I’ll do whatever is necessary.” Kanin’s face was grimly determined. “There’s no reason why Vincent should bear the whole burden of things that I know weigh on his conscience. We all benefit; it’s time we all took some responsibility. I’ll talk to some others, but I know there are at least ten of us. That’s enough to start with anyway.”
********
Father absolutely refused to hold a general meeting on the subject of tunnel guardianship. “There is no need for such a meeting. I will not authorize it.”
“All right, old man. We’ll hold the meeting without you, but I would think that you would prefer to be there. There may be major decisions made.” Devin was perfectly serious and, except for that one “old man”, treated the subject and the man respectfully. But Father was enraged anyway, as Devin very well knew he would be.
“You will do no such thing. I will not allow it.” Father’s voice was icy.
“I don’t know how you think you’re going to stop it. Many of the tunnel residents are very well aware that when it comes to Vincent you are sometimes less than totally rational. In my personal opinion, you want Vincent to be trapped in these tunnels because you suffer from the delusion that as long as he’s here in the tunnels where you can see him every day nothing can happen to him. However, the fact is that he’s not always in the tunnels, and I assure you, Father, he’s in more danger when he walks the streets of New York at night than he would have been on Catherine’s little jaunt to the country.”
Kanin stood beside Devin, staring at him, awe-struck at his audacity. He shifted uncertainly, caught between an earnest desire to be somewhere else and a naughty child’s delight at seeing his elders confounded. However, he literally cowered at Father’s next words.
“Get out of my sight! You may return when you are ready to apologize for every word you have spoken!” The older man was blindingly angry, and when Devin’s face broke into a wry grin, Father’s complexion turned a color that Kanin had never seen before.
Devin continued to smile as he spoke. “Old man, I am not fourteen years old any longer. If you want to join our meeting, you are cordially invited to do so. The pipes will let you know the time and place. Come on, Kanin.” And he turned and left the room at a leisurely pace, arm in arm with Kanin, leaning his head toward him and murmuring something too low for Father to hear as he left.
He continued on down the tunnel, still holding Kanin by the arm, until they rounded the first curve that took them out of sight of the study doorway. Then he collapsed against the tunnel wall. “Look at me, I’m shaking like a leaf! That old devil has got some powerful presence, doesn’t he?” He laughed weakly. “God, I felt fourteen!” He began to laugh harder, and Kanin joined him, the two of them leaning against the wall, helpless with laughter.
When they had calmed somewhat, they continued on down the tunnel, heading for the dining room, where they hoped to find others still finishing lunch. As they walked each of them erupted into renewed chuckles every few steps. “Well, it’s easy to laugh now,” said Kanin finally, wiping his eyes, “but you know damn well we’re both scared to death of him!” And they began all over again.
********
Catherine saw nothing of Vincent during the week following their talk in her living room. She wasn’t surprised. She knew that he was keeping his distance hoping to cool down the feelings that had been stirred by their encounter on the balcony. But by the following Saturday morning, she was ready to go to him, since he seemed unwilling to come to her. So she got up early, and was ready to go Below by breakfast time.
Vincent did not meet her at the bottom of the ladder. That was somewhat surprising, but she had determined before she came not to be hurt or angry if he kept more than the usual distance between them. She knew that in Vincent there was not a trace of petulance or sulkiness. Whatever he did was from the purest of motives, and only what he felt to be the best thing for her. So she put on a cheerful face, although she felt uneasily that perhaps he wouldn’t be glad to see her.
She was wrong. 
When
she entered the breakfast room his eyes were already on the doorway, anticipating
her entrance. He raised his hand immediately, gesturing for her to
join him and Devin. She picked up a roll and begged with a silent
look at William for a cup of his marvelous coffee, which he gave out only
to those who in his estimation really needed it. Catherine got hers
with William’s equally silent grin and a hug to boot.
She sat down at the table beside Vincent with her roll and her coffee. Vincent welcomed her with a hand on her shoulder, although it was quickly removed. “Catherine, I was hoping to see you today. I’m afraid I have some work to do this morning, a small repair job, but I should be free in an hour or so. Perhaps Devin will entertain you while I’m gone?” He looked at Devin enquiringly.
“Always a pleasure to entertain the lovely Chandler. And she is looking particularly lovely this morning, is she not, Vincent?” Devin was hoping to put Vincent on the spot, and his grin made that fact clear.
But Vincent was equal to such sophomoric banter. “Catherine is a truly beautiful woman, and never more so than this morning.”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!
Even with cinnamon roll on her chin? I’ll become insufferably conceited
with about two minutes 
more
of this.”
Conversation continued in a teasing vein for a few minutes, with Devin and Catherine trading friendly insults, and Vincent looking on, amused and pleased at the easy interaction between two of the people closest to him in the world. But after a little while he got up. “I must go, Kanin is probably already started on our task. Devin, will you take care of Catherine while I’m gone?”
“At your service, bro! A more desirable trust than some I remember from the past. Take your time, Vincent, I assure you I’m more than capable of entertaining Catherine until your return.”
They both looked affectionately after Vincent as he walked away from them, but Catherine was delighted with this chance to consult with Devin, and she pulled him up from his seat as soon as Vincent was out of sight. “Come on, get up, we’ve got to find a place where we can talk in private. I’ve got some stuff I need to ask for your help and advice about, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!”
Devin opted for his guest chamber as the most private place they’d find at this time of day. It was down a quiet tunnel at the edge of the Hub. When they were inside Catherine began to talk in a rush. “I haven’t given up on getting Vincent Above, Devin. I’ve got the beginning of a plan to take him somewhere really great, I’m thinking right now British Columbia!”
“Whoa! Why don’t you aim for the moon!” Devin was laughing, but as he realized she was serious, his face sobered somewhat. “Catherine, how could you get him clear across the country? It’d kill him to lie down in the back of a van while the whole country went by and not to be able to see it, not to speak of the danger!”
Catherine’s face was positively glowing. “Devin, I’ve got the use of a jet airplane, a Lear.”
His expression brightened immediately. “That broadens our horizons! And makes it easier to keep Vincent in seclusion. The three of us on a plane will have complete privacy in the air, anyway. And no one inspects airplanes when you stop for fuel.”
“The three of us? Are you licensed to fly a Lear jet?”
“Well, sort of. Not under this name.” He was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he raised his head, and a grin spread over his face. “Besides, in Spain and the African countries, they won’t ask. I’m flying it, aren’t I? They figure I must be able to. Once we get out of the USA, it’s a snap.”
“What are you talking about? Spain?”
“We’ll have to stop somewhere on the European coast to refuel. Spain is the best one for not asking questions, or wanting to know who’s in the plane.”
“Devin, didn’t I just say I was thinking about British Columbia? Have you heard anything I’ve said?” Catherine was a little bit annoyed, but couldn’t help grinning back at him; he looked so amused at her.
“Do you think Vincent might like to walk across the sands at midnight and look up at the Great Pyramid, and then turn to see the Sphinx casting a long shadow across the desert in the light of a full moon?”
Catherine was unable to answer for a moment, it was so far past anything she’d considered in her most enthusiastic daydreams. Then she found her voice. “Devin, please! That’s impossible. How could we protect him in a situation like that? Be sensible!” Catherine’s face took on a wistful cast. “…But oh, Dev, wouldn’t he love that…”
Devin looked up at her thoughtfully, and spoke with a little hesitation. “Some time ago, I found myself in a situation in North Africa where I had an opportunity to save a life. No heroism involved, nothing to do that was extremely dangerous at all. It wasn’t someone I knew, just an anonymous life. I just…could do it or not do it, so I did it. That man whose life I saved is now the Finance Minister of Egypt and a very powerful man in the government. He and I spent three weeks crossing the desert alone together in scary circumstances after we escaped.” He grinned. “It got a lot more dangerous after I saved his life. We got to know each other very, very well in those three weeks, and neither of us will forget it, ever. We’ll be friends until death. He’ll do anything I ask, literally, and so will I for him.”
“But is he able to control access to the Pyramids? Come on!”
“It’s not as unusual as you might think. There are people who through influence, or just through having oceans of cash, request a private viewing and get it. It happens three or four times a year, according to Ahsidi. He’ll do it for us, no problem.”
Catherine shook her head, torn between giving Vincent something so marvelous and fearing the dangers to him, not to speak of the seeming practical impossibility of the undertaking. “I trust you Devin, I know you wouldn’t do anything to endanger Vincent, but you’re a risk-taker. The story you just told me about your three weeks in the desert proves that! And I want to do this so badly that I’m swayed in the direction of not being careful enough also. We’ve got to be more cautious that either one of us would like to be. Let’s sleep on this one, OK? We’ll talk tomorrow, and see if we both still think it’s a good idea.”
Devin grinned at her serious face. “OK, counselor, we’ll take thought for the dangers of the idea. But Cathy, there are dangers inherent in the very nature of what you’re proposing to do here. Living is dangerous, and especially so for Vincent. He knows that better than anyone. What we need to do is lay this before him, and let him decide. But not until the plans are complete. I know Vincent, he’ll say no if we don’t show him the whole story.”
Catherine looked rueful. “He already has. Several times. It’s a pretty tender spot for both of us by now, but I got him to promise he’d look at any plan I made without pre-judging it.”
“You’re not going about it right. Trust me, I spent my youth trying to get him to do things. I know how to do this. When every detail is complete, we’ll put it in front of him.” He was quiet for another moment, thinking.
Catherine was learning fast to expect the unexpected from Devin, and she held her breath, wondering what other incredible plan he could come up with.
“Another thought, Cathy. As long as we’re there, we could swing down to the Akami National Reserve in Zimbabwe. I know the Director pretty well, and their airstrip’s just been improved, it’ll take the plane now. Akami’s the best game reserve in Africa, in my opinion, but it’s small, and one of the most isolated, and they don’t get many tourists. We’d see all the African animals up close there.”
Oh, sure, we’ll just take rooms at the hotel! How can we possibly---”
“It can be done rather easily. We’ll make plans to rent one of the bush camps. They’re very comfortable, and the animals are something to see, believe me. I think anyone would consider it the chance of a lifetime. For Vincent it would be…well, it would be worth a little risk, but I think we can fix it so there’s little if any. When I was there, I saw no one for three weeks except M’bago; he’s the Director. I’ll bet he wouldn’t blink an eye if we introduced him to Vincent, but we needn’t do that. He has entertained desert sheiks there who go veiled in public still, if you can believe it. There are quite a few nomadic tribes in the Sahara where the men go veiled. We’ll have an easier time in Africa than anywhere else in the world, I think.”
“Devin, if I could get him to a place like that and back in safety, I’d give every cent I have and five years off my life!”
“We won’t even think about it unless we’re assured of his safety. That has to come first, but Catherine, I think it can be done. Keep in mind, though, that we can never be absolutely sure he’ll be safe. Accidents happen, and unforeseen events occur. Vincent would be the first to agree that total safety is impossible.”
They continued to plan and discuss alternatives for the next few minutes, until Vincent appeared in the doorway.
“Come in, come in. I was just trying to convince Chandler to run away with me to Borneo. Women are worth big money in Borneo.” Devin laughed as he put his arm around Catherine. “She wouldn’t, though. In fact she said she’d pay if she didn’t have to go. I think she was trying to tell me something.”
“That you never stop talking, undoubtedly. I’ve noticed that myself.” Vincent lifted Devin’s arm from Catherine’s shoulder with elaborate courtesy, and replaced it with his own, pulling her against him in a wholly unexpected move. Jealousy, Vincent? she thought, astonished at his possessive grasp of her.
He turned to the door, carrying her along with him. As he moved he said over his shoulder. “My turn, Devin. You’ve had her for far too long. We’ll see you at supper.” He left the room with his arm still around her shoulder, and it remained there when they turned down the tunnel and walked away.
When they arrived at his chamber, his arm was still around her. He stepped behind her to let her enter the room first, but his hand remained on her shoulder. When they were inside he turned her to face him, and his blue eyes held hers fiercely. “You’re mine. No one else may hold you. You’re mine!” He pulled her to him almost with violence, and his head went down until his mouth rested on the side of her neck. They stood that way for maybe a minute, Vincent moving not at all except for his heartbeat, which accelerated steadily. Catherine hardly dared to breathe, feeling his mouth on her and willing him with all her strength to kiss her.
He didn’t kiss her mouth. His lips opened against her throat, and she felt his tongue and his cool wet canines against her skin. He made a low sound and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her until she was totally enclosed in his embrace. She felt the sharpness of the canines press on her throat as he opened his mouth wider and then bit down very gently, taking her into his mouth, his tongue caressing her skin. She sighed and moaned and throbbed in erotic pleasure at the sensations created. And then she moaned again as she felt the rise of his penis against her belly. “Viucent…oh, Vincent…”
She wasn’t sure whether it was the sound of her voice or his body’s reaction that ended it, but he stopped. Slowly, with evident reluctance, he loosened his arms from around her, and lifted his mouth away from her skin. But he didn’t step away from her right away. He stood, his arms still around her loosely, looking down at her face. Then slowly, he bent his beautiful head until his mouth touched hers, tenderly, softly, for just a moment. “My love…” Her hands were against his chest, and she felt his pounding heartbeat. He dropped his hands and stepped away from her.
He turned away, and she was afraid for a moment that he was going to leave her, but he just stood, his head thrown back. When he turned back, his face was full of bewildered distress. “I’m at a loss. I can’t seem to…I don’t know what made me…yes…yes, I do. It was seeing someone else’s arms around you. I seem unable to control impulses now, since…the other night…that I’ve had no trouble with in the past. I beg you to forgive me…”
“Don’t! Don’t say that, Vincent. You know what my answer will be. I loved what you did just now. Just those short moments were more wonderful than anything I’ve felt in my life.” She stopped for a moment, and then she thought. He can only say No, and she said what was in her mind.
“Vincent, I miss you so when you don’t touch me at all…and you have stopped each time you have held me, in spite of your fears. Do you think we could set the barriers a little lower? Do you think we could let what just happened, happen again? We both need so much to be close, to be…kissed. If you will let this much occur between us, even just once in a while, I will promise to help if you ever have trouble stopping.”
Vincent was shaking his head even before she finished speaking. “Catherine, what you suggest is that we play with fire. The feelings I have are so strong…”
“Do you think that mine are any less so? But if we’re in agreement, it multiplies our mutual strength. Between us, we can keep this thing under control. I’m sure of it…and I miss you so…”
“I know,” His voice was low and husky. “I miss the feel of you in my arms constantly. I don’t sleep…I think about you, I think about your skin, the scent of it, the smooth soft feel of it under my mouth…” He shook his head as if to clear it, and stepped back another step. He stood for a long moment undecided, but in the end temptation was too strong; his desire won out.
“If I agree to this lowering of barriers, it is against my cooler judgment, but I miss you, every moment that we’re not touching, I want you so much…” His hands came up to her shoulders, and he pulled her against him again. “I cannot resist, Catherine.” His voice was a soft whisper in her ear. “I want to hold you so much…so much. If you will agree to help, I will agree to your suggestion.”
Catherine felt inside herself a little thrill of victory. This was a great concession, and it opened doors that she had thought might be shut forever. “Oh, thank you, Vincent. I will help, I will not let things go too far, I promise you. Just know that I’m grateful for any outward expression you can let yourself show of what I know is inside you.”
They moved apart then, and sat down to talk in their usual fashion. The ordinary interchange helped to regain emotional balance sadly shaken in both by the significant decision just made.
********
It wasn’t difficult to call the Tunnel folk to a general meeting. Pascal sent out a message that Kanin and Devin requested the presence of the community in the dining hall. Curiosity at such an unusual request guaranteed that everyone who was able would show up.
Father came in after everyone was gathered, and stood at the back of the hall, arms crossed, a stern face turned as Devin began to speak.
“Thanks for coming. Kanin wants to recruit some people for a schedule of tunnel protection that he’s starting, and he’s asked for my help.” A wondering buzz passed over the room, as people asked each other why? Finally a voice was raised at the back of the room. “Why do we need protection? Is something wrong? Where’s Vincent?”
The low hum of sound grew louder as people looked around and saw that Vincent was not present. “Where is Vincent? What’s going on?” Anxious looks passed between those gathered as they began to sense a problem.
“Vincent is Above with Catherine. There is no emergency, and he’s fine, but he’s the reason for this gathering, and the reason I’m doing the talking. I’m here to speak in defense of Vincent. He’s not here, we’ve had to see to that, because if he were he’d have shut me up by now.” He stopped for a moment, as there was a general chuckle and murmur of agreement. “But I’ve got some things to say, about what happened here a week or so ago, when he was prevented from a few days’ trip Above by the fears and anxieties of some of you here Below.
“I have to tell you, I think that was wrong. Wrong of you to ask it of him, and wrong of him to cave in to your baseless anxiety.”
He stopped as he saw heads shaking, and someone said, “Not baseless! We need his protection!” There was a chorus of agreement from the crowd.
“You need protection at times, that’s true; you can’t exactly call the cops. But there are several dozen able bodied men in these tunnels. Why in hell does it always have to be Vincent?”
There was a sudden silence. Men looked around at their neighbors, as if each expected someone else to come up with a reason why it had to be Vincent.
Devin shook his head. “I wonder if any of you have thought at all about how different Vincent’s life is from your own. Different in some very simple ways: he’s never in his life stood under a blue summer sky and felt the sunlight on his face. There are other differences also, and some of them are darker and more painful to him, and they are made more so by the expectations of this community.
“When Vincent was growing up it was obvious that his size and strength were going to be unusual; I can see how it happened that he became the protector of the community. But for the life of me, people, I don’t see how it happened that you had so little feeling for him that you made him the sole protector. Isn’t his life hard enough? Do you have to add to his burdens by depending on him for violence, which he hates? There are others here who are capable of physical defense of this place, and it’s time everyone who’s able took a turn!”
“Do you have any idea how much he wants to see the world Above? I do. I listened to him crying in his bed at night when he was twelve or thirteen, after he realized how limited his existence would have to be. Believe me, he has had a long hard struggle to accept those limitations that his body puts on his life.
“Now, added to the burden he bears of his differences is the burden of this whole community. Now he can’t leave the tunnels, because you are afraid. Now he’s trapped not by his physical differences, but by the emotional blackmail of people whose only thought is for their own safety.
“When you came crying to him not to leave you even for a few days, did any one of you think for a minute of how he must feel? Of the opportunity you snatched away from him, the opportunity to look for once at a world you all take for granted? Did you think of how he must long for a single chance to look at the world in daylight? Well, by God, Vincent is going to see a little bit of the world out there, things that the rest of you don’t think twice about, and if you want to deny him that opportunity, you are monsters of selfishness.”
His remarks were received in silence. Faces were turned down to look at hands. Not one person in the room met Devin’s eyes, except Lon.
He stood up, and Devin nodded to him, offering the floor. “Got something to say. Dev’s right.” He paused, and his brothers rose slowly and came to stand behind him. “Don’t need to worry about the tunnels. Three of us. Not as good as one of Vincent, but we’ll be here until he’s back. If he wouldn’t come back, we’d stay forever. We’ll do whatever it takes to defend Vincent’s home while he’s gone.” Lon was a silent man, he looked as if he was uncomfortable speaking in front of so many people, but he went doggedly on. “He gave us a chance when we were kids, brought us here to live. My papa didn’t speak no English, couldn’t get a job, we were starving when he found us. And he gave every one of you a chance too. A chance to live here in peace, safe. Now Vincent’s gonna get his chance.” His level gaze moved over the faces in the room, catching eyes, making sure they all knew he meant what he said. As he stood looking around, each brother stepped up closer behind him. And slowly, led by Kanin, other men stood, and moved quietly around the room to stand behind Lon. Nearly twenty of them in all.
Father was astonished and gratified when he saw the support of so many volunteering for possibly dangerous duty to give Vincent his freedom. He stood up, drawing the attention of the whole room with that ability he had to command attention without saying a word. He spoke with effortless assumption of control. “Thank you all for your support in this matter.” He looked around the room for a moment, and then he edged around the crowd to speak to Devin. “Well, you got your way. It was a very affecting speech, but it remains to be seen if your idea will work.”
Devin was not proof against even such a halfway apology. Wordlessly, he put his arms around the old man and they stood for a moment embraced. Then both men quickly turned away and became very busy with something else; anything to avoid the appearance of affection.
Father spoke to Kanin next. “Kanin, my apologies to you. The two of you bearded the lion, and I’m afraid that I snarled in true leonine fashion. But we have seen that there are many of our residents capable of, and I’m glad to know willing to defend us. Vincent will always be needed, but help is certainly not unwelcome. I should have thought of this myself.” And he began to circulate around the room, encouraging and congratulating those who had volunteered, giving good advice, kindly correcting those he felt to be in error.
Devin leaned to Kanin to speak softly. “I give him twenty minutes until it was his idea from the beginning.” Both men chuckled in affectionate amusement.
********
When Vincent tapped on her door, Catherine went quickly to answer it, but by the time she got there he was inside. She didn’t stop, but walked directly into his arms, and he received her gladly, pulling her tightly against him. They stood for a few seconds embraced, not moving, both so happy to be able to hold each other again.
Catherine lifted her head to look up into Vincent’s face, and with a soft sound he brought his mouth down to hers. The kiss was leisurely; he explored her mouth slowly, with soft pressures and loving attention to what he was doing. He took his time; no guilt attached to this kiss. This he was allowed to do, both by Catherine’s agreement and by his own conscience, although the latter was with less certainty.
Time passed, and still they stood there locked together, mouths joined, lost in the kiss. When Vincent raised his head at last he breathed deeply, willing his heart to slow. “Catherine, to kiss you is so wonderful, such a joy, I want never to stop…”
“I want you never to stop. I love this, Vincent, this is making us both so happy.”
“Yes. It is making us happy. It is enough…now; but Catherine, we will…want more.”
“Yes, we will. We do. But it’s enough…for now.”
“It must be enough for always.”
Catherine put her hand up to caress his face. “Don’t, Vincent. Don’t worry about the future. Let this present happiness be enough.”
He didn’t answer; he was staring down at her mouth, watching it move as she spoke. With a groan he bent his head again to take that mouth for his own.