The next thing I knew, it was morning, and the sun was streaming in through the window. I never intended to fall asleep in Catherine's room, but perhaps it had been just what she needed.
I recalled falling asleep while sitted, but when I woke, I was surprised to find us both lying on the floor, curled up together. If someone had walked in without knowing us, they'd probably have assumed we were sisters who loved each other. Catherine was still fast asleep. I knew she must have been exhausted, after crying for so long.
I looked at the way we were holding each other and imagined what it would be like to have a sister. What if this experience brought us closer together, like sisters? It was a nice thought, but I wasn't sure it was realistic. I tried to move away quietly, not wanting to disturb her. I gently began to unwrap myself from the cuddle, rising to my feet. But just as I thought I'd managed to free myself without waking her, Catherine's soft voice stopped me.
"Thank you for staying with me, Lucy," she murmured.
I turned to face her, and my eyes widened in surprise as I realized Catherine had been awake the entire time. I was even more surprised that she'd seemed so at ease holding me. As I stood there, reeling from the mix of emotions, Catherine broke the silence.
"I know you're wondering why I'm not upset to find you here, and even more surprised that we were cuddling," she said, a gentle smile spreading across her face.
"The truth is, I'm glad you stayed," Catherine said, rising from the floor. "I really needed someone to talk to, and I'm glad it was you."
She paused, her voice filled with sincerity. "For the first time, I cried to someone other than myself, and it felt comforting instead of embarrassing. And you, Lucy, despite how I've treated you in the past, you were there for me in my weakest moment. I'm grateful for that."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Catherine was actually thanking me? This has thought me that loneliness can transform a person, sometimes in unexpected ways.
"It's okay, Catherine," I said, turning to the door. "I'll be going now. I have things to do."
As I walked toward the door, I turned and looked back. Catherine was smiling, her face bright. I wondered if this was the beginning of something new, or just a temporary moment of connection. I didn't want to get my hopes up, only to be disappointed later. But I was glad she was feeling much better. I took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, walking out the door.
I spent the entire Saturday morning doing the chores I hadn't been able to do due to my injured legs. Thankfully, I wasn't alone. I had Laura, Catherine's nanny, Vera the Cook who lent a hand. Although it wasn't their jobs, they were kind enough to help out. Their kindness was a welcome relief. And now, I didn't need the clutches anymore, I could walk just fine.
As I worked, I noticed a surprising change in the house's atmosphere. For once, it felt peaceful. I couldn't remember a time when the house wasn't tense, with everyone walking on eggshells, trying to avoid being yelled at. I realized that the reason for the difference was that Veronica, was away and it was remarkable that Catherine hadn't yelled at anyone all day, not even me. She had been polite and helpful, which was unusual for her.
When I went to her room earlier to clean it up after the commotion earlier this morning, I was surprised to find that she had already cleaned it herself. After eating, she even took her dishes to the kitchen, another thing she had never done before. I wondered what had changed, and why she was acting so differently. This was a big change, and I couldn't help but wonder if it would last. I hoped it would.
As I finished the laundry, I headed towards the stairs to start pressing the clothes. But I was stopped in my tracks by the unmistakable sound of giggling and laughter coming from the living room. It was the unmistakable sound of someone giggling and laughing.
The sound grew louder, and I realized it was Catherine's voice. Curiosity got the better of me, and I had to investigate. I walked towards the living room, hesitant at first, wondering if it might be one of her mean friends. I didn't want any of them to hurt my legs that were still sore. But as I got closer, I recognized the voices of Matthew and Mark chatting with Catherine.
I was shocked – What were they doing here?. Mark had never shown up to any of Catherine's events before, and I'd had to beg him to attend her birthday party just weeks ago. And yet, here he was, chatting. Matthew's presence was also a surprise, given Catherine's usual behavior towards him.
But the memory of Mark's past actions soured my mood. He was the reason my legs got beaten. I couldn't help but feel enraged by his presence, so I decided to head upstairs, pretending I hadn't noticed them.
However, Mark caught my attention, "Hey, Lucy! Why are you acting like we're invisible?"
I stopped, still refusing to look at them. "I've just got a lot to do, forgive me for not realizing you were here."
Matthew chimed in, "Hold on, Lucy, we came to see you. Why are you being cold towards us?"
I kept my gaze fixed on the stairs, avoiding eye contact.
Matthew continued, "You've been out of school for days, and I was worried. Mark told me you planned on seeing me when I wasn't in school, but I didn't see you. I was starting to get concerned."
As Matthew approached me, he noticed the bandages on my legs. "What happened to your legs?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.
I exchanged a glance with Catherine, who seemed to be pleading with me not to reveal the truth. "I had an accident," I lied. "I couldn't walk for days, that's why I wasn't in school."
Matthew's eyes showed deep concern, while Mark's gaze flicked between Catherine and me, his expression skeptical.
Matthew bent down to examine my leg, "How is it? Does it still hurt?" he asked, his voice full of worry.
I was touched by his concern, and happy to know he cared. "It doesn't hurt so much anymore, I can walk now," I said, trying to downplay my excitement.
"Next time, watch where you're going, you're always zoning out. lucky it was just your legs that got hurt," Mark said, trying to rile me up.
I shot him a glare, but before I could respond, Matthew intervened. "Cut it out, Mark. That's not a nice thing to say."
Matthew turned to me with a warm smile. "Hey, don't mind him, Lucy. I'm glad you're feeling better."
I smiled back, trying to brush off Mark's jab. "Don't worry, Matthew. His words are so irrelevant, I wasn't even listening."
Mark's face turned red with anger, and he stood up, his voice rising. "What's that supposed to mean, Lucy? It's my fault I followed Matthew here? You think I wanted to come? Matthew begged me to tag along."
I didn't bother to respond to Mark's tantrum and turned to Matthew. "If you don't have anything else to say to me, Matthew, I need to get back to what I was doing. Thank you for checking in on me." With that, I headed upstairs, leaving Mark's anger behind.
"Come on, Matthew, let's get out of here," Mark said, grabbing Matthew's arm and pulling him away.
I expected Catherine to lash out at me for making Mark leave, but instead, she walked up to me and said, "Thanks for not telling them the truth about your legs."
Her words were a surprise, but before I could respond, she turned and headed upstairs. I followed her behind, heading to the pressing room, curious about what would happen next.