Chapter 14 - Catherine's Instructions
Catherine began with Lily.
“Come closer.”
Lily climbed onto the bed carefully.
Catherine touched her cheek.
“Do you remember what we talked about?”
“About dying?”
Isaac flinched.
Lily noticed.
“Daddy doesn't like the word.”
Catherine smiled faintly.
“Daddy is improving.”
Isaac muttered, “Apparently not enough.”
Catherine returned her attention to Lily.
“I need you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“Keep making stars.”
Lily looked confused.
“On lists?”
“Anywhere.”
Catherine pointed weakly toward the blue list on the dresser.
“People like crossing things out because it means they're done. I want you to remember the good part instead.”
Lily's eyes filled.
“Okay.”
“And don't become too responsible.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means grown-ups sometimes praise little girls for being easy when what they really mean is quiet.”
Megan looked at Catherine.
Catherine continued.
“Ask questions. Make noise. Tell people when you need them.”
Lily nodded solemnly.
“Even Daddy?”
“Especially Daddy.”
Isaac laughed softly through tears.
Then Catherine looked at Helen.
“Oh, no,” Helen said.
“Oh yes.”
Catherine took her sister's hand.
“Do not disappear again.”
Helen's face crumpled.
“You're the one threatening to.”
Catherine smiled.
“Cheap joke.”
“Runs in the family.”
“If I go first, you stay.”
Helen nodded.
“With Isaac?”
“With everyone.”
Isaac looked at her.
Helen had entered his house as a stranger.
Now the thought of her leaving felt wrong.
“You have a room,” he said.
Helen wiped her eyes.
“I'm not living permanently with a man who has opinions about coffee before eight a.m.”
“Good.”
“But I'll visit.”
“Frequently,” Catherine ordered.
“Yes, Cathy.”
Then Catherine turned to Megan.
Megan sat closer.
“I don't know what you think I did,” Megan whispered, “but whatever speech you prepared is unnecessary.”
“That's unfortunate. I worked on it.”
Megan smiled.
Catherine squeezed her hand.
“You came into this house to clean floors.”
“Yes.”
“And instead you made a mess.”
Isaac laughed.
Megan looked offended.
“I cleaned the mess.”
“No. You made the good kind.”
Catherine's voice grew weak.
“You opened curtains. You played terrible music.”
“You picked the music.”
“I am editing history.”
Megan smiled through tears.
“You asked me what I wanted.”
Catherine looked toward Isaac.
“And then you irritated my son until he started asking too.”
“Public service.”
“Megan.”
Her tone changed.
“Do not stay because you feel responsible for us.”
Megan's face fell.
“I—”
“Promise.”
“I care about you.”
“I know.”
“And Lily.”
“I know.”
“And Isaac.”
The room went very quiet.
Megan glanced at him.
Catherine smiled weakly.
“I am sick, not blind.”
Megan laughed through tears.
“Promise me you will stay only if staying becomes part of your life, not because you think you owe me.”
Megan swallowed.
“I promise.”
“Good.”
Finally Catherine looked at Isaac.
He had been dreading his turn.
“Come here.”
He sat beside her.
She studied his face.
“You look like Thomas when you're scared.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Stop hating it.”
“I don't.”
“Yes, you do.”
He looked down.
Catherine touched his hand.
“You spent years trying not to become your father.”
“I became him anyway.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You inherited his mistakes. That doesn't mean you must keep them.”
Isaac felt his throat tighten.
“What do you want me to promise?”
“That you won't turn losing me into another job.”
He shut his eyes.
“Mom.”
“No twelve-hour days because the house feels empty.”
“I won't.”
“No sleeping in the office.”
“I won't.”
“No pretending Lily is fine because she stops asking.”
“I won't.”
“No buying Megan a bakery.”
Megan laughed unexpectedly.
Isaac looked offended.
“I wasn’t—”
Everyone stared at him.
He sighed.
“I considered it.”
Megan pointed.
“Absolutely not.”
Catherine smiled.
“And stop trying to rescue people who are asking you to stand beside them.”
He nodded.
“I promise.”
“One more.”
“Of course.”
“Forgive me.”
His face changed.
“For the letter?”
“For everything I got wrong.”
“Mom.”
“For Helen. For Thomas. For letting you believe things that weren't true because correcting them frightened me.”
Isaac leaned forward.
“There is nothing to forgive.”
“Yes, there is.”
He looked into her eyes.
Catherine had never needed to be perfect.
He had made her perfect after his father died because one reliable parent felt safer than two complicated ones.
Now she was asking him to let her be human.
“I forgive you.”
Tears ran down her face.
“And you forgive me,” he added.
She laughed.
“You haven't done anything.”
“I’m sure there's a list.”
“Several.”
He bent and kissed her forehead.
For the next two weeks, Catherine remained weak but stable.
Friday dinner with Megan was postponed.
Then postponed again.
Strangely, neither seemed frustrated.
They had coffee after Catherine slept.
Walked Lily to school together.
Sat on the patio in silence.
The relationship grew in spaces that were not officially dates.
One evening Isaac found Megan reading beside Catherine's chair.
Catherine was asleep.
He whispered, “You can go home.”
“I know.”
“You've been here twelve hours.”
“I know.”
“You promised not to stay from obligation.”
Megan closed the book.
“I’m not.”
He understood.
She wanted to be there.
So he stopped trying to send her away.
He sat opposite her.
For several minutes they listened to Catherine breathe.
Megan whispered, “I’m scared.”
Isaac looked at her.
“That she'll die?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.”
“I keep thinking I should be better at this.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm the one constantly telling everyone not to run from it.”
He smiled sadly.
“Knowing something hurts doesn't make it hurt less.”
Megan nodded.
Isaac reached across the space.
She gave him her hand.
No employer.
No employee.
Two frightened people.
Catherine opened one eye.
“If you're going to hold hands, at least stop pretending I'm asleep.”
Megan snatched her hand back.
Isaac laughed.
“You are unbelievable.”
“I am dying. Privacy rules don't apply.”
“Go back to sleep.”
“No.”
She sat more upright.
“I want music.”
Megan reached for the speaker.
“Country?”
“Old Sinatra.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
“Dad hated Sinatra.”
“Exactly.”
Music filled the room.
Catherine smiled.
“Dance.”
Isaac looked at Megan.
“No.”
Catherine pointed.
“Both of you.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
Megan laughed.
“This feels manipulative.”
“It is.”
Isaac stood.
“Come on.”
Megan stared.
“You’re giving in?”
“She'll never stop.”
“Correct,” Catherine said.
Megan took Isaac’s hand.
They moved awkwardly near the fireplace.
No grand choreography.
No sweeping kiss.
Just slow steps.
Megan laughed when Isaac nearly stepped on her.
“You're terrible.”
“I can afford lessons.”
“Of course that’s your solution.”
Isaac smiled.
Then they stopped laughing.
Their faces were close.
Catherine watched quietly.
Isaac did not kiss Megan.
Not yet.
Instead he rested his forehead against hers.
The tenderness was almost worse.
Catherine whispered, “There.”
They looked toward her.
“What?” Isaac asked.
“That.”
Catherine smiled.
“That’s the house I wanted back.”
Three mornings later, Isaac woke before dawn because something felt wrong.
He walked to Catherine's room.
The door was open.
Helen sat beside the bed crying silently.
Megan stood near the window.
Ruth looked at Isaac.
No one had to say anything.
He went to his mother.
Catherine opened her eyes.
Barely.
“Morning,” he whispered.
Her lips moved.
He leaned closer.
“What?”
“Curtains.”
He looked.
They were half closed.
Isaac crossed the room and opened them completely.
Morning light spilled in.
Catherine smiled.
Then she whispered one final instruction.
May you like
“Don't close them again.”
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