The End of Our Aloneness

by Michelle

Note: This story appeared first in the “Together Forever Vol. V:  The End of Our Aloneness” Treasure Chambers onzine in 2021.

※※※※※

It was still a very early Saturday morning when Vincent opened his eyes to a new day, and although he’d had a good night’s sleep, his mind was not well-rested. He looked down to his chest, where Catherine was sleeping contentedly in his arms. His lips broke into a tender smile at the sight of her. Yet, the memories clouding his mind haunted him.

Two years before, on that very same day, he had awakened quite content. He had received a message from Catherine telling him she would come down later that day because there was something they needed to talk about. Vincent remembered very well how he waited for hours and yet, she did not come. He knew that something must have happened to prevent her from seeing him. It was the day that the tragic events started to unfold…

What followed was a time Vincent wished he could erase from his memory. Although those feelings for the most part had lain dormant since Catherine had returned to him, they did resurface from time to time - always unexpectedly, always unwanted, always painful…

Vincent closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Hot tears were trying to push through, and he was fighting very hard to stop them.
You mustn’t… You have her back, you have your son, and another child on the way… you have a family now…
The rational part of his brain was wrestling with the emotional one.

For more than a year, his life had been full of love, joy, and an outward tranquillity that he could never have imagined. The images of his beloved wife and son appeared in his mind’s eye and filled his heart with warmth, pride, and so much love that he could barely keep it all inside; it was threatening to burst out of his chest.

Then, the other image appeared - Catherine lying in his arms on the rooftop, her cold hands stroking his cheek for what they thought would be one last time… her lips speaking the words expressing everything they meant to each other.

Vincent felt his chest tightening again. Those feelings troubled him when he wished it the least, though today of all days, they were not unexpected. Suddenly, he found it difficult to breathe, and only his strong will to not wake his wife from a peaceful sleep kept him glued to the spot without moving.

Their bond must have conveyed some of his feelings to Catherine because she stirred and opened her eyes. She listened to the beat of Vincent’s heart for a moment - it was racing. She quickly lifted her face to him in worry.
“Vincent? What’s wrong?” Fear was written all over her face. The memories of his illness flashed vividly before her eyes.

He exhaled, trying to compose himself and slow down his heart rate. Then, he looked into her eyes while putting on a brave half-smile.
“It is nothing, Catherine, don’t trouble yourself. I’m sorry I woke you,” he whispered gently.
Catherine observed him for a brief moment then reached out to caress his cheek.
“Tell me,” she whispered, her emerald eyes focused on his sapphire ones.
“Truly, Catherine, it is nothing.” Vincent tried to chase away his conflicting feelings, but his voice betrayed him.

Catherine sat up, feeling very concerned. She had not seen him so tense and unnerved since his illness, and it was frightening her.
“Vincent, please tell me what’s wrong,” she pleaded.

He exhaled loudly again and got up from the bed. He walked over to the high-backed chair and nervously put on his nightrobe. He was trying to breathe evenly but could feel his agitation rising.
“Vincent…”
Her soft voice caressed his ears almost to an unbearable point. He wanted to confide in her so badly, and yet…
“I can’t…” he whispered, as he turned with his back to her. He glanced at his son, still sleeping on the cot just a few steps away, unaware of his parent’s emotional turmoil.
“Why not? We have never withheld the truth from each other, never!” Catherine demanded, trying to keep her voice down.
His frustration was reaching its highest point and a quiet, low growl made its way out of his throat.
”I can’t!”

Catherine’s eyes widened; her heart almost stopped. What had happened to him overnight?

At the same time, Vincent regretted his reaction and turned swiftly back to face her. What she saw in his face was fear and shame.
“Please, forgive me, Catherine,” he pleaded quietly, and she noticed his haunted eyes.
“It’s all right, Vincent, but please…”

Catherine stood up and approached him slowly. Her hands reached for his face, gently pulling his head down. “Please, tell me…”
Vincent fought the great urge to pull her into his arms and never let go. He shook his head slightly, and his eyes glistened. 
“I… can’t…”
He freed himself from her arms and almost ran away from the chamber.

Catherine stood in the middle of their private space and felt a cold shiver go down her spine. When they had lain down last night, there was nothing but love and happiness between them. Only a few hours later, there seemed to be an abyss as huge as an ocean separating them…
What had happened??

Her eyes wandered absently, her mind deep in thought. Then, she remembered what day it was…

※※※※※

Vincent was running through the tunnels, oblivious of the early morning chill through his light clothing. The rumbling sound in his head was as disturbing as the reason for it. By the time he stopped, he had already reached the Mirror Pool. Mentally exhausted, he slumped down to the sandy ground. He grabbed his chest as it tightened, rising and falling quickly in a panic attack.

I mustn’t drag Catherine into this, not now… not in her condition….

There was something Vincent was trying to convince himself to confide to the woman he loved. When Catherine had told him two months before that she was expecting again, the feelings colliding inside him resembled a giant firework - excitement and joy but a sense of danger as well.

He didn’t go through Catherine’s first pregnancy with her and had no idea how it had affected her physically. She never spoke of it. Her absolute joy at being a mother outweighed any bad experiences from the time of her kidnapping. And Vincent didn’t want to wake disturbing memories… memories from the darkest time of her life.

When she told him about the baby, Catherine's glowing face was proof of how much she truly wanted this child. His own happiness and amazement were apparent from his facial expression and from the way his arms wrapped around her protectively and lovingly. Yet, a shadow of doubt crept into his mind silently. Catherine had endured so much over the past two years. The thought of something happening to her again was unbearable.

Vincent exhaled loudly, closing his eyes, desperately wanting to regain some peace of mind. When, after a little while, he felt his heartbeat returning to its calm, regular pace, he lifted his head and opened his eyes. His look fell on the dark liquid surface of the pool. And then, Vincent saw him.

“Leave me!” Vincent angrily snarled at the reflection in the water.
The face of the Other was studying him, surprisingly not mocking him, as it always had in the past.
“I can’t. I’m a part of you, remember?” he said, merely stating the fact.

Vincent noticed the Other seemed different from the last time they “met”. It had been well over a year. Back then, his other side was wild, full of rage, mocking his inability to face reality. He even looked different this time - more settled, still dishevelled but somehow cleaner, calmer, and his dark eyes weren’t as menacing as they used to be.

“Why are you here?” Vincent asked, confused.
“Because you need me,” the Other answered.
“You are the last thing I need!” Vincent snapped and started pacing along the pool edge.

The Other kept observing him. No matter how far Vincent walked, when he glanced into the water, the Other was always there.
“Have you come to remind me that it is because of you that I lost her back then?!” Vincent growled desperately, trying to control himself.
“That’s not true, and you know it very well,” the Other replied in an unusually calm manner. His look was almost sad. “It was I who brought you to her - truly to her. I am not just the wild, untamed part of your soul. I am the mirror image of your deepest desires and dreams. Without me, you wouldn’t be a father now…”

Vincent stopped pacing and jerked his head towards the face in the water. He froze… suddenly his newly-resurfaced resentment towards his other side was diminishing.
“You must talk to her about it,” the Other spoke again.
“About what?” Vincent asked in a vain attempt to fool himself.
“You know what. The feeling that has been haunting you ever since that day; something you couldn't erase from your mind even after she came back to you… the feeling that has the power to destroy you if you don’t face it once and for all.”

Vincent bowed his head in defeat, he whispered, “I can’t… not in her condition, not when she is so happy, and has so much to look forward to…”
“She won’t have that much to look forward to if you keep hiding from her.”
Vincent raised his head, grief was written all over his exotic face.
“I don’t know how…”
The Other in the pool finally smiled - no grin, no mocking eyes… just a genuine, yet bittersweet smile.
“She will. Let her help you, help both of you.”

Vincent stared into the water for a moment, exhaled loudly and bowed his head. When he raised it again, the Other was gone – all that remained of him were a few ripples in the water.

 

※※※※※

 

Two-year-old Jacob was still sleeping when Catherine pulled another warm blanket over him. She gently stroked his fine gold hair, watching his relaxed, contented face with love filling her heart to the brim.

Life is truly a miracle. How can something so tragic lead to something so beautiful?

The dramatic events leading up to and surrounding Jacob’s birth felt like something out of the most terrible nightmare… a nightmare she barely survived. Something far in the past and yet still present, lingered under the deepest layer of her consciousness and waited ever so patiently and quietly to resurface and hit her when she least expected it.

Catherine took a deep breath and exhaled into the chill air of the early morning. Her eyes longingly wandered back toward the bed that she had shared with the man she loved just a short while before.

Where are you, Vincent? Why are you hiding from me? Whatever it is, we will work it out together. We always have, we always will.

Her mind was willing her thoughts to reach him, even if he was somewhere near the Abyss in the Chamber of Winds. Her hand absently stroked the small bump hidden under her warm nightdress.

She wrapped herself in a night robe and decided to make some herb tea. Since Catherine found out she was pregnant again, she had tried to keep her coffee addiction at bay. After putting the vintage kettle on the brazier quietly, so as not to wake her son, she slowly moved her hands around it… the warmth seeped through her skin and brought comfort to her slightly chilled body.

The coldness she felt was more than just the effect of the unexpectedly cool early autumn morning. It was buried somewhere deep inside of her, due to the abrupt isolation from the other half of her soul… and that half was wandering somewhere in the Tunnels at that very moment.

When Catherine poured some tea into her cup, she noticed her hand was shaking. That hadn’t happened to her since… yes, since the time she was trapped behind four white walls with only one window through which to look out into the world and she had wondered if she would ever be a part of that world again.

No, not again, I won’t allow it!

She took the teacup and sat down at the table, resolved not to give in to those disturbing feelings - for the sake of the baby, but also for Vincent's sake. He would certainly feel her distress… he must have been feeling some already. As opposed to her pregnancy with Jacob, her bond with Vincent was undisturbed this time. However, their second child wasn't conceived under such dramatic circumstances...

She was watching the steam rise from the cup and disappear on its way to the ceiling.
Funny, how it resembles happiness - contained for a while but quickly escaping and vanishing quietly, yet ever so quickly…

Catherine shook her head. She needed to focus on drawing him back to her. She had sensed his unease over the last few days. Vincent was very good at hiding it most of the time, but their bond and his eyes spoke clearly - the lightness and joy in his heart, so prevalent since their life as a family truly began, was being overshadowed in the days leading up to that morning. Could he still have been suffering from the trauma of her disappearance? Some wounds cut too deep, as Catherine knew very well…

Vincent, trust me, please, as you always have…

Her eyes started wandering around the chamber. Apart from the regular breaks spent in their brownstone, this had been their chamber for over a year now. Comfortable, peaceful, full of memories; the soft, warm colours enriching each moment spent in it, just as the laughter of their child had, as he slept in the cot next to the bed.

Her look stopped at the almost overloaded bookcase under the magnificent stained-glass window. So many of their favourites were resting on its shelves peacefully, lovingly looked after.

Catherine stood up, deciding to pick a companion in her quiet solitude while awaiting her husband’s return. Her fingers skimmed over the leather-bound volumes and stopped suddenly at the very bottom of the bookcase. She rarely paid attention to the last row because it was almost out of reach, but she knew it held Vincent’s old journals, and as she respected his privacy, she had never read a word of any of them. Well, apart from that one time when he had left his journal open on the table and later, made her read those beautiful words about his love for her…

Catherine smiled at the memory of that day. It is strange that no matter how sad, confused, lonely or desperate people may be, there will always be at least one happy memory to make them smile and turn their misery into hope for better days to come.

Her smile faded when suddenly an idea invaded her head, and though she tried to shake it off, it was refusing to leave her worried mind. If Vincent didn’t want to talk to her, she couldn’t make him.  But how was she supposed to get through to him?

“My thoughts are no secret to you anymore.”

That is what he said when he let her read those words from his journal. What if some thoughts are too painful for him to be reminded of? It seemed there was only one way…

With a sigh, and feeling like an intruder, Catherine reached for the volume with the dates on the spine she was looking for. She sat comfortably on the bed, glanced towards the cot and seeing Jacob was still slumbering, her eyes focused on the journal in her hands. The Tunnels were still sleeping and the early morning hour was granting her the quiet she needed.

She opened the journal and started skimming through the pages, looking for the day exactly two years ago. When she found it, her doubts about the rightness of her action vanished. Her fingers slid gently over the beautiful handwriting, caressing it as if it was his face. And then, she started reading.

“This morning, I received a message from Catherine saying she would come to see me later today. She said there was something we needed to talk about. I am not sure why but an uneasy feeling crept into my heart as I read those words. And for the first time since we’ve known each other and agreed to meet, she didn’t come…

I know how difficult the last couple of months have been for her; she had to endure so much, especially during my illness. Yet again, the toll on her was probably greater than on me… and still, not once did she complain, abandon me, or even look at me wrongly. Her love, compassion and care have been my only lifeline in my darkest times, my only hope, my only source of strength, courage and will to go on. And slowly, my strength and joy of life grew deeper roots again.

Catherine has the right to never see me again, and yet, deep in my heart, I know she would never leave me, not like this, not without saying goodbye…
Our bond has been broken, leading me astray, forcing me to sit and wait, unable even to guess what she is feeling or going through right now.

I can’t help but think something terrible has happened to her, and that thought is stealing the breath from my lungs and turning my heart to ice… I have a terrible feeling that I have failed her…”

Catherine winced and stopped reading. This was too painful, and it was only the beginning… 
She decided to skip forward to another specific time, stopping at the date two days after their fateful reunion on the rooftop. There were no entries for those preceding two days. She swallowed hard, shut her eyes for a moment, and then, against all conviction, her eyes focused on Vincent’s words again.

 

“Why?? Why did you have to take her from me?? Why did you have to take away the only thing that I cannot exist without in my life?

I can’t breathe, I can’t think, I can’t live… without her…

People always pray to you, hoping you will stand by them and help them overcome all the difficulties they have to face. I have prayed to you as well, so many times, somewhere in the deepest part of my being… that part of me that keeps telling me I am indeed a human being…

She made me feel like a human being more than anyone ever had before. It is because of her that I am still here today. I am changed forever by the heart that was so strong, so brave, so kind and generous, so consumed with love so pure and as deep as one finds only in books…

Tears are blinding me while I am writing these words. I feel such a terrible stabbing pain in my heart, tearing it to pieces, such an unbearable loss. I feel… I feel. All my emotions are colliding within me like a storm… pain, anger, hate, loss, agony, are raging within me, and they cannot find a way to escape. I’m getting no air…

Catherine… As I looked into your eyes one last time, I should have begged you to take me with you to the other side… 

But since I now know about our son, I promise you I won’t give up. I won’t abandon him to his cruel fate in the hands of that… beast…

Come to me in my dreams, Catherine… Please, don’t leave me as I will never leave you, for as long as I live… for death shall have no dominion…”

 

She could barely see the last few lines, blinded by her tears. Catherine wiped them away, but a few dropped onto the journal page - mingling with Vincent’s, for there were clear signs of them on the paper. She forced herself to skip a few pages forward, stopping at part of a poem she recognised, written on one of the journal pages.

 

My heart is chilled and my pulse is slow,
But often and often will memory go,
Like a blind child lost in a waste of snow,
Back to the days when I loved you so -
The beautiful long ago.

 

I sit here dreaming them through and through,
The blissful moments I shared with you -
The sweet, sweet days when our love was new,
When I was trustful and you were true -

Beautiful days, but few!

But summers will vanish and years will wane,
And bring no light to your window pane;
Nor gracious sunshine nor patient rain
Can bring dead love back to life again:
I call up the past in vain.

My heart is heavy, my heart is old,
And that proves dross which I counted gold;
I watch no longer your curtain's fold;
The window is dark and the night is cold,
And the story forever told. 

Catherine took a deep breath in a vain attempt to make the tight feeling in her chest go away. This was far more heart-wrenching than she thought it would be. It wasn’t just about the terrible pain Vincent had suffered… in many of his words, she could hear her own thoughts when she recalled that night. In her last conscious moment back then, all the emotions Vincent wrote about were her own as well, though as always, there was one which prevailed above them all. Later, it managed to keep the thin thread of her life intact - it was love…

Catherine contemplated whether or not to read more, but her resolve was fading with every second. She covered her face with her hands, suppressing a sob. For so long, she had been trying to be strong, trying to rejoice in the fact that she was alive, and reunited with the love of her life, finally living her happy life with him and their precious child. Memories of the nightmare she had lived through were slipping further to the back of her consciousness with each passing day. Joyous moments replaced the grievous ones. Time and everyday life kept her busy and happy. It wasn’t just Vincent who was carrying a burden.

Despite her best effort, Catherine couldn’t hold back the tears, nor the quiet sobs making their way out into the silent chamber.

※※※※※

 

Vincent was making his way back to their chamber when a wave of sorrow hit his chest like a strong tide. He knew perfectly well where it was coming from - his connection with Catherine’s heart was pulling him to her so strongly that it almost felt like the pressure of the pull might break it apart at any moment.

Hold on, Catherine, I’m coming, just hold on…

His feet grew wings. His breathing was getting heavier. His arms reached out for the support of the walls as he ran through the chilly tunnels back home - back to her...

When Vincent finally reached the chamber, he stopped in his tracks just as he entered their private space. The sight of his wife, sitting on the bed, huddled and quietly crying her heart out nearly broke him. When he spotted the journal lying next to her, the fog cleared immediately.

With a few long strides, he was by her side, his arms enveloping her fully in the safety and comfort of his presence.
“Catherine…”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, unwilling to let go of him again while her tears were wetting the white linen of his nightshirt, quietly - minding the child in the cot despite her misery - yet persistently, they were washing away the burden she had been trying to push into oblivion for so long… a burden that had been lurking around the corner, waiting to hit her in her weakest moment.

Vincent couldn’t find words, his mind knew what to say, but his tongue was stiff, unable to move and utter a single word. Therefore, he just held Catherine as tight as he could until she stopped sobbing and the wave of her sorrow lost intensity. His cheek rested against her head, finding solace in her nearness again, though his heart was still aching.

“Forgive me, please…” he whispered finally into her hair.
Catherine pulled back to look into his haunted eyes.
“You never spoke to me about it,” she said quietly. “So many times as of late, I felt that some burden had been making life difficult for you, and yet, you never spoke of it to me… I can’t bear how it’s dragging you down…” She paused, her eyes still glistening while Vincent closed his eyes in pain.
“I can feel your will to resist it. You shower Jacob and me with as much love and care as ever, but I’ve been watching your eyes fading day by day…. I didn’t truly realise it until today, until you ran away from me, until I read this…”
Her cheeks were wet when her hand reached for his face and caressed it.

“I just couldn’t tell you,” Vincent whispered, defeated, struggling to find the right words. “No matter how hard I’ve tried, how happy I’ve been with you and Jacob, the memory of that night… of the fact that I couldn’t protect you…”
He closed his eyes, painfully reminded of his failure again. When he opened them, he saw his reflection in her glistening eyes.
“You’ve suffered so much, Catherine… I couldn’t add this weight to your heart, especially not now that you’re---” Catherine saw him struggling to finish the sentence.
“Now that I’m pregnant?” she concluded, to which he nodded with a sigh. Her look got more intense. “Are you afraid, Vincent?”

Strangely, hearing those words from her mouth was a relief to him.
Yes, I am terrified, Catherine…
“I am… worried about your well-being,” he said. “I wasn’t there with you the first time. I don’t know how---”
“Everything will go well, Vincent,” she interrupted him. “It did the first time, and it will this time, especially now that I’m with you…”

The gratitude and love on her face broke the wall of his fear, at least for the time being. Yet Catherine could still see the guilt mirrored in his eyes. She took hold of his hands.
“Vincent,” her voice pleaded. “You have not failed me, can’t you see? Your love saved me. Please, let it go…”

His eyes were dry until that moment, as if he had used up all of his tears a long time ago… back then when he wished so much to fall into the Abyss and oblivion. But it took three simple words to open the well again - he opened his eyes to her and with them, the flow of his tears. Silently, they ran down his cheeks, making his guilt and remorse flow away.

His arms pulled her close again, tightly and desperately as if she might vanish in a moment. Vincent closed his eyes, and tasting the salt on his lips, he pressed a long kiss on Catherine’s temple.
He was right, she knew…

All the memories flashed across his mind’s eye - all the bad, destructive, sad ones; the despair, agony, longing and hopelessness that filled his nights and days while Catherine was out of his life. And then, he saw the light, twinkling in the blackness of a dark cavern, illuminating the space but most of all, his heart…
“I will, if you will,” he spoke quietly, his hand gently caressing her fine hair, holding her very close still.

Catherine pulled back slowly, and her emerald eyes searched his blue ones in the dim light of the chamber. They didn’t look haunted anymore, though a hint of sadness still lingered in their crystal depths, and his stubbly cheeks were still wet from the silent tears. She was about to ask what he meant, but the knowing look with which he was calmly observing her gave her all the answers she needed.

Let it go, Catherine, you don’t need to carry the burden alone anymore either…

“I know the memories of those dark times haunt you still, Catherine,” he spoke softly. “Please, don’t be afraid to share your fears and thoughts with me… only then you can be truly free of your pain.”
A bittersweet smile appeared on Catherine’s face while her hands reached up to wipe his tears, her fingers slowly trailing his majestic features. She nodded in agreement.
“I’ll try…” she whispered, and her smile widened, pushing away her tears.

Vincent lowered them back on the bed. Embracing Catherine with one arm, the palm of his other hand gently landed on Catherine’s stomach, and his eyes twinkled as a smile reached them.

※※※※※

The early afternoon autumn air was getting a bit chilly at the Mirror Pool that day. The sun was reflected in it, shimmering on the surface like a golden veil, darkened only by the rock walls casting their shadows on the water.

“Look, Jacob, the sun,” Catherine pointed to the pool and smiled at her offspring, who was enjoying the safety of his father’s arms.

The toddler giggled, enchanted by the glittery effect on the water. Vincent smiled and went down on his knees, setting his son on the blanket that Catherine had placed there a few moments before. Jacob was fascinated by the calm liquid surface, and his eyes were focused on it.

Catherine knelt by their side, enjoying Jacob’s fascinated expression.
He is such a happy child, and rightly so… she thought.

“I agree,” Vincent spoke, smiling at her.
She couldn’t hide her surprise and chuckled.
“I wonder if I’ll ever not be surprised by your ability to read my feelings as well as my mind.”
Vincent’s soft chuckle was music to her ears, and for a moment, they just gazed at each other with love.

Catherine was the first to speak, paying attention to both her son and her husband.
“Why did you choose this place?” she asked curiously.
He lowered his eyes with a smile, watching Jacob making circles in the sand with his little fingers.
“Did you bring the letter?” he asked.
“Of course, I did, just as you asked me to,” she replied and took out a few folded sheets of paper from the pocket of her warm, woolly vest.
“Good. Keep an eye on Jacob. I will have it ready soon.”
“Ready? What?” Catherine was puzzled.

Vincent stood up with an enigmatic smile and walked towards the farther end of the cavern. He returned with an armful of small logs, arranging them to the desired shape on the ground in the middle of the cavern and started a fire.

Suddenly, it dawned on Catherine - the ashes, carrying the never spoken words to a beloved soul up towards the sky above them. She shook her head in mild confusion. 
“But Vincent…”

“I know, Catherine,” he spoke softly after returning to her side again. “It is not only the unspoken words we didn’t get to say to those we lost that put a burden on our souls. Some unspoken words are preventing us from living our lives fully, eating us up inside… words that help us to bury our regrets, our shame and doubts, and acknowledge that we need to accept our painful past, learn from it, and let it go...”

She wanted to reply to him, but she couldn’t find the words. For a few days after their “incident”, Vincent had tried gently to encourage her to share her buried pain with him. But after some attempts, he asked her to write down all the things from the past that troubled her soul, since she didn’t have the strength to share them with someone else.

And so, she had taken to pen and paper and suddenly, the words flowed, pouring out like a river which melts its icy coat too quickly after a freezing winter, flooding the shores of the riverbanks. That night, she let him read it. And that night, he wept silently again.

Catherine felt great relief when she held that letter in her hands.
“Why didn’t it bring you relief, Vincent? Writing about your burden in the journal?” she asked, truly curious about the answer.
Absently, though smiling, he caressed the golden-haired head of his child.
“Because I was carrying it alone.” He looked up at her again. “Until now.”
Catherine’s bright smile warmed his heart. “Did you bring yours?” she asked.

Vincent reached into the inside pocket of his cloak, producing a few folded sheets of paper of his own. He stood up, taking Jacob, holding him (and the letter) with one arm and reaching his free hand out to Catherine. She accepted it, and they walked over to the little fire. Vincent let go of her hand and was about to drop his letter into the small flames when Jacob randomly pulled out one of the sheets. Vincent smiled.

“There, Jacob,” he said, pointing at the bright orange dancing light at his feet. “Throw it in.”

The boy didn’t need more encouragement, his little hands squished the paper into a ball and threw it into the flames. Vincent chuckled and leaning slightly and carefully over, he added the rest of his letter onto the pile. Then, he looked at his wife and silently nodded with a smile.

Catherine returned the sign of his affection and stepped closer. She held her hand with her letter out to Jacob, who was clever enough to understand and pulled a random sheet immediately.
“Go on, darling,” she said.

After the boy more than happily repeated his action from a short while ago, Catherine dropped the rest of her letter into the flames. For a moment, she watched the flames grow bigger and warmer, melting the last traces of coldness in her heart. When she looked at her husband, she was smiling.

Vincent couldn’t help but smile as well, as the memory of words from a long time ago, from a completely different situation, resounded in his head.

- A great burden has been lifted.

- They both seem finally freed…

His clawed hand slowly took hold of hers and he kissed it softly then pressed it to his chest.
“It’s over, Catherine. This is truly the end of our aloneness. From now on, we walk only together, truly together, everywhere and anywhere, always…”
The look in her eyes and the never-fading smile on her face told Vincent what mere words could not.

When they looked back into the fire, a light breeze picked up some of the ashes from the slowly burning letters and carried them in a spiral movement up the “chimney” leading towards the sky Above. Rising always higher and higher, they would finally disappear in the glowing sun and die like the last icicle in the dead of winter.

※※※※※