The individual chapters of the story of Catherine & Thomas are not meant to be read on their own. Please read the preceding chapters otherwise the events of this chapter won't make much sense.
Thank you to those who took the trouble to send me feedback and helpful suggestions. One anonymous reader gave me several good suggestions, one of which opened up the story for me in an unexpected way. I don't know your name and you didn't leave an email address so I can only say "thank you" here.
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I returned from my run in the park, exhausted but resolute. It was time I took charge of my life. Thomas was right in one respect – I was a little girl. If I wanted to call myself an adult I had to decide the direction my life would take and not leave that up to Thomas or anyone else. I had used my parents' benignly neglectful parenting style, Thomas's golden boy status and my own innate shyness as excuses for not taking risks or finding out what I really wanted to do with my life.
I was chastened at how easily I had accepted Thomas's behaviour and his dominance over me. I made excuses for his possessiveness and jealousy and I hadn't once questioned his sometimes irrational behaviour. I reasoned that he acted the way he did because he loved me. Even omitting the taboo nature of our love, Thomas's behaviour was neither reasonable nor healthy. His willingness to destroy someone he perceived as a threat to our relationship frightened me.
I knew I could not return to work; that was just impossible. I would email a formal resignation in the morning. Next, I had to call Veronica and explain to her personally that I would not be returning. She was my friend and I owed her that. I had to tell my parents of course and I decided that there was no better time than the present. I had to tell them before my courage failed me and before Thomas had a chance to speak to them.
When I arrived home my parents were sitting down to eat. I saw the relief in my father's eyes when I walked in. My mother glanced up sharply.
"You see Patrick? I told you she was ok. You were worried about nothing. Such a fuss about nothing!" my mother said waspishly to my father.
I looked at my mother as she spoke and was surprised to see that her sharp words were contradicted by the relief in her eyes. For the first time in my life I realised that my mother cared about me.
"I'm sorry I worried you." I addressed both my parents. "I was upset about something and I thought going for a long run would clear my head. I didn't realise how late it was. I'm really sorry."
"That's ok love." My father replied fondly. "We know you're a big girl and can look after yourself but we were a bit worried that you left without saying anything to us."
"Hmmph, not to mention the fact that I didn't know if you were having supper with us or not. I didn't know if I should set another place." My mother grumbled, but I knew her heart wasn't in it.
I dashed upstairs for a light-speed shower and a change of clothes and then joined my parents at the supper table. My mother was good cook and I attacked her food with relish. It was comforting to know that emotional trauma hadn't affected my appetite. When the meal was over I knew I could not delay the moment any longer.
"Mom, dad, I have to tell you something." I announced.
My parents paused in clearing the table and looked at me expectantly.
"I, uh, I have to tell you that I no longer work for Thomas." I plunged in. "There've been some major and unexpected changes at the company and it's become impractical for me to continue working there."
"Your brother fired you?" my mother asked. "That doesn't sound like Thomas. He would never fire his sister. Did you do anything to annoy him Catherine? You know how you go off into your own world sometimes and you just can't do that kind of thing at work."
Now this was my familiar mother. Always ready to see Thomas's side of the story and convinced of his rightness in all things. I had a fleeting thought in that moment that here might lay the seeds of Thomas's unshakeable belief that he could do whatever he wanted in order to have what he wanted. It's such a cliché to blame the mother and I didn't really blame my mother – it was just that I could see how Thomas's exaggerated sense of entitlement might have been reinforced.
"Mom, I didn't do anything to annoy him. It's just that things changed and there was no longer a need for my job. I was made redundant mom, not fired." I lied.
"Well, I'm sure Thomas did whatever he thought was best." Mom sniffed.
"Now Doris, leave the girl alone. She just lost her job and that's an upsetting experience. Leave her be." My father said mildly.
"Never mind dear." He said to me kindly. "I know you'll find something else soon. Look at this as a valuable learning experience."
"Oh it was an extremely valuable learning experience Dad." I said emphatically.
If only he knew.
After I helped my parents clean up, I went upstairs to my room and called Veronica.
"Catherine, I'm so glad to hear from you." Veronica said. "I was worried when you left so abruptly. Are you ok?"
"I'm fine Veronica, just in shock, I suppose." I replied. "What Thomas did was so utterly unexpected I didn't know how to deal with it. I was being silly really, over-reacting like that."
"No, don't say that. You like Kyle and what happened was really nasty. It must be difficult being caught between your brother and a man you like." She said.
"Kyle and I were never involved you know. We were friends; that's all." I felt I had to put the record straight, at least in that regard.
