Matt left and Catherine received a text from Alex asking, "Can I come over to approve the songs for your next performance at the coffee shop?"

Catherine sighed in relief. This was perfect. She could use a distraction so that she wouldn't worry about Matt. "Sure," she texted back.

Alex came over shortly and Catherine got out her guitar. With a little help from her friend, she got her amp and microphone set up.

"Whenever you're ready," Alex smiled.

Catherine's fingers began to play and she soon started to sing, "Think of me when you're out- when you're out there. I'll beg you nice from my knees..."

Alex clapped in awe when she concluded. "That was beautiful. Your voice has so much power," he complimented.

Just then, Carlos opened the front door. "Was that a Paramore song I just heard?"

Catherine nodded.

"I can't believe you're jamming without me," Carlos pouted.

"I'm just clearing a couple songs with Alex," Catherine laughed. "Don't act like that, Carlos. You play almost every day without me."

Carlos sighed. "Yeah, you're right. It sounded wonderful, by the way."

"Thank you."

Carlos sat down and Cath played Alex a few more songs, which he quickly approved. He left soon after, saying that he needed to finalize some wedding plans with Natalie.

"So, did you tell him about the wrist?" Carlos asked.

Cath nodded and explained everything that happened. "I'm just so worried about him," she concluded.

"He's just upset that he hurt you," Carlos said comfortingly. "I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"You're probably right...I should actually get to Mari's. I need to smooth things over," Catherine sighed.

Carlos offered to give Catherine a ride, but she refused politely. She quickly made her way to her friend's home on foot and knocked on the door.

"Who is it,?" A small, trembling voice asked from the other side.

"Erik," Catherine replied with a small smile. "The Opera house burnt down and I need a place to crash. I promise not to break your chandelier."

"Oh," Mari said weakly. "One minute." She rushed to the kitchen and attempted to cool down her red, puffy face and remove the long black mascara trails that ran down her cheeks. She was only half successful. She unlocked the door and opened it gently. "Hey."

"Hey. Listen, what I said earlier was rude and uncalled for. I'm really sorry. Will you please forgive me?" Catherine asked, noticing that her friend had been crying.

Mari gave a little nod. "It's fine."

Cath pulled her friend into a hug. "I love you, Mariah. You're my best friend."

At that, Mari became undone. She grabbed ahold of Cath's shirt and burst into tears. "How could he just leave?"

Catherine cradled her friend's head to her chest. "I know it hurts, Mari. I don't know the whole story, but I think you were mentioned. I'm pretty sure that Josh likes you."

"He couldn't," Mari sobbed. "They all leave for someone prettier in the end. My first real crush ever and he ditches me before I can even think of a way to tell him."

Catherine pulled away just enough so that she could look her friend in the face. "You are beautiful. Inside and out. Any guy who can't see that is a jerk and doesn't deserve to be with you."

Mari wiped her nose and tried to stifle her cries. "Josh isn't a jerk. He just doesn't-" she took a shaky breath inward. "I'm gonna be alone forever."

"Sweetheart, I know it feels like that now, but you'll find someone. Trust me. You'll probably be married before me," Catherine laughed.

"No, really, Cath, look at the facts," Mari said wiping away tears. "I'm in my twenties and I've never had a boyfriend for more than two months, except Jeremy. They get over whatever they saw in me in the first place, and it's done. They realize I'm not some model, and they drive off. Even Josh would probably realize he could do better by month two."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe it's just the type of guy that you're dating? Honey, I love you, but all the guys you've dated have been jerks. You were too good for them," Catherine smiled. "Anyone who can't appreciate you is an idiot."

Mari groaned. "All guys are jerks. I grew up without a single guy in the entire one hundred mile radius. I finally like a guy, he's sweet, he's handsome, and what does he do? Turns rotten. It was all an act, had a secret girlfriend and everything. Who was I kidding?! He was seventeen. I couldn't hold it against him, but I mean, I just wanted one real life, actual crush. That's all I wanted. I can't find anyone who isn't an idiot! I've tried, believe me!"

"Not all guys are jerks. Josh isn't. I mean, he has his moments, but overall, he's a good guy. He'll come around," Cath smiled comfortingly. "In the meantime, we need to cheer you up. It isn't like you to act like this just because a guy leaves you. You must really like Josh."

Mariah sighed. "I do."

The girls went out for lunch and then went for a walk by the Seine.

Once Mari was in a better mood, Catherine departed and went back home. She wanted to make sure that she would be there when Matt returned.

—————

Catherine sat at the piano, playing the keys with an unusual intensity. It wasn't a song that someone would know. It was one that she was composing herself. She would stop playing every now and then to add a few notes to the piece on a sheet of paper. She was so involved with her creation that she didn't hear when Matt came through the front door.

Matt marveled at her ability to play with such speed and force, and yet, play each note so precisely. Each note had its own significance, its own purpose, and it could truly be felt in the way she played. "Brava," he said proudly when she had finished

Catherine turned around and blushed. "I didn't know you were here."

"It's gorgeous, really, Cath."

"Thank you," she smiled, moving over to Matt and putting her arms around him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

Catherine kissed her boyfriend tenderly. "Is there something on your mind?"

"He left everything," Matt shrugged, "all his sound stuff, his computer-"

"Nice," Catherine laughed. "I'm sure he'll return...What are we going to do when he does?"

"Kill him quietly?"

Catherine sighed. "Um, no. I mean, will I just move into your room with you, or maybe we could just move back here? It's up to you. I was just thinking that it might be good to have a plan now."

"No, no, I cleared it out for you, just-" Matt shook it from his head. "Just, he really left everything."

"Yeah. I guess he just really needed to get away. He must have it bad for Mari," Catherine reasoned. "What do you want for dinner?...Are you still thinking about Josh?"

"No, just my sister."

"You miss her?"

"No. Just-" Matt gave a shrug, "she'd never meet my kids. It's weird to think about."

"I'm sorry," Catherine sighed. "That must be hard for you."

"I just never even considered it," Matt shrugged.

Catherine kissed his cheek. "I love you...I'm going to make dinner. You're welcome to come help."

"I'd love to."

Catherine smiled and led Matt into the kitchen. The ingredients were perfectly laid out on the counter. "The pots are in the cupboard down there," she said, pointing. "Can you grab one?"

"Sure," Matt replied, doing as his girlfriend asked.

As the two cooked, Cath told Matt about her encounter with Mariah, trying to leave Josh's name out wherever she could. When she finished, she asked, "Do you want to watch a movie once we finish eating?"

"You should go check on her," Matt sighed. "I know what it's like to be in her place.

"I'll go over tomorrow," Catherine shrugged. "I want to spend tonight with you."

"You're not sick of me yet?" Matt chuckled.

Cath kissed him gently. "How could I ever get sick of you?"

Matt laughed. "You will one day. It happens to the best of us. It'll be our twentieth wedding anniversary and I'll wake up with a Punjab lasso around my neck."

"The only way that's going to happen is if the Phantom magically comes to life, realizes how much hotter you are than him, and decides to kill you so that he can turn me into the next Christine Daaé," Catherine smiled.

"I'll need that in writing," Matt smirked.

"Which part? Being as hot as Gerard Butler?" Catherine laughed.

"I believe that you said hotter," Matt grinned triumphantly.

"Maybe," Catherine blushed.

"Oh, you definitely did," Matt teased, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I heard that loud and clear."

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" Cath smiled, putting a hand to his cheek.

"Yep," he grinned, popping the p, "but you can say it again."

"I love you more than anything," Catherine said softly, kissing her boyfriend.

"I love you too," Matt smiled. "Call her at least. Make sure she's not dead."

Cath nodded and texted Mari, who assured that she was okay. After a few more minutes of texting her friend, Catherine moved back over to the pot of tomato sauce and tasted it. She shook her head and reached into the pantry to grab a few spices. "Not enough rosemary, Dear," she smiled. "How often do you cook?" She became absorbed in her thoughts before Matt could reply. She couldn't help but wonder about Mel. What was she like? How did she act around Matt? Did she treat him right? Was she nice to others? These were the questions that floated around in Cath's mind. She decided not to voice any of them to her boyfriend, as she didn't want him to be reminded of the pain Mel's death caused him.

Cath hated to see Matt hurting. It was no secret that she loved him dearly, and seeing him in pain hurt her just she much as it hurt him.

"Mel taught me a bit," Matt said with a fond smile. He looked up, worry etched into his features. "I'm sorry. I've been talking too much about the past these last two days. It's wrong of me."

Catherine put a hand on his. "It's not wrong."

"It's inconsiderate," Matt sighed. "You're my future. I need to shut out the past."

Catherine smiled. "She was an important part of your life. I don't expect you to shut it all out. I don't want you to worry over talking about her."

"There's somedays I'm so thankful...and others, I wish it had never happened. It's a war I can't win."

"Oh, Baby," Cath sighed, turning Matt to face her and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry that you've had to endure this. Nobody should have to go through anything this horrible." She put a hand to his cheek. "I'm here for you. I'm always here. And I know that you know that, but I'm telling you anyway."

"Thank you," he mouthed silently.

Catherine was about to kiss Matt when Alex texted her. "Sorry," she sighed. "Alex is filling me in on some wedding details."

"Weddings," Matt shuddered. "So depressing."

"Maybe for you," Catherine shrugged. "I actually disagree."

"Two people who love each other are forced to accept the reality that one day death will overtake them, ruin all their happiness, and deprive them of sanity for the rest of forever."

"Yes, but you're ignoring the fact that they get to spend every second together until death overtakes one or both of them," Cath reasoned. "They get to be together and do married couple things."

"It's not as fun as you'd think," he laughed with a smirk. "It's a lot of hard work and yelling at each other to hurry up and frantic searching for the nearest gas station."

Catherine shrugged. "That actually, in a way, sounds nice."

"It is," Matt smiled, "and it isn't."

"I like the idea of having somebody always be there," Cath said with a fond smile.

Matt slipped his hand into her own. "And I like having someone to talk to. But fights are bound to happen. It's a part of life, and the sooner we have our first, the better."

Catherine kissed his cheek. "It's hard for me to be mad at you, though. How do you expect us to fight when I can't even be mad at you?"

Matt gave a chuckle. "I'm waiting for it any day now."

"You'll be waiting for awhile," Cath smiled. "I love you so much."

"Hotter than Gerard Butler," Matt repeated to himself, beaming proudly.

Catherine sighed with a smile. "Yes, I believe that is what I said."

"Tell me," Matt smiled, closing his eyes, "how we met. I want to remember it perfectly."

"You pulled an Erik and climbed into my mirror," Catherine laughed. "You brought to your place while we sang The Phantom of the Opera. Then, you played All of Me and I took off your mask...I fell in love with you the moment our hands touched."

"I fell in love with you on...was it your third week? Someone in the front row kept talking, so you just sneezed on them at the end of Think of Me."

Cath smirked. "Serves them right for having a conversation during the performance."

"And I stared at you from the balcony, and I said, 'Josh, I gotta meet that girl.'"

"And then you waited two years," Catherine laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Josh made me," Matt chuckled. "Said it be dangerous for the both of us. As always, he was right."

"Yeah," Catherine smiled. "Looks like dinner is ready."

"I'm starved."

"Good," Cath grinned, grabbing the plates. She filled one and handed it to him. "What movie do we want to watch?"

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Christopher Robin? Les Misérables?"

"Did I hear Star Wars?" Cath asked excitedly.

"Maybe," Matt chuckled. "I heard about it incessantly for weeks from behind your mirror and would like to make you happy."

—————

Catherine finished eating soon after Matt did and quickly put in the movie. They decided to watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi since it was Cath's favorite of the Star Wars trilogy.

"I don't know how I'll make it through this without any William Shatner," Matt sighed with shake of his head.

Catherine cuddled into his side. "It's a good movie. You'll like it," she smiled.

Catherine had her legs draped over Matt's lap and he had his his arm wrapped around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled softly, feeling content. "All I wanted," she thought, "was someone to love...but he's given me so much more."