Life Has its Moments

Break in- 2

When the person saw Mike's face, shock took over not only the person but Mike also. It was the last person he expected to see which was weird considering this was her own house.

"Catherine!" he breathed, in barely more than a whisper.

"Mike? What are you doing here?" Her voice was filled with alarm. "You have to leave, right now!" But he didn't move and neighter did she move from the doorway. They just stared at each other, hands hanging freely by their sides.

He took in her frail body and her face; tired looking with huge bags under her eyes. Her once full and long hair was cut in a shoulder lenght and had lost its bounce. Her eyes looked a little bit yellow- but just a little bit.

Finally, he spoke up, "I...I...Idon't understand, I'm sorry," he stammered. Her image reminded him of a bruised Mrs Verne and he tried to shake it off his mind.

"What?" She inquired, her eyes, looking directly at him.

"I'm sorry but I really can't concentrate with you like that," he said, looking her up and down with a half-smile.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, making a snapping sound with her tongue and moved quickly to grab a towel that was hanging on the door. She covered herself, which she was in a bra and a knee-lenght black tights.

She glared at him, tilting here head to one side and said, "I see you still haven't changed have you?" A sarcastic smile appearing on the side of her mouth.

HIs smile grew wider, "Oh, oh, oh, If I haven't changed well then technically, you still love me. Ha!"

The smile on her face, the sarcastic one, evaporated and she asked, closing her eyes, "What are you doing here, Mike?"

He got serious too. "I could ask you the same too, Catherine."

Knowing him to be sometimes stubborn, she just told him. "I have been in rehab for the last one month and came back here about a week ago, though no one knows."

"Why are you back? Surely one week is not enough for a pers-" He stopped talking.

"I know, a person like me. I get it. But it's not like I was done. I could barely pay for the first month so I had to leave. Obviously I needed rehab to get a job and I needed a job to get into rehab. Soooo you can see where I stand." She forced a smile and looked away.

"Catherine, I'm sorry, I didn't know-."

"Of course you didn't." She snapped.

He could see how in pain she was and the thought of going to her came to him but didn't know what made him decide against it.

"But you, you haven't explained what you are doing here."

After hesitating, he said, "Its Imogen."

Clearly alarmed, Catherine asked, "What about her?"

"She has a chance to get those legs of hers fixed, next year, in Canada."

He waited for a reaction and got one. "Oh my goodness! Are you serious?" She started laughing and jumping and Mike feared that she might break that frail body of hers into pieces if she didn't stop. But of course he didn't ruin her moment of happiness until she stopped herself. "Wow! That is amazing!" When she had finally settled and had shaken off the excitement, she asked, "So what are you doing here?"

"I, uh, I will be needing her birth certificate and other things that might deem important ."

"Why?"

"For a passport, visa and everything."

"Oh, oh, oh right, of course." She looked around and pointed to the bedside drawer. "It's in the blue-box there."