A pair of hands rested on her shoulders, followed by a warm body pressing close, drawing her into an embrace.
"Please, don't be sad anymore, okay?" Natalie's soft voice whispered in her ear.
Catherine lifted her tear-streaked face to look at the girl beside her. Though her tears had almost stopped, they welled up again, and she buried her head deeper into Natalie's shoulder.
"Cathy, I'm begging you, don't be like this," Natalie pleaded, gently patting her back. "If... if it's because of what just happened... I don't mind, not at all."
The young girl trembled slightly and lifted her head again. Despite her tear-blurred vision, she could see the sincerity and concern in Natalie's eyes.
"Nat!" Catherine whispered her name, then turned and knelt on the floor, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace.
"I missed you so much," she murmured as she rested her head on Natalie's shoulder, not caring whether the other girl heard her or not.
The two girls knelt there on the bathroom floor, holding each other close, feeling the warmth and heartbeat of the other. They were so close, it seemed nothing could tear them apart—they could stay like this forever.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally pulled apart, looking at each other's flushed faces before breaking into giggles. The last traces of Catherine's tears vanished with their laughter.
Then, suddenly, Natalie leaned in and brushed her lips lightly against Catherine's. Seeing the surprise in Catherine's eyes, she stammered shyly, "If this... if this makes you feel better..."
Catherine smiled and naturally took her hand. "Thank you, Nat. I feel much better now. Though I still have a few things to work through, I'll figure it out. But we should get going—if we stay too long, Mr. Besson might go mad."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Natalie asked.
Catherine responded by lightly brushing her lips against Natalie's, then smiled. Without saying anything more, they shared a look and opened the stall door together.
"By the way, Nat, I locked the stall door. How did you get in?"
"Oh, I climbed over from the next stall. Didn't make a sound."
"… Impressive skills!"
"Are you heading back now?" Al asked, watching as Catherine packed her things.
"I'll be staying for another two or three days. My grandparents live on Long Island, and I haven't visited them since we started filming in New York. I've only called them a few times. Now that we've wrapped up, I have to go see them, or it would be too rude," the young girl said, tossing her clothes into her backpack and playfully shrugging her shoulders.
"Must be nice to have someone who cares about you," Al remarked theatrically. "Too bad no one really cares about me."
"Plenty of people care about you. If you want, I can find a dozen of them on the street for you right now, my dear daddy," Catherine teased, drawing out the last word.
"Yes, yes, I know," he laughed, then patted her on the head. "You know, Cathy, you're a lot more lively now than you were a while ago. Now, you really seem like a kid."
"Are you saying that before, I was some kind of little monster wrapped up in a shell of my own design?" Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, did I say that?" Al feigned confusion, making the girl burst into laughter.
"Alright, Dad, I have to go," Catherine said, stepping forward to hug him. Then she looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "If it's possible, my birthday is on the 16th of next month. Do you think you could come to my birthday party?"
"Next month, on the 16th?" Al thought for a moment. "If Mr. Mason doesn't mind me stealing his daughter away, then of course, I'll be there."
"Then it's a promise!" Catherine cheered, raising her fist.
"A promise!" Al smiled and bumped his fist against hers.
Outside the hotel, Godfather Brian was chatting with Jodie Foster, who was occasionally covering her mouth to hide her laughter, clearly enjoying the conversation. Nearby, David and Paul were also present.
"Hey, sweetheart, are we leaving now?" Brian called out when he saw Catherine emerging with Al and Sparrow.
Catherine glanced at Jodie standing beside him and smiled. "If you want to stay a little longer, I can wait, Godfather."
"Uh, no, let's head out now," Brian said, scratching his head in embarrassment, though he had no idea that Catherine's smile wasn't directed at him.
"Cathy, you look like you're feeling much better. Did you manage to resolve what was bothering you?" Jodie asked quietly, pulling her aside as they said their goodbyes.
Looking into her clear blue eyes, Catherine sighed softly. "I don't know whether to hate you or thank you, Jodie. You're the first person to see through me." Though you didn't see everything.
Jodie smiled gently. "I've always had a sharp intuition. I told you we share the same soul, so I never saw you as a child, Cathy. Whether you hate me or thank me, I don't mind. As long as you've come to understand yourself, that's what matters."
"I think I've figured it out, more or less. Though I still have a lot of issues to work through, I'm no longer an ostrich," the young girl shrugged, unsure if she felt resigned or relieved.
"Well, then, I'll be off," Catherine said, glancing at her godfather, who was already in the car, and smiling again. "Oh, and if you're planning to turn someone down, whether you're straightforward or make up an excuse, it's best to do it quickly. Some people have a habit of clinging on."
Jodie laughed softly. "Alright, thanks for the advice, Cathy."
***********
For the next two days, Catherine stayed at the Long Island villa, keeping her grandfather company. They chatted about the amusing moments she had while filming, or they'd take walks together in the streets. Sometimes, she would watch her grandmother practice martial arts beside the plum blossom posts, then attempt to step on them herself, only to turn pale and be carried down by her grandmother. All in all, she was still the obedient granddaughter she'd always been—though what was really going on in her mind was anyone's guess.
Since Natalie's house was very close by, and Natalie returned home after filming each day, Catherine would often go over to her house to play in the evenings. The Hershlag couple were very fond of her.
The two girls' favorite activity was riding their bicycles along the coastal road on Long Island at dusk. Even though the weather was still quite cold, the ride was exhilarating.
Despite the closeness between them, they didn't kiss again like they had that day, nor did they share any more passionate moments. What lingered between them was a subtle, unspoken sense of affection, though neither Natalie nor Catherine seemed to notice.
Originally, Catherine wanted to invite Scarlett out so the three of them could explore New York together. She was curious to see what kind of chemistry would arise between Natalie and Scarlett, especially considering that they might one day co-star in "The Other Boleyn Girl."
However, time was too short—she only had two days—and her mother in Los Angeles had already found out about the accident on set. Apparently, her father hadn't managed to keep it a secret. Her mother was ready to fly to New York immediately, but after much persuasion from her father, she agreed to stay put and instead issued a command—yes, a command—that Catherine return home immediately!
Moreover, with Natalie busy filming and Scarlett needing to attend school, and with no adults to accompany them, Catherine had to abandon the idea, pack her things, and head back to Los Angeles.
Fortunately, her mother was wise enough not to mention the accident when she spoke with her grandfather on the phone, and Catherine made sure not to bring it up either. Otherwise, even if her mother had given the order, her grandfather wouldn't have let her leave.
"Oh my God, are you alright, sweetheart?" At the airport entrance, Susan, who had been waiting for some time, rushed over excitedly and scooped her up into a hug.
"It's okay, Mom. Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm really okay," Catherine said, gently patting her mother's back. Though she found her mother's reaction a bit over the top, she still tried to reassure her.
"How can I not worry? It was just a movie, and something like this happened. I think I should hold Warner Bros. accountable for their negligence!" Susan said passionately, showing no intention of letting go of Catherine.
Catherine couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was just a false alarm—was all this fuss really necessary? Or had her father somehow made the situation sound worse when explaining it?
"Mom, in any case, I didn't get hurt, so let's talk about this at home, okay? We're at the airport!" Catherine sighed.
"Alright, let's go home. I had Jennifer make your favorite fruit pie." Her mother nodded and kissed her gently on the forehead.
If I had a choice, I'd prefer Kung Pao Chicken, Catherine grumbled inwardly. But then she remembered Aunt Jennifer's attempts at cooking, which, despite all the lessons from her grandmother, still resulted in sticky, gooey chicken. She quickly dismissed the thought. Fruit pie it is.