<div style="text-align: justify;">Catherine hadn't experienced what Thad had, naturally. She had never been treated like a second class citizen in her life. She had been raised to be a lady. Though, if she stopped to think, she wasn't exactly much better than Thad. As a woman, after all, she was not her own person. But it was still better than a life of servitude. Regardless of what and who they were, Catherine also treasured every moment she had with Thad. She felt like they were so important they needed to be cherished. <br/><br/>Thad's words about changing the world one heartbeat at a time made Catherine smile. Those words, as pretty much everything Thad said, etched themselves in her heart. Catherine sometimes felt a sense of urgency, the feeling that they wouldn't have much time. She always shook these ideas off, though, and never talked to Thad about them. Why worry him, right?<br/><br/>There was a whole future ahead of them. A bright one. Catherine knew it. She knew that it wouldn't be easy. There would be moments in which they felt a need for each other, and yet couldn't be together. But they would make the best of the moments they did have. And they would be happy.<br/><br/>Probably these thoughts were what encouraged Catherine to kiss Thad. It was something she had wanted to do since she had started feeling differently than her younger self. But she had neither the courage nor the knowledge to do it. It mattered not now. There was nothing Catherine wanted more than to kiss her Thad. And she knew he would never judge her for her lack of skill.<br/><br/>Taking a deep breath, Catherine sat down quickly and pulled a book to her lap. She had to read the first lines many times before actually making some sense out of them. Her heart was beating so fast Catherine feared her parents could hear it. As both her parents walked in the drawing room, Catherine pushed the book away and stood up to kiss them both. <span style="color: #00FFFF">"Mother, Father, welcome home"</span>, she murmured, moving closer to her mother afterwards. After a short whisper to the woman, she excused herself and left the room. Catherine had alleged 'lady issues', so she could stay alone in her chambers and think about the kiss she had shared with Thad, and daydream of their future together.</div>