Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

57 | family

" She was the most beautiful, complicated thing I'd ever seen. A tangled mess of silky string. And all I wanted of life, was to sit down cross-legged and untie her knots."

- Atticus

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Catherine stood beside her mom at the pot of simmering water, as her mother stirred in pasta, glancing out into the living room where George sat with the trio of Peggy, Molly and Eleanor all cuddled around him, all laughing and giggling together. 

" They love him." Marley said and Catherine softly glanced back towards her mother with a soft smile and nodded.

" And I know you do, too." Marley whispered and Catherine smiled sadly.

" Matilda.....mom...she's just..." Catherine whispered, but ended up stopping and shaking her head.

" Honey, she's just...her life started before yours, she didn't get the experience you had, finding a man like George Luz. I'm sure she's just jealous." Marley said softly but Catherine watched her mother.

" She stared at George as if he were not allowed in the home, Mom." Catherine said softly, looking back over towards George, " I don't want her looking at him like that again. George saved my life more times than I could even count out there and having her look at him the way she did upsets me." Marley looked up at her daughter, watching her fighting down the evident tears of frustration. 

Catherine had wanted this to be a warm reception but Matilda had to be the one to mess it all up, to take out jealousy and anger on Catherine and George. Putting up that fake mask in front of them.

" Have you talked to her?" Marley asked Catherine and Catherine sighed shaking her head.

" I don't know if I want to, Mom," Catherine said with a sigh, putting a hand to her face, as George's chuckle was followed by the trio of little girls' own.

" Where's James and Helen?" Catherine asked her Mom - Matilda's husband and daughter.

" At home I believe - they didn't know you'd be home today." Marley said but Catherine just let out a sigh and shook her head.

" James just doesn't like that I was in the military." she muttered, cramming her fingers together in front of her body with a shaky sigh, shaking her head.

" Hey, honey, no, don't think that." Marley said wrapping an arm around Catherine, but Catherine just sighed.

" Let me go talk to her," Catherine said - she didn't want to have this conversation - not yet.

" She should be outside, on the back porch." Marley said and Catherine just sighed as she moved towards the door that led to outback. 

Catherine slowly opened it up and stepped outside, immediately seeing Matilda sitting in a chair, all proper and prim. Her eyes slowly met Catherine's and almost immediately Catherine felt like she wanted to break.