The world had stopped. For a moment, Jack felt that he couldn't breathe. How could he? His world was looking so bright, and now it was crashing all around him.
"I . . . I don't understand. You'se leaving?" Jack asked, feeling his hands beginning to tremble.
Katherine sighed, looking down at her feet. "Jack, I told you I have to. It's an opportunity of a lifetime to work in London, and I can't pass it up."
"What's London got that New York don't got?" Jack questioned, shaking his head. "Tea?"
"It's not that simple," Katherine explained. "It's not about which is better, it's about the opportunities this new job will provide me. I can actually make a name for myself over there. Something working at the Sun never gave me."
"What you need a name for?" Jack asked. "You got a name already."
"You know what I mean, Jack," Katherine sighed.
"No, I don't know what you mean," Jack said. "I don't know what you mean at all. You told me there was no sense in running away to Santa Fe, but you'se running away now. You'se leaving me and everyone else behind like we ain't something important. I don't understand."
"Jack, that's not true," Katherine argued. "I never once said you weren't important."
"Then why is you leaving me?" Jack demanded.
Katherine sighed, looking back down at her feet. She didn't want to meet Jack's eyes, she couldn't face him, not when he looked so hurt, not when she was the one that had caused it.
"You said you wasn't going to change your mind," Jack said quietly. "Why did you go back on your word?"
Katherine looked up at him, feeling the beginning of tears prickling her eyes. "I don't want to leave you, I really don't. But . . . but I have to do what's best for me."
"So, I wasn't good enough for you?" Jack asked softly.
"Jack Kelly, you were more than good enough for me," Katherine said firmly. "If anything, I'm not good enough for you."
Jack laughed. "That's a laugh," he said. "You know I ain't worth nothing. Now you, you was the best thing to ever come around. You was more than anything I could have ever deserved. I guess I can't be mad at you for leaving, but I just want to understand why."
Katherine bit her lip, carefully wiping at her eyes. "It would never have worked, anyways," she began. "Our worlds were just too different. I could never understand the things you've gone through, and my father, well, my father would have never approved of anything more than what we were. It's not that you weren't good enough, Jack, it's just that . . . I could never be good enough for you."
Jack rubbed his hands over his face. "You? Never good enough for me? You know that ain't true. I got nothing but pennies to my name, and you got a fortune waiting for you someday. I was the one who was never good enough for you and your world."
"There's more to life than money, Jack," Katherine said. "You may not have a fortune, but you have something that I could never gain with money."
"Yeah, and what's that?" Jack questioned.
"Loyalty, love, understanding of the world that I could never wrap my head around," Katherine stated. "Face it, Jack, your life experiences outweighs mine. I'll never have the heart that you have."
Jack blinked, staring blankly at her. "I don't know about that."
"Well, I do," Katherine said. "You're special, Jack. In ways I'll never comprehend."
Jack shook his head. "Maybe . . . maybe I could come with you?" he suggested, grasping for straws now. "We don't have to do this; I can go with you to London. We don't have to be apart."
Katherine shook her head. "No, Jack," she said. "Your boys need you. Davey, Crutchie, the other newsies, they all look up to you. You can't abandon them."
"I don't want to lose you," Jack said, almost pleading. "Katherine, I can't lose you."
Katherine frowned, her eyes prickling again. "You'll find someone else, someone better," she assured him.
"You don't give yourself enough credit," Jack told her. "You was someone better, better than anyone I'se ever known."
Katherine smiled softly. "Thank you, Jack. That means a lot."
"You . . . you really sure about this?" Jack asked. "I mean, you'se really sure?"
Katherine nodded slowly. "As sure as I'll ever be."
"Will you promise me something?" Jack asked. "Will you do this for me?"
"Anything," Katherine said.
"Promise you won't forget me," Jack said. "And I promise I won't forget you."
Katherine held out her hand for Jack to shake. "It's a deal," she said.
Jack took her hand and shook it, hesitating before letting go.
"Even though I'm gone, what was ours still will be," Katherine said. "It meant something. And you'll always be a part of me."
Jack gave her a small smile. "I believe in you, Kath," he said. "I know you'll do great in London."
"Well now I have something to believe in," Katherine said. "Now I know that you believe in me."
"Take care of yourself, will ya?" Jack asked.
"You do the same," Katherine told him.
Jack leaned in for an embrace, and Katherine followed suit, taking in his scent for the last time. As always, he smelt of ink and sweat, a smell that would normally disgust her, but now only reminded her of home. It was going to be a hard journey, and she didn't even know if what she was doing was right, but it was the decision she had made, and she wasn't going back now. As much as she would miss Jack, she knew she needed to take this step. And knowing that Jack's memory would go with her only gave her more strength to press on.
Yes, she would be alright, and so would he. Because they believed in each other, and that belief made all the difference.