"Maria, can you grab that bag of flour please?" Catherine asked as she played a hand game with the four-year-old in the basket. Catherine had three more things to get on her list and they were all in the fruit and veggie section. She turned the basket off the baking goods aisle and went in that direction. The older girl sat back down in the basket and played her handheld videogame. The younger girl took ahold of Catherine's left hand and created some sort of game to play. Catherine had just grabbed the last thing on her list when her back pains started up again. Not your smartest move Cath. Agreeing to take in two little girls while you're pregnant by a man you hate. Catherine when to check out oblivious to another person in the supermarket that was watching her.
Heather Kessler only came to the supermarket because she agreed to make a friend a blueberry pie. She was in her own world until she heard a very familiar voice. {Maria, can you grab that bag of flour please} It's almost impossible not to remember that voice. Her voice was a cross between husky and silky. Why does she always sound so angelic? Heather had been smitten with Catherine Willows for years. It stung a little that Catherine would only talk to her in a professional setting. Even then, she had lost the flirty and charming demeanor. The next time that she saw Catherine was around the time that Heather lost her daughter. She was so warm and never judging. She knew that no one could bring Zoe back but she also never took pity on Heather. Heather thought that they'd almost become friends, but that all changed. Catherine pulling away actually caused Heather to drift more towards Grissom. Of course, there was flirtation and attraction between the two but Heather knew early on that his heart belonged to someone else. Catherine was far harder for Heather to read than Grissom. She played it close to the vest. Heather could only gather that Catherine stayed guarded because her trust in others had been completely shredded. Heather knew from the minute that Catherine took time out of her life to continuously check on her after Zoe's death, that she was someone worth holding on to. Catherine came around every day for about two weeks. They even had a picnic at Zoe's gravesite. Catherine was someone that Heather hoped would stay in her life for the long haul. Now after 5 years, Heather sees her again but it seems that she moved on with her life.
Heather knew that Catherine had a daughter named Lindsey but she didn't know that she had two more. Heather figured that they looked like their father instead of Catherine. Heather felt a pang of jealously that Catherine had found someone…..someone other than her. She got the last few things she needed and purposely chose a checkout line far away from Catherine. Heather was in a trance watching Catherine for a few minutes before snapping out of it and checking out. Heather walked out into the parking lot and groaned as she realized that she was parked behind Catherine's car. She saw her struggling to get her kids and her groceries in the car at the same time. "You need some help?" Catherine froze as she heard a voice behind her. She'd know that voice anywhere. She turned around and her breath caught as she saw Heather's beautiful face. Catherine had missed Heather so much but she'd seen how cozy her and Gil were. In that moment, she knew that Heather cared for Gil more than her. She decided the best thing to do was pull away from Heather and live her own life. "Catherine? Hello?" Heather said with a smile as she waved her hand in front of Heather's face. "Hi Heather. It's been a while." "That it has." The tension between the two women was unbearable and thick in the air. Heather cleared her throat and Catherine hid her blushing face. "You need some help? You kind of have a lot going on." Catherine was hesitant to be any closer to Heather than she was but nonetheless, she shook her head. "I don't think I quite thought out getting the girls in the car as well as the food."
Heather pursed her lips and moved behind Catherine to grabbed the bags from her cart and put them in the trunk of her SUV. "Maria sit down in your seat sweetheart" Catherine said as she strapped in four-year-old Anisa, who had Catherine's hair wrapped around her hands. Catherine pulled away too fast and didn't realize that Anisa had such a grip on her hair. "Ow! Anisa, pumpkin can you let go of my hair? I need to buckle your sister in." "I'm sorry" Anisa said as she let go of Catherine's hair and bowed her head. Catherine gently lifted her chin until their eyes met. "It's okay. I just need to make sure that you both are buckled in right before we leave." Catherine kissed Anisa's forehead and closed her door. She walked around the car and buckled Maria in her seat. When she finished, she closed the door and met Heather at the trunk. "You really didn't have to do that Heather. I would've figured it out eventually." Heather gave Catherine a broad smile, "It's okay really. I didn't mind. Besides, I'm parked behind you." Catherine turned her head. "When did you switch from the BMW to the Bentley?" "I have them both." "So, you actually did the private practice thing?" Heather couldn't hide her shock, "You remember?" "I remember we used to talk about the next chapter in your life. I remember you saying that you always put therapy on the back burner. And I remember telling you to go for it and it looks like you did. That's great Heather, I'm happy for you." Although it'd be nice to share that happiness with you
Heather picked at her nails for a few seconds before looking back at Catherine. "Well I'm not the only one who opened up a new chapter in her life. I remember you saying that you've always regretted not giving Lindsey siblings. It looks like that changed." You have no idea.
Catherine bit her lip, "Yeah I guess things have changed for the both of us." "Did you think we'd not speak for 5 years?" Heather asked as she looked into Catherine's eyes. "No, no I didn't." "Maybe we can change that." Heather said as more of a question than a statement. Catherine pulled away, "I don't think that's a good idea. Things aren't the way they were 5 years ago Heather. Let's just keep this run-in one of the few that we have in the future." Heather was starting to get ticked off at Catherine's attitude. "Why do you get to make that decision? Is this you pulling away from me again?" Catherine stopped dead in her tracks. Her hand was on the door handle of the driver's side. She turned to face Heather and for the first time both women saw the hurt and pain in each other's eyes. "I'm making that call to protect you. Trust me, Heather you don't want this. You don't want me. You don't want complicated. You don't want my baggage. You think that you want this but you want someone who'll be there. I've already proven that I'll leave and that will crush you later on." Heather got right in Catherine's face as their eyes locked. "Why do you keep running from me? Why don't you want to let me in?" Catherine blinked back the tears, "Because I'm not who you think I am. The more you find out about me, the more you'll reject me. I am protecting you from me because I'll only hurt you." "You don't get to make that call Cat? Where is my opinion? Where is my choice?" "You don't want me Heather" Catherine said one final time before climbing into her SUV and starting the engine. Heather walked back to her car and load her own bags in it as she watched Catherine pull off out the corner of her eye.
"I'm not letting you go Cat. I do want you and I'll prove it to you" Heather said out loud to no one in particular as she got in her own car and headed home.