Chapter 11: Locked Up

Part of Catlin didn't understand wasn't going on, but her mother seemed happy to be accepting her father's proposal. Later that night, Casey explained to her that it was all part of the Greek tradition to be pinned and that there were three stages before marriage. It was lavaliering, pinning and then engagement.

Casey knew that Cappie was buying some time, waiting for the divorce before he formally proposed to her.

That night, as another part of the Greek tradition, Beaver and Rusty took Cappie out to do some form of torture to him. Usually, the brother who decided to pin a girl would keep it from his brothers to that they wouldn't give him a hard time.

Casey remembered when she was dating Cappie in their first year, when an active Kappa Tau pinned a Tri Pi and the brothers found out. They threw a huge party, but ended up dunking beer on the active's head in front of everyone.

So Casey found herself alone with a sleeping Catlin.

She decided to finally take out something from her bag that she had been longing to look at for quite some time. Her hand felt around inside the bag until she felt something velvet.

Taking it out, she saw the same box that Cappie had given her on the night of their graduation. She didn't know it at that time, but it was his going away present to her. It was the last thing he had given her before Catlin.

She opened the box and thumbed the letters engraved inside the cover.

My Creed is Love and you are its only tenet.

Cappie explained to her that those were word of John Keats. The thought back to that faithful night, and realized now that he had meant it. Cappie had been living his life according to his love for her.

When she told him that she was moving on, he respected that decision and quit bothering her. Well, except for that occasional moment or two; when she needed him, he would be there—no questions asked; when she hated him, he backed away; and when she wanted him back, there he stood, front and center, no apologies necessary, pin in hand.

At first, Casey was deadly afraid to accept his pin. After all, it had only been, short of one day, a week since they were together again. It seemed that it was all going too fast, and she wasn't sure that she was ready for everything all at once.

But then he stated his case. She realized that it was right, and that he was right.

It didn't matter that they weren't together for eleven years. The flame in her heart was never put out. This is what she was waiting for all her life—true love—the stuff fairytales were made of.

She had her Prince Charming, and she wasn't going to lose him again.

Casey also realized that he had been fighting battles for quite a long time now.

Evan with his lavaliere, some boys she started dating and flirting with until the end of senior college, and just recently, Jack.

It was Cappie's turn. None of them worked out, no matter how solid the relationship got, because it was always Cappie.

Fate had it in for them, and unlike her, he never lost faith in that.

It dawned on her that it was time she gave herself a chance to be happy with him again. She didn't care about the security or where they would be tomorrow, she just knew that she wanted to be with him and Catlin for the rest of her days.

Casey picked up the tennis bracelet that was inside the box and put it on.

At around midnight, Casey heard Cappie come in. She checked turned on a lamp and smiled at him.

"Early night?"

"Yeah, I wanted to get home to you" he said sitting beside her

Their lips met, and Cappie couldn't help himself but deepen the kiss.

Casey giggled.

"Shh! Catlin's sleeping" he whispered motioning to their sleeping daughter beside her as he entwined his fingers with hers.

He saw it.

"Well hello. I haven't seen you for quite some time." He fingered the bracelet

"I brought it with me but only decided to look at it tonight"

"Got you thinking?" It was just a question.

"Yeah, it got me thinking. It got me thinking about how I really don't deserve you. You're amazing Cap. I'm so happy to finally be with you" she said, hugging him

"Why thank you. You're not so bad yourself. And I'm happy too Case. You'll never know how much"

He kissed the top of her head.

"I better get some sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow" he said standing up.

"Oh? It's good that you're finally going to start working again. How many buildings have fallen from your mighty empire with you gone?" she joked

"Oh, the empire's fine. I was going to meet with my lawyers and see what they could do to help you with your divorce"

Casey's eyes twinkled.

"You're really serious about all this, aren't you, Cap?"

He was starting for the bathroom door, but made a U-turn, and walked back up to her.

"I would never kid about anything that involved you, Casey" he told her seriously.

The following day, Cappie was up at eight am, which was pretty early considering the fact that it was a Saturday and no one had to be dropped off in school. Naturally, Casey woke up too. They decided to let Catlin sleep in.

Cappie told Casey that she and Catlin should do something alone today, like shop for clothes. He had to be in two meetings that day. One was to see his lawyer about a divorce and the other one was to meet up with the dean of St. James' Catholic school for girls.

Casey and Catlin needed to shop anyway. Most of their clothes were being washed and they wouldn't dare go back to the house where Jack currently was.

Later that night, and fifteen paper bags later, mother and daughter entered their room in the Grandeur Hotel to find Cappie on the couch in front of the television, with a glass of scotch in hand.

"Hey dad!" Catlin ran to Cappie, hugging him

"Ah! There's my little girl!" he said putting down his poison

"It seems like my girls cleaned out the town" he eyed the packages that were carried by a bellboy behind Casey

She laughed. "Well, your daughter is much like her godmother. I really have no idea where she gets it. Thank you." Casey handed the man a twenty dollar bill when he put the packages down.

Cappie blushed. "I believe she gets that from my side. Hello there my beautiful one" he stood up and kissed her on the cheek. Casey then started taking out all the clothes and folding them, sorting them into piles.

"What did you mean by I got it from your side?" asked Catlin

"I mean, your great grandfather was quite the spender. He would buy me all these clothes and toys and gadgets, well, he would buy one of everything for himself too, of course. I think he was just using me so he wouldn't look funny with all that toys" Cappie joked

"Wow! So I bet you had a lot of fun with your clothes and toys!" Catlin's eyes widened

"Well, not really. You see, all I wanted ever since I was a kid was to hang out with my parents. I didn't want new things all the time. In fact, I remember that I would only wear clothes that they bought for me or I bought for myself. I didn't like wearing the clothes my grandfather gave me"

"Were they funny looking?"

"No, they looked good actually. Most of them were suits and collared shirts, but I didn't want to look like a robot"

Catlin's face scrunched up.

"What do you mean by robot, dad? Robots are made of metal and they don't wear clothes"

Cappie laughed.

"I mean, I wanted to be comfortable in what I was wearing. And I didn't want to look life everyone else like--," Cappie made the sound of a door with a rusty hinge at the same time going all stiff.

It was the little girl's turn to laugh.

That night, when Catlin was finally deep in slumber, Casey and Cappie cuddled up with each other in the couch.

"So, what happened today?" Casey asked him.

"Well, Catlin's got a huge shot of getting into St. James. She has to take a test next Tuesday and we have to submit her grades of last semester to the school. If she passes the test then she can start right after spring break."

"Oh, that's great!"

Cappie smiled weakly.

"What's wrong, Cap?" she noticed his lack of enthusiasm

"I got to speak to the lawyers this morning and they said that if Jack doesn't want to settle, we'd have to take the case to court. Is there anything in particular you want from him?"

She thought for a moment.

"My freedom to be with you" she said kissing his cheek softly

He smiled genuinely this time, but it wasn't his big, Cappie smile.

"No, really" he was serious

"No Cap. I took everything I needed with me. Frankly, when I left, I wasn't sure that I was coming back"

"Okay, good" Cappie relaxed. "So I can tell them to tell him that he can keep everything?"

"Yes. Why did you look so worried?" Casey asked suspiciously

"Well, I didn't want you keeping anything that reminded you of him. You can, of course…" his voice trailed off then he sighed. "Case, I really can't wait for all of this to be over. I want you to be mine, just mine once and for all. No more Evan, Max or Jack. Just you me and Catlin, one small happy family" there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Casey hugged him.

"I love you Cappie. I always have. The moment we broke up, I put my heart in a cage and gave you the key. You were always the only one who could set it free" she said without letting go of him. She was done with letting him go.