AN : Hey guyys ! Thank you all for your kind reviews and messages on Instagram it really warms my heart and motivates me to continue writing :)
Disclaimer : I own nothing and do not make profit out of this story. I just make it because I like it and because I know some people like me need their reign fanfics haha
Chapter 7
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Downstairs in the living room
Henry was still with Margot who had now fallen asleep in his arms… he watched outside through the window that his two older sons were playing together in the gardens and smiled… but his smiled turned to a sad one when his thoughts drifted back to his wife. She had seemed so upset… it was true he had made a comment he shouldn't have… but now she knew that he had never cheated on her with anyone, not even Diane… it wasn't even his fault… so why would she be so upset about it ? He didn't know… but he knew this whole situation wouldn't be easy to deal with even if he was as innocent as his Caterina was in this story…
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Upstairs in Catherine's room
Catherine had finally dried her tears and had even succeeded to fall asleep. She was cuddled in her warm blankets and her hand clenched her pillow tightly… she had been asleep for a few minutes when lines of worry appeared on her face and she began to move uncomfortably in her sleep.
"No… no… Henry…" she muttered in her sleep and tried to fight an invisible enemy…
In her dream
She opened her eyes and found herself in the first house she had shared with her boyfriend, Henry… she observed her surroundings and recognized everything that belonged to her past… she was sitting on the couch and observing a particularly old picture of herself with Henry, she remembered it was one of the first pictures they had taken as an official couple… they appeared so young and innocent, happy and in love… She observed the picture and noticed how lovingly her boyfriend had wrapped his arms around her waist and how carefreely she had laid her head on his shoulder… and their smile… the more she looked at the picture the more she thought it was impossible that those smiles had one day belonged to the strangers her husband and her were now…
A soft smiled appeared on her lips as she recalled the night they had spent after this picture was taken. It had been a Saturday night… Henry wouldn't be on mission for a long time and both had been in a break from their studies, they had had the whole night all to themselves… Catherine sighed softly as she remembered how her Henry had taken care of her that night… he had made her feel so loved, cared for and safe… she would never forget this night… the first time they had confessed how much they loved each other…
He had been making love to her so gently, so carefully that in a moan… it had escaped her, she could still see how happy his face had looked as he had heard the words pass her lips… she then recalled how he had told her that he loved her too and how softly and lovingly he had finished to make love to her that night… How she had fallen asleep cuddled in his warm arms and how she had woken up in the same position… something that hadn't happened in years now…
But quickly, the smiled vanished from her face as she remembered the events of the next day…
That Sunday morning, Henry and her had decided to go to the small open-air market that took place every last day of the week down the street where they lived. They loved going there almost every week to buy their fruits and vegetables groceries… it was so much better than the supermarket ones… She remembered that this day she had been choosing the tomatoes she would buy from a small farmer… earlier that morning, she had decided to make her famous "insalata caprese". She already had the mozzarella that she had bought in the Italian grocery store earlier in the week but she was missing the tomatoes and she had promised to her boyfriend that she would make him her "insalata caprese" for lunch since it used to be his favourite dish…
While she had been choosing everything she needed, Henry had gone to buy melons just a little a few meters away from Catherine. What he hadn't been expecting was to meet someone he knew from the army training camp… Diane… and Catherine had seen and heard everything.
The young Italian woman had seen how Diane had let her hand rest on Henry's shoulder a little too languorously…
Henry had turned around and expected it to be his wife but was surprised when he saw who it was : "Diane ? What are you doing here ?"
Diane had smiled a little too softly "Well, the same as you… buying my groceries…"
Henry was a little unsettled "Oh… hum… well, that's nice" he smiled politely, he didn't know what to say, he hadn't been prepared for this.
Diane laughed softly "Relax Henry… I see you are here alone… did you break up with that Italian girl ?"
Henry frowned, he didn't like hearing his Caterina being called like that : "I.." but the dark haired woman didn't let him finish "Oh, I'm not surprised… I knew it, she wasn't the woman for you…" she smiled a little too seductively and took Henry's hand… Catherine who was watching from afar frowned but stayed hidden from Diane.
Diane continued : "Choose me instead…" she had been trying to get his attention for months but he had never noticed… that occasion was her chance.
That is where Catherine's dream began to differ from reality… what had really happened was that Henry had stopped Diane's little game and told her that he loved her, his Caterina, and that he would never want anyone to replace her.
However, in her dream, she was seeing Diane getting closer to Henry… and what made her move so uncomfortably in her bed was that she was seeing Henry answer to that bitch's advances… she saw in her mind that he was putting his hand on the taller woman's waist and that he was bringing her closer to him to… to kiss her…
"No… no… Henry…" she muttered in her sleep and tried to fight an invisible enemy…
She was sweating in her sleep and tried to grab something invisible because in her dream she was trying to prevent Henry from leaving with Diane…
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Downstairs in the living room
Henry was still holding his newborn baby girl when Francis and Charles came back inside. Charles was smiling from ear to ear, he was so happy to have played with his older brother.
Francis was smiling as well and both of them sat down beside their father.
"Where is mom ?" Charles asked his dad with a smile.
"She went to sleep upstairs, she's very tired" that was half the truth…
Francis looked at his father and understood the situation "Maybe you should go to see her while Charlie and I watch Margot ?"
Henry nodded and gave Margot to Francis "I will…" he left his children alone and walked upstairs… he made sure to avoid making any noises in case Catherine was sleeping… he walked in the corridor and slowly opened the bedroom door. There he saw his wife struggling in her sleep and even saying his name… he frowned and went closer to her to hear what she was saying better but just as he was close enough, his wife sat up in her bed and breathed heavily. Her eyes immediately found his : "Henry" her eyes widened and before her husband could say or do anything, she fled to the bathroom as quickly as her shaking legs would carry her…
AN : Here we are for chapter 7 ! It's my friend Sofia who gave me the idea of a throwback to when Henry chose Cath over Diane and I chose to do it through a dream/nightmare :) I hope you like it hihi, let me know :)
Take care
Laura D.
