" You are my sun, my moon and all of my stars."

- E. E. Cummings

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Saratoga Springs, Upstate New York - October 19th, 1945

" Are you sure, George?" Catherine McCown softly asked him as the taxi slowly approached her home in Upstate New York. George Luz watched her.

" Of course, Cath!" he said softly looping an arm over her shoulder and pulling her closer, " Why wouldn't I?"

" 'Cause my dad's...you know.." Catherine said. Catherine and George had plenty of discussions around the way her father had treated her compared to her older sister.

" I care about you more, Cath," George said, his warm embrace enough of a comfort for now, as she gently snuggled into his side. Catherine was tough, but she just melted in George's arms most of the time and she needed that.

" They're your family and no matter who they are I'll still love you, we all have crazy family - just wait until you meet Cousin Javier." George said and Catherine had to let out a laugh. George had talked about Javier before - he reminded her of Speirs. It made her laugh.

" And my siblings, my brothers - they're not home yet, but my younger sisters are and Matilda's always over with her husband and so it should be...interesting. I feel so bad, I just...my dad, he's the ex-Marine, he's just super-" George softly stopped Catherine by placing a gentle kiss to her forehead which made her melt just a bit more.

" I don't care," he whispered, " I love you." Catherine looked up and met his eyes and her heart softly thrummed against her chest. The taxi slowly pulled up towards the beautiful home in Saratoga Springs.

" Holy shit," George muttered, but when he met Catherine's eyes they were sad. Her gaze stayed on the home and George knew it was taking a lot in her to move from the seat of the taxi.

" Hey, it's okay." George softly said, " I'll be right there with you."

Catherine softly cuddled against him, trying to calm her breathing down with his heart rate. The first time in over 3 years where she'd be seeing her parents again, seeing Matilda again, her younger sisters, all of them. It scared her. It truly did, deep down, it scared her. Because the fact she was bringing home George, who was most definitely not the wealthy business man her father had harped on her for years to go after. Her mother had been more in her father's shadow, and had cared more, but Catherine had just wanted her mother to use the voice she had. Her mother had yet to, even though Catherine loved both of them.

" I'm sorry if they say anything, I tried to tell them in my letters about you, about everything, they just their from the stuck up side of Upstate, they're just, they have a way of life.." Catherine said.

" Hey, Cath," George said softly, brushing a hand on her cheek," I love YOU. And that means I love your entire family, no matter how much you love them. I won't ever stop loving you because I'm told I can't alright?" Catherine felt tears well up in her eyes and George softly pecked her lips.

" C'mon, I'm sure they're waiting for us," George said as he shuffled out of the car," And don't get out yet, I want to get the door for you." And with that he jumped out of the car with an excited giggle, leaving Catherine blushing.

The second the door opened, Catherine looked up in the warm night to see George there, with a gentle smile on his face, hand held out towards her. Catherine softly took his hand and stepped up and out of the car, looking up towards his face with a proud smile.

" I'll get your bags, you two head up." the taxi driver said.

" We can take 'em," George said. The taxi driver watched the two with a soft smile.

" You two fought a war, I drove cabs. I'm going to get your bags." he said and smiled. George and Catherine turned to watch each other and the two smiled softly.

" Let's go," Catherine said softly and the two encased their hands in one another, heading up the cobblestone staircase with one another. The house was illuminated with light, little lanterns up the path towards the home, rooms aglow with luminous light.

George could feel her shaking just a bit beside her, just in the way she grasped his hand.

This Catherine McCown was very different from Lieutenant Catherine McCown.

The minute the two reached the door, George watched as Catherine stared at it, trying to slow her slightly more powerful breathing rate. George's hand slowly rubbed against her back, over and over and she took that to calm herself down. Catherine slowly stepped forward to knock against the door. And almost immediately her heart was racing again, and her palms were sweaty and cold sweat had formed along her forehead.

The minute the door opened, a woman stood there, looking like a slightly older version of Catherine with slightly more red hair, youthful eyes and a playful smile.

" Cath!" the woman called stepping forward, not even daring to look towards George as she stepped forward to hug her.

" Hey Matilda." Catherine said, but her tone was distant and slightly bitter and George could tell by the way Catherine hadn't let go of his hand and put it around her sister, that the air was tense. Matilda pulled back and then willed a glance at George.

" Who's this?" she asked, in a slight scoff, merely surprised tone. Catherine narrowed her eyes.

" My boyfriend, George Luz." Catherine said, stepping closer to George. George forced a smile on his face. He didn't like the way Matilda had seemingly picked apart Catherine's entire uniform the minute she opened the door. Or the way she looked at him, holding Catherine's hand in his own.

" George," Matilda said, holding out her hand, " it's nice to meet you." Her voice was stiff, the way she held out her hand was even more stiff and she could barely meet his eyes. Catherine was watching Matilda with an impending gaze.

" What's your problem?" Catherine said," You drink too much already?" Matilda turned to glare at her.

" And I thought I'd be happy to actually have you back." Matilda sneered, dropping George's hand," You oughta be lucky daddy's not home yet."

" Catherine! George!" a voice said and Catherine let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was her mother.

" Mom!" Catherine called and Marley McCown raced past Matilda straight into the arms of her daughter.

" Aw Cath!" cried her mother," When we heard you were coming, I didn't expect yo see you and George so soon, but I'm so delighted. I've just started dinner." Pulling back, Marley gently cupped her daughter's face with a gentle, loving motherly smile that Catherine had missed so much. Then Catherine looked to George and Marley followed.

" George!" Marley said, gently padding over to bring him into a warm motherly hug," You are so handsome, it's so lovely to finally meet you!" George grinned.

" Thank you, thank you, it's wonderful to finally meet you as well." George said as Marley pulled back and looked at the two.

" And you just make the most adorable couple!" Marley squealed and Catherine didn't miss the jealous glare from Matilda," Come on! Come on!" Marley gently let the couple inside and Catherine watched George's eyes glow.

" You have a beautiful home, Mrs. McCown." George complimented.

" Oh please George, I'm Marley to you, and thank you. I've always loved interior design." she said as they walked down the main hall towards the kitchen to the right.

" Where are the girls?" Catherine asked.

" Up in their room, or Jack or Clark's room." her mother said," They've been missing you three." There was that proud motherly smile again.

" If you don't mind, I'm going to go and surprise them, I've missed them." Catherine said and George grinned at her as she softly kissed his cheek before turning and moving towards the stairs. Marley watched her daughter go, turning into that little girl again as she raced up the stairs.

" Thank you for inviting me to your home, really, I know Catherine's missed it here." George said, trying to be as polite as he could. He knew Catherine was just glad her father wasn't here. Marley looked around and then softly sat at a chair in the island and looked at him.

" I know she didn't miss her father much," Marley whispered to him and George watched her, his jaw clenching, " He's just-"

" What?" Matilda's voice said as she stepped into the kitchen glaring daggers at George," An ex-Marine mother, from a wealthy family, he's anything but whatever you're about to say."

" Now, Matilda, we have a guest here now." Marley said and Matilda glared.

" A military man mother, not the wealthy business man daddy promised for her. Who's been waiting for her!" Matilda complained. Marley watched her.

" Matilda McCown, I should not have to tell you to lower your voice in my house." Marley said as Matilda glared.

" Daddy won't be happy, seeing a military man with his middle child, pfft," Matilda said, " not at"

" Matilda Marie McCown!" Marley said standing up, defending George with blazing eyes. Matilda was boiling. George stood in the thick of it all, eyes wandering between Matilda and her mother as the two engaged in a heavy staring contest.

" How dare you disregard a soldier! A man who fought in this horrid war, how dare you!" Marley yelled, her voice shaking the roof it felt. Matilda glared at her.

" You always were on Catherine's side weren't you?" Matilda sneered, " The minute you heard about George you were over the moon. When I told you about James you were nothing but subdue." Marley narrowed her eyes.

" Because your father didn't give Catherine the validation she deserved and you know that!" Marley yelled back at her daughter.

George's eyes were narrowed as he watched this.

Catherine deserved each and every praise in the world.

After what she'd done.

Everything she'd done.

The mother and daughter watched each other, intense gazes lying on one another.

It was jealousy - some certain form of jealous that swirled in Matilda's eyes and had been hinted at more than once for too many things.

" Is that him?" a quiet voice whispered and the group int he kitchen slowly turned to see Catherine standing with a few 7 years old it seemed, 3 of them, coming around the corner.

" Yes, that's George," Catherine said and George grinned almost immediately kneeling down in front of the 3 little girls.

" Hey kiddos," George said, noticing the shy smiles on their faces, their matching blue eyes and brown hair, and glowing youthful faces, " I like your little pigtails there."

" See, I told you they were pigtails Molly!" the little girl called and then launched her arms around George.

" Thank you Georgie for calling them pigtails, they're not ponytails because ponytails are not short." the little girl sad as Molly frowned.

" That's what I've been saying," George said and the three little girls smiled and then let out giggles.

" You're funny, Georgie," Molly said coming up and curling by his side on the floor as Marley watched with soft eyes, " I'm Molly."

" And I'm Peggy." the one to his other side said, before George glanced at the one who stood back near Catherine's leg a bit shyer.

" And I'm sure you have a pretty name as well?" George said with an encouraging grin. Catherine softly knelt beside her and nodded with a smile.

" I'm Eleanor." she said, her cheeks a slightly embarrassed bright red as she stepped forward gently.

" That's a beautiful name you know," George said, " it means light. My last name means light, too." Eleanor giggled softly and shuffled closer.

" That's pretty." sighed Peggy, nestling her head onto George's with a tiny giggle," What does Peggy mean?" George grinned.

" Well, I had a grade school friend named Peggy, she looked a lot like you, you know, with the pigtails," George said and Peggy giggled, " it can mean you are a little pearl."

" And pearls are pretty!" cried Molly, " Me next! Me next!" George chuckled, comfortably sitting on the floor as Eleanor sat in front of him with shy, quiet yet shining eyes.

" Molly means star of the sea, which you are." George said and the trio giggled excitedly.

" You must be pretty smart." Eleanor said sitting forward with glowing, cherubic eyes. George chuckled.

" I think it was just because I had your sister by my side for so long," George said as the trio giggled again watching him.

" Cathy! Cathy! Did you make him smart?" Molly asked turning with wide eyes to her sister. Catherine laughed lightly, crawling to sit beside her and look up towards George who sat with a smirk on his face.

" No silly," Catherine said, glancing towards him with a winning smile, " he already was smart."

" Oooooh!!!' the girls cooed about.

" And was his hair this FLUFFY!" cried Peggy reached up to gently pat his head as any small child probably would. George and Catherine laughed.

" I guess you could say so." Catherine said meeting his eyes and George chuckled.

" I could say it was," George said and the three little girls laughed.

" You're funny George," Eleanor said with glowing eyes, " can we keep him?" Catherine blushed, letting out a giggle of her own.

" I'm hoping he sticks around." she said and George let out a warm chuckle as he met her gaze.

Catherine slowly looked up as Molly was asking George another question and saw the hopeful look in her mother's eyes, the soft gaze towards her daughter. But she also saw Matilda's gaze - one of rage, pure anger - jealousy.

A jealousy that hit Catherine right in the center of her chest.

But this was Catherine's life.

Matilda could be jealous all she wanted - she had gotten married early, she had her kid early - that was on her.

Catherine never listened to society's standards - that wasn't living.

And George - he had been worth it all.

She'd fight a whole other war if he was at the end.

She always would.

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hey!! i'm back for my weekly update LOL school has been crazy and with covid-19 even more so at this point!! and my marching band is back practicing again but it's still stressful like always and add a job on top of that and it's just one big stress ball but i love being able to come and write for you all and upload this story - i was excited to finally reach catherine + george's part because there are some - yes you guess it - jealous siblings or sibling in this case - matilda who we heard about earlier. get ready because this ride isn't over just yet :)