To Be Catherine

Prologue

The air was thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and the lingering warmth of a June afternoon as Mabel McGuire made her way across the football field. The noise of the graduation ceremony still buzzed in the background, but it felt distant, almost like a memory she was already beginning to leave behind. The sky above Ocean Heights was painted with hues of orange and pink, a perfect backdrop for what was supposed to be one of the most memorable days of her life. Yet, with every step she took, a heavy knot twisted tighter in her stomach.

Mabel's auburn hair, pulled back into loose waves, caught the fading light, creating a halo effect around her freckled face. Her brown eyes, usually bright and full of laughter, were clouded with a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite untangle. The cap and gown she wore, though identical to everyone else's, seemed to sit heavier on her curvy frame, a weight that mirrored the burden she carried in her heart.

She spotted Sam Jacobs near the bleachers, his graduation cap tilted back and his smile as bright as the summer sun. Sam stood tall with a relaxed posture, his green eyes sparkling with the same warmth and energy Mabel remembered from their days in theater together. His sandy hair, tousled and carefree, framed his face in a way that seemed effortless and natural. He waved at her, his easy grin lighting up his features and momentarily making the world feel right. For a moment, Mabel hesitated, wishing she could freeze time and hold on to this moment before everything changed. But she forced a smile and walked toward him, trying to keep her emotions in check.

“Hey, Mabel,” Sam called out as she approached, his voice full of the excitement that always seemed to radiate from him. “Can you believe it? We’re finally done!”

Mabel laughed softly, her heart aching at the sound of his joy. “Yeah, it’s hard to believe,” she replied, her voice a little too quiet, a little too controlled.

Sam didn’t seem to notice. He was too caught up in the energy of the day, his mind already racing ahead to the summer. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. “This summer is going to be epic. I want to go on one last adventure before college starts—just you and me, like old times. We could take the car, drive up the coast, and see where we end up. What do you say?”

Mabel’s smile faltered, and she felt the knot in her stomach tighten until it was almost unbearable. She’d known this moment was coming, dreaded it even, but hearing Sam’s excitement made it that much harder. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.

“Sam,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, “I... I’m moving to Tennessee in three days.”

The words hung in the air between them, heavy and final. Sam’s smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion and then hurt. “Tennessee?” he repeated, as if saying the word aloud would make it make sense. “But... why didn’t you tell me?”

Mabel looked down at the grass beneath her feet, unable to meet his eyes. “I didn’t want to ruin graduation, and I... I didn’t want to say goodbye.” Her voice cracked, and she blinked back tears, her heart breaking at the look on his face.

Sam was silent for a long moment, the weight of her words sinking in. Finally, he let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. “So, this is it then?” he asked, his voice softer now, the excitement gone.

“I guess so,” Mabel replied, her heart aching. She wished she could say something to make it better, to ease the pain she saw in his eyes, but there were no words for this.

Sam nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to make the most of the next three days then, huh?”

Mabel looked up at him, surprised. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad? No.” He shook his head. “Sad, yeah. But I’m not going to waste what little time we have left being mad. Let’s just... let’s make it count, okay?”

A tear slipped down Mabel’s cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, nodding. “Okay,” she whispered.

They stood there for a moment longer, the sun dipping lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the field. Around them, their friends began to gather, their laughter and excitement filling the air as they celebrated the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Olive, with her glasses perched precariously on her nose, and David, his usually composed demeanor now animated with joy, joined the group. Olive playfully shoved Sam’s shoulder, and David tossed his graduation cap into the air, cheering as if nothing could ever dampen their spirits. But amidst the joy, Mabel and Sam exchanged a look that spoke of a different reality, one that none of their friends seemed to notice.

In that fleeting moment, as the world around them buzzed with energy and anticipation, they made a silent promise to each other—to hold on to these last moments, to make them something they’d remember for the rest of their lives.