“Can anyone tell me what they know about soulmates?” the teacher asked, pacing around the front of the room, sharp eyes scanning the sea of restless students. A pale arm shot up in the air and the teacher smiled. “Yes, Katherine?”
Nine-year-old Katherine Howard stood up, gap-toothed smile widely on display.
“Soulmates,” she lisped, “are the ones you're supposed to spend your life with. They're supposed to take care of you when you're hurt and tell you funny stories when you're sad and-”
“Thank you, dear,” the teacher said kindly but firmly, stopping her before she could start rambling. Katherine smiled brightly and sat back down, eagerly watching the board as her teacher flipped through the PowerPoint.
----
Katherine, now going by Kit because there were too many K(C)atherine's at her school, couldn't remember her life before Anna.
Well, she could, but only bits and pieces.
They had been inseparable, ever since Anna had moved to the house next door. The more time they spent together, the more Kit felt that they just clicked.
There was never any doubt, for Kit at least, as to who her soulmate would be. It was Anna. Obviously.
The dorky, sometimes suave German with the brilliant smile and caring heart.
----
On the eve of Kit's eighteenth birthday, they eagerly waited, staying up as late as their eyes would allow, pinching and pushing each other each time they catch their eyes closing.
They must have fallen asleep because when Kit opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming through the window.
“Anna!” she sleepily exclaimed, shaking the girl. Anna groaned and rolled over. “Anna, wake up!'
“Whazzit?” Anna grumbled, sleepily pushing herself up. Kit thrust her bare wrist in her face and Anna blinked slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the bright light.
“Do you see the mark?” Kit said, practically bouncing with excitement. Anna nodded, a faint smile gracing her face.
“It looks really cool, Katze,” she said, tugging Kit's wrist closer, “Blue and purple go really well together.”
It was as if time had stopped. That couldn't be right, she thought, her smile freezing on her face.
“What do you mean blue and purple?” Kit asked.
Anna laughed. “Katze, don't tell me you haven't looked at your soul mark yet.”
Kit snatched her wrist back and looked at her mark. Sure enough, circling her wrist were vibrant splashes of blue and purple, blending together into an intricate braid.
“No,” Kit murmured, tracing the mark, “It's not supposed to be this color.”
“Katze,” Anna said, reaching out for her. She leaned away, numbly staring down at her wrist.
“I... I don't understand,” she murmured, gazing at the colorful swirls of blue and purple encircling her wrist, “It was supposed to be you.”
Anna blinked. “Katze-”
“It was supposed to be you, Anna! Why isn't it you?”
Anna helplessly shrugged. “I don't know. Katze, don't cry, please don't cry.” She pulled Kit into her arms, gently cradling her.
----
Her phone rang, slicing through the thick silence that encompassed her room. She stuck a hand out, fumbling around until she felt the hard case under her hand. With a sigh, she pulled it towards her and squinted at the bright light.
Anna 🌿 🥰 is calling...
Her thumb hesitated over the accept button before she shut her phone off, making sure to silence it, and buried her face into her pillow. She let out a muffled scream. Immediately, footsteps thumped down the hall and she sighed.
“Kit!” Anne exclaimed, slamming the door open. Kit buried her head under the covers, hoping to deter her hyper cousin from speaking any further. It didn't work. “Come on, Kitty-Kat,” Anne hopped onto the bed, almost crushing Kit's ribs, “Talk to me. What's wrong?”
“Nothing's wrong,” Kit groaned, grabbing the pillow and whacking Anne in the face. Her cousin wasn't deterred.
“You've been sulking in your room for the past two days, what's up?”
Kit curled up tighter and sighed. “I got my soul mark.”
“That's amazing!”
“No. No, it's not.” Anne shifted, tugging the comforter down and revealing Kit's blotchy, tearstained face.
“What happened?” she asked softly.
“She's not my soulmate,” Kit said, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Aww, Kit,” Anne gathered her up in her arms, rearranging herself into a comfortable position.
“I really thought she would be,” Kit said, sniffling.
“Yeah, well, fate can be a bitch sometimes,” Anne replied, resting her chin on top of Kit's head, “However that doesn't mean you have to listen to it. If you really love her, tell her and just see where it goes.”
“What if she meets her soulmate and wants to be with them?” she asked, glancing up at her cousin.
Anne smiled faintly. “Then you let her go.”
----
“Kit, can you get the door?” Anne called, from where she was wrestling with their dinner. Kit raised a brow and pushed off the couch, heading towards the door. She pulled open the door and grinned when she saw the person on the other side.
“Lina!” she exclaimed, pulling in the Spaniard for a hug.
Lina chuckled, carefully holding the cake box out of the way. “Hello, Kit. I hope I'm not too early.”
Kit shook her head, letting her in. “You're completely fine. Besides, Anne probably needs your help right about now.”
As if on cue, a hollow crash sounded from the kitchen followed by a startled scream. Lina rolled her eyes and made her way to the kitchen, placing the cake on the table along the way.
“Catti!” Anne exclaimed. Kit saw her tug Lina in for a kiss and rolled her eyes, turning back to her phone. The doorbell rang again and Kit jumped to her feet.
“I got it,” she called, though she knew they wouldn't hear her. She tugged open the door and came face to face with the person she had been avoiding.
“Anna!”
“Hey, Katze,” Anna said, hands shoved awkwardly in her pockets, “Long time no see.”
Kit blushed. “Sorry for ignoring your calls,” she mumbled, “I was, um-”
Anna shook her head. “It's fine, honestly. I'm just glad you're ok.”
They both stood there in an awkward silence before Anna cleared her throat.
“So... can I come in?”
“Oh! Yeah, sorry,” Kit replied, stepping to the side and letting Anna in.
“So what's this dinner for anyway?” Anna asked, flopping onto the couch. Kit perched beside her and grinned.
“Our cousin's visiting.”
“Really? For how long?”
“Well, she's here for a week then coming back the next month to spend the summer with us.” Anna nodded, a thoughtful frown on her face.
“Is she nice?”
“I don't know," Kit replied, "The last time I saw her I was a baby.”
Anna laughed, tugging her in for a hug. “You're still a baby!”
“I am not! I'm eighteen, a legal adult!” Kit crossed her arms and fought back the pout that was threatening to appear on her face as Anna continued to laugh.
Her cousin's words echoed in her mind. If you love her, tell her.
----
Jane Seymour was actually pretty nice, thankfully. Kit wasn't sure if she'd be able to survive the week, let alone the entire summer with her if she was insufferable.
Dinner was set out, mostly unscathed, (Lina had arrived just in time to save the spaghetti sauce) and all five of them were now crowded around the small table. Anne was practically in Lina's lap and although the Spaniard complained, Kit could see the fond smile flickering at the edge of her lips.
(She wasn't jealous. She knew Anne and Lina had their fair share of drama before they got together and was beyond happy when they finally got their heads out of their asses but still.
There was a stark reminder on her wrist that her soulmate wasn't who she wanted it to be.)
Anne shot her a questioning look from across the table and she shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face. She tuned into the conversation just as Jane was reaching across for the breadsticks, the sleeve of her cardigan riding up and revealing a red and silver band around her wrist. A very familiar band- one she'd seen a thousand times mirrored on Anna's. The chatter stopped and Jane froze, looking around the table in confusion.
“Is everything ok?” she asked, awkwardly settling back in her seat. Anna opened her mouth and shut it again.
“May I see your soul mark?” she asked, voice weak. Jane furrowed her brows and extended her arm. Her mark took the form of a sleek, silver band inlaid with red dots. Without a word, Anna held her wrist up next to Jane's and they matched perfectly. Jane's eyes widened comically- something Kit would've found funny were it any other situation- and she gently took Anna's hand.
“Oh wow,” Jane murmured, tracing Anna's mark. Anna laughed softly.
Kit felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face Anne.
“Let's give them a moment,” she whispered, slipping off her chair and disappearing into the kitchen. Kit followed silently.
It was going to be a long summer.
----
Fate, for once, seemed to be on her side since she landed the cafe job she'd applied to a few weeks earlier. It was a quaint little spot, with hand made decor, artfully mismatched furniture, and smooth jazz flowing out the speakers at all times.
Her shifts were from 2 to 8, meaning that she only had to put up with Jane for, at most, a few hours and, if she stayed in her room long enough, none at all.
(She didn't hate her cousin. It wasn't Jane's fault that she was Anna's soulmate, and Kit knew that she was being a tad irrational, but she was hurting dammit, and it was easier to avoid the problem altogether than to plaster on a pleasant smile and make small talk.)
It was at that cafe, where she met Cathy Parr, a shift worker and fellow K(C)atherine, who always had a colorful array of bracelets on both arms and a dimpled smile.
Quickly they had established a friendly rapport full of rambling (Cathy was, as Kit had found out, a total book nerd), song recommendations, and sarcastically mouthing the orders of bratty customers when they had left the counter.
----
It was a slow day and the two were the only ones left, cleaning up the leftover dishes. Somehow, they had gotten onto the topic of soulmates and Kit was now trying to convince Cathy that they were real and legit because “How else do you explain the marks on our wrists, Cathy?”
“Tell me, Kit,” Cathy said with a tired sigh, “Do you fall in love with someone because you genuinely like them or because you think they're your soulmate?”
“That's not fair,” Kit replied, setting the mug she was currently cleaning down with a bit more force than necessary.
“It's a valid question,” Cathy replied.
Kit pursed her lips. “Well do you refuse to fall in love with someone because they might be your soulmate or are you just scared of love?” she asked. Cathy flinched before turning to her with a wry grin.
“Touché,” she replied, although Kit could see that her smile didn't reach her eyes. They finished closing up in silence and Kit couldn't help but feel like she had done something wrong.
----
Slowly, bit by bit, the hole in her heart that Anna had left filled.
No, not filled.
It had reshaped itself.
She was no longer forcing back bitter words every time Jane was mentioned. Resentment no longer lingered on the tip of her tongue whenever she saw the two together.
She could tell that they were in love and who was she to stand in the way of that? Who was she to deny Anna of the happiness she so desperately craved?
Jane's look of complete and utter bafflement when Kit settled onto the couch beside her to watch tv was entertaining and Kit giggled lightly while curling up around her favorite pillow.
“What are you watching?” she asked, biting back another laugh when Jane practically jumped off the couch.
“House Hunters,” she replied with an embarrassed grin.
Kit nodded. “Sometimes I don't understand why they choose a terrible house.”
Jane must've realized the olive branch she was extending and took it. “Oh my gosh, don't get me started!”
----
The awkwardness was still there, days later and Kit was getting tired of it.
“Cathy,” she said, stopping the girl before she went on break. Cathy raised a brow. “I'm sorry about the other day and for making you uncomfortable. I didn't mean too.”
“It's alright, sometimes I'm too sensitive for my own good.”
Kit laughed. “We're good, then?”
“We're good.”
----
“You want to learn how to waltz?” Cathy asked, leaning on the counter. Kit nodded, finishing wiping down the table. “Why?”
Kit cast her a quizzical look, moving onto the next table. “Because why not? It sounds fun.” She finished wiping the new table and turned only to come face to face with Cathy.
“You know, this song is a waltz,” she said, holding out a hand. Kit set the rag on the table and wiped her hands on her apron.
“You know how to dance?” she asked, settling her hand in Cathy's. Cathy easily pulled her into a loose ballroom hold, settling her hand gently on her waist.
“A bit.”
She was led around the room, trying her best to follow Cathy's lead, listening contently as the smooth music cascaded over her. She spun easily and couldn't help the laughter that spilled out of her as she stumbled back a step. Cathy grinned and led her in one last spin around the front before spinning her out of hold and dipping into a bow.
A familiar fluttering appeared in her stomach and her smile slipped off her face once Cathy turned away.
----
“Cathy, can you give me a hand?” Kit called, reaching for the box of napkins that was located at the top shelf.
“What do you need?” Cathy asked, walking into the storage room. Kit handed her the box and began making her way down the ladder, glancing down to make sure she wouldn't land on Cathy. She noticed a colorful band or blue and purple around her wrist and furrowed her brow. It looked eerily familiar.
“I haven't seen that bracelet before,” she quipped.
Cathy glanced at her wrist and hurriedly yanked the sleeve down, clutching her arm to her chest.
“It's not a bracelet,” Cathy mumbled.
“It's not?” she whispered, staring at her. Cathy glanced at her for a second before bolting. Kit scrambled down the ladder, the box of napkins forgotten on the floor, and dashed after her.
“Cathy!”
By the time she got to the front, Cathy was gone.
----
Cathy didn’t come into work the next day. Or the next. Eventually Kit gave up on waiting for her to return and just tried to move on with her life. Which now seemed so much more dull now that she didn’t have Cathy to secretly mock customers with, or waltz around the empty dining area when they were supposed to be cleaning up, or just have a reassuring dimpled smile flashed her way every time a customer snapped at her.
Which was how she found herself staring listlessly up at the ceiling, debating whether or not it was worth it to get up out of her spinny desk chair and face the world.
So far the answer was no and the loud knock on her bedroom door only further cemented the fact.
“I'm busy, Anne!” Kit called, not bothering to turn around. She'd finally found a comfortable position and was in no mood to move.
“It doesn't seem like you're doing much of anything to me,” someone, who definitely was not Anne, replied. Kit's eyes flew open, and in her haste to turn around, fell out of the chair and onto the floor with a painful thump.
“Oh my gosh, are you ok?” Cathy asked, rushing forward to help her up.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Kit sputtered, shaking off her hands, “How do you know where I live?”
Cathy was silent for a moment before chuckling awkwardly. “Lina and I are roommates.”
Kit blinked. “You’re what?”
“Roommates,” Cathy repeated, awkward smile still firmly fixed in place. Kit forced herself not to get distracted by the dimples.
“How did I not know that?” she stuck her head out the doorway and yelled, “Anne Boleyn why didn’t you tell me that Lina and Cathy were roommates!”
Anne’s head poked out of her room, a disheveled mess, followed by Lina’s, who was equally as disheveled, appearing right above hers. Anne turned to her soulmate with a confused pout. “That’s the Cathy you’re always talking about?”
Lina laughed. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“The stupidly oblivious one who-” Lina quickly clapped a hand over Anne’s mouth and dragged her back inside, cutting off the rest of her sentence. Kit scrunched her nose up in disgust, now knowing exactly what those two were doing and turned back to face Cathy.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” she said, arms crossed, “What are you doing here?”
“I am stupidly oblivious, aren’t I?” Cathy said, beginning to pull off her bracelets, “I’ve seen your soul mark, and I didn’t want to believe it at first because, as I said before, the idea of ‘soulmates’ existing is ridiculous. But the more you and I got to know each other, the more I felt an indescribable bond beginning to form.”
“What are you trying to say, Cathy?” Kit asked, knowing that she could go on for quite a while if given the chance. Cathy took a fortifying breath and held out her now bare arm, her braided purple and blue soul mark standing out proudly against her wrist.
“I’m saying that I don’t believe in soulmates. But I would like to give us a try-- if you’re willing.”
Kit pursed her lips and reached out, tangling their fingers together.
“And I’m saying that I believe in soulmates, and I’m happy that mine finally came around.”
----