Three days later, JC was waiting for Cat on the patio when she made her way back up the stairs after her morning swim. 

"You're up early," she noted.  For a moment, she wondered if she'd swam longer than she'd thought, but the sun was still hiding on the other side of their house, leaving most of the patio still in the cool shade of early morning.  "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine."  JC sat at the small iron patio table, wearing sweatpants, one of the throw blankets from the couch wrapped around his upper body.  His hair was a mess and his eyes were still squinty with sleep, but he smiled at her and motioned for her to join him at the table, where two cups of steaming coffee sat waiting.

She sat down, tucking her towel over her bathing suit, and took a sip.  He'd made it just the way she liked it - plenty of cream and one heaping spoonful of sugar.

"So...is something going on?" she asked finally, running her finger along the rim of the coffee mug.  "You never get up before 7 if you can help it."

JC just smiled.  "I have to go into the city today for some recording.  I need to leave at about 8."  He leaned back in his chair and smiled at her.  "You should come."

Cat watched the steam rise from her coffee.  "Come...to the studio?"

"Yeah, why not."  JC shrugged one of his shoulders, leaning forward to wrap both of his hands around his coffee cup.  "Better than hanging out here alone all day.  Right?"

Cat wasn't sure about that, but she also knew JC wouldn't have come out here and invited her if he didn't really want her to go.  She needed to tread carefully.

"I don't want to be in the way."

"You won't," he assured her.

She tried a different angle.  "You're always so busy in the studio.  I might get bored."

"Today's a bit more chill," JC replied without missing a beat.  "I just have one song to work on.  It'll be fun.  It shouldn't take more than a couple hours.  We can get lunch afterwards, or maybe go shopping?"

Cat made a face.  She'd never liked shopping as much as JC did - then again, he'd had years to get used to spending exorbitant amounts of money on menial things.  Cat still struggled with dropping $200 for a belt. 

"Or no shopping," JC amended.  "We can do whatever you want.  You might enjoy getting out of the house for a little bit."

"I get out of the house every day," Cat countered, motioning down towards the beach.

"You know what I mean."

She knew.  He meant the getting out of the house that actually required seeing people, maybe even talking to them.

"You don't have to," JC said, already sounding disappointed.  Cat knew then that she absolutely did.

"I'll go," she said.  "Maybe it will be fun."

A couple hours later, sitting in traffic on the 110 while JC flipped radio stations every twelve seconds, Cat was beginning to regret her decision.

"Maybe you could just pick one," she suggested, glancing across the car at JC.  He'd insisted on taking the black two-door Mercedes instead of the Jeep because he "didn't drive it enough" or something.  It wasn't that Cat didn't like the car, she just liked it a lot more when she didn't have to be inside of it.  It was too low to the ground and didn't have a lot of leg room, and it felt...flashy.  She knew that it wasn't really, not in Los Angeles, the land of Mazeratis and Aston Martins galore.  But, still.

"How's this?"  JC tuned the radio to Jack FM, the station that had always been one of Cat's favorites due to their eclectic mix of classic rock, 80s pop, and 90s alternative.  JC, on the other hand, hated it.

"Thanks," she said, feeling bad for snapping at him.  JC's habit of flipping through radio stations constantly was one of his many ticks that she thought she'd gotten used to over the years. 

With traffic, it took over an hour to get to the studio, which was in the heart of Hollywood on La Brea Avenue.  JC's phone rang as he pulled into the parking lot.

"I'm here, I'm here," he answered.  "Give me a break, man, I'm still getting used to the commute."

Again, Cat felt tendrils of shame creep up to prod her on the shoulder.  If it weren't for her, JC would still be living minutes from this studio.

Whoever was on the other end must not have been too serious, however, because JC ended the conversation with a laugh as he pulled into a parking space marked RESERVED.  "Alright.  I'll see you inside in a second."

Cat followed JC into the lobby, already feeling out of place and wishing she hadn't agreed to come.  The building was fairly nondescript on the outside, but the inside was lavishly decorated in rich tones, with burgundy walls and expensive lighting fixtures.  The girl behind the desk was on the phone, but she waved at JC with a wide smile and pressed a button that allowed them entrance to a side hallway. 

"This is where they write in the studio assignments for the day," JC explained to Cat, motioning to a large whiteboard that was mounted on the wall just inside the door to the hall.  "This place is really great because there's just four studios and a mix room, it's usually pretty quiet."  As it were, there was only two slots on the board filled, but before Cat could read the words written down in neat script, a voice from further down the hall interrupted them.

"Josh, is that you?"

For a moment, Cat was confused - there was no one else in the hallway but her and JC, who was Josh?  But when JC turned around, she realized that the greeting had been directed toward JC.  Almost no one called JC "Josh", except for his parents and siblings.

"Hey, Quinn."  JC waved at the tall dark-haired woman that was coming down the hall toward them.  "Long time no see."

"No kidding."  Quinn didn't stop walking until she was in arm's reach of JC, and promptly leaned in to give him a familiar kiss on the cheek.  "It's been ages.  What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know."  JC waved his hand in the air as if to simulate everything he'd been doing.  "Little of this, little of that." 

Cat watched their exchange silently, wishing she could cease to exist in this stupid hallway.  Quinn, whoever she was, was potentially one of the most beautiful women Cat had ever seen up close.  Her skin was flawless, her hair was dark and shiny, tumbling to her shoulders in the kind of effortless wave that Cat had never been able to perfect.  In heels, she was as tall as JC, which meant even without them she was probably an Amazon...her legs seemed to go for days beneath the skirt of the smart black business suit she wore.  Cat suddenly felt short and inadequate in jeans and a tank top, her own hair pulled back unceremoniously into a low, boring ponytail.

"Uh, sorry, Quinn.  This is my wife, Cat."  JC took a step back to motion towards her, and Quinn's eyes widened for only a moment before she recovered.

"It's so wonderful to meet you."  She held out her hand, perfectly manicured, of course, and Cat shook it politely.  "Josh has told me so much about you."

Cat didn't doubt that, but it didn't make her feel much better.  "It's...nice to meet you."

"Quinn is the assistant studio manager here," JC explained.  "Alec's not in today?"

"Ugh, he's in London, working with Wyclef Jean," Quinn replied, tossing her mane of hair over one shoulder.  "I should be so lucky, right?"

She shrugged as if to say "oh well", and motioned behind her.  "You guys are in D today, I believe."

"Great.  Thanks."  JC rested one hand on the small of Cat's back as they moved past Quinn in the direction of whatever "D" was.  "Tell Alec I said hi, if you talk to him."

"Will do," Quinn replied.  "Lovely to meet you."

Cat wasn't sure what to say so she just smiled awkwardly and allowed JC to usher her the rest of the way down the hall.

"Here we are."  They stopped outside of a door with a large golden D mounted in the center, and JC knocked briefly before pulling it open.  Inside, a man sat at a large console, his back to them.

"About time," he griped before spinning around in his chair.  His eyes widened when he saw Cat.  "Oh."

"Brad, you remember Cat," JC supplied, stepping in behind her and closing the door. 

"Right, yeah.  We met at that, uh, thing."  Brad stood up to offer her his hand.  "Good to see you again."

Cat didn't really remember the guy, although his face looked slightly familiar, but she shook his hand anyway and agreed that it was good to see him again.  Frankly, she was just relieved to see that JC didn't work exclusively with six-foot-tall models.

The studio was roomy, with a large live room and two isolation booths positioned at the back of it.  There was no one else there except for JC and Brad, and the lights in the live room were off, so Cat assumed they were working on the final processes of an already recorded piece.  She stayed out of the way in the lounge section of the control room, where a plush leather couch and a coffee table loaded with magazines and that morning's newspapers kept her company. 

Cat picked up the latest Rolling Stone to leave through, but found herself distracted by watching JC.  As always, as soon as he entered the studio, he buckled down into serious producer mode.  Even though he didn't even glance back at her as he twisted knobs and adjusted levers on the console, there was something undeniably sexy about watching him work.  Cat felt the same embarrassing tingly feeling she'd had two weeks ago when JC had come into the kitchen after his workout.  It felt just as foreign as it had then, but Cat diligently reminded herself that it was okay (good, even) to think that her husband was sexy.  Because JC was her husband.  They were married.

Cat flipped another page in the magazine and stared blankly down at an article about Shakira, the words blending together on the page.  Even though she had hardly gone a week or two without seeing JC while she was at the center, it was still three years of their marriage lost.  Almost as if they'd never actually gotten married in the first place, but Cat knew that wasn't true.  After all, she could still remember their wedding day vividly.

Cat sat at the dressing table, trying not to move lest she wrinkle her dress too much.  She'd finally gotten a moment of silence - now that her hair and makeup were done, her dress on, all that was left was to wait.  The small crowd of attendants that had been crowded around her all morning and afternoon had finally disappeared, and Cat was totally alone in the small room that the hotel had set aside for her to get ready in.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, resisting the urge to chew on the bottom lip that had been perfectly stained and glossed already.  It wasn't that she didn't recognize herself with her hair done and makeup on - she'd specifically requested a natural look (even though she'd found out looking natural with makeup on took ten times more effort than without) - but there was something surreal in knowing that she was taking the last look at herself as an officially single woman.

It wasn't that Cat had been opposed to marriage growing up.  It was more that she didn't really think of it at all.  She hadn't grown up with parents that had romanticized and exemplified the experience - her dad had never remarried, and although her mom was now on her third husband, Cat had never met any of her technical step-fathers.  Her mom wasn't even at the wedding - she'd sent a card with a check and a quick message explaining that she would be on business in Aruba for the next two months, but congratulations anyway. 

As far as Cat was concerned, marriage was just an expensive ceremony performed in front of a bunch of people looking forward to a free meal.  She hadn't been sure if she'd ever partake in that sort of thing, and if she did, it would probably happen much later in life - she had things she wanted to accomplish, after all.

At least, that's how she'd felt until JC came along.

Where Cat was a skeptic, he was a romantic.  He'd spent months planning the perfect proposal and picking out the right ring, while Cat was none the wiser.  It hadn't even occurred to her that JC might want to marry her someday until he'd asked.  In fact, she'd been so shocked at his proposal that she'd almost said no - they hadn't been dating long enough to get engaged, had they?  But it had been a year, and JC seemed more than ready.

"Please say something," he'd urged her, down on his knee in front of her with the ring box open and waiting.  He'd taken her to a secluded overlook on a hill above the city, private property that he'd somehow finagled access to.  Maybe that should have been the tip-off, but Cat couldn't shake her dead surprise.  "Cat?"

"I'm...sorry, I'm just...surprised," she murmured finally.  "I wasn't expecting this...at all."

JC lowered the ring box, looking as grave as he had giddy moments later, when he'd delivered the thoughtful and heartfelt speech about why he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.  "At all?"

"No," she admitted.  She longed to ask him to stand up, it was weird talking like this as he knelt down in front of her, but she'd already ruined his moment enough.  "JC, this is...wow."

"That was kind of the point," he replied wryly.  "Do you have an answer for me, or should I get up?"

He sounded so disappointed that Cat felt her own heart sink in her chest.  In a split-second, she considered her relationship with JC - how it had lasted longer than she'd expected, been easier and better than she'd imagined, and how, looking down at this man, she'd really, truly come to love him and the person he was. 

In the time it took her to think all of these things through, JC had already given up.  He snapped the ring box closed.  "Okay then."

"No!" Cat exclaimed, resting her hands on his shoulders so that he wouldn't stand.  "I mean, yes.  I...yes."

JC frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together in that totally cute way that showed he was genuinely confused. 

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I'll marry you," Cat confirmed.

JC looked dubious.  "You're saying yes?"

"Yes, I'm saying yes."  Cat laughed a little bit, even as her heart raced inside her chest, afraid she'd missed her opportunity.  "Definitely, definitely yes."

JC stood up and pulled Cat into his arms.  "Jesus Christ.  I think I had a heart attack.  First time I ever propose to a girl and I think she's going to turn me down flat."

Cat wrapped her arms around his neck with another laugh.  She was engaged.  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."  JC pulled back slightly, still holding the ring box.  "Can we do this thing?"

Cat nodded and allowed him to take the ring out of the box and slide it into her finger.  It was dark up there on the hill and she could barely see the stone, but it didn't really matter.  "It's beautiful."

Now, in the dressing room, Cat looked down at her left hand and let the diamond catch the light from the open window.  She was really going to do this.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and JC's mom stuck her head in. 

"Are you ready?" she asked, and Cat looked at the reflection of her almost-mother-in-law in the mirror.  She'd chosen a lilac dress that brought out the color of her kind eyes.  "It's time."

Cat took a deep breath and stood up.  "I'm ready."

Karen accompanied her out to the pavilion where the wedding party waited.  The music had already started outside (they'd chosen a very simple three-piece orchestra over the ridiculously priced harpist), and Cat could see through the French doors that JC was already waiting in front of a small crowd with the minister. They'd decided to keep the wedding party itself as small as the ceremony - JC had his brother and Cat had her college roommate, Kira. 

Cat watched, that surreal feeling coming back, as JC's parents went out, followed by Tyler and Kira.  Joey's little six-year-old daughter was the flower girl, and she was clearly a seasoned pro, carefully sprinkling flowers over the white runner with care.

"Cathy."  Cat looked up to see her father waiting, holding his arm out for her to slip hers through.  "Having second thoughts?"

Cat rolled her eyes at her dad's half-assed attempt at humor.  As a man who had a hard time coping with actual emotion, it was one of his only defenses.  "No, Daddy.  I'm good."

"It's not too late to back out," he continued, but stopped when Cat gave him a look.  "Okay, okay."

Walking down the aisle was hard for Cat.  She wasn't used to having crowds of people stare at her like JC was, and as the music changed and all of the guests stood, Cat almost couldn't make her legs work to carry her out the doors.  She kept her eyes on JC rather than the smiling faces watching her every move.  JC was smiling too, but in a way that comforted and reassured Cat that, yes, she was doing the right thing here.

The ceremony went by in a blur, so did the pictures afterward, and Cat didn't even really get a chance to talk to JC, just JC, until the reception as they danced their first dance.

"Are you happy?" he asked, his lips brushing her ear, and Cat leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Yes."

Remembering how she'd felt that day was a powerful feeling, and Cat allowed it to soak in.  Lost in all the awkwardness of learning how to live with JC again had gotten in the way of remembering how truly happy she had been to marry him in the first place.  Maybe that was what she had forgotten in that first year, struggling to fit into JC's Hollywood life and find her place somehow in a world that felt totally unfamiliar to her.  Maybe that's what had gotten in the way.

Cat was determined not to let that happen again.  She turned another page in the magazine, almost tearing it in her fervor.  Maybe it was true that a woman like Quinn would fit much better with JC than she would, maybe.  But JC had chosen her, and Cat would have to remember that.   She had to admit, however, that the thing that bothered her most about Quinn was not her extreme attractiveness.  It was the affectionate familiarity with which she treated JC, the way she grasped his elbow and kissed his cheek, the way she called him Josh.  Even Cat didn't call him his given name, because that wasn't what he went by and that wasn't how he'd introduced himself to her.  It made her mad that Quinn somehow thought she had the privilege to bridge that gap.

Cat gave up the pretense of looking at the magazine and was more or less staring off into space when JC called her name.   She glanced up, startled to see him sitting on the coffee table in front of her. 

"Sorry that took so long," he said, looking appropriately apologetic, and Cat glanced at her watch to see how long she'd been sitting there - it was almost noon.  Her stomach growled as if to underscore the time.

"It's fine."  Cat glanced down at the closed magazine in her lap.  "I was...reading."

If JC noticed the discrepancy, he didn't say so.  "Ready to go?  I'm starving."

They said goodbye to Brad, and just like that, they were on their way.  The hallway was blessedly empty, and Cat relaxed slightly.  Unfortunately, the lobby wasn't quite as deserted.

Quinn was at the front desk with the receptionist, leafing through a few sheets of paper, and Cat held her breath, hoping that she wouldn't notice them.  Of course, that was impossible, and she glanced up at them with a sly smile.

"Leaving already?"

"Yep."  JC tossed a casual smile and wave at Quinn.  "See you next time."

"Looking forward to it," Quinn replied breezily.  Cat felt her ego deflate slightly, then she remembered what she'd resolved to in the studio.  She was JC's wife - Quinn wasn't.  It was that simple. 

Caught in the moment, Cat reached for JC's hand, linking her fingers through his.  She could tell she'd caught him off guard, but to his credit, all he did was squeeze her hand in his larger one and hold the door open for her.  The doors were glass, and despite the glare from the early afternoon sunlight, Cat could just see Quinn inside, watching them as the door swung shut.

"Where do you want to go for lunch?" JC asked, patting down his pockets for his car keys.  "I really feel like a hot dog."

"JC."  Cat tugged on his hand to turn him towards her.  He glanced up at her absentmindedly.

"Hm?"

Before she could second guess herself, Cat reached for him, pulling him close via the lapels of his jacket, like a bad rom com.  JC must have been too startled to react, because he did virtually nothing as Cat leaned up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his.  Kissing JC for the first time in three years was a lot of things - it was slightly awkward and understandably foreign, but it was also familiar and comforting.  He tasted like spearmint, just like always, and after a moment's hesitation, his arms wrapped around her back and pulled her in close.

Cat was the first to ease back, keeping her hands pressed against his chest.  JC blinked down at her, his brow furrowing slightly.  She thought for a moment he was going to question her, but instead, he just shook his head and said, "Wow."

Feeling slightly embarrassed but also empowered, Cat took a step back and restrained herself from looking back into the lobby triumphantly.  "Hot dogs sound good."

JC frowned.  "What?"

"For lunch.  Hot dogs," Cat clarified, and he nodded slowly, his eyes clearing.