[Insert story title]

Nathan resented modern media.  It created nothing but a series of images, these ideas of romance, which remained empty, impossible to execute.  Because when acted out in real life, they always remained empty, too constructed, rigid and fake; however, rather than finding fault with the re-enactment, instead people just seemed to find fault with each other, something wrong with him or something wrong with her, something wrong with them together, all of this only to justify their performance's failing.  And yet, that's what these things were, these constructed ideals, the picnic in the park, or the trip to Paris, the first intimate encounter.  All always so built up and conceived within one's mind beforehand, that poor reality could never help but disappoint, reality of course being only human.  And so then, this is what Nathan feared, the possibility that perhaps Catherine had formulated an idea, a script rather, one he'd never be privy to before the opening act. 

Something Beautiful