Seaside Villa

Catherine Hepburn's father was a physician, and her mother was a feminist. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

A family that can afford to raise seven children must be quite well-off.

So they have another summer home in Fenwick, Connecticut, facing Long Island Sound Bay, outside of Hartford.

In a hurricane 38 years ago, their original wooden tile-roofed hut was swept into the sea, and they rebuilt a brick house on the same spot.

It was a house with a very unique design, like building blocks, or like Domino.

There's a one-story house, a two-story house, the largest one with three stories plus an Penthouse, and then another two-story house with a balcony. The four houses are connected, like family members of different ages supporting each other.

This was the home Catherine Hepburn would return to during breaks from filming. It was also one of the places she lived in during her later years, the other being in New York.

In the bay in front of her house, it was said that Howard Stark often flew his seaplane over and landed there. Of course, in Henry's memories before his time travel, the protagonist of this romantic tale was Howard Hughes.

Henry, accompanied by Charlize Theron, visited Catherine Hepburn, who lived there, in a car rented at the airport.

They arrived in the afternoon. They could have arrived earlier, but it had been snowing in Connecticut for the past few days, making the roads slippery, and Henry dared not drive fast.

The amount of snow wasn't enough to warrant snow chains, but the road was slippery than usual. So driving slowly was a natural thing to do for Henry, who prioritizes safety.

The beach in front of the house was also covered with a layer of white snow. When the waves came ashore, they not only soaked the sand, but also mixed salt crystals with the snow, which were then carried away by the receding waves. This scene was quite peculiar to Henry.

This isn't to say that Henry had never seen snow. Rather, it's his memory from Alaska: there was snow on the beach, but the sea was frozen solid, so you couldn't see the waves playing with snow.

Henry parked in a random open space and then went to the door with Charlize Theron, ringing the doorbell.

A moment later, an elderly woman wearing a floral long shirt, warm woolen trousers, and a wool sweater draped over her shoulders opened the door.

"Catherine, it's been a long time," Henry said warmly, presenting her with a bouquet of large red roses.

"Ha, good child." The old lady who accepted the bouquet also gave him a warm kiss on the cheek.

However, after greeting Henry, Catherine looked at another unfamiliar girl with a strange expression.

The other person was wearing a bright red coat, the same color as roses, with white fur trim on the collar and edges. Even the hat was the same style, with a ball of white fur draped over the tip.

This style of dressing prompted Catherine to casually remark, "You are— Santa Claus."

The girl, who was originally all smiles but too nervous to speak, instinctively wanted to punch the grinning man next to her upon hearing such a comment.

This coat was a gift from Henry to her because she didn't have any winter clothes to keep warm. It was said to be an extra from her family, and the style of the coat was indeed more masculine.

It's actually quite different from the classic Santa Claus image, but it's hard for people not to make that connection when they see it.

Charlize, not wanting to get a runny nose from the cold, gave in. But then the topic was brought up again, causing her to punch the man next to her.

Finally remembering where she was, Charlize quickly greeted her, "Ms. Hepburn, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Charlize Theron. I brought a bottle of champagne; I hope you'll enjoy it."

Catherine Hepburn looked surprised and said, "Oh, those who brought alcohol are all my good friends."

After taking the paper bag, she whispered to Charlize like a child secretly tattled, "You know, my roommates are so controlling. They forbid me from eating this, drinking that, I feel like my world is about to collapse."

Henry and Charlize could only awkwardly force a smile.

"Come in. It's cold outside, come in and warm yourself by the fire." Catherine slowly walked into the house. The house was very quiet, except for the fireplace, which was burning brightly and crackling occasionally.

After the two entered, they hung their coats on the rack next to the door. Charlize Theron was wearing a well-fitting blue-green polka-dot dress, neither too formal nor too impolite.

Henry deftly helped Catherine prepare the vase and placed the bouquet inside. He also helped open the champagne bottle and loosened the cork slightly.

Catherine excitedly pushed open the cork, making a "pop" sound that made her laugh. She then poured three glasses of champagne and eagerly took a big gulp herself.

She wasn't actually a heavy drinker; she just hadn't tasted this flavor in a long time. It wasn't so much that she liked it as it was that she missed it.

The three of them sat down by the fireplace.

Henry looked around the room; the atmosphere was very homey, not like a place where an elderly person living alone would find shelter. But it was unusually quiet today. "Catherine, you said you have someone living with you, where are they?"

"That's my brother, Richard and his family. They went on holiday for Christmas. I didn't go with them after I got your call."

"Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt your family trip?"

Catherine shook her head and said, "No way, I'd rather be alone. It's always so noisy at home with a bunch of kids running around, it drives me crazy. And when I finally get a day off, they always insist on taking me with them."

"Your call saved my life. Besides, I don't care where they're going. I'm Catherine..."

Hepburn, "Where in this world, besides heaven and Hell, is there that I haven't been?"

Henry joked, "Oh, so did you go to the moon with Neil Armstrong and Colonel Buzz Aldrin?"

"You brat!" Catherine said with a disdainful shrug, shaking her hand at the guy who had found a flaw in her words.

The three of them sat around the fireplace, listening to Catherine complain about her brother's little brats. By lineage, they were her great-grandchildren, the fourth generation.

Although every word was a complaint, you could actually hear concern in them. Otherwise, who would care that a child dressed so chubby that he could hardly walk, and then actually tumbled down the stairs, laughing carefree and oblivious to the adults' worries?

Or he'd be constantly tugging at her ear, telling her what she could eat and drink. She could only eat a few bites, and he'd tell her how much to drink. Even her doctor father wasn't this shrewd.

Charlize Theron really enjoyed the feeling, even looking forward to it. She and Catherine quickly struck up a conversation, despite their initial awkwardness.

Henry, who was originally full of witty banter, couldn't join in the conversation between the two women and became a heartless response machine, only responding with "ah," "oh," and "um."