A retired Catwoman has sorted a cabinet full of stolen-item files.
A necklace, eleven car keys, a cufflink, a pocket watch, a bullet, a wedding ring. Open the file on each object, and it becomes a safe-deposit box. The objects are hooks, and hanging behind each hook are decades of her life with that man.
When she was in her early twenties, she stole a pearl necklace from Wayne Manor. The man she stole it from chased her for seven blocks, holding back for three of them. For decades afterward, she stole, and he never called the police; she left, and he never changed the locks; when she came back, the window hinges were freshly waxed, and milk was warming on the sill.
Two people whose systems of communication had broken down spent a lifetime inventing a code only they could read: stealing was a question, not changing the locks was an answer, returning things was a concession, and stealing again was a plea for peace.
They separated twice. During those years apart, each met wonderful people: the White Rose who taught him that "you can't be loved halfway"; the woman reporter who taught him that "being treated as a story and being treated as a person are two different things"; the heiress who offered an empire and walked away with her head held high; and the old-fashioned, dignified private detective who loved her halfway. Each past relationship taught them a lesson. They finished every exam before it was finally time for the two of them.
This house locks up everything except people. Those who wanted to leave all managed to go, and those who wanted to return were always able to.
1. Catwoman's first-person narration, told through an inventory of stolen goods, with one object per chapter. A witty, adult voice, every line sharp as a claw, with the pain tucked beneath the jokes.
2. Both leads have no other romantic partners during the relationship, so don't bother if that's not for you. Both are strong characters, so do come on in. Catwoman remains independent and free throughout. No whitewashing, no saving anyone. Retirement is her own choice, made before love.
3. Batman doesn't say a single romantic line in the entire story. His language is action. Readers who mind a taciturn male lead, take note. Readers who like "actions speak louder than words," come on in.
4. There are exes, and they get their own stories, but they are all treated with dignity. Let each ex win in their own time. No rivalry between women, no putting anyone down.
5. All four Wayne boys appear, with plenty of family drama.
Theme: Sincere love means respecting the other person's wholeness.
