Note: This takes place after the 12/31/02 episode of Passions. Disregard
the fact that Paloma and Noah called home on Christmas.
Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald stepped on to the plane that would take her from L.A. to Harmony with mixed emotions. She was happy that she would finally get to see her family after thirteen years. However, she was still bitter that they had sent her away.
When Paloma was six years old, everything changed. Her father, Martin, had mysteriously disappeared and her oldest brother, Antonio, left town. This left her mother, Pilar, in a terrible situation. She was left to care for four children by herself. Since this was an unbelievably hard task for a humble housekeeper, Pilar was forced to send one of her children to live with her sister and brother-in-law in southern California.
As a result, Paloma was forced to separate from her family. She hadn't seen them since. The whole ordeal had an amazing impact on her. She found that she hated her mother for doing this to her, Antonio for leaving them, and her sister Theresa for being a spoiled brat. Theresa had never made an effort to keep in touch with Paloma. The only family Paloma was excited about seeing was her brother, Luis, who always wrote to her and never lost touch, and her twin brother, Miguel. She could never hate her twin.
Paloma had always been trouble to her aunt and uncle. She always felt like an outsider and that she had no loving family. She made some bad choices when she was fifteen, hanging out with the wrong crowd. Those bad decisions had gotten her kicked out of her aunt and uncle's house at the age of sixteen causing Paloma to live on the streets. She had become addicted to drugs and thought that there was no way out. Then she met a man named Kenny. He was forty years old and a very wealthy man. He helped Paloma get out of her situation and sort of adopted her into his life. Paloma had finally found someone who cared for her.
Soon Paloma realized, however, that she had to go home to her real family. She couldn't shut them out of her life forever. Kenny gave her the money to travel back to Harmony with the promise that he would always be there for her if she needed him. After a tear filled good-bye, Paloma entered the terminal and got on the plane.
Paloma found her seat and sat down. She was glad to find a handsome young man would be sitting next to her on the long flight to Harmony. She sat down, took out the latest issue of Cosmo, and flipped through the pages waiting for take off. Twenty minutes into the flight, Paloma felt tired and decided to take a nap.
After an hour, she woke up to find the stewardess offering her a drink. As she took the ginger ale from her hands, Paloma accidentally tipped the drink over spilling it on the hot guy's carry on bag.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," Paloma exclaimed grabbing napkins to sop up the mess.
"It's ok," he snapped.
"No, it's not. You must hate me," she insisted.
He leaned back in his seat and thought for a minute as she worked hard to clean his bag. "Sorry, I snapped," he said. "I've just been traveling all day." "Oh?" she asked. "From where?"
"Australia. I've been there for about three years."
"So why are you going to Harmony then?" Paloma wondered. Why would a world traveler ever want to go to Harmony?
"To see my family. I haven't seen them in three years."
"Well, I'm going to Harmony to see my family too. Only it's been thirteen years."
"Really? How come?"
"They sent me away when I was little."
"That sucks."
"Yeah, I know. It's been so long I don't even know if I'll recognize any of them."
"Who are they? Maybe I'll know who they are."
"The Lopez-Fitzgeralds. You probably don't."
"Sure I know them! Miguel is my little sister's friend."
"Really? Wow, what a coincidence."
"So you're the missing Lopez-Fitzgerald sister, huh?"
"That would be me. Tossed away like a worthless piece of crap."
"I'm sure that's not true. Pilar must have had a good reason to give you up," he said sympathetically.
"We had no money. Still, that's no excuse to send your baby girl to the west coast to live as an outcast in her aunt and uncle's family. Why didn't she send Theresa away? She's had everything in life handed to her on a silver platter. Even though Mama had no money at all, Theresa was still spoiled rotten."
"I'm sensing some real hostility here. Why are you even going back to Harmony?"
"I want to see Luis and Miguel. That's it."
"Why don't you give your mother and Theresa a chance? They may have changed."
"I highly doubt it," Paloma muttered. "So anyway, what's your family like?"
"Oh, your typical 'Leave It to Beaver' family."
"Must be nice."
"It has its perks. However, there's always the pressure to be perfect. That's why I needed to get away."
"How did you wind up in Australia then?"
"Well, I was in college but that wasn't really my thing. I went to Australia to spend my junior year abroad. I fell in love with the place and didn't want to come back. I spent the past few years away from civilization studying with the Aborigines in the Outback."
"Well, I'm impressed," Paloma said in awe. She always wanted to travel but it was never an option in her life.
The conversation was starting to die. Paloma tried to dig up something else to keep this hot Harmony stranger talking.
"Do you like your family?"
"Well, I love my sisters. They're wonderful. I miss them a lot."
"What about your parents?"
"Well, my mom's kind of cool in a June Cleaver kind of way. She has amnesia though and is a little crazy. My dad and I aren't on great terms right now. He was really disappointed when I didn't want to become a cop like him, which is definitely not my thing. Then, when I decided to quit college, he totally disagreed with me. He's not supportive at all but I know he'll be happy to see me. I'm his only son, ya know?"
"Do they know you're coming back?"
"Nope, I wanted to surprise them. Being in the Outback for three years, I wasn't able to keep in touch with them. Do Pilar and the gang know your coming?"
"There'll be a surprise there too."
The two talked for the rest of the flight. As they waited at the baggage claim, Paloma said, "So, can I have your name in case I need help with the family?"
"Noah Bennett," he said. "And you are?"
"Paloma," she whispered as she went off to find a taxi.
Paloma, he thought. What a pretty name.
Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald stepped on to the plane that would take her from L.A. to Harmony with mixed emotions. She was happy that she would finally get to see her family after thirteen years. However, she was still bitter that they had sent her away.
When Paloma was six years old, everything changed. Her father, Martin, had mysteriously disappeared and her oldest brother, Antonio, left town. This left her mother, Pilar, in a terrible situation. She was left to care for four children by herself. Since this was an unbelievably hard task for a humble housekeeper, Pilar was forced to send one of her children to live with her sister and brother-in-law in southern California.
As a result, Paloma was forced to separate from her family. She hadn't seen them since. The whole ordeal had an amazing impact on her. She found that she hated her mother for doing this to her, Antonio for leaving them, and her sister Theresa for being a spoiled brat. Theresa had never made an effort to keep in touch with Paloma. The only family Paloma was excited about seeing was her brother, Luis, who always wrote to her and never lost touch, and her twin brother, Miguel. She could never hate her twin.
Paloma had always been trouble to her aunt and uncle. She always felt like an outsider and that she had no loving family. She made some bad choices when she was fifteen, hanging out with the wrong crowd. Those bad decisions had gotten her kicked out of her aunt and uncle's house at the age of sixteen causing Paloma to live on the streets. She had become addicted to drugs and thought that there was no way out. Then she met a man named Kenny. He was forty years old and a very wealthy man. He helped Paloma get out of her situation and sort of adopted her into his life. Paloma had finally found someone who cared for her.
Soon Paloma realized, however, that she had to go home to her real family. She couldn't shut them out of her life forever. Kenny gave her the money to travel back to Harmony with the promise that he would always be there for her if she needed him. After a tear filled good-bye, Paloma entered the terminal and got on the plane.
Paloma found her seat and sat down. She was glad to find a handsome young man would be sitting next to her on the long flight to Harmony. She sat down, took out the latest issue of Cosmo, and flipped through the pages waiting for take off. Twenty minutes into the flight, Paloma felt tired and decided to take a nap.
After an hour, she woke up to find the stewardess offering her a drink. As she took the ginger ale from her hands, Paloma accidentally tipped the drink over spilling it on the hot guy's carry on bag.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry," Paloma exclaimed grabbing napkins to sop up the mess.
"It's ok," he snapped.
"No, it's not. You must hate me," she insisted.
He leaned back in his seat and thought for a minute as she worked hard to clean his bag. "Sorry, I snapped," he said. "I've just been traveling all day." "Oh?" she asked. "From where?"
"Australia. I've been there for about three years."
"So why are you going to Harmony then?" Paloma wondered. Why would a world traveler ever want to go to Harmony?
"To see my family. I haven't seen them in three years."
"Well, I'm going to Harmony to see my family too. Only it's been thirteen years."
"Really? How come?"
"They sent me away when I was little."
"That sucks."
"Yeah, I know. It's been so long I don't even know if I'll recognize any of them."
"Who are they? Maybe I'll know who they are."
"The Lopez-Fitzgeralds. You probably don't."
"Sure I know them! Miguel is my little sister's friend."
"Really? Wow, what a coincidence."
"So you're the missing Lopez-Fitzgerald sister, huh?"
"That would be me. Tossed away like a worthless piece of crap."
"I'm sure that's not true. Pilar must have had a good reason to give you up," he said sympathetically.
"We had no money. Still, that's no excuse to send your baby girl to the west coast to live as an outcast in her aunt and uncle's family. Why didn't she send Theresa away? She's had everything in life handed to her on a silver platter. Even though Mama had no money at all, Theresa was still spoiled rotten."
"I'm sensing some real hostility here. Why are you even going back to Harmony?"
"I want to see Luis and Miguel. That's it."
"Why don't you give your mother and Theresa a chance? They may have changed."
"I highly doubt it," Paloma muttered. "So anyway, what's your family like?"
"Oh, your typical 'Leave It to Beaver' family."
"Must be nice."
"It has its perks. However, there's always the pressure to be perfect. That's why I needed to get away."
"How did you wind up in Australia then?"
"Well, I was in college but that wasn't really my thing. I went to Australia to spend my junior year abroad. I fell in love with the place and didn't want to come back. I spent the past few years away from civilization studying with the Aborigines in the Outback."
"Well, I'm impressed," Paloma said in awe. She always wanted to travel but it was never an option in her life.
The conversation was starting to die. Paloma tried to dig up something else to keep this hot Harmony stranger talking.
"Do you like your family?"
"Well, I love my sisters. They're wonderful. I miss them a lot."
"What about your parents?"
"Well, my mom's kind of cool in a June Cleaver kind of way. She has amnesia though and is a little crazy. My dad and I aren't on great terms right now. He was really disappointed when I didn't want to become a cop like him, which is definitely not my thing. Then, when I decided to quit college, he totally disagreed with me. He's not supportive at all but I know he'll be happy to see me. I'm his only son, ya know?"
"Do they know you're coming back?"
"Nope, I wanted to surprise them. Being in the Outback for three years, I wasn't able to keep in touch with them. Do Pilar and the gang know your coming?"
"There'll be a surprise there too."
The two talked for the rest of the flight. As they waited at the baggage claim, Paloma said, "So, can I have your name in case I need help with the family?"
"Noah Bennett," he said. "And you are?"
"Paloma," she whispered as she went off to find a taxi.
Paloma, he thought. What a pretty name.