"Tony, come back to bed." The sultry feminine voice brought Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald
out of his reverie. Out of his memories of the past. He didn't even turn to look at the blonde who had risen from his bed and joined him in the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his waist and ran her hands over his bare chest. He grabbed her hands and removed them from his body. The blonde pouted. "Tony, you're not going into one of those moods again, are you?"
Antonio finally turned. "No, of course not." He forced a smile, and brushed the
woman's short blonde hair out of her face. "Why don't you go back to bed and sleep a little
more?" He kissed her gently on the cheek.
A smile broke out over her face. "Okay, baby. But don't keep me waiting long." With
that, she glided out of the room. Antonio sighed. This was his fifth girlfriend in one month. One month. He could no longer hold a steady relationshp. Not after her. And for some reason, he always chose blondes with short hair. Just like her. Antonio ran a hand through his thick black hair. He told himself then, as he had told himself so many other sleepless nights, that he would get over her. She was his reason for leaving his hometown. She was the reason that he never spoke to his family. She was the reason that he felt he would never find love in another woman again at least not the love he had with her. Antonio sighed again, and reached for the paper. As he flipped through the society pages, a headline caught his eye. He gasped, and hurried quickly to the door. He had to go home.
Angela Werington woke up in an empty bed. She wasn't really surprised. Tony Lopez had a reputation in the small town of leaving women, without a word, in the night. She sighed and got up, walking to the kitchen as she had last night. She figured that she had wasted seven days of her life with him, he at least owed her a cup of coffee. As the pot brewed, she looked at the paper on the kitchen table. It was opened to the society page, and Angela snorted. She never would have guessed that Tony even cared about the lives of the rich and famous. The bold headline read "SHERIDAN CRANE TO WED". Angela snorted again, and went to get her coffee.
Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald walked towards the door of her small home. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she shouted. "Dios Mio," she muttered to the incessent knocking. She opened the door, and gasped. "Antonio? Mijo!" Pilar grabbed her son and pulled him into a huge hug.
Antonio laughed. "Mama, be careful! You're crushing me."
Pilar pulled back, her brown eyes glistening with tears. "Mijo. I can't believe you are home... I had given up all hope..."
Antonio hugged her again. "It's alright now, Mama. I'm home."
"Mama? Whose at the door?" Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald walked through the small, cozy living room. She had heard her mother yell, and had run down to see what the problem was. Theresa let out a shriek of joy and propelled herself into her oldest brother's arms. "Tony!"
Antonio gathered his little sister into his arms, and picked her up off the ground. "Resa, I missed you." He and his youngest sister had always been close. He had understood Theresa's dreams and wild fantasies more than Luis ever had.
Theresa was crying. "I can't believe you're back."
"I guess nobody can." Antonio put his arms around his mother and his sister, and led them both back into the living room.
Pilar put a hand to her chest. Her lost son had finally come home. She looked over at him, smile flashing as he humored his favorite sister, and tears filled her eyes once more.
Antonio turned from Theresa, and found his mother crying once again. "Mama, what's the matter now?"
"Nothing, mijo. Nothing. I finally have all my sons home." Antonio embraced his mother, relishing the warmth and comfort she gave him.
"Speaking of your other sons," he said as he pulled away, "Where are they?"
"Well, Miguel is with Charity, and Luis is no doubt with Sheridan."
Antonio's smile slipped off his face. "Luis? Is he marrying Sheridan Crane?"
Pilar nodded. "Yes. How did you know that Sheridan was getting married?"
"Oh, I saw it in the paper. But it didn't mention Luis' name."
"Oh, it probably wouldn't," answered Theresa. "Sheridan hasn't told any of the press who she was marrying, only that she was engaged."
"Of course. Who's Charity," he asked quickly, eager to change the subject.
"She's Miguel's girlfriend. Such a sweet girl." Pilar looked at her son. "My, you have missed a lot, haven't you?"
Antonio nodded. "A lot more than I ever could have guessed."
Grace Bennett hurried to answer the door, walking past Miguel and Charity who were wrapped up in eachother's arms on the couch. She shook her head, and opened the heavy oaken door. A tall dark haired man stood on the step, whom she didn't know, but looked so familiar. "Can I help you?"
"Yes," Antonio answered. "Is Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald here?"
Grace nodded. "Hold on a second." She walked back to the living room. "Miguel?"
Miguel looked up from Charity. "What is it, Mrs. Bennett?"
"There's someone at the door for you."
Miguel was surprised. "For me?"
Grace nodded. "He looks so familiar, I swear I've seen him before..."
Miguel got up from the couch and walked to the door. Standing in the foyer was his oldest brother. "Antonio?" he whispered.
"It's me, little bro." A huge smile broke out over Miguel's face, as he embraced his brother. Antonio pounded Miguel on the back. "Good to see you, little man!"
"I guess I could say the same about you." Miguel kept looking in disbelief at his brother.
"Miguel? Who is it?" A sugary voice met Antonio's ears as slender blonde girl entered the room. Miguel went to her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. The girl's large blue eyes trained on Antonio's dark brown ones. Antonio grew uncomfortable as her eyes bored into his. He felt as if she could see his soul.
"Charity, this is my oldest brother, Antonio. Antonio, this is my girlfriend, Charity."
"Nice to meet you, Charity," Antonio said, and held out his hand. Charity took it, and shook it gently. "Well, anyway Miguel, I hate to tear you away from Charity, but I promised Mama I'd get you home for once. We're having a family dinner. Mama's making her famous fruit empanadas."
Miguel's eyes lit up, and he licked his lips. "Sorry Charity, but Mama's empanada's are worth more to me than any relationship." He laughed, and so did she.
"Alright Miguel. I'll see you later." They gave eachother a deep kiss, and Miguel left with Antonio.
Theresa sat on the couch with her head leaning against Antonio's chest. She was so serenly happy that her brother was back. As much as she loved Miguel and Luis, she had never felt as close to them as she was to Antonio. He always indulged her when she talked about her dreams of marrying Ethan or becoming a fasion designer. She never felt that Luis or Miguel understood that.
"So you finally got Ethan Crane, huh Resa?"
Theresa smiled. "Well, he's Ethan Bennett now, but yes. We're engaged to be married."
Antonio looked shocked. "Wow. Luis allowed that?"
"Yup. He's even going to give me away."
"I'm impressed." Suddenly, the front door opened. They heared Luis' voice call out "I'm home!"
Antonio stood up, and went to greet his brother. "Luis."
Luis looked at him in disbelief. "Antonio." With that one word uttered, Luis punched Antonio in the jaw.
out of his reverie. Out of his memories of the past. He didn't even turn to look at the blonde who had risen from his bed and joined him in the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his waist and ran her hands over his bare chest. He grabbed her hands and removed them from his body. The blonde pouted. "Tony, you're not going into one of those moods again, are you?"
Antonio finally turned. "No, of course not." He forced a smile, and brushed the
woman's short blonde hair out of her face. "Why don't you go back to bed and sleep a little
more?" He kissed her gently on the cheek.
A smile broke out over her face. "Okay, baby. But don't keep me waiting long." With
that, she glided out of the room. Antonio sighed. This was his fifth girlfriend in one month. One month. He could no longer hold a steady relationshp. Not after her. And for some reason, he always chose blondes with short hair. Just like her. Antonio ran a hand through his thick black hair. He told himself then, as he had told himself so many other sleepless nights, that he would get over her. She was his reason for leaving his hometown. She was the reason that he never spoke to his family. She was the reason that he felt he would never find love in another woman again at least not the love he had with her. Antonio sighed again, and reached for the paper. As he flipped through the society pages, a headline caught his eye. He gasped, and hurried quickly to the door. He had to go home.
Angela Werington woke up in an empty bed. She wasn't really surprised. Tony Lopez had a reputation in the small town of leaving women, without a word, in the night. She sighed and got up, walking to the kitchen as she had last night. She figured that she had wasted seven days of her life with him, he at least owed her a cup of coffee. As the pot brewed, she looked at the paper on the kitchen table. It was opened to the society page, and Angela snorted. She never would have guessed that Tony even cared about the lives of the rich and famous. The bold headline read "SHERIDAN CRANE TO WED". Angela snorted again, and went to get her coffee.
Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald walked towards the door of her small home. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she shouted. "Dios Mio," she muttered to the incessent knocking. She opened the door, and gasped. "Antonio? Mijo!" Pilar grabbed her son and pulled him into a huge hug.
Antonio laughed. "Mama, be careful! You're crushing me."
Pilar pulled back, her brown eyes glistening with tears. "Mijo. I can't believe you are home... I had given up all hope..."
Antonio hugged her again. "It's alright now, Mama. I'm home."
"Mama? Whose at the door?" Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald walked through the small, cozy living room. She had heard her mother yell, and had run down to see what the problem was. Theresa let out a shriek of joy and propelled herself into her oldest brother's arms. "Tony!"
Antonio gathered his little sister into his arms, and picked her up off the ground. "Resa, I missed you." He and his youngest sister had always been close. He had understood Theresa's dreams and wild fantasies more than Luis ever had.
Theresa was crying. "I can't believe you're back."
"I guess nobody can." Antonio put his arms around his mother and his sister, and led them both back into the living room.
Pilar put a hand to her chest. Her lost son had finally come home. She looked over at him, smile flashing as he humored his favorite sister, and tears filled her eyes once more.
Antonio turned from Theresa, and found his mother crying once again. "Mama, what's the matter now?"
"Nothing, mijo. Nothing. I finally have all my sons home." Antonio embraced his mother, relishing the warmth and comfort she gave him.
"Speaking of your other sons," he said as he pulled away, "Where are they?"
"Well, Miguel is with Charity, and Luis is no doubt with Sheridan."
Antonio's smile slipped off his face. "Luis? Is he marrying Sheridan Crane?"
Pilar nodded. "Yes. How did you know that Sheridan was getting married?"
"Oh, I saw it in the paper. But it didn't mention Luis' name."
"Oh, it probably wouldn't," answered Theresa. "Sheridan hasn't told any of the press who she was marrying, only that she was engaged."
"Of course. Who's Charity," he asked quickly, eager to change the subject.
"She's Miguel's girlfriend. Such a sweet girl." Pilar looked at her son. "My, you have missed a lot, haven't you?"
Antonio nodded. "A lot more than I ever could have guessed."
Grace Bennett hurried to answer the door, walking past Miguel and Charity who were wrapped up in eachother's arms on the couch. She shook her head, and opened the heavy oaken door. A tall dark haired man stood on the step, whom she didn't know, but looked so familiar. "Can I help you?"
"Yes," Antonio answered. "Is Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald here?"
Grace nodded. "Hold on a second." She walked back to the living room. "Miguel?"
Miguel looked up from Charity. "What is it, Mrs. Bennett?"
"There's someone at the door for you."
Miguel was surprised. "For me?"
Grace nodded. "He looks so familiar, I swear I've seen him before..."
Miguel got up from the couch and walked to the door. Standing in the foyer was his oldest brother. "Antonio?" he whispered.
"It's me, little bro." A huge smile broke out over Miguel's face, as he embraced his brother. Antonio pounded Miguel on the back. "Good to see you, little man!"
"I guess I could say the same about you." Miguel kept looking in disbelief at his brother.
"Miguel? Who is it?" A sugary voice met Antonio's ears as slender blonde girl entered the room. Miguel went to her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. The girl's large blue eyes trained on Antonio's dark brown ones. Antonio grew uncomfortable as her eyes bored into his. He felt as if she could see his soul.
"Charity, this is my oldest brother, Antonio. Antonio, this is my girlfriend, Charity."
"Nice to meet you, Charity," Antonio said, and held out his hand. Charity took it, and shook it gently. "Well, anyway Miguel, I hate to tear you away from Charity, but I promised Mama I'd get you home for once. We're having a family dinner. Mama's making her famous fruit empanadas."
Miguel's eyes lit up, and he licked his lips. "Sorry Charity, but Mama's empanada's are worth more to me than any relationship." He laughed, and so did she.
"Alright Miguel. I'll see you later." They gave eachother a deep kiss, and Miguel left with Antonio.
Theresa sat on the couch with her head leaning against Antonio's chest. She was so serenly happy that her brother was back. As much as she loved Miguel and Luis, she had never felt as close to them as she was to Antonio. He always indulged her when she talked about her dreams of marrying Ethan or becoming a fasion designer. She never felt that Luis or Miguel understood that.
"So you finally got Ethan Crane, huh Resa?"
Theresa smiled. "Well, he's Ethan Bennett now, but yes. We're engaged to be married."
Antonio looked shocked. "Wow. Luis allowed that?"
"Yup. He's even going to give me away."
"I'm impressed." Suddenly, the front door opened. They heared Luis' voice call out "I'm home!"
Antonio stood up, and went to greet his brother. "Luis."
Luis looked at him in disbelief. "Antonio." With that one word uttered, Luis punched Antonio in the jaw.