"Daddy, will you play pirate with me?" asked the timid 4 year-old.
"Go away Ethan, I'm busy." returned the gruff Julian Crane.
"But Daddy-" protested Ethan.
"Go play with Sheridan. You might as well." said Julian." Now please go."
"All- riighhhttt." he whined.
The flashbacks were horrible. Jeez, he had had an unhappy childhood. No friends, no love, only his
mother and Aunt Sheridan. No life. No happiness. He remembered several times when he cried
himself to sleep because he was so lonely and sad at boarding school. Nobody played with him, and
his only friend was his future fiance Gwyn Hotchkiss. Then he met Theresa. Then there were hard
decisions. He chose Theresa and left Gwyn alone. How could he have done that? Gwyn was the only
one who cared for him at boarding school. True, she was somewhat a snob, but he had loved her
all through boarding school. How could he forget their love? He knew why. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald.
Her mother, Pilar and her were always close to the family and it turns out that they had known
each other longer than Gwyn and Ethan had known each other. He looked at Theresa's ring, which
was set down on her bedside while she had been taking a shower. Theresa and Gwyn's engagement
ring. Three diamonds encrusted into the side. Beautiful and meaningful. Symbolizing their love.
He had already made his decision, it was too late. But which woman did he really want? Which woman
did his family want? Gwyn, of course. Which one did his mother want? Whichever one he wanted.
What about Sheridan? Same as him, of course. I need to follow my heart, he thought. My heart says
go with your instincts. Who makes you happy? Theresa. But there are forces keeping them apart.
Forces like Julian and Alistair Crane. Forces that didn't give two shits about whether or not he was
happy or sad. Whether or not he even liked the woman he was to marry. But he loved Theresa.
So he was safe. For a while. Until the wedding. Then something might happen. He felt it in his blood.
Something that would change everything. Even Theresa had felt it. Cinderella, and he's Prince
Charming. Its midnight. The clock struck.
"Go away Ethan, I'm busy." returned the gruff Julian Crane.
"But Daddy-" protested Ethan.
"Go play with Sheridan. You might as well." said Julian." Now please go."
"All- riighhhttt." he whined.
The flashbacks were horrible. Jeez, he had had an unhappy childhood. No friends, no love, only his
mother and Aunt Sheridan. No life. No happiness. He remembered several times when he cried
himself to sleep because he was so lonely and sad at boarding school. Nobody played with him, and
his only friend was his future fiance Gwyn Hotchkiss. Then he met Theresa. Then there were hard
decisions. He chose Theresa and left Gwyn alone. How could he have done that? Gwyn was the only
one who cared for him at boarding school. True, she was somewhat a snob, but he had loved her
all through boarding school. How could he forget their love? He knew why. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald.
Her mother, Pilar and her were always close to the family and it turns out that they had known
each other longer than Gwyn and Ethan had known each other. He looked at Theresa's ring, which
was set down on her bedside while she had been taking a shower. Theresa and Gwyn's engagement
ring. Three diamonds encrusted into the side. Beautiful and meaningful. Symbolizing their love.
He had already made his decision, it was too late. But which woman did he really want? Which woman
did his family want? Gwyn, of course. Which one did his mother want? Whichever one he wanted.
What about Sheridan? Same as him, of course. I need to follow my heart, he thought. My heart says
go with your instincts. Who makes you happy? Theresa. But there are forces keeping them apart.
Forces like Julian and Alistair Crane. Forces that didn't give two shits about whether or not he was
happy or sad. Whether or not he even liked the woman he was to marry. But he loved Theresa.
So he was safe. For a while. Until the wedding. Then something might happen. He felt it in his blood.
Something that would change everything. Even Theresa had felt it. Cinderella, and he's Prince
Charming. Its midnight. The clock struck.