I trusted you

By: Laurie-Lee

Summary : It's an entry of Kay's journal found by her daughter Maria. One-shot fic.

Author's note : In this, Sam's mother, Margaret, was alive and staying with Grace and Kay. Theresa and Kay were born the same year. Miguel was a year older than Theresa. Maria was not born in 2003 but in 2005. Sarah was born in 2003. There's other slight changes too but you'll read them along the story.

Maria Ivy Winthrop was cleaning her mother's old bedroom on that rainy day of August 2032 when she fell on a dusty book, hidden under the base of the bed. What in hell can it be? It looks like a journal... She carefully swept the dust away and as she was about to open it, a little blond girl ran into the room.

"Mommy, tell Alex to stop playing with my dolls! He's taking their heads off again!" she cried, an adorable pout on her lips.

"Alright. I'm coming." Maria put the book in the pocket of her apron and walked in the kitchen where her oldest son was indeed ripping the head of Elianna's dolls for the fifth time that week.

"Alexander, stop this right now! It isn't funny of you to make your sister cry all the time." She'd reprimanded him quietly seeing as her youngest son, Samuel, was sleeping in the nursery next to the living room. "Now come on, why don't you go play with your X-Box Gold?"

"That's a good idea mom. I'm going right away." replied the little boy, smiling. Half-way to the living room, he stopped and backtracked. "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I invite Darren and Felix to play with me?" Maria looked at her son. He was so much like his father.

"Sure. If uncle Martin and aunt Sally want them to come here."

"Alrighty." As soon as her son was gone, the phone rang, turning Maria's attention from the book once again.

"Hello, Maria Winthrop speaking."

"Maria!"

"Aunt Theresa?"

"Yes, it's me. I am calling concerning the big Crane-Winthrop-Banning family meeting. Mama wondered if you'd come this year since Samuel is a year old now." Maria hesitated for a few minutes. She didn't know if her husband would love to go concerning he didn't want to come face-to-face with his mother.

"I don't now Tia Theresa. I'm not exactly sure if Shawn wants to go. You know how things are between his mother and him right?"

"Yeah but he shouldn't prevent himself from coming because of a stupid bitch like Gwen." Just the name of her mother-in-law made Maria cringe. She and Gwen had never got along at all and the bottle blond had almost ruined her wedding. However, Ethan and her were really friendly. "Just look at what Sarah does. She simply ignores her."

"Well, we'll think about that and I'll call you in the evening." The other line was silent during a second.

"Maria, are you hesitating because you think your father will be here too?" The young woman sighed. Theresa always knew what was in the other's hearts without even being around them.

"Yes."

"Well, don't you worry. He's not coming."

"Doesn't surprise me at all. He was never man enough to take his responsabilities when he learned Mom was pregnant so I don't see how he would be man enough to face me, his own flesh and blood." replied Maria with venom. She resented her father more than anyone else in the world because he'd broke her mother's heart and left her with a baby to raise alone. Theresa didn't speak. She shared the opinion of her niece. "Anyway, I'll call you back as soon as Shawn and I have talked about if we go or not ok?"

"Sure. Call me on my cellphone though. I have some errands to run before Annabel and Alejandro come back from school."

"Alright. Bye Tia Theresa."

"Bye Maria." As soon as she hung up, she made sure Alexander was busy enough playing with cousins to annoy Elianna and she sat down near the kitchen's bay window. Opening the book, she flipped the pages until an entry appeared and began to read.

August 3rd, 2004

Dear Diary.

I am Kay Bennett, daughter to Sam Bennett and Grace Standish, granddaughter to Margaret Bennett. Granny, Mom, and I run the Bed and Breakfast. It has been in the family for as long as I can remember. I believe that great-great-great-grandfather Allan bought it from the Crane family…but anyway, that doesn't really matter.

Dad died seven years ago, when I was 14 years old. He died at sea—the Atlantic Ocean, on a rescuing mission. I still am not quite sure why he died. Uncle Hank said he was shot by the kidnappers while Luis said he fell in the water and drowned. I don't know who to believe but Luis' explanation seems more plausible since Dad always wore his protection plates. It was during the year of the town's carnival in which Tabitha, the local extravagant, predicted Miguel and I would have a daughter someday.

I was a happy child. I spent my summers running around with my childhood friends and helping Dad build and rebuild our tree's house. At that time, Dad worked at the Harmony Police Department as the chief of police or high lieutenant you could say but he always had the time to play with Noah, Jessica, I and our friends. For what he was doing for me and our family, I would go to the police station each day, faithfully bringing him the lunch Mom would have prepared for him. In winter, Mom would promise us to go ice-skating each day of our holidays if we were good. And believe me diary, we were.

Even though I enjoyed wintertime for all the beautiful gifts we received and all of the family parties we had, my favorite time of the year was still summertime. Every day, after bringing my Dad his lunch, I would get to go to the Banning residence to play with my spirit sister, Theresa.. And that…that is where I met her brother Miguel. Miguel. My best friend.

I met him when I was 7 years old, when Dad was promoted as the chief of police. Miguel was 8, a year older than I. He had the most charming look with his black spiky hair and the friendliest eyes I had ever seen. I befriended him quickly. We would fool around in the house with Theresa a lot of times, and as we got older, we played more seriously. We started to talk to each other. Get to really know each other. In the process I met Pilar and Steven. I…uh, think they liked me. I never asked.

Miguel also spent time with my family at the Bed and Breakfast. My parents most definitely liked him. Granny read him stories out of her Fairytale Books and quite strangely, the main characters were always similar to me and Miguel. Those were the best years of my life.

And then…the unthinkable happened to me…Dad died. I…had just turned 14. My friends and family were all there. I will remember that day forever. It was the day before July 4th.

Mom sank into a pit of darkness after he died. She wouldn't talk to me…to anybody. I needed to talk. I didn't realize it at the time, but I needed it. I followed after Mom and talked to no one. Not even to Miguel. I think Granny was the worst. Perhaps she was denying the fact that Dad was gone forever, but she kept thinking I was him. She continuously called me by his name…Sam...and she did it to strangers too. In fact, she does it to this day. Not to me, but to guests. It saddens me. My once cheerful grandmother is now lost to us. Forever. I will never have Margaret, my dear Granny, back. During this time, Miguel left me alone. He finally started to get concerned after a few months, when I hadn't even visited.

One day, 5 months after Dad's death, in the pouring rain, Miguel came into my life again. He walked to the Bed and Breakfast, and came inside. I was at the check-in desk when it happened. Grandma was in her room, and Mom in the Staff Room. I remember this well….

I stood behind the counter of the B&B. It was yet another day, in my now pointless life. No customers, no special occasions, nothing. I let tears drop down my face, thinking of Dad. Again. It was burned into my memory, his smile, and the twinkle in his eye. I missed him dearly. The door slammed open and bounced off the wall with a force that knocked the coat hanger to the floor. I looked up in surprise, quickly wiping my tears off of my face, not wanting the customer to see me in such a state.

At that moment, the kitchen door opened, interrupting her reading. She got up, putting the book down on the marble table, and walked to her husband, Shawn, who'd just walked in.

"Hi Darling. Have a good day at work?" she asked, kissing him.

"Yes very. Father was proud of me when I won the Fiorello's case. He thought we would never win but I decided to point the child's interest and the judge ruled in our favor."

"That's great. No wonder Ethan must have be proud of you." Shawn smiled and noticed the dusty book lying on the table.

"What were you reading?"

"That..." She pointed it "It's one of my mother's journal. She'd hidden it under her bed's base upstairs. Probably she wanted me to find it."

"Ohh... Any calls today?" he asked as Maria was about to get the meal of that night from the fridge. "Don't! Father is bringing us to the Seascape tonight in order to celebrate our victory. Your mother will babysit the children so we'll drop them at her house.

"Alright. And as for the calls, yes there was one. Tia Theresa called to know if we were going to the Crane-Winthrop-Banning family meeting. I told her I would call her after we would have talked. I know your mother and you aren't on good terms so I didn't want to say yes when you'd say no."

"Call her and say we'll be there. Father told me she wasn't feeling well and that probably she wouldn't go. But is she still come, I'll just do like Sarah and ignore her. I'm going into the shower."

"Ok." She called Theresa and then took over her reading.

"Welcome to the Bennett Bed and Breakfast. How may I…." I stopped, looking directly into the man's eyes.

"Miguel!" I gasped. He smiled at me as I got out from behind the counter and hugged him.

"Where have you been?" I whispered into his neck.

"Where have you been?" he replied. I sobbed into his neck…unable to stop…

I told Miguel all about my feelings. I talked until I was hoarse. I told him about Mom. I told him about Granny and…he listened. That's when I realized I loved him. I was 14. It was like a fairy tale. Miguel and I got even closer, and we finally had a romance. I was 17. Unfortunately it didn't last long as my cousin, Charity, came to town that year and got Miguel's attention. She and her mother, my aunt Faith, had come in search of Mom. They stayed 2 years. I was happy to know the aunt I've never been able to meet before because of Mom's impatience to enter in the real world. When I turned 19, aunt Faith died in a fire but Charity got out safe, all thanks to me. I'd smelled the smoke coming from the other side of the streets and when I'd seen the flames, I knew I had to wake up Mom so she would call the firemen and rescue Charity at all cost. Even though I resented her for having taken Miguel away from me, she was still my family, my blood. So I saved her from the fire and a month after Faith's burial, Charity's father came to Harmony and claimed his daughter back so she moved out of town that day and Miguel turned back to me. I was happy again though I'd lost my cousin. Mom seemed to be getting better. She was climbing out of the seemingly eternal darkness. Granny, unfortunately, had not changed. But, I still loved her.

Right after this year's Valentine's Day Party, in which Tabitha predicted my only child would be born of the relationship I had with Miguel, he asked me to marry him in front of our families. I was delighted. I said yes. I only wished for Dad to be there. He always said I would be Mrs. Miguel Banning one day and I always believed him.

I prepared for my wedding. Mom was happy for me; she sewed me the most beautiful dress with white lace. It was straight out of a fairy tale. I loved it.

Three months ago Miguel went missing. There was no explanation, no note, no nothing. I was crushed and Mrs Banning was devastated. It was right after I told him I was pregnant. No one had seen him since.

Now…now it is our wedding night. I am at the Banning residence as I write this. The moon reflects on the pool's water in front of me and I rubb my swollen belly tenderly. I'm seven months pregnant and Miguel isn't here.

I trusted you, Miguel. Where are you now that I need you?

I trusted you...but not anymore.

-Kay

Maria closed the book, a tear falling down her cheek. She'd felt her mother's pain as she read the entry and her hatred and resentement towards her father grew more intense. She would never foget her father for what he abandonning her or her mother. Never...