Across town, Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane was staring at her own copy of the adoption papers that were delivered to her by a courier working for Gwen's lawyer. Odd, how she had been dreading this delivery for weeks only to end up feeling so hollow and numb. So resigned. She marveled in the passivity she was feeling in the face of this victory of Gwen's. She had fought Little Ethan's adoption by Gwen like a tigress and then struck, like a shark in the deep for revenge over it. Yes, she was now prepared to admit to herself that she had no intention of trading Nathan for Little Ethan no matter what concessions she wrung out of Gwen. She hated Gwen that much. And that was back even when she had thought Little Ethan had been fathered by Julian, who she despised.

But that was back when she still had hope. Hope for a future with Ethan that involved having a marriage and sharing a family with him. That hadn't been on the heels of today's humiliating offer by Ethan. An offer that she had only set herself up for by her own behavior over the years when she had proved she would do everything and anything to get him back. Even become his mistress.

He had caught up with her at the Harmony Country Club in the steam room where he had privately confronted her about her engagement to Jared. She could tell he was beside himself with jealousy over it. Just like he had been over Fox back in Los Angeles. Now, just as then, she had been greatly encouraged by it. Now, just as then, she had reached out to him. Confident, this time, that he would finally admit to her and himself that he still loved her and always would. That this time, he would go home and tell Gwen what that witch already knew; that he loved Theresa more than he could ever love Gwen.

The moment she had touched him, Ethan was like a man on fire. He made passionate love to her, acting like a man who had been starving for sustenance for several years. When he was through, she was confident that, then and there, he would tell her that he was leaving Gwen and propose to her. But he didn't.

"That was beautiful," Theresa said, lying in Ethan's arms and basking in the afterglow.

"You were magnificent," Ethan answered, tightening his arms around her.

"Just like you remembered," Theresa asked searching his guileless blue eyes with her fathomless dark orbs.

"Better," Ethan smiled.

"Oh, Ethan," she sighed. "Everything can be so much better than that, now that you have admitted you still love me."

"I could never deny it," Ethan replied, "Not to you, not to myself."

"Or to Gwen," Theresa probed. "Surely you are aware she knows how you feel?"

That's why she's such a bitter, dried up shrew, Theresa thought.

"Gwen knows how I feel," Ethan admitted. "She knows why I'm so torn. She realizes I love you, too."

Too? Too?!

"I-I realize you-you care for Gwen," Theresa stressed. "But you love me more."

"Do you love Jared," Ethan asked curiously.

"Of course I do," Theresa exclaimed reflexively. "He's a great person! He loves me!"

"Well, that's how I feel about Gwen," Ethan answered. "It doesn't mean I love you any less, only differently."

"Ethan," Theresa said, getting upset. "What are you trying to tell me? Are you going to leave Gwen or not?"

"I can't leave Gwen," Ethan answered. "Jane and I are her whole world. She'd be devastated. I can't destroy the family we share."

"Jane is my family, Ethan!"

"I understand that Theresa," Ethan replied, speaking to Theresa with the tight patience of an adult with an unruly child he must reason with. "But Gwen regards Jane as her own flesh and blood and vice versa. Gwen is the only mother Jane has ever known-"

"And whose fault is that," Theresa demanded angrily.

"All of ours," Ethan said sternly. "Had it not been for that disaster in Los Angeles with Sarah, Jane would never have been born."

"Ethan," Theresa faltered. "How can you say that about our little girl?"

"I'm not trying to be cruel, only factual," Ethan reasoned. "You, of all people, are aware of the circumstances behind Jane's conception."

"Those circumstances would have never happened if Gwen and Rebecca hadn't stolen Little Ethan from me-"

"Which would have never happened if Sarah hadn't died during a fight you had with Gwen," Ethan said flatly, "which would have never happened if you and I both hadn't been so indiscreet in Los Angeles, in the first place."

"We could have still had Jane," Theresa said stubbornly. "That's what Fate intended."

"Maybe," Ethan answered with an exasperated sigh. "If Sarah had been born and Gwen left me, we could have gotten together and produced Jane. A Jane that didn't come at the cost of Gwen's last hope for a child of her own."

"Gwen could always adopt," Theresa snapped tartly. "My God, Ethan! There are starving, neglected orphans all over the world who would give anything to have a mother, especially a rich one!"

"If you had not assaulted Gwen's surrogate and stolen her embryo, Heather would have given birth to that child herself and made it totally unnecessary for Gwen to adopt," Ethan reminded her pointedly.

"So, now you are blaming me for the death of Gwen's son as well?!"

"Nathan was my son, too," Ethan told her icily, a frosty look in his blue eyes. "My son, Theresa."

In a flash, Theresa then realized why Ethan had taken Jane from her and given her to Gwen to raise. It was not for what she had done to Gwen, but what she had done to him. He had done it to punish her for his son's death.

"Nathan doesn't have to be your only son, Ethan," Theresa said. "Gwen may not be able to give you another son, but I can."

"Enough, Theresa," Ethan exclaimed. "I can't leave Gwen for you. I must honor my vows. She and I are married. I am committed to her."

"You can commit yourself to her, but you can't be faithful to her." Theresa said, pulling away from him to pull on her robe.

"Wait! What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed and leaving, Ethan."

"Leaving? Why? We have to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about. You've made it clear that you are going to walk away from me and go straight back to Gwen … again."

"I have no intentions of walking away from you," Ethan said gripping Theresa by the shoulders and looking down at her passionately.

"Then you'll walk away from Gwen?"

"No, Theresa. I already told you why I can't do that."

"Then it's over. I'm done with you, Ethan. I'm moving on with my life! With another man!"

"Theresa, all you have to do is wait-"

"Wait for what? For Gwen to die? Because if that's what you expect, me to put my life on hold until you're finally available to be with me, forget about it. Gwen isn't going anywhere any time soon. That bitch will outlive you just to spite me."

"Theresa-"

"Forget about it, Ethan. I want a husband and a family to raise Little Ethan in. I'll get that from Jared. Don't even think you'll talk me out of marrying him!"

"I'm not trying to, Theresa."

"Then we're done!"

"No, we're not done," Ethan said stubbornly. "We can still be together, just like you said we could be at the garage. We could be lovers. Gwen and Jared would never have to know. It could remain our secret as long as we were both discreet. Our beautiful secret."

"You want me to sneak off to have hot quickies with you behind Jared's back," Theresa asked indignantly.

"Why not? You wanted me to sneak off to be with you behind Gwen's back," Ethan said.

"And you said no. Why now? Why not then," Theresa demanded, then the answer came to her in an ugly rush. "I know, you wouldn't do it then, because you could not trust me to be discreet. You were afraid I'd waste no time rubbing Gwen's great big ugly beak of a nose into the truth and you were right. But now, you think it's safe, because I'll have as much to lose as you do!"

"I-I wouldn't put it that way," Ethan said, shrinking from the anger in her eyes. "I just think, this way, we can both have our families, but still make each other happy, too."

"Damn you, Ethan!" Theresa slapped him so hard, his head rocked under the impact and she saw the imprint of her hand on his smooth cheek where she had hit him.

"Theresa," he muttered. "I don't know why you are being this way. This was your idea!"

"Well, my idea sucked! Big time! What the hell was I thinking," Theresa asked herself out loud. "Never mind what I was thinking. I obviously wasn't thinking with my brain but my heart. I thought if we were together one more time, you could never settle for a marriage of obligation with Gwen. But obviously you can and you will! Well, you can do it without me! We're done!"

"We will never be done. What we feel for each other is too strong."

"No, Ethan, I mean it. I am going to marry Jared and I will be faithful him. I refuse to deal with you. I refuse to be your dirty little secret," Theresa snapped, while tearing herself away from him. "Now leave me alone, Ethan or I will upset your little apple cart by putting a restraining order on you!"

With that said, Theresa left the steam room with Ethan gaping stupidly after her.

She let the door between the outer corridor and the women's dressing room slam so hard it shook the rafters.

"I know you don't really mean it Theresa," She heard Ethan say aloud. "You'll change your mind, because you can't stay away from me. You have always loved me and you always will. We'll be together again, because I won't give up."