Julian's entire face lit up. "Do you really mean that, Eve?"
Eve nodded, her eyes glistening at his. "I love you, Julian. I love you with all of my heart."
"Oh, Eve . . ." Julian pulled her into his arms. "Knowing that you feel that way—I love you even ten times more."
"I feel so special when I'm with you," Eve said, "completely loved just as I am."
"That's because I do love everything about you." Julian's eyes sparkled at hers. "I wouldn't change a single thing about you."
"Oh, Julian," Eve sighed, her breath hitching in her throat as he gently caressed her cheek.
"I love you, Eve." Julian smiled softly at her. "I love you with every fiber of my being."
"I love you, too, Julian," Eve breathed, her heart pounding as his lips inched closer to hers.
Her heart skipping a beat as his lips brushed up against hers, Eve's entire body melted into Julian's arms as she lost herself in his kiss.
"So how did your appointment with the realtor go?" Hank asked Sheridan as he put away some basketballs.
"It was wonderful, Hank," Sheridan beamed, folding some jerseys and stacking them on a shelf. "From the second Luis and I stepped into the townhouse, I felt like I was home."
Hank grinned. "I'm sure wherever you move with Luis, you'll feel like it is home."
"You may be right about that." Sheridan cradled her belly and smiled. "But there was something special about this place—I think it was meant for us."
"Well, it sounds like you've had a lot of great things going on lately," Hank said. "I have to tell you—I took a look at the idea you came up with for Thanksgiving, and it looks fantastic, Sheridan."
"Thank you, Hank," Sheridan smiled. "I'm really excited about it. I'm so thrilled that I was able to talk some of Harmony's local business owners into sponsoring this. I hope the kids enjoy it. I just think they're going to feel really good about themselves after they serve a meal to people who need one."
"You don't have to convince me," Hank said. "I think it's a great idea. I know Kay and Simone will definitely want to help—I'm sure a lot of the kids will."
Sheridan hugged her arms to her chest and smiled. "Working with these kids—it gives me a sense of purpose."
"I know what you mean." Hank dug his thumbs into his pockets, his eyes falling to the gym floor.
"Hank, is something bothering you?"
"No. I just can't believe I'm here." Hank looked back up at Sheridan. "Luis probably already told you this, but Sam wouldn't let me work at the station. He wouldn't give me a chance to turn around my life, but, Luis . . . well, he did." Hank hung his head. "I don't know how to tell you guys how grateful I am that you both gave me a second chance."
Sheridan touched Hank's arm. "Hank, we knew you felt trapped last year."
Hank crossed his arms over his chest. "But, Sheridan, I almost got you killed."
"But . . . but you didn't," Sheridan stammered. "So let's just forget it, okay?"
Hank looked up. "Thank you, Sheridan. I don't know what I did to deserve you and Luis as friends."
Hank opened his mouth to say something else but stopped as the door to the youth center swung open.
"Oh, thank goodness, you're both still here!" Gwen dashed across the room and threw herself into Hank's arms.
"Gwen, Gwen . . ." Hank rubbed the back of her head. "Gwen, what's the matter? You ran in here like a bat out of hell."
"My mother finally spoke to me." Gwen choked back a sob. "But she accused me of not loving her."
"Gwen, that's ridiculous!" Sheridan said.
"That's what I told her!" Gwen leaned back from Hank's embrace and wiped a tear from her eye. "But she just kept insisting . . ." Gwen bit down on her lip.
"Insisting what?" Sheridan asked.
Gwen's voice softened; her eyes fell to the floor. "That if I really loved her, I wouldn't have gone to Sam when I found out Alistair was after you and Luis."
"Oh, Gwen . . ." Hank pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay, Hank. I had no choice." Gwen looked up as Sheridan started to exit the room. "Sheridan, please don't go. I shouldn't have even come here."
"No, you needed to see Hank—I understand that. Your mother is in prison because of me and Luis." Sheridan frowned. "There's nothing I can do to change that."
Hank turned his head back toward Sheridan. "Sheridan, please don't say that. Rebecca is in prison because of Rebecca. It's completely messed up that she's saying these things to Gwen—putting her in this position. Would you ever treat your child this way?"
"No," Sheridan admitted, her facial muscles twitching. "But I wouldn't resort to murder either, so I don't know if that's a fair comparison."
"Exactly," Hank said, grabbing Sheridan's hand and tugging her over to where he and Gwen were standing. "Now I want you both to listen to me: Neither one of you is to blame for the position Rebecca is in—no matter what she has to say on the subject."
Gwen chuckled softly; Sheridan shook her head.
"Come on, we're all in this together," Hank said, tugging them both against his chest.
"He's right, Sheridan," Gwen whispered. "It's good to have friends."
"It is, Gwen. It is." Sheridan chuckled softly and shook her head. "It just would be great if our lives weren't such a mess."
Gwen put one arm up around Sheridan and pulled her into a three-person hug. "It really would be, wouldn't it," she laughed. "But at least we have each other."
