Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald sat alone in the middle of the living room writing in her diary.
Dear Diary,
It's been three months since I last saw Chad and I know it's all my fault that he left. I don't have the guts to go to the Book Café when I know he'll be there, he never calls or comes over not since that day he left. I know he's gotten his diploma and it hurts me every time I think about us not celebrating it together. He worked so hard for it and I wanted to throw him a party.
I haven't seen Ethan either I ran into Ivy a couple of weeks ago and she said that he and Gwen have left town, I don't know if it's permanent or not but I know my life would be much easier if I NEVER saw him again. There are two good things happening for me though. I've been going to therapy and I can walk around the house with just my cane but most of the time my legs get too sore and I need the wheelchair but I think soon I won't need any of it! The doctor said it's like a miracle that I've progressed this far so soon, I guess will power is stronger than I thought. You will never believe this next one, a famous company accepted a few of my designs and a celebrity wore one of my dresses to the Academy Awards. I was so excited!
Whitney has been the best though. we had kind of drifted apart after Chad moved in with me, not out of jealousy or anything like that, she has been in a lot of tournaments lately and she's the number two tennis player in the state! Next weekend she'll have a match against the best and then I'll be hanging out with the number one champion tennis player, well it's time to get going for my therapy session, Sheridan is suppost to pick me up in a few minutes, she and Luis are getting married in two months and it is my goal to walk down the aisle as her maid of honor with no help whatsoever. Well I have to go.
Theresa

Theresa got to her therapy session on time. She said hello to her therapist Maria and they started on her work out. After her usual painful exercises it was time for the stairs.
"Okay Theresa, it's time to try you on the stairs again, I know you had a little trouble last time but we have to try again."
Theresa looked up at the therapy stairs. A month ago she had tried them and practically killed herself so she had avoided them ever since. She took a deep breath and then stood up and grabbed the railings on either side of the stairs. She took another deep breath and stepped, then another and another. She was on the third step, the farthest she had gotten although the last time she tried had been a month ago and she was now much better. She turned around to smile at her therapist but for some reason her gaze moved to the back of the room where there was a open doorway. She saw Chad standing there, she blinked and then he was gone. "I must be seeing things." She thought.
"Theresa, are you okay?" asked Maria.
"Yeah, I'm umm fine."
"Okay, maybe you should come down and we'll try again in a week."
"No, I'm okay, stairs are just really hard." Said Theresa.
"I can do this." She thought. She lifted one leg and then another. "One more step." She thought smiling. She closed her eyes and lifted one foot and then the other.
"Great job, Theresa! Have you been practicing behind my back?" asked Marie smiling.
"Nope!" said Theresa smiling. "Now all I have to do is get back down!" she said laughing.
Maria had to help her down the stairs because her legs were too tired but she finally got there. They did some exercises in the swimming pool and then they were done.
Sheridan and Luis were waiting for her when she rolled out of the therapy building and into the parking lot. She swore she saw Chad's motorcycle pulling out onto the road but Sheridan grabbed her attention and when she looked back he was gone. They got back the house and Luis helped her out of the car, and she was about to get into her chair when she looked at the ramp. "Take it off."
"Why?" asked Luis perplexed.
"Just do it. Trust me." Said Theresa smiling.
"Okay." Said Luis moving it off of the four steps leading up the porch. Theresa stood up. She looked at Luis and Sheridan who had nervous looks on their faces. Only on a couple of occasions had they seen her walk, and she always had her cane. She took an unsteady step forward but didn't fall, she was use to the support of the cane but that didn't stop her . Her legs were sore from the earlier workout but she was determined to get up the stairs. She put one foot in front of the other until she was on the third step. Sweat had broken out on her upper lip and forehead but she conquered the last step. She turned around and smiled at Sheridan and Luis. "See, at least I know all this therapy isn't for nothing."
Luis and Sheridan both gave her big hugs and then he put her wheelchair on the porch and helped her into it and left. Theresa stayed on the porch enjoying the fresh air. The sun was making her sweat so she pushed the door opened and went inside. She gasped as she saw Chad sitting on the couch.
"What are you doing here?" she asked setting her keys on the table and going over to him.
"I wanted to come see how you were doing." He said standing up.
"I'm fine but I guess you know that since I saw you spying on me." She said trying to hide her smile when he turned red.
"Yeah well I just got back into town and I wanted to make sure you were okay so I called Whitney and she said you should be at your therapy session so I went there but I didn't want to disturb you so that's why I didn't walk over and talk to you. You're doing real good."
"Yeah, I impressed Luis and Sheridan by walking up to the porch by myself with out my cane. I would repeat my act of strength it but I'd end up falling over, Do you want something to drink?" she asked rolling into the kitchen.
"Nah, that's okay."
Theresa got herself a can of soda and rolled back into the living room. She sat the can on the table and maneuvered herself easily into one of the chairs. "So you said you just got back into town?"
"Yeah, about a two months ago I got this construction gig in Florida so I took off some time from the Book Café and went down there I have enough money to pay for college now."
"That's great, I've been busy too, I submitted some of my designs to a company in New York and they liked them. Last week Ashley Judd wore won of my designs to the Academy Awards I almost fainted when she named me as the designer, since then they've been asking for more and more designs so I've been really busy."
"That's great, I didn't know that."
'Why would you? You've been gone for months.' she said mentally.
"So, how's Ethan?" asked Chad crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Wonderful, we're getting married next week, and I'm already pregnant with his twins." said Theresa sarcastically.
Chad just looked at her. "Ah."
"Actually I don't know he could be in Greece, Paris, or Italy for all I really care. I haven't seen him since he came over the night you left and frankly I don't care to."
She saw a slight look of relief on his face and wondered why he would even care. "So…" said Theresa taking a sip of her soda.
"I'm sorry."
"For…?"
"Leaving."
"That's okay, Whit's gone most of the time and I like having the house to myself, it's peaceful."
"I see."
"Well, I have a dinner date so I should get ready."
"Dinner? With who?" he asked and Theresa smiled at his eagerness to know.
"Reese Durkee."
Chad busted out laughing until he realized she was serious. "You…you and Reese?"
"There is no me and Reese, he's just my friend, it seems you've missed some things while you were gone. Jessica Bennett and Reese are so serious, and they've only been dating a month, he's planning to propose, can you believe it? Kay, me and Miguel are meeting him tonight to help him. Another thing you've missed is Miguel and Kay, they are now and item and Charity is extremely angry but she's been hanging out with Ivy and Julian's youngest son, Kaleb, they say they're just friends but I don't believe it at all."
"Wow, I thought Charity and Miguel were stuck to each other with super glue."
"Yeah well things don't always work out the way you expect them to." She said taking another sip of her soda. "Well I really have to take a bath and get dressed, you're welcome to stay or whatever," said Theresa going to the bathroom and shutting the door.
Chad heard the water running and sat on the couch wondering if he should tell her what he had came here to tell her. She was obviously mostly over Ethan now and single but would she still want him? A little while later her heard a thump and a curse from the bathroom. He got up and went towards the door. "Theresa are you alright?"
"Uh yeah I'm fine. Damn." He heard her say.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I think." Chad heard more cussing and then slowly opened the door. Theresa looked up at the sound from where she was on the slippery floor trying to get up.
Chad looked at her and saw that she was naked.
Theresa saw Chad and realized he was looking at her. "Chad!" she yelled grabbing the shower curtain to hide her body the best she could.
"I-I'm s-sorry." He said closing his eyes as he tossed her a towel.
Theresa hastily wrapped the large towel around her. "Okay, you can open your eyes now help me into my chair please."
Chad opened his eyes and looked down at her. Her wet hair was in tangles and framing her face, her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, she had her towel clutched around her and she was looking up at him. Chad had to remind himself to breathe as he bent down and pulled her up, she took a slow step and slipped again, her towel dropping to the floor as she grabbed for Chad to keep herself upright.
Chad looked down at Theresa as she hung on to him, her arms were around his neck and clasped in the back and her body was pressed tightly up against him.
Theresa looked up at Chad he looked so handsome, so loving. She gently pushed his head lower so their lips were almost pressed together and then she gently covered his lips with hers.
Chad put his arms around her resting at the small of her back, her smooth skin under his hands.
"I missed you." He whispered into her ear.
"I missed you too." She replied slowly kissing him, clasping his face between her hands.
He kissed her one last time and pulled away. The sight on her body was to much to bear so he smiled walking out of the room.
He sat down on the couch and let out a shaky breath, he could not believe how much he desired her, how much he wanted her. He closed his eyes and tried to get his thoughts off of her.
A few minutes later she joined him fully dressed, using her cane and with her hair up. And her cheeks still flushed.
Chad smiled. "That was some welcome home."
Theresa blushed and shyly smiled. "I missed you that much."
"I thought about you every night, you were always with me."
Theresa sat next to him and put her head on his chest. "Promise you won't ever leave me like that."
"I promise, God I can't believe you're actually here, with me, I was expecting to come into town and see you with Ethan."
"It's hard to let a dream die when you've had it for so long, and Ethan was a dream. I think I just loved the idea of him and I didn't want to let that go but I have and you, you are my reality, you're everything to me. I-I love you." She said looking up at him.
"I've waited so long to hear you say that, I love you too, Theresa." He said and softly kissed her forehead, her nose and then her soft lips.

A sequel is already in the works, expect the first chapter of it in the next few weeks