Part Six
"No," Catherine giggled from her seat on the kitchen counter. Huffing in exasperation as another dark curl escaped from the ribbon in her hair. "That's not how you do it, Sheri. You put that in first," she said. "Catherine," Sheridan laughed in amazement. "How did you get so smart?" Adding the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl. In proper order, of course. Sheridan rested her forehead against her goddaughter's and gazed into her green eyes. Catherine looped her arms around Sheridan's neck. "Je ne sais pas," she said with a quirk of an eyebrow. She wrapped her little legs around Sheridan's waist as she lifted her in the air. And they began dancing. Twirling around and around until they were dizzy. Breathless. The sound of their laughter floated in the air. "Sheri, Sheri," Catherine squealed. "Stop. Please. I'm dizzy," she giggled. Green eyes sparkling.
"Oh, Catherine," Sheridan smiled. "You're my favorite goddaughter. You know that?" "But Sheri.I'm your ONLY goddaughter." "C'est vrai," Marie laughed. Entering the room with a smile. "Glad to see you're feeling better," she whispered as she hugged Sheridan close. The light in Sheridan's eyes dimmed as she remembered. She'd almost made a terrible mistake. Almost let Luis back into her heart. She couldn't let that happen again. "So." Marie said. Changing the subject in an effort to bring back the earlier lighthearted atmosphere. "Should I be afraid, Catherine?" she asked her daughter with a wink. "I'm offended," Sheridan huffed in mock indignation. "Look. At least this time your neighbors down the hall aren't beating down the door afraid the apartment's on fire. I had help from this wonderful little chef here," she said. Tweaking Catherine's nose and setting her back on her feet.
Luis watched the whole exchange unnoticed. She was wonderful with Catherine. A natural. So happy and carefree. Unguarded. He missed that. Before..before whatever happened between him, he felt like he was getting to know THIS woman. The real Sheridan Crane. Would she give him another chance? It didn't seem likely, he thought in disappointment when Catherine yelled "Luis!" And she transformed right before his very eyes. Her blue eyes shifted away from his as he slowly crossed the room. He cleared his throat. Willing the tension to dissipate. "Good morning," he said. "Something smells good." "Luis," Catherine said excitedly. "Sheri made it," she said. "Oh she did, did she?" he said in a teasing voice. "I thought Sheri," he said, adopting Marie and Catherine's name for her, "didn't know how to cook." "I didn't say I don't know how to cook at all," Sheridan explained. "I'm just not very good at it. That's all," she said. Taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Catherine took the heaping plate of chocolate chip pancakes from her mother's hands and trudged over to the table. "Viola!" she said with a flourish. Grinning mischievously at Luis before taking the seat next to Sheridan. Marie smiled to herself. Catherine rarely took to strangers so well. It looked like her little daughter had a crush on Monsieur Lopez- Fitzgerald. And she didn't blame her. "Mmm," Luis said. Taking a bite. "Not bad, Princess." Smiling on the inside when Sheridan's blue eyes flashed in irritation at the nickname. Growing alarmed as the look in them started to change. "Princess?" Catherine asked curiously. "Why does he call you Princess, Sheri?" "Catherine," Marie warned. Sensing Sheridan's discomfort at the question. "No, Marie. It's alright," she said. Looking at Luis the entire time. Hurt clouding her blue eyes. His words echoing in her mind. Spoiled princess. "I'm sorry, Catherine," she said. Getting up from the table and escaping the room. The conversation. The company. "Luis," Catherine said sadly. "Go after her."
He waited only a few minutes before granting Catherine's request. "Sheridan," he said. Knocking on the door to the guest room softly. "Sheridan. Let me in. Please." He leaned against the door wearily. He was so tired. Of it all. "Look, Sheridan," he called. "At least tell me what I said that was so wrong. So I can apologize." He clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration when he was met by silence. "So don't tell," he said. His heart heavy as he sighed. His shoulders sagging in defeat. "Look. Whatever I did...whatever I said to hurt you...I'm sorry. Sheridan? Did you hear me? I'm sorry. Dammit!" he swore. "Would you at least let me in so I can apologize face to face?" His anger rose when still he was met with...nothing. "I'm coming in. Whether you like it or not. On the count of 3. 1.....2.....3" He twisted the knob. And the door squeaked on its hinges as it swung open. "Sheridan?" he said. Scanning the room for her. No sign of her. Maybe she was in the bathroom, he thought. Stalking across the room. She was going to listen to him. Willingly or not. He was ready to lay all his cards out on the table. He flung the bathroom door open and found it empty. And his heart hammered in his chest as he realized she was gone. "No!" he yelled. As he saw the drapes from French windows flapping in the breeze. They were open. She had done it again. "Luis!" Marie called. Startling him. "What happened?" "Where is Sheri?" Catherine asked. Worry in her green eyes. "She's gone," he said tonelessly. "Sheridan's gone."
"No," Catherine giggled from her seat on the kitchen counter. Huffing in exasperation as another dark curl escaped from the ribbon in her hair. "That's not how you do it, Sheri. You put that in first," she said. "Catherine," Sheridan laughed in amazement. "How did you get so smart?" Adding the rest of the ingredients in the mixing bowl. In proper order, of course. Sheridan rested her forehead against her goddaughter's and gazed into her green eyes. Catherine looped her arms around Sheridan's neck. "Je ne sais pas," she said with a quirk of an eyebrow. She wrapped her little legs around Sheridan's waist as she lifted her in the air. And they began dancing. Twirling around and around until they were dizzy. Breathless. The sound of their laughter floated in the air. "Sheri, Sheri," Catherine squealed. "Stop. Please. I'm dizzy," she giggled. Green eyes sparkling.
"Oh, Catherine," Sheridan smiled. "You're my favorite goddaughter. You know that?" "But Sheri.I'm your ONLY goddaughter." "C'est vrai," Marie laughed. Entering the room with a smile. "Glad to see you're feeling better," she whispered as she hugged Sheridan close. The light in Sheridan's eyes dimmed as she remembered. She'd almost made a terrible mistake. Almost let Luis back into her heart. She couldn't let that happen again. "So." Marie said. Changing the subject in an effort to bring back the earlier lighthearted atmosphere. "Should I be afraid, Catherine?" she asked her daughter with a wink. "I'm offended," Sheridan huffed in mock indignation. "Look. At least this time your neighbors down the hall aren't beating down the door afraid the apartment's on fire. I had help from this wonderful little chef here," she said. Tweaking Catherine's nose and setting her back on her feet.
Luis watched the whole exchange unnoticed. She was wonderful with Catherine. A natural. So happy and carefree. Unguarded. He missed that. Before..before whatever happened between him, he felt like he was getting to know THIS woman. The real Sheridan Crane. Would she give him another chance? It didn't seem likely, he thought in disappointment when Catherine yelled "Luis!" And she transformed right before his very eyes. Her blue eyes shifted away from his as he slowly crossed the room. He cleared his throat. Willing the tension to dissipate. "Good morning," he said. "Something smells good." "Luis," Catherine said excitedly. "Sheri made it," she said. "Oh she did, did she?" he said in a teasing voice. "I thought Sheri," he said, adopting Marie and Catherine's name for her, "didn't know how to cook." "I didn't say I don't know how to cook at all," Sheridan explained. "I'm just not very good at it. That's all," she said. Taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Catherine took the heaping plate of chocolate chip pancakes from her mother's hands and trudged over to the table. "Viola!" she said with a flourish. Grinning mischievously at Luis before taking the seat next to Sheridan. Marie smiled to herself. Catherine rarely took to strangers so well. It looked like her little daughter had a crush on Monsieur Lopez- Fitzgerald. And she didn't blame her. "Mmm," Luis said. Taking a bite. "Not bad, Princess." Smiling on the inside when Sheridan's blue eyes flashed in irritation at the nickname. Growing alarmed as the look in them started to change. "Princess?" Catherine asked curiously. "Why does he call you Princess, Sheri?" "Catherine," Marie warned. Sensing Sheridan's discomfort at the question. "No, Marie. It's alright," she said. Looking at Luis the entire time. Hurt clouding her blue eyes. His words echoing in her mind. Spoiled princess. "I'm sorry, Catherine," she said. Getting up from the table and escaping the room. The conversation. The company. "Luis," Catherine said sadly. "Go after her."
He waited only a few minutes before granting Catherine's request. "Sheridan," he said. Knocking on the door to the guest room softly. "Sheridan. Let me in. Please." He leaned against the door wearily. He was so tired. Of it all. "Look, Sheridan," he called. "At least tell me what I said that was so wrong. So I can apologize." He clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration when he was met by silence. "So don't tell," he said. His heart heavy as he sighed. His shoulders sagging in defeat. "Look. Whatever I did...whatever I said to hurt you...I'm sorry. Sheridan? Did you hear me? I'm sorry. Dammit!" he swore. "Would you at least let me in so I can apologize face to face?" His anger rose when still he was met with...nothing. "I'm coming in. Whether you like it or not. On the count of 3. 1.....2.....3" He twisted the knob. And the door squeaked on its hinges as it swung open. "Sheridan?" he said. Scanning the room for her. No sign of her. Maybe she was in the bathroom, he thought. Stalking across the room. She was going to listen to him. Willingly or not. He was ready to lay all his cards out on the table. He flung the bathroom door open and found it empty. And his heart hammered in his chest as he realized she was gone. "No!" he yelled. As he saw the drapes from French windows flapping in the breeze. They were open. She had done it again. "Luis!" Marie called. Startling him. "What happened?" "Where is Sheri?" Catherine asked. Worry in her green eyes. "She's gone," he said tonelessly. "Sheridan's gone."
