Chapter Fifty
"Mommy," Ali pouted. Indignant tears pooling in her big blue eyes. "Nana says she's going to wash my mouth out with soap. I don't want her to do it, Mommy. Make her wash Daddy's mouth out, too," she said in a tiny, trembling voice. One fat tear spilling over and trailing down her cheek.
"Oh, sweetie," Sheridan soothed. Taking her upset daughter in her arms and rubbing her back in comforting circles as Ali wrapped herself around her. "Nana just doesn't want you saying ugly words," she said. Wiping Ali's tears away from her silky cheeks.
"She did the same thing to me when I was little like you." "She did?" Ali sniffled. Looking back and forth from her mother to her grandmother. "Yeah, she did," Sheridan said. A slight smile on her face.
"But Nana's a big softie. She just said that to scare me," she whispered in Ali's ear. "I bet if you gave her a big kiss and a hug and promised never to say it again, she'd forget all about it."
"Really?" Ali whispered. Hope shining in her eyes. "Really," Sheridan said. Tapping Ali's cute little nose with her finger. "Why don't you try it," she said. Setting Ali on her feet. Smiling as she watched Pilar lift Ali up in her arms and hug her close.
"She's adorable, Sheridan," Eve said beside her. "You're a wonderful mother." Tears sprang to Sheridan's own eyes then. And she turned toward the older woman. Pinning her with her blue gaze. "Do you mean that? You really think I'm a good mother?"
Eve smiled at her brightly. "Yes, I mean it." "Thank you," Sheridan said. Catching Eve off-guard by throwing her arms around her neck. "I love her so much, and I want to be the best mother I can for her. Especially considering I disappeared from her life for three years."
"You're here for her now. That's what counts," Eve said. Pulling back and offering Sheridan another smile. Sheridan smiled back at her through her tears. "I'm so sorry. I know you wanted to talk to me. But not about this. Let's go someplace more private."
They left Ali and Pilar in the kitchen. But they were hardly missed with the arrival of Jake. Face covered in tomato soup cake. Sheridan turned the knob to Ali's room. Laughing. Sobering when she saw the look on Eve's face the moment the door shut behind them.
She grabbed one of Ali's stuffed animals off her bed and hugged it close. Taking a deep breath. "It's one dead end after another, Eve. Alistair Crane covers his tracks well. If Julian hadn't found out your son didn't die in the hospital that day, none of us probably would have ever found out the truth."
"But," she continued. Noticing the crestfallen look on Eve's face. "That doesn't mean I'm giving up. Your son is out there somewhere, Eve. My nephew. I'll find out the truth if I have to strangle it out of Father."
"He won't tell, Sheridan. He'll never admit it. The secret will die with him," she said. Wringing her hands nervously. "We won't let it," Sheridan said. Stilling her hands with one of her own. "Eve," she said gently. "Have you thought about telling T.C. and the girls? They need to know. Be prepared. You do want to forge a relationship with your son if we find him, don't you?"
"I...I...yes, I do," she said in a strangled voice. "If he's willing. But I've kept his existence a secret for so many years. So many long years. How do I tell them something so life-altering? I don't know if they'll be able to forgive me. I don't know how to do it, Sheridan."
"There's no easy way to do it. But...it's something you have to do. They love you. Your family adores you. They'll be hurt, and it might take a while, but I believe in my heart they'll forgive you. Move on. And they need to know before he shows up in Harmony on your doorstep. Because I mean it. I'm not giving up. In fact, I think it's about time I paid Father a little visit," she said. Squeezing Eve's hand and walking to the door and opening it.
"We'll get to the bottom of this. I plan on visiting Father very soon." She turned around. And ran right into Luis's solid form. His eyes were dark and unreadable. A few feet behind him stood Nick Taylor.
"Mommy," Ali pouted. Indignant tears pooling in her big blue eyes. "Nana says she's going to wash my mouth out with soap. I don't want her to do it, Mommy. Make her wash Daddy's mouth out, too," she said in a tiny, trembling voice. One fat tear spilling over and trailing down her cheek.
"Oh, sweetie," Sheridan soothed. Taking her upset daughter in her arms and rubbing her back in comforting circles as Ali wrapped herself around her. "Nana just doesn't want you saying ugly words," she said. Wiping Ali's tears away from her silky cheeks.
"She did the same thing to me when I was little like you." "She did?" Ali sniffled. Looking back and forth from her mother to her grandmother. "Yeah, she did," Sheridan said. A slight smile on her face.
"But Nana's a big softie. She just said that to scare me," she whispered in Ali's ear. "I bet if you gave her a big kiss and a hug and promised never to say it again, she'd forget all about it."
"Really?" Ali whispered. Hope shining in her eyes. "Really," Sheridan said. Tapping Ali's cute little nose with her finger. "Why don't you try it," she said. Setting Ali on her feet. Smiling as she watched Pilar lift Ali up in her arms and hug her close.
"She's adorable, Sheridan," Eve said beside her. "You're a wonderful mother." Tears sprang to Sheridan's own eyes then. And she turned toward the older woman. Pinning her with her blue gaze. "Do you mean that? You really think I'm a good mother?"
Eve smiled at her brightly. "Yes, I mean it." "Thank you," Sheridan said. Catching Eve off-guard by throwing her arms around her neck. "I love her so much, and I want to be the best mother I can for her. Especially considering I disappeared from her life for three years."
"You're here for her now. That's what counts," Eve said. Pulling back and offering Sheridan another smile. Sheridan smiled back at her through her tears. "I'm so sorry. I know you wanted to talk to me. But not about this. Let's go someplace more private."
They left Ali and Pilar in the kitchen. But they were hardly missed with the arrival of Jake. Face covered in tomato soup cake. Sheridan turned the knob to Ali's room. Laughing. Sobering when she saw the look on Eve's face the moment the door shut behind them.
She grabbed one of Ali's stuffed animals off her bed and hugged it close. Taking a deep breath. "It's one dead end after another, Eve. Alistair Crane covers his tracks well. If Julian hadn't found out your son didn't die in the hospital that day, none of us probably would have ever found out the truth."
"But," she continued. Noticing the crestfallen look on Eve's face. "That doesn't mean I'm giving up. Your son is out there somewhere, Eve. My nephew. I'll find out the truth if I have to strangle it out of Father."
"He won't tell, Sheridan. He'll never admit it. The secret will die with him," she said. Wringing her hands nervously. "We won't let it," Sheridan said. Stilling her hands with one of her own. "Eve," she said gently. "Have you thought about telling T.C. and the girls? They need to know. Be prepared. You do want to forge a relationship with your son if we find him, don't you?"
"I...I...yes, I do," she said in a strangled voice. "If he's willing. But I've kept his existence a secret for so many years. So many long years. How do I tell them something so life-altering? I don't know if they'll be able to forgive me. I don't know how to do it, Sheridan."
"There's no easy way to do it. But...it's something you have to do. They love you. Your family adores you. They'll be hurt, and it might take a while, but I believe in my heart they'll forgive you. Move on. And they need to know before he shows up in Harmony on your doorstep. Because I mean it. I'm not giving up. In fact, I think it's about time I paid Father a little visit," she said. Squeezing Eve's hand and walking to the door and opening it.
"We'll get to the bottom of this. I plan on visiting Father very soon." She turned around. And ran right into Luis's solid form. His eyes were dark and unreadable. A few feet behind him stood Nick Taylor.