A reasonable distance from the Crane Mansion, in the heart of Harmony was a small house. This was the Lopez-Fitzgerald house, and it was here that the storm was felt with a larger force than anywhere else.
Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald sat at the kitchen table. He turned the radio off, sat back and sighed. That was the end. His little sister was dead. A pain arose within him and the coffee he had just partaken of made him almost sick. We wanted to break down, but he had to stay strong. He had to remain tough for his brother Miguel, his mother Pilar and the baby. Theresa had left her baby girl in the care of Luis and from the moment he saw that little girl smile up at him from the bundle of blankets, he feel in love with her instantly. Her name was Angel Crane, a choice that was fitting because that little cherub had given Luis a new lease on life after his fiancé, Sheridan, had died.
He suddenly heard the crying and whimpering of his little girl from the next room and he ran in to see what was the matter. He picked up the child and she was instantly pacified. He sang her a sweet song and she smiled up at this man she thought to be her father. Luis kissed Angel softly on the head and smiled. She was all he needed. With Angel, he would be set for life as far as happiness went. He could see their lives far into the future, she a vibrant young beauty and he a doddering old fool; a modern Jean Valjean and his precious Cosette was what they would be, he decided. "You're my beautiful little girl," he said to her. Her smiley slumber suggested that it was exactly what she wanted to be.
The sound of footsteps suddenly awakened her, but she didn't cry. She was such a good baby. Luis carried her into the kitchen. There stood Miguel, his blank expression hiding the emotional wreck inside. At his side was his girlfriend, Charity, who looked upon him with utmost love and concern. She noticed a movement and saw that it was Luis. She read his gaze. With his eyes he asked, "Is he okay?" She closed her eyes and shook her head.
Luis walked toward them. "Hey, Miguel," he said, softly and kindly.
"It's not fair," said Miguel, softly at first. His anger grew. "It's not fair! She didn't do it! I know she didn't! Dammit!" It was the first time he had ever cursed in his entire life. The young boy banged angrily on the table.
"Miguel, you'll scare the baby," said Charity, her words drawing his attention to Angel's presence.
Miguel looked at Angel and then at Luis, his eyes begging permission to hold his niece. Luis handed Angel to him and she smile to be in her Uncle Miguel's arms. He held her close, clinging to the only remaining piece of his sister. "At least we'll always have you, Little-nose," he said, calling her by his nickname for her. He touched her button nose and her face scrunched as she smiled. Everybody seemed to love her. It more than seemed so, they did.
Miguel looked at Luis. "Where's Mama?" Miguel asked.
"She's sleeping," said Luis, softly. "I gave her a sedative and she's in her room." That explained the silence. If Pilar had been awake, all of New England would have heard her weeping.
Angel started to fuss and Miguel handed her back to Luis. "Sounds like it's feeding time for this one," he said, going to get a bottle from the fridge.
"Why not for all of us?" asked Charity, lovingly as usual. "Miguel, I swear you've lasted a full week on just nibbles here and there. I insist on cooking you something. It might help you to relax."
Miguel began to speak, "Thanks, Charity, but— " he was cut off by Luis.
"Damn," said Luis. "There's no formula. I'll have to run out and get some. Can you guys keep an eye on Angel for me while I'm out?"
Charity took the baby. "We'll be just as gentle with her as you are," she said in baby-talk, more to Angel than Luis. "Auntie Charity loves you, yes she does." It was official, Angel concluded, that everyone loved her.
Luis smiled, feeling he was leaving the baby in good hands. He put on his jacket and went out. He raced through the rain to his car and was relieved to be inside. He put the key in the ignition and turned it to be greeted by a stubborn refusal to start. He tried again and again. The car was dead. Of all the nights! Oh well. He decided he would walk it for Angel's sake. He got out and raced toward the store.
He bought formula and was heading back home when he heard someone crying through the rain. He looked around and saw a figure, huddled under a tree. "Gwen?" he asked.
Gwen Hotchkiss, shivering and sobbing, sat there with her knees pulled to her chest. "Don't touch me. No one loves me." She got up and ran. Luis followed her until she could go no further. She stood at the edge of the dock, looking down at the murky blackness and then up at the clouds as if asking God if this was what he wanted.
"Gwen, no!" said Luis, in awe.
"Go away, I want to die!" she screamed.
"Gwen, don't do this to yourself. You have your whole life ahead of you," he said, trying to get through to her.
She turned around. "I have nothing to live for! Ethan's gone!" She sobbed. "My life is over."
"That's not true, Gwen, there are plenty of guys who are so much better and smarter than Ethan. There are guys that will care about you and never leave your side. Just think, if you die here and now, you'll never get to be with one of those guys." He looked at her sincerely and held out his hand for her to take it.
She looked at him. No one had ever said those things to her before. No one had ever cared about her enough to stop her from making a huge mistake like suicide. She reached for his hand, but as she took a step nearer to him, the plank broke beneath her and she fell into the dark waters.
Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald sat at the kitchen table. He turned the radio off, sat back and sighed. That was the end. His little sister was dead. A pain arose within him and the coffee he had just partaken of made him almost sick. We wanted to break down, but he had to stay strong. He had to remain tough for his brother Miguel, his mother Pilar and the baby. Theresa had left her baby girl in the care of Luis and from the moment he saw that little girl smile up at him from the bundle of blankets, he feel in love with her instantly. Her name was Angel Crane, a choice that was fitting because that little cherub had given Luis a new lease on life after his fiancé, Sheridan, had died.
He suddenly heard the crying and whimpering of his little girl from the next room and he ran in to see what was the matter. He picked up the child and she was instantly pacified. He sang her a sweet song and she smiled up at this man she thought to be her father. Luis kissed Angel softly on the head and smiled. She was all he needed. With Angel, he would be set for life as far as happiness went. He could see their lives far into the future, she a vibrant young beauty and he a doddering old fool; a modern Jean Valjean and his precious Cosette was what they would be, he decided. "You're my beautiful little girl," he said to her. Her smiley slumber suggested that it was exactly what she wanted to be.
The sound of footsteps suddenly awakened her, but she didn't cry. She was such a good baby. Luis carried her into the kitchen. There stood Miguel, his blank expression hiding the emotional wreck inside. At his side was his girlfriend, Charity, who looked upon him with utmost love and concern. She noticed a movement and saw that it was Luis. She read his gaze. With his eyes he asked, "Is he okay?" She closed her eyes and shook her head.
Luis walked toward them. "Hey, Miguel," he said, softly and kindly.
"It's not fair," said Miguel, softly at first. His anger grew. "It's not fair! She didn't do it! I know she didn't! Dammit!" It was the first time he had ever cursed in his entire life. The young boy banged angrily on the table.
"Miguel, you'll scare the baby," said Charity, her words drawing his attention to Angel's presence.
Miguel looked at Angel and then at Luis, his eyes begging permission to hold his niece. Luis handed Angel to him and she smile to be in her Uncle Miguel's arms. He held her close, clinging to the only remaining piece of his sister. "At least we'll always have you, Little-nose," he said, calling her by his nickname for her. He touched her button nose and her face scrunched as she smiled. Everybody seemed to love her. It more than seemed so, they did.
Miguel looked at Luis. "Where's Mama?" Miguel asked.
"She's sleeping," said Luis, softly. "I gave her a sedative and she's in her room." That explained the silence. If Pilar had been awake, all of New England would have heard her weeping.
Angel started to fuss and Miguel handed her back to Luis. "Sounds like it's feeding time for this one," he said, going to get a bottle from the fridge.
"Why not for all of us?" asked Charity, lovingly as usual. "Miguel, I swear you've lasted a full week on just nibbles here and there. I insist on cooking you something. It might help you to relax."
Miguel began to speak, "Thanks, Charity, but— " he was cut off by Luis.
"Damn," said Luis. "There's no formula. I'll have to run out and get some. Can you guys keep an eye on Angel for me while I'm out?"
Charity took the baby. "We'll be just as gentle with her as you are," she said in baby-talk, more to Angel than Luis. "Auntie Charity loves you, yes she does." It was official, Angel concluded, that everyone loved her.
Luis smiled, feeling he was leaving the baby in good hands. He put on his jacket and went out. He raced through the rain to his car and was relieved to be inside. He put the key in the ignition and turned it to be greeted by a stubborn refusal to start. He tried again and again. The car was dead. Of all the nights! Oh well. He decided he would walk it for Angel's sake. He got out and raced toward the store.
He bought formula and was heading back home when he heard someone crying through the rain. He looked around and saw a figure, huddled under a tree. "Gwen?" he asked.
Gwen Hotchkiss, shivering and sobbing, sat there with her knees pulled to her chest. "Don't touch me. No one loves me." She got up and ran. Luis followed her until she could go no further. She stood at the edge of the dock, looking down at the murky blackness and then up at the clouds as if asking God if this was what he wanted.
"Gwen, no!" said Luis, in awe.
"Go away, I want to die!" she screamed.
"Gwen, don't do this to yourself. You have your whole life ahead of you," he said, trying to get through to her.
She turned around. "I have nothing to live for! Ethan's gone!" She sobbed. "My life is over."
"That's not true, Gwen, there are plenty of guys who are so much better and smarter than Ethan. There are guys that will care about you and never leave your side. Just think, if you die here and now, you'll never get to be with one of those guys." He looked at her sincerely and held out his hand for her to take it.
She looked at him. No one had ever said those things to her before. No one had ever cared about her enough to stop her from making a huge mistake like suicide. She reached for his hand, but as she took a step nearer to him, the plank broke beneath her and she fell into the dark waters.