Chapter 14
Matthew slurped his cereal happily. His brown eyes darted to the kitchen door. Good. No one was there. "Woof," he whispered in a childish voice.
Wolf took the piece of bacon between his teeth gingerly and plopped down on his belly contentedly.
Matthew's laughter made Theresa smile. But it was a sad smile.
Paloma poured herself a tall glass of orange juice and slumped in the seat beside her nephew.
"Aunt Paloma," he grinned. "Your hair looks funny."
"Oh you," she grumbled. Ruffling his hair affectionately. "And what about yours, Mr. Matthew? Looks like Mickey Mouse slept in it."
"Mickey Mouse!"
The doorbell chimed, and three sets of brown eyes looked at each other.
Matthew scooted out of his seat. "I'll get it!"
"Are you going to tell me what happened last night? Or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"
"Paloma.don't."
"Don't what? Don't worry about you? Well.I can't help it. You're my sister. And you cried yourself to sleep last night. Don't even try to deny it. I want to know why. Tell me, Theresa."
"Tell her what, Theresa?"
Theresa's lips stretched into a tight smile. "Good morning, Ivy."
"You didn't answer my question. Where's Ethan?"
No one could miss Matthew's crestfallen expression. "Daddy didn't come home last night."
"He didn't? Theresa.I thought.things.he was here," Ivy stumbled. Choosing her words very carefully.
"He isn't," Theresa ground out.
Matthew tugged on his grandmother's shirttails. "Daddy works ALL the time. At The Office."
"Paloma.will you?" Theresa nodded her head at her son.
Ivy smiled fondly at Matthew as Paloma led him out of the kitchen to his room to get dressed for the day. "Are you going to answer my questions now?"
Theresa combed her fingers through her wild dark hair roughly. "I wouldn't know. Ethan doesn't exactly tell me everything."
Ivy's blue-green eyes flashed at her. "And? The whole reason for the problems in your marriage.you know what? Forget it. If you hear from him, tell him I dropped by."
She grabbed Paloma's forgotten glass of juice off the kitchen table and raised it above her head.
"THERESA! What are you doing?"
The concern in her sister's eyes was her undoing.
Paloma watched. Horrified. As Theresa crumpled before her.
"He betrayed me, Paloma. Ethan slept with another woman."
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Tessa hummed quietly to herself in the corner. Her tiny fingers wrapped around the cross at her neck.
Her family milled about the small kitchen. Today was her aunt Grace's first day home. And everyone was determined to make sure it went off without a hitch.
Kay's hips moved to the upbeat sounds of Harmony's ONLY music station.
Jessica giggled when her father grabbed her behind. "How's my two beautiful girls this morning?"
"Hey!"
Sam laughed outright at Noah's attempt to look hurt. "And my handsome son," he added.
Noah batted his eyelashes.
Miguel rolled his eyes.
"Where is Aunt Grace anyway?" Charity inquired.
"She said she'd be right down," Jessica answered. Glancing at her watch. "That was.that was over ten minutes ago. Maybe I should go check on her."
"Jess," Kay chided. "You're smothering her."
"Am not," Jessica retorted.
"Yes. You are," Noah smirked. "Why don't you wait on me hand and foot like that?"
"Aww. I didn't know you felt so left out," Jessica teased. Kissing her brother's cheek. "May I get you anything? Prince Noah?"
"Prince Noah? What the hell did I miss?"
"Uncle Hank!"
Hank wiped the pancake batter from his face. "Kay! You're cooking?"
"Oh! Shut up!"
"Tessa? Tessa.will you go upstairs and tell Aunt Grace breakfast is almost ready?"
Tessa's blue eyes turned dark with fear.
"It's okay, Tessa. I'll go do it," Jessica offered.
"No, Jess," Kay whined. "I need you here. Help me. Please!"
"Admit it," Hank grinned. Squeezing his niece's shoulders.
"Okay," Kay grumbled. "I can't cook to save my life. Jess.will you help me?"
Sam's blue eyes twinkled. Kay and Jessica had never gotten along better.
"Tessa." Charity pleaded.
Tessa slid from the tall stool.
Her new tiny white sandals squeaked as she ascended the stairs.
She could hear the shower running as she neared the bedroom.
Steam fogged up the room.
Tessa's yellow hair curled in tendrils around her face.
The sound ceased.
Something thudded against the tile floor. The soap probably. But Tessa couldn't stop herself.
She raised a hand to the doorknob and twisted it slowly. Silently. She could barely make out the lithe figure in the murky bathroom.
A hand wiped the mirror over the sink clear.
Tessa froze in place. Her feet unable to move.
The most hideous visage imaginable reflected in the mirror. Scarred, reddened flesh. Cold blue eyes.
Grace turned at Tessa's gasp.
And it WAS Grace. It really was. It HAD to be.
Tessa shook her head. Blinked her eyes.
The monster in the mirror was gone.
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Eve sighed heavily as she climbed to her feet.
"Eve? Eve? How is she?" Luis asked. His brown eyes riddled with worry.
"I'm not going to lie to you, Luis. She isn't good. I had thought.the episodes would decrease.as time passed. But it seems they're getting worse. I don't know what else to do for her, Luis. Maybe you should take her to see someone better equipped to handle these types of cases."
Luis laughed mirthlessly. "Better equipped to handle these cases? It'd kill her to hear you say that, Eve. She doesn't need a shrink. Just support. Family. Friends. You're one of her friends, Eve. We'll help her through this."
"Luis? Do you hear yourself? It's been almost three years. Three years since.She needs professional help, Luis. I've done all I can do."
"Don't say that. Don't say that," Luis ground out. "I'm not losing her. I can't lose her, too. I need her too much. Danielle needs her too much."
Eve leaned her chin on Luis's strong shoulder. "You won't lose her. She loves you two entirely too much. She's a fighter, Luis. One day.you'll have your Sheridan back. I'm sure of it," she finished. Meeting Pilar at the door.
"Do you really believe that?" Pilar asked gently. Her eyes misting over as she watched her son cradle his sleeping wife in his arms.
"Pilar," Eve scolded. A slight smile on her lips. "This is Sheridan and Luis we're talking about here. Where's your faith?"
My faith is still intact, Pilar thought silently.
Sheridan wasn't so lucky.
Matthew slurped his cereal happily. His brown eyes darted to the kitchen door. Good. No one was there. "Woof," he whispered in a childish voice.
Wolf took the piece of bacon between his teeth gingerly and plopped down on his belly contentedly.
Matthew's laughter made Theresa smile. But it was a sad smile.
Paloma poured herself a tall glass of orange juice and slumped in the seat beside her nephew.
"Aunt Paloma," he grinned. "Your hair looks funny."
"Oh you," she grumbled. Ruffling his hair affectionately. "And what about yours, Mr. Matthew? Looks like Mickey Mouse slept in it."
"Mickey Mouse!"
The doorbell chimed, and three sets of brown eyes looked at each other.
Matthew scooted out of his seat. "I'll get it!"
"Are you going to tell me what happened last night? Or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"
"Paloma.don't."
"Don't what? Don't worry about you? Well.I can't help it. You're my sister. And you cried yourself to sleep last night. Don't even try to deny it. I want to know why. Tell me, Theresa."
"Tell her what, Theresa?"
Theresa's lips stretched into a tight smile. "Good morning, Ivy."
"You didn't answer my question. Where's Ethan?"
No one could miss Matthew's crestfallen expression. "Daddy didn't come home last night."
"He didn't? Theresa.I thought.things.he was here," Ivy stumbled. Choosing her words very carefully.
"He isn't," Theresa ground out.
Matthew tugged on his grandmother's shirttails. "Daddy works ALL the time. At The Office."
"Paloma.will you?" Theresa nodded her head at her son.
Ivy smiled fondly at Matthew as Paloma led him out of the kitchen to his room to get dressed for the day. "Are you going to answer my questions now?"
Theresa combed her fingers through her wild dark hair roughly. "I wouldn't know. Ethan doesn't exactly tell me everything."
Ivy's blue-green eyes flashed at her. "And? The whole reason for the problems in your marriage.you know what? Forget it. If you hear from him, tell him I dropped by."
She grabbed Paloma's forgotten glass of juice off the kitchen table and raised it above her head.
"THERESA! What are you doing?"
The concern in her sister's eyes was her undoing.
Paloma watched. Horrified. As Theresa crumpled before her.
"He betrayed me, Paloma. Ethan slept with another woman."
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Tessa hummed quietly to herself in the corner. Her tiny fingers wrapped around the cross at her neck.
Her family milled about the small kitchen. Today was her aunt Grace's first day home. And everyone was determined to make sure it went off without a hitch.
Kay's hips moved to the upbeat sounds of Harmony's ONLY music station.
Jessica giggled when her father grabbed her behind. "How's my two beautiful girls this morning?"
"Hey!"
Sam laughed outright at Noah's attempt to look hurt. "And my handsome son," he added.
Noah batted his eyelashes.
Miguel rolled his eyes.
"Where is Aunt Grace anyway?" Charity inquired.
"She said she'd be right down," Jessica answered. Glancing at her watch. "That was.that was over ten minutes ago. Maybe I should go check on her."
"Jess," Kay chided. "You're smothering her."
"Am not," Jessica retorted.
"Yes. You are," Noah smirked. "Why don't you wait on me hand and foot like that?"
"Aww. I didn't know you felt so left out," Jessica teased. Kissing her brother's cheek. "May I get you anything? Prince Noah?"
"Prince Noah? What the hell did I miss?"
"Uncle Hank!"
Hank wiped the pancake batter from his face. "Kay! You're cooking?"
"Oh! Shut up!"
"Tessa? Tessa.will you go upstairs and tell Aunt Grace breakfast is almost ready?"
Tessa's blue eyes turned dark with fear.
"It's okay, Tessa. I'll go do it," Jessica offered.
"No, Jess," Kay whined. "I need you here. Help me. Please!"
"Admit it," Hank grinned. Squeezing his niece's shoulders.
"Okay," Kay grumbled. "I can't cook to save my life. Jess.will you help me?"
Sam's blue eyes twinkled. Kay and Jessica had never gotten along better.
"Tessa." Charity pleaded.
Tessa slid from the tall stool.
Her new tiny white sandals squeaked as she ascended the stairs.
She could hear the shower running as she neared the bedroom.
Steam fogged up the room.
Tessa's yellow hair curled in tendrils around her face.
The sound ceased.
Something thudded against the tile floor. The soap probably. But Tessa couldn't stop herself.
She raised a hand to the doorknob and twisted it slowly. Silently. She could barely make out the lithe figure in the murky bathroom.
A hand wiped the mirror over the sink clear.
Tessa froze in place. Her feet unable to move.
The most hideous visage imaginable reflected in the mirror. Scarred, reddened flesh. Cold blue eyes.
Grace turned at Tessa's gasp.
And it WAS Grace. It really was. It HAD to be.
Tessa shook her head. Blinked her eyes.
The monster in the mirror was gone.
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Eve sighed heavily as she climbed to her feet.
"Eve? Eve? How is she?" Luis asked. His brown eyes riddled with worry.
"I'm not going to lie to you, Luis. She isn't good. I had thought.the episodes would decrease.as time passed. But it seems they're getting worse. I don't know what else to do for her, Luis. Maybe you should take her to see someone better equipped to handle these types of cases."
Luis laughed mirthlessly. "Better equipped to handle these cases? It'd kill her to hear you say that, Eve. She doesn't need a shrink. Just support. Family. Friends. You're one of her friends, Eve. We'll help her through this."
"Luis? Do you hear yourself? It's been almost three years. Three years since.She needs professional help, Luis. I've done all I can do."
"Don't say that. Don't say that," Luis ground out. "I'm not losing her. I can't lose her, too. I need her too much. Danielle needs her too much."
Eve leaned her chin on Luis's strong shoulder. "You won't lose her. She loves you two entirely too much. She's a fighter, Luis. One day.you'll have your Sheridan back. I'm sure of it," she finished. Meeting Pilar at the door.
"Do you really believe that?" Pilar asked gently. Her eyes misting over as she watched her son cradle his sleeping wife in his arms.
"Pilar," Eve scolded. A slight smile on her lips. "This is Sheridan and Luis we're talking about here. Where's your faith?"
My faith is still intact, Pilar thought silently.
Sheridan wasn't so lucky.