CHAPTER 8
Sunrise
They were all eating silently.
"So my cast was removed this morning."
He looked at hi family exasperated.
"I know that no one cares, but at least show a little interest."
Still no word.
He threw his fork in his plate and got up.
"Fox, don't do this."
"Why not Teresa? It has always been like this. Nothing will ever change."
He stormed out of the mansion. She went to the window and watched him walk. She turned to everyone else. They were all eating quietly still.
"How could you be so oblivious to your own son. You don't deserve him."
She went up to her room and called a maid.
"You called, Mrs Crane?"
"Yes, Phyllis. I'm going to put little Ethan to bed. Could you check on him."
"And call you if there's anything. Yes, Mrs Crane. I'll do that."
"Thank you, Phyllis."
She picked up her son and took him to the nursery. She tucked him in and kissed him in his hair.
"Good night baby."
She went back to her room, got changed and ran down the stairs.
"Where are you going?"
"It's none of your concern, Ethan."
"Ethan, leave her alone." Teresa looked at both of them and left the mansion. She walked around the estate for a while before she finally saw him. He was sitting down under the weeping willow. He was staring at the lake.
"I thought you may want this."
He looked at her as she was handing him a jacket. He took it from her and put it on.
"Thank you."
"Are you okay, Fox?"
"I'll survive."
"They had no right to be like that."
"I stopped caring. I was hoping that maybe they would be decent enough to worry about me, even if it's for 5 seconds."
She sat beside him and took his hand into hers.
"This is a nice place."
"Yeah, this is the place I always came to when I was upset about something or when I wanted to hide from the rest of the world. Things haven't changed that much."
"I come here myself from time to time. This tree is so big that you can barely see a person sitting under it."
"This is why I love it so much. Your mother always knew that she would find me here. This was the first place she would look. I would climb up the tree to hide from her and let her call me."
"Fox!"
They both started laughing.
"Thank you Teresa."
"For what?"
"For been the most amazing person I know."
She looked at him and smiled.
"There was something I wanted to talk to you about. I just didn't know how to approach it I guess."
She looked at him.
"Do you want to talk about what happened at the hospital the other day?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Alright, I'm listening."
"I was out of line when I kissed you, I'm sorry."
She looked at him disappointed.
"But I wanted you to know something. I wanted to do it for a very long time. I just..."
"I wanted you to do it. I just wasn't sure if you did it because you wanted to or because of your accident."
"I care for you very much. I value our friendship above all, but I want us to be more than friends."
The wind picked up and she shivered.
"Come here."
She got up, he took her hand. She sat between his legs and laid her head on his chest.
"Are you feeling warmer?"
She nodded and looked him in the eyes.
"This feels so right, Fox."
He stroke her hair, then her back.
"Yes, it does."
He lifted her chin and kissed her. He looked at her.
"You are beautiful Teresa."
"You're not bad yourself."
He started laughing.
"Well I'll be damned. I never got that one before."
"I feel safe when I'm around you and safer when I'm in your arms." He thought back to the day he met his grandfather and the picture that he included in the file. He remembered the vulnerability he saw in her eyes. He didn't see it as much.
"I trust you, Fox."
He held her closer to him and kissed her hair. She had fallen asleep. He sat and held on to her until the sun started rising. He hadn't closed his eye all night, but he had never had a better night in his life. He held the woman he was falling in love with and there was no greater feeling in the world. That night all the bitterness and anger he felt were gone. She made it all disappear.
They were all eating silently.
"So my cast was removed this morning."
He looked at hi family exasperated.
"I know that no one cares, but at least show a little interest."
Still no word.
He threw his fork in his plate and got up.
"Fox, don't do this."
"Why not Teresa? It has always been like this. Nothing will ever change."
He stormed out of the mansion. She went to the window and watched him walk. She turned to everyone else. They were all eating quietly still.
"How could you be so oblivious to your own son. You don't deserve him."
She went up to her room and called a maid.
"You called, Mrs Crane?"
"Yes, Phyllis. I'm going to put little Ethan to bed. Could you check on him."
"And call you if there's anything. Yes, Mrs Crane. I'll do that."
"Thank you, Phyllis."
She picked up her son and took him to the nursery. She tucked him in and kissed him in his hair.
"Good night baby."
She went back to her room, got changed and ran down the stairs.
"Where are you going?"
"It's none of your concern, Ethan."
"Ethan, leave her alone." Teresa looked at both of them and left the mansion. She walked around the estate for a while before she finally saw him. He was sitting down under the weeping willow. He was staring at the lake.
"I thought you may want this."
He looked at her as she was handing him a jacket. He took it from her and put it on.
"Thank you."
"Are you okay, Fox?"
"I'll survive."
"They had no right to be like that."
"I stopped caring. I was hoping that maybe they would be decent enough to worry about me, even if it's for 5 seconds."
She sat beside him and took his hand into hers.
"This is a nice place."
"Yeah, this is the place I always came to when I was upset about something or when I wanted to hide from the rest of the world. Things haven't changed that much."
"I come here myself from time to time. This tree is so big that you can barely see a person sitting under it."
"This is why I love it so much. Your mother always knew that she would find me here. This was the first place she would look. I would climb up the tree to hide from her and let her call me."
"Fox!"
They both started laughing.
"Thank you Teresa."
"For what?"
"For been the most amazing person I know."
She looked at him and smiled.
"There was something I wanted to talk to you about. I just didn't know how to approach it I guess."
She looked at him.
"Do you want to talk about what happened at the hospital the other day?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Alright, I'm listening."
"I was out of line when I kissed you, I'm sorry."
She looked at him disappointed.
"But I wanted you to know something. I wanted to do it for a very long time. I just..."
"I wanted you to do it. I just wasn't sure if you did it because you wanted to or because of your accident."
"I care for you very much. I value our friendship above all, but I want us to be more than friends."
The wind picked up and she shivered.
"Come here."
She got up, he took her hand. She sat between his legs and laid her head on his chest.
"Are you feeling warmer?"
She nodded and looked him in the eyes.
"This feels so right, Fox."
He stroke her hair, then her back.
"Yes, it does."
He lifted her chin and kissed her. He looked at her.
"You are beautiful Teresa."
"You're not bad yourself."
He started laughing.
"Well I'll be damned. I never got that one before."
"I feel safe when I'm around you and safer when I'm in your arms." He thought back to the day he met his grandfather and the picture that he included in the file. He remembered the vulnerability he saw in her eyes. He didn't see it as much.
"I trust you, Fox."
He held her closer to him and kissed her hair. She had fallen asleep. He sat and held on to her until the sun started rising. He hadn't closed his eye all night, but he had never had a better night in his life. He held the woman he was falling in love with and there was no greater feeling in the world. That night all the bitterness and anger he felt were gone. She made it all disappear.