Ethan ran up and down the isles in the supermarket, looking for the specific type of formula Gwen had requested for their screaming child back at home. Normally, one of the servant would run out, but there just wasn't time. He had been coming home from a work-related meeting when Gwen called on the car phone saying that the baby needed formula and needed it immediately.
He fingered through a few formulas before finding the one he needed, but then something caught his eyes. A young woman and a child standing behind him, facing away. The woman was looking at a box of cereal for a frantic little girl whom she was grasping firmly by the hand. "Shhh! Lizzy, mama's trying to read something!"
"Theresa?"
"Yes?" the woman turned around, "How can I- ETHAN?!" She dropped the box on the floor, which the little girl picked up and held closely to her chest. "Wha- wha- what are you doing here? At the supermarket?"
He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and for a moment didn't answer until he realized she was talking to him. He held up the formula. "Um... baby," he managed to choke out. He looked down at the blonde haired girl next to Theresa. "Who's this?"
"Oh... well... this is Elizabeth... my daughter. Well, actually..." She stopped herself, not wanting to reveal her secret in a forum like a grocery store. "Lizzy. We call her Lizzy."
"That's a beautiful name," he said, looking intently at the little girl, who had begun inspecting a magical red box of Lucky Charms. "I had no idea you had gotten married."
"I haven't," Theresa replied. "Lizzy is the best thing that's happened to me, though. Other than the year you and I were together... Back in the day."
"Seems like yesterday," Ethan said, wanting to reach out and push a strand of hair behind her ears, while kissing her hello. "I'm surprised I never heard anything. I'd expect Sheridan to tell me something like that. Your family knows, don't they?"
"Oh, of course," Theresa said, making sure Lizzy wasn't about to run away on them. There they were: one big, happy family for the first time in six years, and Ethan was clueless.
"She... she looks a lot like-"
"Who?"
"Like you. With blonde hair, though.
"You think so?" Theresa asked, staring him directly in the eye. "I always thought she looked like her daddy. I mean sure, she's got that famous Lopez-Fitzgerald temper and skin tone... But her curly blonde hair... blue eyes... Just like her daddy."
Ethan noticed Theresa staring at him in an odd, loving way. "It can't be," he thought to himself, "She lost the baby years ago... But... Six years ago. Could she have lied to me? Impossible. It just can't be possible."
"Ethan, maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere. There's something that I need to tell you. Something that could-"
"I really need to get back home to Gwen," Ethan interrupted, deciding that he didn't want to know. His life with Gwen and their son was perfect, and this could be a catastrophe. He didn't want to go through that horrible phase of deciding which woman he loved more, for a second time, and her certainly didn't know what he would do if Lizzy was his daughter... His firstborn.
"Oh... I... Of course, Ethan," Theresa said, disappointed. "But we really need to get together sometime. Catch up on everything we've been missing. I can tell you everything I've done since I left Harmony, and maybe your son and Lizzy can get together sometime. You know, get to know one another."
"Yes. My son..." Ethan was in his own, confused little world, and was eagerly searching for an easy escape from this situation. "Anyway, I really need to get back to my wife and child." He emphasized "wife" and "child" to make the point clear that he didn't feel like discussing babies with Theresa anymore. "I hope you don't mistake me for being rude, but I only came out to... you know... emergency supplies."
"Of course, of course. Well, the offer still stands. I'd love to get together sometime, Ethan. I've really missed you."
"I'll give you a call sometime," Ethan said, backing away, "Gotta run."
Theresa placed her hands on her hips, wondering what on earth had gotten into him.
He fingered through a few formulas before finding the one he needed, but then something caught his eyes. A young woman and a child standing behind him, facing away. The woman was looking at a box of cereal for a frantic little girl whom she was grasping firmly by the hand. "Shhh! Lizzy, mama's trying to read something!"
"Theresa?"
"Yes?" the woman turned around, "How can I- ETHAN?!" She dropped the box on the floor, which the little girl picked up and held closely to her chest. "Wha- wha- what are you doing here? At the supermarket?"
He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and for a moment didn't answer until he realized she was talking to him. He held up the formula. "Um... baby," he managed to choke out. He looked down at the blonde haired girl next to Theresa. "Who's this?"
"Oh... well... this is Elizabeth... my daughter. Well, actually..." She stopped herself, not wanting to reveal her secret in a forum like a grocery store. "Lizzy. We call her Lizzy."
"That's a beautiful name," he said, looking intently at the little girl, who had begun inspecting a magical red box of Lucky Charms. "I had no idea you had gotten married."
"I haven't," Theresa replied. "Lizzy is the best thing that's happened to me, though. Other than the year you and I were together... Back in the day."
"Seems like yesterday," Ethan said, wanting to reach out and push a strand of hair behind her ears, while kissing her hello. "I'm surprised I never heard anything. I'd expect Sheridan to tell me something like that. Your family knows, don't they?"
"Oh, of course," Theresa said, making sure Lizzy wasn't about to run away on them. There they were: one big, happy family for the first time in six years, and Ethan was clueless.
"She... she looks a lot like-"
"Who?"
"Like you. With blonde hair, though.
"You think so?" Theresa asked, staring him directly in the eye. "I always thought she looked like her daddy. I mean sure, she's got that famous Lopez-Fitzgerald temper and skin tone... But her curly blonde hair... blue eyes... Just like her daddy."
Ethan noticed Theresa staring at him in an odd, loving way. "It can't be," he thought to himself, "She lost the baby years ago... But... Six years ago. Could she have lied to me? Impossible. It just can't be possible."
"Ethan, maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere. There's something that I need to tell you. Something that could-"
"I really need to get back home to Gwen," Ethan interrupted, deciding that he didn't want to know. His life with Gwen and their son was perfect, and this could be a catastrophe. He didn't want to go through that horrible phase of deciding which woman he loved more, for a second time, and her certainly didn't know what he would do if Lizzy was his daughter... His firstborn.
"Oh... I... Of course, Ethan," Theresa said, disappointed. "But we really need to get together sometime. Catch up on everything we've been missing. I can tell you everything I've done since I left Harmony, and maybe your son and Lizzy can get together sometime. You know, get to know one another."
"Yes. My son..." Ethan was in his own, confused little world, and was eagerly searching for an easy escape from this situation. "Anyway, I really need to get back to my wife and child." He emphasized "wife" and "child" to make the point clear that he didn't feel like discussing babies with Theresa anymore. "I hope you don't mistake me for being rude, but I only came out to... you know... emergency supplies."
"Of course, of course. Well, the offer still stands. I'd love to get together sometime, Ethan. I've really missed you."
"I'll give you a call sometime," Ethan said, backing away, "Gotta run."
Theresa placed her hands on her hips, wondering what on earth had gotten into him.