"We're going to need food, deserts, plates, cups, forks, napkins," Pilar
zoomed through her house and headed toward the kitchen as her five children
witnessed their mother's stressed composure.
"Mama." Luis interrupted. "You just sit down and let us worry about it."
"Luis is right, mama." Miguel took his mother by the hand and led her to the sofa, "don't worry about a thing, let us do the work and I promise that Antonio will have his little 'fiesta' by this evening."
"Mama," Theresa walked to her mother and crouched on the floor in front of her, "If you'd like, I can have all of this done without any of us having to lift a finger."
"No, mija." Pilar shook her head and her eyes narrowed at her daughter, "I know you have good intentions, but I will not let Crane money be spent on my daughter's and son's homecoming party. We will use our 'family's' money."
"But, mama." Theresa pleaded, "I am a Crane now, as well as a part of this family, and the money I earn,"
"No, mija." Pilar stopped her daughter's words.
"Alright mama." Theresa walked off with her head hung low. She hated that her mother disapproved her life, but she couldn't give it all up for the sake of her son.
"Mama," Paloma spoke up, "I have money saved up from when I was working for Tio Manuel over the summer. It's more than enough for the party. Please, let me help?"
"Please everyone," Antonio stepped forward as Sheridan led him into the room. "I don't want us to fight about money, alright?"
His siblings all shook their heads, and though Antonio couldn't see it, he knew that they understood him.
"Now," Antonio continued, "as the eldest son of the family, I'm making the decision to use MY money from when I was down in Bermuda. Mama, Luis, you don't have to worry about anything. I know you both work hard, but I want to take responsibility of this, god knows I haven't done my part over the years."
"Mijo,"
"No mama, I've made my mind up." Antonio turned towards his mother's voice, "And Paloma, Miguel, I don't want any of you three to worry about this anymore. I'm home, here, for good, and it is my responsibility."
"We're all grown adults now, Antonio." Miguel placed an arm around Antonio's shoulder.
"I know that, Miguel, but I still want to do this for our family, alright?" Antonio nodded, "And Theresa, I know that you would like to help out too, but you know that the Crane family and our own have had a rocky past, so please try and understand where mama is coming from."
"I understand." Theresa sighed.
"Good, then it's settled then." Antonio walked forward. "Mama, you won't have to worry about anything, you just let us get things done."
"Thank you, mijo." Pilar stood and embraced her eldest with pride in her eyes, "Thank you all. It's so good to see you all as wonderful, responsible, adults."
"Okay then," Antonio smiled, "So, Miguel, Luis, you guys will get the chairs and tables and set up."
"I'll call the youth center, they'll let us use some of their things," Luis nodded as Miguel followed him into the kitchen.
"Good, Theresa, Paloma," Antonio turned towards his sisters, "you guys are in charge of the food."
"Don't worry about it Antonio," Paloma smiled to her sister, "We'll cook up a storm in the kitchen!"
"Yeah," Theresa nodded, "It's about time we put into good use all the times we watched Mama cook."
"Good, then." Antonio assured them, "Mama, all I want you to do is invite everyone in Harmony. I'd like to celebrate my 'recovery' and Mana's homecoming with all our friends in town."
"Of course I'll let everyone know." Pilar chuckled.
"Sheridan," Antonio turned to his wife who had been standing and listening to him speak, "I'm going to ask you to call Chad about the music, he did a great job with the wedding reception, and I think he knows our family well enough to choose the music for the night."
"Don't worry, Antonio. I'm on it." Sheridan leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Hank?" Antonio asked, "Noah? You guys still around?"
"Right here." The nephew and uncle said in unison.
"Good, if you don't mind could you guys go and see what the girls will need for supplies? I don't really want them going out alone in the storm, so could you guys accompany them?" Antonio said with a smile.
"Of course."
"You won't have to worry about a thing, Antonio." Noah piped, "we'll help out as much as we can."
"Okay!" Antonio brought his hands together, "Let's get to it then!"
The entire room went their respective ways, and as Pilar watched her family and friends move about she couldn't help but be amused at the situation. It felt so good to finally have a bit of normalcy back in her life. It almost felt like how her life was before Theresa wrapped herself up in the Crane family, before Paloma left for Spain, before Antonio disappeared, before the strange occurrences at the Bennett house, before Miguel's current predicament, before the love triangle that her two eldest sons were involved in. It almost felt normal.
Almost.
************************************************************************
"Hello, Crane Estate, Phyllis speaking."
"Phyllis?" Theresa sat in her mother's kitchen as she held the receiver closer to her ear, "It's Theresa, I need to ask you a favor."
"Of course, Mrs. Crane."
"My family is having a party tonight, at my mother's house, and I'm so swamped with last minute preparations, that I was hoping you could bring Little Ethan over." Theresa stood from her seat and looked out the kitchen window, "I would come over there myself if things weren't so hectic."
"Mrs. Crane, you know you don't even have to ask." Phyllis sighed, "Don't worry about anything. What time would you like me to bring over little Ethan?"
"Around Eight o'clock please."
"We'll be there."
"Thank you, Phyllis."
"My pleasure, Mrs. Crane."
Phyllis hung up the phone and as she turned to head back upstairs, she ran into Fox Crane.
"Excuse me, Mr. Crane." Phyllis spoke with her head hanging, "I'm very sorry."
"It's fine." Fox straightened out his frame and dusted off his shirt. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with my step-mommy, Phyllis."
"Oh?"
"Yes, and what's this I hear about you taking little Ethan somewhere?"
"The Lopez-Fitzgeralds are having a party tonight at Pilar's home, and Mrs. Crane asked me to bring her son by later this evening." Phyllis answered.
"A party?" Fox's eyes sparkled with glee, "and step-mommy forgot to invite me?"
Phyllis made no move to answer, instead she continued up the stairs to fix Little Ethan's bag and dress him.
"So," Fox said to himself as he made his way into the sitting room, "The LF's are having a party tonight. Though I didn't get the 'official' invitation, I'm sure they wouldn't mind me popping up to say my hellos."
He grinned mischievously while planning out his night in his mind.
"And I know one very, VERY, good reason for me to show up tonight."
************************************************************************
"Mama." Luis interrupted. "You just sit down and let us worry about it."
"Luis is right, mama." Miguel took his mother by the hand and led her to the sofa, "don't worry about a thing, let us do the work and I promise that Antonio will have his little 'fiesta' by this evening."
"Mama," Theresa walked to her mother and crouched on the floor in front of her, "If you'd like, I can have all of this done without any of us having to lift a finger."
"No, mija." Pilar shook her head and her eyes narrowed at her daughter, "I know you have good intentions, but I will not let Crane money be spent on my daughter's and son's homecoming party. We will use our 'family's' money."
"But, mama." Theresa pleaded, "I am a Crane now, as well as a part of this family, and the money I earn,"
"No, mija." Pilar stopped her daughter's words.
"Alright mama." Theresa walked off with her head hung low. She hated that her mother disapproved her life, but she couldn't give it all up for the sake of her son.
"Mama," Paloma spoke up, "I have money saved up from when I was working for Tio Manuel over the summer. It's more than enough for the party. Please, let me help?"
"Please everyone," Antonio stepped forward as Sheridan led him into the room. "I don't want us to fight about money, alright?"
His siblings all shook their heads, and though Antonio couldn't see it, he knew that they understood him.
"Now," Antonio continued, "as the eldest son of the family, I'm making the decision to use MY money from when I was down in Bermuda. Mama, Luis, you don't have to worry about anything. I know you both work hard, but I want to take responsibility of this, god knows I haven't done my part over the years."
"Mijo,"
"No mama, I've made my mind up." Antonio turned towards his mother's voice, "And Paloma, Miguel, I don't want any of you three to worry about this anymore. I'm home, here, for good, and it is my responsibility."
"We're all grown adults now, Antonio." Miguel placed an arm around Antonio's shoulder.
"I know that, Miguel, but I still want to do this for our family, alright?" Antonio nodded, "And Theresa, I know that you would like to help out too, but you know that the Crane family and our own have had a rocky past, so please try and understand where mama is coming from."
"I understand." Theresa sighed.
"Good, then it's settled then." Antonio walked forward. "Mama, you won't have to worry about anything, you just let us get things done."
"Thank you, mijo." Pilar stood and embraced her eldest with pride in her eyes, "Thank you all. It's so good to see you all as wonderful, responsible, adults."
"Okay then," Antonio smiled, "So, Miguel, Luis, you guys will get the chairs and tables and set up."
"I'll call the youth center, they'll let us use some of their things," Luis nodded as Miguel followed him into the kitchen.
"Good, Theresa, Paloma," Antonio turned towards his sisters, "you guys are in charge of the food."
"Don't worry about it Antonio," Paloma smiled to her sister, "We'll cook up a storm in the kitchen!"
"Yeah," Theresa nodded, "It's about time we put into good use all the times we watched Mama cook."
"Good, then." Antonio assured them, "Mama, all I want you to do is invite everyone in Harmony. I'd like to celebrate my 'recovery' and Mana's homecoming with all our friends in town."
"Of course I'll let everyone know." Pilar chuckled.
"Sheridan," Antonio turned to his wife who had been standing and listening to him speak, "I'm going to ask you to call Chad about the music, he did a great job with the wedding reception, and I think he knows our family well enough to choose the music for the night."
"Don't worry, Antonio. I'm on it." Sheridan leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Hank?" Antonio asked, "Noah? You guys still around?"
"Right here." The nephew and uncle said in unison.
"Good, if you don't mind could you guys go and see what the girls will need for supplies? I don't really want them going out alone in the storm, so could you guys accompany them?" Antonio said with a smile.
"Of course."
"You won't have to worry about a thing, Antonio." Noah piped, "we'll help out as much as we can."
"Okay!" Antonio brought his hands together, "Let's get to it then!"
The entire room went their respective ways, and as Pilar watched her family and friends move about she couldn't help but be amused at the situation. It felt so good to finally have a bit of normalcy back in her life. It almost felt like how her life was before Theresa wrapped herself up in the Crane family, before Paloma left for Spain, before Antonio disappeared, before the strange occurrences at the Bennett house, before Miguel's current predicament, before the love triangle that her two eldest sons were involved in. It almost felt normal.
Almost.
************************************************************************
"Hello, Crane Estate, Phyllis speaking."
"Phyllis?" Theresa sat in her mother's kitchen as she held the receiver closer to her ear, "It's Theresa, I need to ask you a favor."
"Of course, Mrs. Crane."
"My family is having a party tonight, at my mother's house, and I'm so swamped with last minute preparations, that I was hoping you could bring Little Ethan over." Theresa stood from her seat and looked out the kitchen window, "I would come over there myself if things weren't so hectic."
"Mrs. Crane, you know you don't even have to ask." Phyllis sighed, "Don't worry about anything. What time would you like me to bring over little Ethan?"
"Around Eight o'clock please."
"We'll be there."
"Thank you, Phyllis."
"My pleasure, Mrs. Crane."
Phyllis hung up the phone and as she turned to head back upstairs, she ran into Fox Crane.
"Excuse me, Mr. Crane." Phyllis spoke with her head hanging, "I'm very sorry."
"It's fine." Fox straightened out his frame and dusted off his shirt. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with my step-mommy, Phyllis."
"Oh?"
"Yes, and what's this I hear about you taking little Ethan somewhere?"
"The Lopez-Fitzgeralds are having a party tonight at Pilar's home, and Mrs. Crane asked me to bring her son by later this evening." Phyllis answered.
"A party?" Fox's eyes sparkled with glee, "and step-mommy forgot to invite me?"
Phyllis made no move to answer, instead she continued up the stairs to fix Little Ethan's bag and dress him.
"So," Fox said to himself as he made his way into the sitting room, "The LF's are having a party tonight. Though I didn't get the 'official' invitation, I'm sure they wouldn't mind me popping up to say my hellos."
He grinned mischievously while planning out his night in his mind.
"And I know one very, VERY, good reason for me to show up tonight."
************************************************************************