"Show up where?"
Ethan walked in on Fox's conversation with himself and interrupted the younger man's thoughts.
"Oh," Fox jumped up from the sofa and smiled as his eyes danced with expectations of the night to come, "There's a little shin-dig at the LF home tonight."
"There is?" Ethan furrowed his brow. He hadn't known, and was sure that Theresa would invite him, or at least his aunt Sheridan.
"Yep," Fox nodded as he walked out of the room and up the stairs, "now, if you'll excuse me. I must get dressed!"
************************************************************************
"Hello?"
"Um, yes," Ethan's confused voice came over the other line, "is this Theresa's phone?"
"Yeah, um sorry." The male voice on the other line made Ethan swallow hard, "She's in the other room right now, and her purse was in here. Ringing, and I answered."
"Oh, I see." Ethan nodded. "And who I am speaking with?"
"Oh, this is Noah Bennett."
"Noah?" Ethan was partially glad that it was his younger brother who had answered Theresa's phone, and not some mystery man, but the feeling was soon replaced by the uneasiness in his stomach. "It's Ethan."
"Hey Ethan!" Noah smiled into the phone. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to call Theresa and ask her about the party tonight." Ethan hoped that he wasn't sounding a bit nerved that Theresa hadn't told him about it herself.
"Ah," Noah walked into the kitchen and saw Theresa and Paloma trying their hardest to make flour tortillas, but to no avail, there was more flour thrown about the room than actual tortillas. He shook his head at the sisters, and tapped Theresa on the back.
Theresa turned, and Noah let out a burst of laughter as he realized her appearance. She had flour in her hair, on her nose, her cheeks, and all over the front of her shirt. It looked as if she had been attacked by the Pillsbury doughboy. His laughing ceased when Theresa shot him a look with her dark eyes, and he realized that he was still holding her phone in his hand. He gave her an apologetic look and pouted as he handed her the phone, but before he walked out of the room Theresa managed to take a handful of flour and hurl it in his direction.
"That was for laughing at me." She stood with a triumphant look on her face and an ear-to-ear smile. Noah walked out of the kitchen mumbling about having to change his clothes, just as Theresa spoke into the phone. "Hello?"
"Theresa, it's Ethan."
"Oh," Theresa's ears perked up at the sound of his voice, "what do you need?"
"Actually, I overheard from Fox about your family's party tonight, and I was wondering," Ethan gulped.
"Ethan!" Theresa laughed into the receiver. As mad as she was at him the other evening, she couldn't help but melt when she heard his voice again. It was a part of her she wished that she could 'will' away, but Ethan still had that hold over her. "Why are you even asking? Of course you can come! And tell Fox he has an invitation. Knowing him, he was probably going to crash it anyway!"
Ethan smiled and breathed a breath of relief at Theresa's enthusiasm. It was as if he could see her smiling from the sound of her voice.
"Great." He nodded, "I'll let my brother know. And thank you, Theresa."
"So, I'll see you guys later tonight?"
"Yes, ma'am" Ethan laughed into the phone. "What time should we be there?"
"Around eight o'clock is when most everyone will be here."
"Great! We'll see you, then!"
Theresa hung up that phone and couldn't help but smile at her conversation with Ethan. It had been some time since the two of them were able to carry on a conversation that had nothing to do with Gwen, Rebecca, Ivy, or their relationship, and it brought a sigh to her heart as Theresa remembered his hurtful words to her the night before. But, she couldn't help but realize the tone of hope and happiness in Ethan's voice as she extended her invitation for Antonio and Paloma's party, was there still hope? Her thoughts soon drifted from Ethan as soon as the smell of burnt tortilla filled her nostrils. She soon snapped from her daydream and began running around the kitchen in a fright.
"Oh!" Theresa screamed, "this is just hopeless."
"Mija?" Pilar ran into the kitchen once the smell invaded her senses, she knew that she could not sit back and not worry, as Antonio had requested. "Theresita! You will move away from that stove, and let me do the rest."
"But, mama."
"That is an order," Pilar took the utensils from Theresa's hands, "you know as well as I do that you were not cut out to be in the kitchen. I love you, mija, and as much as I love that you and your hermana are trying to make this easy on me, you know that I would much rather do the cooking."
"Oh, mama." Paloma sighed as she knelt down to clean the spilt flour that now was a blanket on the kitchen floor. She wrapped her arms around her mother's legs, "Thank you SO much for saving us!"
"My pleasure," Pilar laughed at the sight of her two young daughters, the look on their faces were priceless. Soon, her laughter became contagious and the three women were laughing hysterically. "Now, you two go upstairs and get clean."
"Yes, mama."
"Yes, mama."
Pilar watched as her two daughters ran up the stairs and into the guest room that was serving as Paloma's room. The both of them raced each other up the steps and through the door, ending with them throwing themselves onto the queen-sized bed in a fit of laughter. Pilar couldn't help but shake her head and sigh as she heard Paloma whine when Theresa reached into her suitcase, seconds later the door slammed shut and all that could be heard was the muffled laughter of the girls inside the room.
************************************************************************
"Sita!" Paloma screamed as she tried to wrestle away a blouse from Theresa's hands.
"I don't have time to go home, get showered and dressed," Theresa held up the blouse out of her sister's reach, "just let me borrow something!"
"Every time I ever let you borrow ANYTHING when we were growing up, I NEVER got it back!"
"You will get this back!"
"No, I won't!"
"Okay, maybe you won't, cause it's really CUTE!"
"Sita!" Paloma chased her sister around her room, "come on!"
"Just let me use it, mana." Theresa giggled, "you know you can't say no to me."
"No." Paloma laughed, "There, I just did!"
"Mana!"
"Sita!"
"CHILDREN!"
Theresa and Paloma stopped dead in their tracks as the booming voice of their older brother entered the conversation.
"What's going on?"
"Luis," Paloma walked up to her brother with a pout on her face. "Sita, won't give me back my shirt."
"Luis," Theresa walked up beside Paloma and gave her brother the best puppy- dog eyes she could, "Mana knows I can't go home to change, and look at me, I'm covered in flour, and I have no clothes of my own here. Come on, Luis?"
"You guys will never learn to grow up, will you?" Luis crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at his sisters, the beginning of a smile started to form on his face, but he quickly wiped it away and it was replaced by his 'stern-big-brother' look.
"Luis."
"Nope," Luis threw his hand up to stop Paloma from talking, "I've heard both cases, and I'm siding with Theresa on this one. Mana, you know that she can't go home and change."
"Thank You, Luis!" Theresa beamed, but was met with the same hand that stopped her from hugging him.
"I'm not finished yet." Luis shook his head, "Since you can't go home, Theresa, and mana will GRACIOUSLY allow you to use her clothes, you will buy her a new outfit to replace the one you will wear tonight."
"Ha!" Paloma kidded.
"Now, let her borrow whatever she needs, mana." Luis raised his brow, "and, Resa, tomorrow you'll take Paloma shopping for her new outfit!"
"That's SO not fair!" Theresa slumped her shoulders in defeat.
Luis shook his head at his sisters and could have swore that for those few minutes he was talking to the childhood versions of the same grown women. Before he stepped out of the room he grabbed each one in his embrace and planted a firm kiss on their foreheads. He left the room with a smile and was glad he was able to use his 'big-brother' logic once again.
"I get a new outfit!"
"Mana." Theresa warned with her eyes.
"I'm just kidding with you," Paloma sat on her bed, "you know that right? You don't have to get me anything, and you can borrow whatever you want."
"I know." Theresa kneeled down and continued rifling through her sister's belongings, "I just wanted Luis to think that we still 'needed' his intervention. It makes him feel better about the whole missing out on being your big brother."
"Yeah," Paloma sighed.
"You alright, mana?" Theresa realized that she had just hit a nerve, so she stood and looked her sister in the eye.
"Of course," Paloma turned her head and didn't allow Theresa to see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Well, alright," Theresa knew that there was a lot more that needed to be done if she and Paloma were to renew their bond as sisters, but she didn't want to press any further, for fear that she might be imposing too much, "If you do, you know I'm here."
"I know, Sita," Paloma nodded and stood from her seat, "Thanks."
"Anytime."
"I'll leave you alone now to get ready, just call me when you're done so I can get cleaned up too." Paloma walked out the door.
Theresa couldn't help but feel bad that her sister was still not ready or comfortable enough to let her in on her thoughts. She knew that it would take a lot of time for Paloma to really feel like she belonged to the family again, and she understood that these sort of things won't happen overnight, but deep down inside, Theresa just wanted her sister back again.
************************************************************************
Ethan walked in on Fox's conversation with himself and interrupted the younger man's thoughts.
"Oh," Fox jumped up from the sofa and smiled as his eyes danced with expectations of the night to come, "There's a little shin-dig at the LF home tonight."
"There is?" Ethan furrowed his brow. He hadn't known, and was sure that Theresa would invite him, or at least his aunt Sheridan.
"Yep," Fox nodded as he walked out of the room and up the stairs, "now, if you'll excuse me. I must get dressed!"
************************************************************************
"Hello?"
"Um, yes," Ethan's confused voice came over the other line, "is this Theresa's phone?"
"Yeah, um sorry." The male voice on the other line made Ethan swallow hard, "She's in the other room right now, and her purse was in here. Ringing, and I answered."
"Oh, I see." Ethan nodded. "And who I am speaking with?"
"Oh, this is Noah Bennett."
"Noah?" Ethan was partially glad that it was his younger brother who had answered Theresa's phone, and not some mystery man, but the feeling was soon replaced by the uneasiness in his stomach. "It's Ethan."
"Hey Ethan!" Noah smiled into the phone. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to call Theresa and ask her about the party tonight." Ethan hoped that he wasn't sounding a bit nerved that Theresa hadn't told him about it herself.
"Ah," Noah walked into the kitchen and saw Theresa and Paloma trying their hardest to make flour tortillas, but to no avail, there was more flour thrown about the room than actual tortillas. He shook his head at the sisters, and tapped Theresa on the back.
Theresa turned, and Noah let out a burst of laughter as he realized her appearance. She had flour in her hair, on her nose, her cheeks, and all over the front of her shirt. It looked as if she had been attacked by the Pillsbury doughboy. His laughing ceased when Theresa shot him a look with her dark eyes, and he realized that he was still holding her phone in his hand. He gave her an apologetic look and pouted as he handed her the phone, but before he walked out of the room Theresa managed to take a handful of flour and hurl it in his direction.
"That was for laughing at me." She stood with a triumphant look on her face and an ear-to-ear smile. Noah walked out of the kitchen mumbling about having to change his clothes, just as Theresa spoke into the phone. "Hello?"
"Theresa, it's Ethan."
"Oh," Theresa's ears perked up at the sound of his voice, "what do you need?"
"Actually, I overheard from Fox about your family's party tonight, and I was wondering," Ethan gulped.
"Ethan!" Theresa laughed into the receiver. As mad as she was at him the other evening, she couldn't help but melt when she heard his voice again. It was a part of her she wished that she could 'will' away, but Ethan still had that hold over her. "Why are you even asking? Of course you can come! And tell Fox he has an invitation. Knowing him, he was probably going to crash it anyway!"
Ethan smiled and breathed a breath of relief at Theresa's enthusiasm. It was as if he could see her smiling from the sound of her voice.
"Great." He nodded, "I'll let my brother know. And thank you, Theresa."
"So, I'll see you guys later tonight?"
"Yes, ma'am" Ethan laughed into the phone. "What time should we be there?"
"Around eight o'clock is when most everyone will be here."
"Great! We'll see you, then!"
Theresa hung up that phone and couldn't help but smile at her conversation with Ethan. It had been some time since the two of them were able to carry on a conversation that had nothing to do with Gwen, Rebecca, Ivy, or their relationship, and it brought a sigh to her heart as Theresa remembered his hurtful words to her the night before. But, she couldn't help but realize the tone of hope and happiness in Ethan's voice as she extended her invitation for Antonio and Paloma's party, was there still hope? Her thoughts soon drifted from Ethan as soon as the smell of burnt tortilla filled her nostrils. She soon snapped from her daydream and began running around the kitchen in a fright.
"Oh!" Theresa screamed, "this is just hopeless."
"Mija?" Pilar ran into the kitchen once the smell invaded her senses, she knew that she could not sit back and not worry, as Antonio had requested. "Theresita! You will move away from that stove, and let me do the rest."
"But, mama."
"That is an order," Pilar took the utensils from Theresa's hands, "you know as well as I do that you were not cut out to be in the kitchen. I love you, mija, and as much as I love that you and your hermana are trying to make this easy on me, you know that I would much rather do the cooking."
"Oh, mama." Paloma sighed as she knelt down to clean the spilt flour that now was a blanket on the kitchen floor. She wrapped her arms around her mother's legs, "Thank you SO much for saving us!"
"My pleasure," Pilar laughed at the sight of her two young daughters, the look on their faces were priceless. Soon, her laughter became contagious and the three women were laughing hysterically. "Now, you two go upstairs and get clean."
"Yes, mama."
"Yes, mama."
Pilar watched as her two daughters ran up the stairs and into the guest room that was serving as Paloma's room. The both of them raced each other up the steps and through the door, ending with them throwing themselves onto the queen-sized bed in a fit of laughter. Pilar couldn't help but shake her head and sigh as she heard Paloma whine when Theresa reached into her suitcase, seconds later the door slammed shut and all that could be heard was the muffled laughter of the girls inside the room.
************************************************************************
"Sita!" Paloma screamed as she tried to wrestle away a blouse from Theresa's hands.
"I don't have time to go home, get showered and dressed," Theresa held up the blouse out of her sister's reach, "just let me borrow something!"
"Every time I ever let you borrow ANYTHING when we were growing up, I NEVER got it back!"
"You will get this back!"
"No, I won't!"
"Okay, maybe you won't, cause it's really CUTE!"
"Sita!" Paloma chased her sister around her room, "come on!"
"Just let me use it, mana." Theresa giggled, "you know you can't say no to me."
"No." Paloma laughed, "There, I just did!"
"Mana!"
"Sita!"
"CHILDREN!"
Theresa and Paloma stopped dead in their tracks as the booming voice of their older brother entered the conversation.
"What's going on?"
"Luis," Paloma walked up to her brother with a pout on her face. "Sita, won't give me back my shirt."
"Luis," Theresa walked up beside Paloma and gave her brother the best puppy- dog eyes she could, "Mana knows I can't go home to change, and look at me, I'm covered in flour, and I have no clothes of my own here. Come on, Luis?"
"You guys will never learn to grow up, will you?" Luis crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at his sisters, the beginning of a smile started to form on his face, but he quickly wiped it away and it was replaced by his 'stern-big-brother' look.
"Luis."
"Nope," Luis threw his hand up to stop Paloma from talking, "I've heard both cases, and I'm siding with Theresa on this one. Mana, you know that she can't go home and change."
"Thank You, Luis!" Theresa beamed, but was met with the same hand that stopped her from hugging him.
"I'm not finished yet." Luis shook his head, "Since you can't go home, Theresa, and mana will GRACIOUSLY allow you to use her clothes, you will buy her a new outfit to replace the one you will wear tonight."
"Ha!" Paloma kidded.
"Now, let her borrow whatever she needs, mana." Luis raised his brow, "and, Resa, tomorrow you'll take Paloma shopping for her new outfit!"
"That's SO not fair!" Theresa slumped her shoulders in defeat.
Luis shook his head at his sisters and could have swore that for those few minutes he was talking to the childhood versions of the same grown women. Before he stepped out of the room he grabbed each one in his embrace and planted a firm kiss on their foreheads. He left the room with a smile and was glad he was able to use his 'big-brother' logic once again.
"I get a new outfit!"
"Mana." Theresa warned with her eyes.
"I'm just kidding with you," Paloma sat on her bed, "you know that right? You don't have to get me anything, and you can borrow whatever you want."
"I know." Theresa kneeled down and continued rifling through her sister's belongings, "I just wanted Luis to think that we still 'needed' his intervention. It makes him feel better about the whole missing out on being your big brother."
"Yeah," Paloma sighed.
"You alright, mana?" Theresa realized that she had just hit a nerve, so she stood and looked her sister in the eye.
"Of course," Paloma turned her head and didn't allow Theresa to see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Well, alright," Theresa knew that there was a lot more that needed to be done if she and Paloma were to renew their bond as sisters, but she didn't want to press any further, for fear that she might be imposing too much, "If you do, you know I'm here."
"I know, Sita," Paloma nodded and stood from her seat, "Thanks."
"Anytime."
"I'll leave you alone now to get ready, just call me when you're done so I can get cleaned up too." Paloma walked out the door.
Theresa couldn't help but feel bad that her sister was still not ready or comfortable enough to let her in on her thoughts. She knew that it would take a lot of time for Paloma to really feel like she belonged to the family again, and she understood that these sort of things won't happen overnight, but deep down inside, Theresa just wanted her sister back again.
************************************************************************