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At eight o'clock sharp, the Lopez-Fitzgerald doorbell began to rang. First, the Bennetts, along with their neighbor Tabitha Lenox, waltzed through the doorway with smiles on their faces and laughter in their hearts. Noah walked in, freshly showered and changed, and Theresa couldn't help but snicker at the look he had on his face.
"Noah!" Theresa laughed and threw her arms around her friend's neck. "You clean up well."
"Yeah, yeah, Resa." He ran a hand through his still damp hair with a smile.
As the Bennett family made their way through the door, The Russells were not far behind. Whitney, Simone, and Chad walked in together as Eve Russell and T.C followed.
"Whit!" Theresa ran toward Whitney with a smile and open arms.
"Hey, girl" Whitney laughed as she wrapped her arms around the other woman, "I see that Noah's back in town."
"That he is, and Paloma too!"
"Paloma?" Simone turned into the older girl's conversation, "Your sister's home?"
"Yeah, Simone." Theresa smiled, "She's just getting dressed upstairs, but I'm sure she'd love to see you!"
"That's so amazing, I can't wait!"
The Russell's made their way into Pilar's living room and greeted the rest of the Lopez-Fitzgerald family. Miguel walked in from the kitchen and sighed as he eyed his ex-fiance from afar.
"You okay?" Luis' hand rested on his younger brother's shoulders when he heard him sigh with frustration.
"I'm alright, Luis." Miguel slumped his shoulders, "It's just difficult, you know?"
"I know, all too well." Luis laughed. "Hang in there, bro."
"Thanks."
Charity Standish stood, quietly, in the corner of the room and tried her best not to look in Miguel's direction, but she could feel his eyes bore holes into her as he stared at her from across the room. She sighed in defeat, and turned her body so that she was facing in the opposite direction.
Kay Bennett watched as the father of her unborn child stood with his eyes glued to her blonde cousin. Pangs in her heart caused her eyes to well with tears, as she realized that she would never be able to get Miguel to love her as much as he loved Charity, but she quickly brought a hand to her cheek and wiped her eyes dry before anyone could notice. It was certainly too much for her to bear, so she nonchalantly slipped out of the room and into the Lopez-Fitzgerald's back yard. Her father, Sam Bennett, saw this and shook his head for he knew just how much pain this ordeal had been causing his eldest daughter.
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"Kay?"
Kay looked up from her seat on the lawn chair and found herself looking into the eyes of her half-brother and his new bride.
"Hey, Ethan." She sighed, "Gwen."
"What's up?"
"Nothing." She looked back down toward the ground and placed a hand on her stomach.
"Kay, honey," Gwen knelt down beside her and took the younger woman's hand in her own, "try and calm down, I know you're in a tough situation right now, but don't let it get to you."
"Right." Kay could help but roll her blue eyes at the older woman.
"Gwen's right, Kay." Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, "don't stress yourself out so much, it could only hurt the baby."
"Believe me, Ethan." Kay looked up, "I'm trying."
"Please, do." Ethan sighed as Gwen stood back up and he put an arm around her shoulder, "Take care of my nephew, or niece."
"Yeah, I will." Kay nodded and patted her abdomen in assurance, "Now, go on inside, the party's getting really lively up in there."
"Oh, how your sarcasm gets greater each day," Ethan laughed and placed a kiss on his sister's head before escorting Gwen inside.
"What sarcasm?" Kay scoffed.
"Tsk, tsk, Miss Bennett."
Kay rolled her eyes at the sound of the voice, she looked up and narrowed her eyes at the owner of the comment.
"Fox," She shook her head, "I'm not in the mood for verbal sparring today. So, just beat it and go annoy someone else."
"Ouch," Fox Crane didn't press any further with the younger girl, "Very well, I take my leave."
Kay watched as he made his way to the front of the house and she screamed in frustration through her clenched teeth at her life.
"Why me?" She sighed as she rested her head in her hands.
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Paloma heard the sound of voices downstairs, and looked at herself in the mirror once more. She sighed at her reflection and shook her head before heading out the bedroom door. Just as she was making her way down the stairway the doorbell rang, and she turned to see her sister racing to get it.
"I got it!" Paloma yelled as he sister stopped and nodded.
Paloma hurried down the stairway and skipped the last couple with a jump. As she reached the bottom she unconsciously straightened out her shirt and made her way to the door. She placed a hand on the knob just as the bell rang again.
"Alright, already." Paloma sighed, "Geez, patience is a virtue people."
As the door opened, it revealed Ethan and Gwen standing on the other side. Paloma sighed and gave a fake smile at the pair. For a split second, she eyed the blonde woman beside Ethan, and couldn't help but shake her head. She would have liked to smack Ethan on the back of the head for choosing Gwen over her older sister, but she pushed the thought aside as Ethan spoke up.
"Hey, Paloma." He pushed Gwen forward, "This is Gwen, my wife."
"It's so nice to meet you." Gwen extended her hand.
"You, too." Paloma could sense how extremely fake the woman's tone was, but instead of acting on her feeling of wanting to give Gwen a piece of her mind, Paloma opted to return the handshake.
She watched as Ethan and Gwen walked inside to join the party, and she glanced in her sister's direction. Theresa's eyes filled with joy upon seeing Ethan, but they were soon saddened at the sight of Gwen clinging onto his arm. Paloma shook her head as she turned to close the front door.
"Ah, not so fast."
A hand came in from the outside which caused Paloma to pull the door back open, when she did, she let out a moan of defeat at the smiling man on the other side of her door.
"What?" Fox Crane leaned against the door jam with a smile and stared down at Paloma, "not ecstatic to see me?"
"Ecstatic?" Paloma laughed, "that's not quite the word. Try disappointed."
"Oh, Little Lo." Fox took his hand and patted her on the head, "you can't fool me. I know you were dying to see me once again. After our little conversation in the mansion, I could tell you couldn't resist my charm."
"Please, Nicky." Paloma crossed her arms and let out a sigh, "If I had one wish, it would be never to see your face again."
"Hmm?" Fox smiled, "you're bluffing."
"Maybe I am," Paloma smiled, "and maybe I'm not."
"Well, then."
"So, are you just going to stand out there in the snow, or are you going to come in?"
"Ah, see." Fox stepped through the door and threw an arm around Paloma's shoulders, "I knew you were just kidding, you really did want to see me again!"
"No," Paloma pushed off his arm, "it's just that it must cost my mother a fortune to heat his house, and god knows my family can't afford a higher gas bill with the door open like that."
"True," Fox rubbed his chin, "But, on the other hand, you could have just slammed the door in my face and called it day. So, if you really didn't want me around, you would have done just that, that way you would have had the door closed and me out of your sight."
Paloma knew where this was going.
"BUT," Fox continued with a grin plastered on his face, "Instead, you invited me in, and didn't leave me freezing and rejected out in the cold. That means that you DID want me here."
"Call it pity." Paloma tried to think of a way to win this conversation, "Though I don't like you, I don't believe that stranding people out in the cold is a very humane thing to do."
"Call it what you will, Lo," Fox smiled at the woman with intrigue in his eyes, "but I'm here to stay, whether you like it or not."
Fox took Paloma's hand and brought it to his lips. He gently brushed a kiss on the top of her hand before walking away from her with a smile and a she watched with her mouth hanging open as he turned on his heal and headed toward the food table. Paloma swallowed hard and snapped herself out of the millions of thoughts running through her mind, letting only one thought penetrate her heart.
'My god, what have I gotten myself into.'
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*A/N* THANK YOU for hanging in there!!! I know it's been a while since I've updated, and I apologize, but I was having writer's block! LOL! Anyways, I hope I was able to make it up to you in these last THREE chapters! Thanks again! WG
At eight o'clock sharp, the Lopez-Fitzgerald doorbell began to rang. First, the Bennetts, along with their neighbor Tabitha Lenox, waltzed through the doorway with smiles on their faces and laughter in their hearts. Noah walked in, freshly showered and changed, and Theresa couldn't help but snicker at the look he had on his face.
"Noah!" Theresa laughed and threw her arms around her friend's neck. "You clean up well."
"Yeah, yeah, Resa." He ran a hand through his still damp hair with a smile.
As the Bennett family made their way through the door, The Russells were not far behind. Whitney, Simone, and Chad walked in together as Eve Russell and T.C followed.
"Whit!" Theresa ran toward Whitney with a smile and open arms.
"Hey, girl" Whitney laughed as she wrapped her arms around the other woman, "I see that Noah's back in town."
"That he is, and Paloma too!"
"Paloma?" Simone turned into the older girl's conversation, "Your sister's home?"
"Yeah, Simone." Theresa smiled, "She's just getting dressed upstairs, but I'm sure she'd love to see you!"
"That's so amazing, I can't wait!"
The Russell's made their way into Pilar's living room and greeted the rest of the Lopez-Fitzgerald family. Miguel walked in from the kitchen and sighed as he eyed his ex-fiance from afar.
"You okay?" Luis' hand rested on his younger brother's shoulders when he heard him sigh with frustration.
"I'm alright, Luis." Miguel slumped his shoulders, "It's just difficult, you know?"
"I know, all too well." Luis laughed. "Hang in there, bro."
"Thanks."
Charity Standish stood, quietly, in the corner of the room and tried her best not to look in Miguel's direction, but she could feel his eyes bore holes into her as he stared at her from across the room. She sighed in defeat, and turned her body so that she was facing in the opposite direction.
Kay Bennett watched as the father of her unborn child stood with his eyes glued to her blonde cousin. Pangs in her heart caused her eyes to well with tears, as she realized that she would never be able to get Miguel to love her as much as he loved Charity, but she quickly brought a hand to her cheek and wiped her eyes dry before anyone could notice. It was certainly too much for her to bear, so she nonchalantly slipped out of the room and into the Lopez-Fitzgerald's back yard. Her father, Sam Bennett, saw this and shook his head for he knew just how much pain this ordeal had been causing his eldest daughter.
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"Kay?"
Kay looked up from her seat on the lawn chair and found herself looking into the eyes of her half-brother and his new bride.
"Hey, Ethan." She sighed, "Gwen."
"What's up?"
"Nothing." She looked back down toward the ground and placed a hand on her stomach.
"Kay, honey," Gwen knelt down beside her and took the younger woman's hand in her own, "try and calm down, I know you're in a tough situation right now, but don't let it get to you."
"Right." Kay could help but roll her blue eyes at the older woman.
"Gwen's right, Kay." Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, "don't stress yourself out so much, it could only hurt the baby."
"Believe me, Ethan." Kay looked up, "I'm trying."
"Please, do." Ethan sighed as Gwen stood back up and he put an arm around her shoulder, "Take care of my nephew, or niece."
"Yeah, I will." Kay nodded and patted her abdomen in assurance, "Now, go on inside, the party's getting really lively up in there."
"Oh, how your sarcasm gets greater each day," Ethan laughed and placed a kiss on his sister's head before escorting Gwen inside.
"What sarcasm?" Kay scoffed.
"Tsk, tsk, Miss Bennett."
Kay rolled her eyes at the sound of the voice, she looked up and narrowed her eyes at the owner of the comment.
"Fox," She shook her head, "I'm not in the mood for verbal sparring today. So, just beat it and go annoy someone else."
"Ouch," Fox Crane didn't press any further with the younger girl, "Very well, I take my leave."
Kay watched as he made his way to the front of the house and she screamed in frustration through her clenched teeth at her life.
"Why me?" She sighed as she rested her head in her hands.
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Paloma heard the sound of voices downstairs, and looked at herself in the mirror once more. She sighed at her reflection and shook her head before heading out the bedroom door. Just as she was making her way down the stairway the doorbell rang, and she turned to see her sister racing to get it.
"I got it!" Paloma yelled as he sister stopped and nodded.
Paloma hurried down the stairway and skipped the last couple with a jump. As she reached the bottom she unconsciously straightened out her shirt and made her way to the door. She placed a hand on the knob just as the bell rang again.
"Alright, already." Paloma sighed, "Geez, patience is a virtue people."
As the door opened, it revealed Ethan and Gwen standing on the other side. Paloma sighed and gave a fake smile at the pair. For a split second, she eyed the blonde woman beside Ethan, and couldn't help but shake her head. She would have liked to smack Ethan on the back of the head for choosing Gwen over her older sister, but she pushed the thought aside as Ethan spoke up.
"Hey, Paloma." He pushed Gwen forward, "This is Gwen, my wife."
"It's so nice to meet you." Gwen extended her hand.
"You, too." Paloma could sense how extremely fake the woman's tone was, but instead of acting on her feeling of wanting to give Gwen a piece of her mind, Paloma opted to return the handshake.
She watched as Ethan and Gwen walked inside to join the party, and she glanced in her sister's direction. Theresa's eyes filled with joy upon seeing Ethan, but they were soon saddened at the sight of Gwen clinging onto his arm. Paloma shook her head as she turned to close the front door.
"Ah, not so fast."
A hand came in from the outside which caused Paloma to pull the door back open, when she did, she let out a moan of defeat at the smiling man on the other side of her door.
"What?" Fox Crane leaned against the door jam with a smile and stared down at Paloma, "not ecstatic to see me?"
"Ecstatic?" Paloma laughed, "that's not quite the word. Try disappointed."
"Oh, Little Lo." Fox took his hand and patted her on the head, "you can't fool me. I know you were dying to see me once again. After our little conversation in the mansion, I could tell you couldn't resist my charm."
"Please, Nicky." Paloma crossed her arms and let out a sigh, "If I had one wish, it would be never to see your face again."
"Hmm?" Fox smiled, "you're bluffing."
"Maybe I am," Paloma smiled, "and maybe I'm not."
"Well, then."
"So, are you just going to stand out there in the snow, or are you going to come in?"
"Ah, see." Fox stepped through the door and threw an arm around Paloma's shoulders, "I knew you were just kidding, you really did want to see me again!"
"No," Paloma pushed off his arm, "it's just that it must cost my mother a fortune to heat his house, and god knows my family can't afford a higher gas bill with the door open like that."
"True," Fox rubbed his chin, "But, on the other hand, you could have just slammed the door in my face and called it day. So, if you really didn't want me around, you would have done just that, that way you would have had the door closed and me out of your sight."
Paloma knew where this was going.
"BUT," Fox continued with a grin plastered on his face, "Instead, you invited me in, and didn't leave me freezing and rejected out in the cold. That means that you DID want me here."
"Call it pity." Paloma tried to think of a way to win this conversation, "Though I don't like you, I don't believe that stranding people out in the cold is a very humane thing to do."
"Call it what you will, Lo," Fox smiled at the woman with intrigue in his eyes, "but I'm here to stay, whether you like it or not."
Fox took Paloma's hand and brought it to his lips. He gently brushed a kiss on the top of her hand before walking away from her with a smile and a she watched with her mouth hanging open as he turned on his heal and headed toward the food table. Paloma swallowed hard and snapped herself out of the millions of thoughts running through her mind, letting only one thought penetrate her heart.
'My god, what have I gotten myself into.'
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*A/N* THANK YOU for hanging in there!!! I know it's been a while since I've updated, and I apologize, but I was having writer's block! LOL! Anyways, I hope I was able to make it up to you in these last THREE chapters! Thanks again! WG