CHAPTER 27
Winter in Harmony
"Are you sure it's safe for us to go there?"
"Yes, Alistair kicked a couple of months ago and Dylan says that whatever hits he had put out on different people have been dropped, including the one he had out on me."
"It's been 8 years since you last saw your mother."
"Well, I don't think Ivy has changed."
"She was genuinely sad when she thought you were dead and so was Julian."
"I think a couple of them will have a heart attack when they see us at the estate."
"Probably."
They both laughed as they tried to imagine the faces of the people they left behind.
"The ferry will be here in about 20 minutes. I'll help you get the kids ready."
**************************
Fox sat with Teresa and their children in the car that was taking them to the Crane estate. Fox and Teresa were both looking out the window.
"While the rest of the world is changing, Harmony is still the same."
They were both feeling butterflies and were nervous. They got off the car and started walking on the grounds. They started with the cottage. Teresa knocked but there was no answer.
"I think we should try the main house."
They started walking again and they passed the lake where they had so many wonderful memories. Teresa smiled at a thought.
"What is it?"
"Just remembering the day I pushed you in."
"You mean the day I lost my swim trunks."
"Yes, exactly."
He blushed.
"That wasn't funny at all."
"Wasn't funny for me either. Kinda traumatizing when you're a 10 year old and see your thing for the first time."
He remembered her reaction and how she had put her hands over her face and burst into laughter.
"You think you're funny, don't ya?"
"Always."
Fox rang the door bell and a maid answered it. He just walked in not letting the woman ask any questions.
"Where are Ivy and Julian?"
"They are both in the library."
"Pilar?"
"She is with them also."
"That would be all, thank you."
The woman looked at him as though he was insane.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot be here. Or at least, let me announce you."
"No, I don't want to be announced and this is my home, so I'm allowed to be here."
He saw concern in her eyes.
"Don't worry, you won't get fired."
Teresa was standing there, holding their sleeping son.
"Let's go, Resa."
She walked beside him all the way to the library. Fox pushed the door open. Three heads turned. Julian, Ivy and Pilar looked at their children in disbelief. Ivy brought her hand to her mouth and Pilar stood there just staring. Julian poured himself a glass of his trusty brandy.
"Mama! Nicholas, hold Brendan."
"I'm already holding Katrina and she is getting heavier by the minute."
Ivy finally said something or at least tried.
"Fox? I-I..no, can't be. Teresa?"
Her eyes kept going from Teresa to Fox and to the children. A blond head and darker one. Both asleep in their parents' arms. She looked at her son longer.
"Teresa!"
Ethan had just walked in the library and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Fox!"
He didn't understand, none of them did.
"My baby girl, my little girl."
Pilar went to her daughter and hugged her.
"You're back. You left without saying a word. I was so worried I would never see you again."
She looked at Fox and hugged him also.
"Are you a ghost?"
"No, Pilar, I'm real."
Fox looked at his mother and for the first time in his life saw her crying.
"Are you alright, Mother?"
"My baby, my son is alive. I never thought it was possible."
"Thank God for small miracles."
Ivy looked at Ethan furious with him.
Pilar took Katrina from him and he went to Ivy who held on to him like she had never done.
"I am so sorry, Fox. I never realized how important you were to me. I have a second chance now."
He wasn't saying anything. He was eying her suspiciously.
"Are you on pills, Mother?'
"Fox!"
He was expecting some kind of reprimand, but she started laughing instead.
"I'm a grandmother?"
"Yes, you are."
She approached the children who were still asleep.
"They are so beautiful."
She then looked at Teresa.
"Thank you for never giving up on him and on the love you felt for him."
Julian finally spoke.
"You could have let us know that you were still alive, Fox."
"If Grandfather hadn't tried so hard to have me killed, yes I would have let you know that I was alive."
"What are you talking about? You were the heir. He would never...."
"Wouldn't he, Father?"
Julian fell silent. He knew exactly what his father was capable of. He never thought that he would go after Fox like hat.
"Are you moving back here?"
"No, Ethan. We will go back home in a week."
"A week but that's such a short time."
"Now that Alistair is dead, you can come and visit and stay with us. There's enough room for everyone."
Julian got up from behind his desk and looked at his grand kids, then at his son.
"Looks like you made quiet a life for yourself, son. It may not seem like it, but I'm happy that you are alive and well. I did love you and care about you, you know. How old are they?"
"Brandon is 10 months old and Katrina just turned 6."
Fox took his son from Teresa and gave him to Julian who felt clumsy.
"I don't think it's a very good idea, Fox."
"Don't worry Father."
Julian looked at his sleeping grandson.
"The new generation of Cranes. And he looks just like me."
"God, I hope not Julian. The kid has 2 good looking parents, please don't take that away from him."
Everyone laughed at Ivy's remark except for Ethan. Teresa went to him and took him aside.
"How have you been, Ethan?"
"Looking for you everywhere and hitting dead ends at each turn."
"I'm very sorry for I put you through. Really."
"Obviously not sorry enough to let us know that you were alive and well and with my brother."
"I love him, I had to be with him."
Ethan walked out of the library feeling angry and bitter. Teresa turned to the other people who were standing in the library, surrounding Fox and their children.
"Father, put your brandy down. Not in front of the kids."
"I used to drink in front of you and you turned out to be just fine."
"Julian, put that away."
"I forgot how no one can have fun in this house."
Teresa approached the group and stood beside her mother who was still holding her granddaughter. Teresa ran her fingers through her daughter's dark hair and smiled. Ivy spoke.
"I'll ask a maid to prepare a room for you and to prepare a room for the children as well."
"Adjoining rooms, please."
Ivy smiled at Teresa.
"Of course."
*********************************
It was night and they were walking in the snow and approaching the lake.
"It went pretty well this afternoon, didn't it?"
"Yes, it did."
"I still can't believe Mother and Father's reactions. It took 8 years and a fake death for them to realize that I actually existed."
She smiled at him knowing how happy he was that he finally had parents.
"What would you like to do?"
"I don't know, Nicholas."
She bent down and picked up a handful of snow in her hand and made a ball out of it.
"Oh, I didn't beat you enough at this. You need more?"
"I can't get more if you don't catch me."
She was about to start running but he pulled her scarf and she fell to the ground on the thick carpet of snow. He got on top of her pinning her between his legs. He picked snow in his hand and proceeded to wash her face with it and she squirmed to get away from him.
"Don't you dare, Nicholas!"
"Oh, but I do."
They were children again, laughing and running around like they did so long ago.
*************************
Ethan stood in the shadows and watched them. He was finally realizing how much Teresa and Fox loved each other. A long time ago, he had noticed him wearing her graduation ring on a gold chain around his neck. Today, as he watched them in the library, he noticed that Fox was still wearing it.
When Teresa said that they had gotten married a month after they got together, Ethan's first reflex was to look at her finger. The promise ring was gone and instead, a ring with a sparkling diamond on it. He then noticed that the promise ring wasn't completely gone. Like Fox, she had put it on chain and wore it around her neck.
"Mother was right, Teresa never belonged to me. Her heart and mind were always elsewhere."
"Are you sure it's safe for us to go there?"
"Yes, Alistair kicked a couple of months ago and Dylan says that whatever hits he had put out on different people have been dropped, including the one he had out on me."
"It's been 8 years since you last saw your mother."
"Well, I don't think Ivy has changed."
"She was genuinely sad when she thought you were dead and so was Julian."
"I think a couple of them will have a heart attack when they see us at the estate."
"Probably."
They both laughed as they tried to imagine the faces of the people they left behind.
"The ferry will be here in about 20 minutes. I'll help you get the kids ready."
**************************
Fox sat with Teresa and their children in the car that was taking them to the Crane estate. Fox and Teresa were both looking out the window.
"While the rest of the world is changing, Harmony is still the same."
They were both feeling butterflies and were nervous. They got off the car and started walking on the grounds. They started with the cottage. Teresa knocked but there was no answer.
"I think we should try the main house."
They started walking again and they passed the lake where they had so many wonderful memories. Teresa smiled at a thought.
"What is it?"
"Just remembering the day I pushed you in."
"You mean the day I lost my swim trunks."
"Yes, exactly."
He blushed.
"That wasn't funny at all."
"Wasn't funny for me either. Kinda traumatizing when you're a 10 year old and see your thing for the first time."
He remembered her reaction and how she had put her hands over her face and burst into laughter.
"You think you're funny, don't ya?"
"Always."
Fox rang the door bell and a maid answered it. He just walked in not letting the woman ask any questions.
"Where are Ivy and Julian?"
"They are both in the library."
"Pilar?"
"She is with them also."
"That would be all, thank you."
The woman looked at him as though he was insane.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot be here. Or at least, let me announce you."
"No, I don't want to be announced and this is my home, so I'm allowed to be here."
He saw concern in her eyes.
"Don't worry, you won't get fired."
Teresa was standing there, holding their sleeping son.
"Let's go, Resa."
She walked beside him all the way to the library. Fox pushed the door open. Three heads turned. Julian, Ivy and Pilar looked at their children in disbelief. Ivy brought her hand to her mouth and Pilar stood there just staring. Julian poured himself a glass of his trusty brandy.
"Mama! Nicholas, hold Brendan."
"I'm already holding Katrina and she is getting heavier by the minute."
Ivy finally said something or at least tried.
"Fox? I-I..no, can't be. Teresa?"
Her eyes kept going from Teresa to Fox and to the children. A blond head and darker one. Both asleep in their parents' arms. She looked at her son longer.
"Teresa!"
Ethan had just walked in the library and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Fox!"
He didn't understand, none of them did.
"My baby girl, my little girl."
Pilar went to her daughter and hugged her.
"You're back. You left without saying a word. I was so worried I would never see you again."
She looked at Fox and hugged him also.
"Are you a ghost?"
"No, Pilar, I'm real."
Fox looked at his mother and for the first time in his life saw her crying.
"Are you alright, Mother?"
"My baby, my son is alive. I never thought it was possible."
"Thank God for small miracles."
Ivy looked at Ethan furious with him.
Pilar took Katrina from him and he went to Ivy who held on to him like she had never done.
"I am so sorry, Fox. I never realized how important you were to me. I have a second chance now."
He wasn't saying anything. He was eying her suspiciously.
"Are you on pills, Mother?'
"Fox!"
He was expecting some kind of reprimand, but she started laughing instead.
"I'm a grandmother?"
"Yes, you are."
She approached the children who were still asleep.
"They are so beautiful."
She then looked at Teresa.
"Thank you for never giving up on him and on the love you felt for him."
Julian finally spoke.
"You could have let us know that you were still alive, Fox."
"If Grandfather hadn't tried so hard to have me killed, yes I would have let you know that I was alive."
"What are you talking about? You were the heir. He would never...."
"Wouldn't he, Father?"
Julian fell silent. He knew exactly what his father was capable of. He never thought that he would go after Fox like hat.
"Are you moving back here?"
"No, Ethan. We will go back home in a week."
"A week but that's such a short time."
"Now that Alistair is dead, you can come and visit and stay with us. There's enough room for everyone."
Julian got up from behind his desk and looked at his grand kids, then at his son.
"Looks like you made quiet a life for yourself, son. It may not seem like it, but I'm happy that you are alive and well. I did love you and care about you, you know. How old are they?"
"Brandon is 10 months old and Katrina just turned 6."
Fox took his son from Teresa and gave him to Julian who felt clumsy.
"I don't think it's a very good idea, Fox."
"Don't worry Father."
Julian looked at his sleeping grandson.
"The new generation of Cranes. And he looks just like me."
"God, I hope not Julian. The kid has 2 good looking parents, please don't take that away from him."
Everyone laughed at Ivy's remark except for Ethan. Teresa went to him and took him aside.
"How have you been, Ethan?"
"Looking for you everywhere and hitting dead ends at each turn."
"I'm very sorry for I put you through. Really."
"Obviously not sorry enough to let us know that you were alive and well and with my brother."
"I love him, I had to be with him."
Ethan walked out of the library feeling angry and bitter. Teresa turned to the other people who were standing in the library, surrounding Fox and their children.
"Father, put your brandy down. Not in front of the kids."
"I used to drink in front of you and you turned out to be just fine."
"Julian, put that away."
"I forgot how no one can have fun in this house."
Teresa approached the group and stood beside her mother who was still holding her granddaughter. Teresa ran her fingers through her daughter's dark hair and smiled. Ivy spoke.
"I'll ask a maid to prepare a room for you and to prepare a room for the children as well."
"Adjoining rooms, please."
Ivy smiled at Teresa.
"Of course."
*********************************
It was night and they were walking in the snow and approaching the lake.
"It went pretty well this afternoon, didn't it?"
"Yes, it did."
"I still can't believe Mother and Father's reactions. It took 8 years and a fake death for them to realize that I actually existed."
She smiled at him knowing how happy he was that he finally had parents.
"What would you like to do?"
"I don't know, Nicholas."
She bent down and picked up a handful of snow in her hand and made a ball out of it.
"Oh, I didn't beat you enough at this. You need more?"
"I can't get more if you don't catch me."
She was about to start running but he pulled her scarf and she fell to the ground on the thick carpet of snow. He got on top of her pinning her between his legs. He picked snow in his hand and proceeded to wash her face with it and she squirmed to get away from him.
"Don't you dare, Nicholas!"
"Oh, but I do."
They were children again, laughing and running around like they did so long ago.
*************************
Ethan stood in the shadows and watched them. He was finally realizing how much Teresa and Fox loved each other. A long time ago, he had noticed him wearing her graduation ring on a gold chain around his neck. Today, as he watched them in the library, he noticed that Fox was still wearing it.
When Teresa said that they had gotten married a month after they got together, Ethan's first reflex was to look at her finger. The promise ring was gone and instead, a ring with a sparkling diamond on it. He then noticed that the promise ring wasn't completely gone. Like Fox, she had put it on chain and wore it around her neck.
"Mother was right, Teresa never belonged to me. Her heart and mind were always elsewhere."