CHAPTER 5
Say Goodnight
Teresa walked inside the Crane mansion with her mother, Luis and Paloma. Gwen and Ethan along Fox were sitting in the living room. Teresa went to Ethan.
"Thank you for convincing Julian to let me see him again."
"No problem."
Fox couldn't believe that Ethan had taken all the credit for this.
"You better make it quick Teresa. You have 55 minutes left."
Luis walked toward him and Julian took a few steps back.
"You hooligans better be on your best behavior or I will have you thrown out."
"You're unbelievable, Father."
"Fox, I've heard enough out of you for today. You already lectured me, insulted me and threatened me because of her. I don't need more."
He looked at Teresa.
"Tic tac, Teresita, tic tac."
He walked passed everyone and went inside the library.
"If you'll excuse me, I will go give my son his bath."
"Do you want us to go with you?"
"No, Paloma. I'll be fine."
She went upstairs and into the nursery where she picked up her son and held him close to her. She undressed him and started bathing him.
************************
"I feel awful for Teresa."
Everyone looked at Gwen.
"I really do. I cannot imagine what it is like to be separated from your child."
"I don't understand why Father is doing this. He never cared who raised us."
"Maybe he's trying to redeem himself."
"Please, by taking a child away from his mother. That's too much even for Julian. I'm sure Alistair is nudging him into doing this."
"You're probably right, Luis. This has Alistair's hand print all over it."
They all fell silent. Then they heard a soft song coming down on them. Fox was the first one to get up and head upstairs. He arrived in the nursery where Teresa was sitting in the rocking chair holding her son. It was her voice they heard downstairs. He was soon followed by everyone else.
Say good night not good bye,
You will never leave my heart behind,
Like the path of a star,
I'll be anywhere you are,
Luis felt chocked up. He couldn't understand how someone could be such a monster to the point where he would rip a child out of his mother's arms. Julian was just a cruel man.
In the spark that lies beneath the coal,
In the secret place inside your soul,
Keep my light in your eyes,
Say good bye not good night,
Gwen had felt bad for Teresa but until that moment she had never felt so sad for her. Why should she? Teresa tried to steal Ethan away from her and almost succeeded. But the Teresa she was watching was so different from the one who put on such a despicable front.
She looked at Ethan who was staring at Teresa. She knew that he was feeling sad. And who wasn't? Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes. She saw that Fox was leaning on the wall with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed.
He opened his eyes and looked at Teresa. He wanted to go to her and stop the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. He felt the hurt inside him. His heart ached for her. He closed his eyes again and listened to her singing. Somewhere, he felt envious of the child. Fox's mother never sang anything for him.
Paloma was crying. She hadn't been home for that long, but she knew how much her sister loved her son. If there was anything she had learned while she was away at her aunts is that the love of a mother was the most important thing in the world for a child. She missed out on it and her nephew was following the same path. Pilar wrapped her arms around her. She was also feeling the pain.
Don't you fear when you dream,
Waking up is never what it seems,
Like a jewel buried deep,
Like a promise meant to keep,
You are everything you want to be,
So just let your heart reach out to me,
I'll be right by your side,
Say good night not good bye,
Julian walked in the nursery and wondered why everyone was there. He watched as Teresa rocked and sang to their son as he was drifting off to a world that was known only to him. He remembered his own mother when he would run to her after he scraped a knee and how she would kiss him and ruffle his hair or just give him a warm smile. His father always thought the love of a mother was weakening. Julian promised himself that he would be a good father to this child.
You are everything you want to be,
So let your heart reach out to me,
I'll be right by your side,
Say good night not good bye.
Teresa got up from the chair and put her son in his crib for the last time. She tucked him in and caressed his hair as she always did, then planted a kiss on his cheek. She then pulled his favorite toy next to him so that he would find it if he woke up.
"Teresa, your time is up."
She turned around and looked at Julian. Her face was washed with tears. She turned around once more and kissed her son one last time.
"I love you. Remember, let your heart reach out to me and I'll be right by your side."
She looked at Julian with dignity and left the nursery. She practically ran down the stairs and out of the mansion.
"Teresa, wait up."
"No, leave me alone!"
"No, you need a friend right now."
She turned around and Fox was walking up to her.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this."
"Julian was right, I should have accepted his offer and have a joint custody agreement. I blew it."
He held her in his arms as she sobbed.
"I need to be alone. Look after him and remind him everyday how much I love him, please.."
She started walking and he called her name but she didn't turn around. There was something she needed to do.
She arrived at Chad's studio and walked in. She hoped he would be alone, and he was.
"Are you ok, Teresa?"
"I need a huge favor from you Chad."
"Name it."
"Take me to LA with you."
"What?"
"I need to get away from Harmony."
"Why?"
"I lost Ethan and I just lost my son. I can't live here anymore. If I stay, I'll die."
"Well then come with me for a few weeks and see if you like it. The house I have is big enough for at least 10 people. We won't be stepping on each others' toes or anything. And I won't be alone either."
"Don't tell anyone that I'm going with you. I don't want to be found."
Teresa walked inside the Crane mansion with her mother, Luis and Paloma. Gwen and Ethan along Fox were sitting in the living room. Teresa went to Ethan.
"Thank you for convincing Julian to let me see him again."
"No problem."
Fox couldn't believe that Ethan had taken all the credit for this.
"You better make it quick Teresa. You have 55 minutes left."
Luis walked toward him and Julian took a few steps back.
"You hooligans better be on your best behavior or I will have you thrown out."
"You're unbelievable, Father."
"Fox, I've heard enough out of you for today. You already lectured me, insulted me and threatened me because of her. I don't need more."
He looked at Teresa.
"Tic tac, Teresita, tic tac."
He walked passed everyone and went inside the library.
"If you'll excuse me, I will go give my son his bath."
"Do you want us to go with you?"
"No, Paloma. I'll be fine."
She went upstairs and into the nursery where she picked up her son and held him close to her. She undressed him and started bathing him.
************************
"I feel awful for Teresa."
Everyone looked at Gwen.
"I really do. I cannot imagine what it is like to be separated from your child."
"I don't understand why Father is doing this. He never cared who raised us."
"Maybe he's trying to redeem himself."
"Please, by taking a child away from his mother. That's too much even for Julian. I'm sure Alistair is nudging him into doing this."
"You're probably right, Luis. This has Alistair's hand print all over it."
They all fell silent. Then they heard a soft song coming down on them. Fox was the first one to get up and head upstairs. He arrived in the nursery where Teresa was sitting in the rocking chair holding her son. It was her voice they heard downstairs. He was soon followed by everyone else.
Say good night not good bye,
You will never leave my heart behind,
Like the path of a star,
I'll be anywhere you are,
Luis felt chocked up. He couldn't understand how someone could be such a monster to the point where he would rip a child out of his mother's arms. Julian was just a cruel man.
In the spark that lies beneath the coal,
In the secret place inside your soul,
Keep my light in your eyes,
Say good bye not good night,
Gwen had felt bad for Teresa but until that moment she had never felt so sad for her. Why should she? Teresa tried to steal Ethan away from her and almost succeeded. But the Teresa she was watching was so different from the one who put on such a despicable front.
She looked at Ethan who was staring at Teresa. She knew that he was feeling sad. And who wasn't? Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes. She saw that Fox was leaning on the wall with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed.
He opened his eyes and looked at Teresa. He wanted to go to her and stop the tears that were pouring down her cheeks. He felt the hurt inside him. His heart ached for her. He closed his eyes again and listened to her singing. Somewhere, he felt envious of the child. Fox's mother never sang anything for him.
Paloma was crying. She hadn't been home for that long, but she knew how much her sister loved her son. If there was anything she had learned while she was away at her aunts is that the love of a mother was the most important thing in the world for a child. She missed out on it and her nephew was following the same path. Pilar wrapped her arms around her. She was also feeling the pain.
Don't you fear when you dream,
Waking up is never what it seems,
Like a jewel buried deep,
Like a promise meant to keep,
You are everything you want to be,
So just let your heart reach out to me,
I'll be right by your side,
Say good night not good bye,
Julian walked in the nursery and wondered why everyone was there. He watched as Teresa rocked and sang to their son as he was drifting off to a world that was known only to him. He remembered his own mother when he would run to her after he scraped a knee and how she would kiss him and ruffle his hair or just give him a warm smile. His father always thought the love of a mother was weakening. Julian promised himself that he would be a good father to this child.
You are everything you want to be,
So let your heart reach out to me,
I'll be right by your side,
Say good night not good bye.
Teresa got up from the chair and put her son in his crib for the last time. She tucked him in and caressed his hair as she always did, then planted a kiss on his cheek. She then pulled his favorite toy next to him so that he would find it if he woke up.
"Teresa, your time is up."
She turned around and looked at Julian. Her face was washed with tears. She turned around once more and kissed her son one last time.
"I love you. Remember, let your heart reach out to me and I'll be right by your side."
She looked at Julian with dignity and left the nursery. She practically ran down the stairs and out of the mansion.
"Teresa, wait up."
"No, leave me alone!"
"No, you need a friend right now."
She turned around and Fox was walking up to her.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this."
"Julian was right, I should have accepted his offer and have a joint custody agreement. I blew it."
He held her in his arms as she sobbed.
"I need to be alone. Look after him and remind him everyday how much I love him, please.."
She started walking and he called her name but she didn't turn around. There was something she needed to do.
She arrived at Chad's studio and walked in. She hoped he would be alone, and he was.
"Are you ok, Teresa?"
"I need a huge favor from you Chad."
"Name it."
"Take me to LA with you."
"What?"
"I need to get away from Harmony."
"Why?"
"I lost Ethan and I just lost my son. I can't live here anymore. If I stay, I'll die."
"Well then come with me for a few weeks and see if you like it. The house I have is big enough for at least 10 people. We won't be stepping on each others' toes or anything. And I won't be alone either."
"Don't tell anyone that I'm going with you. I don't want to be found."
