CHAPTER 48
Walk On
Fox came back to the beach house after his drive. He could think clearly. He felt bad that he had been so harsh on Teresa earlier. He walked inside the house and went straight to their bedroom. It was empty.
"She's must be really upset with me to want to sleep elsewhere. I can't blame her."
He walked to the room she used to occupy to find it empty as well. He started calling her name but there was no answer. His steps led him to his son's room. He went inside to check up on him. The crib was empty.
"Paloma, Paloma."
"It's no use, Fox. She's gone."
"What do you mean by gone?"
She looked at him angrily.
"You chased her away."
"I didn't."
"Yes, you did. You as much as accused her of going behind your back when you knew damn well it wasn't true."
Paloma picked up her suit case and went downstairs.
"By the way, she isn't coming back this time."
She looked at him disappointed.
"I thought you would never hurt her like this, Fox. But I guess I was wrong. You are your father's son."
"Where did she go?"
"What do you care?"
"She took my son."
"I don't know where she went."
"You are lying."
"What if I am, Fox?"
"Where are you going anyway?"
"Back to the old country. There is nothing keeping me here."
With that she walked out the door and got inside a taxi cab.
"Two can play at that game Teresa."
He went in the living room and picked up the phone.
"Father, I'm coming back to Harmony. I'll do as you want."
"I knew you would come to your senses sooner or later."
*****************************
"Father, we need to talk."
Julian looked up as his son walked in the library.
"What about?"
"I'm going to cancel my engagement to Jennifer."
"You can't do that. Need I remind you what's at stake."
Fox looked at his father with an empty look in his eyes.
"No, you don't need to remind me. This is not something I want to do, Father. I got engaged out of revenge for Teresa because she left LA with my son. I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me."
"I don't care why you did what you did, Fox. The bottom line is that you'll still marry Jennifer."
"No, I won't."
"Look, it's been 4 months since the child died. You've postponed this wedding long enough. It's time that you've moved on with your life, or else...."
"I don't understand how you could be so cruel Father. The child as you call him was my son and your grandson."
"That's beside the point now. I told you what's at stake for our family with this merger. Need I remind you what's at stake for you?"
And if the darkness is to keep us apart,
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off,
And if your glass heart should crack,
Before the second you turn back,
Oh no, be strong,
"No, Father. You don't need to remind me. I've already lost everything I cared about. Taking away my privileges as a Crane and disowning me will not make my life worst than it already is. I've been living in hell since Teresa left me. I never thought I could ever feel worst than that, but I do. I don't care about your money. If you want to cut me off completely, go ahead. I don't care."
"Be that as it may, Fox."
Fox left the library and went out. He heard someone call his name as he exited the Crane estate. He stopped and turned around.
Walk on,
Walk on,
What you got, they can't steal it,
No they can't even feel it,
Walk on,
Walk on,
Stay safe tonight,
"I haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing?"
He looked at the child Gwen was holding in her arms. He put his finger in the boy's hand and let him squeeze it. He had a little smile.
"I'm alright. Have you seen Teresa lately?"
Gwen nodded.
"Earlier today."
"How is she?"
"I'm worried about her. I think she's going over the edge."
"I see."
"Fox, she needs you."
He shook his head.
"No, Gwen. She made it clear that she didn't want to have anything to do with me ever again."
"Fox, go to her."
"Look I got to go, Gwen. I'll see you around."
He was feet away from her when he heard shouting.
"Don't runaway from her Fox. You need her as much as she needs you."
He kept walking.
*****************************
You're packing a suitcase for a place,
None of us has been,
A place that has to be believed,
To be seen,
You should have flown away,
A singing bird,
In an open cage,
Who will only fly,
Only fly for freedom,
Teresa was at the wharf, sitting on the railing and facing the ocean. "Maybe I should just end everything now."
"Or maybe you should think all of this through before you jump in the icy waters."
She turned her head to her left and looked at the man who sat beside her.
"What do you say Teresa? Give yourself another chance at been happy. Try and move on."
Tears rolled down from eyes.
"I can't."
"Yes, you can."
He jumped on the wharf and extended his hand toward her.
"Come on, Teresa."
"No, it's hopeless for me. My life ended the day my son died."
"No, that's not true. Your son was a terrific little guy, but he wouldn't want his mother to kill herself over his death. I remember how protective he was of you the second he started talking and walking."
She sobbed, but managed to give him a weak smile.
"He was, wasn't he?"
"Very much. He adored you so much. You gave him the gift of love and he knew that very well."
"You think?"
"I don't think, I know."
She extended his hand to her again and this time.
"Let me help you, please."
She went into his arms and cried.
"I want to stop hurting, Dylan. I want it to go away."
And I know it aches,
How your heart it breaks,
You can only take so much,
Walk on,
Walk on,
"Go away with me."
"What?"
"I'm going back to New York. Come with me. You can stay at my apartment and work for my father's company."
"I don't know, Dylan."
"Say yes. Leave Harmony behind you and come with me. Trust me, it'll help."
"I guess there's nothing keeping me here. I'll go with you."
He smiled at her.
"I really care for you Teresa. I hope you know that."
"Yes, I do."
Tears were still running down her cheeks and Dylan felt his heart ache for her. He finally understood why Fox was so hell bent on protecting her.
"Let's go."
She nodded and walked with him but then she stopped.
*******************************
Fox was standing on the wharf. He saw Teresa sitting on the railing looking in the water. He felt his heart beating faster and faster. He was going to her when he saw Dylan coming out of no where. He saw him sitting with her and talking to her an then giving her his hand and her crying in his arms. He felt the pain in his heart. He didn't think he could feel hurt anymore and yet, here it was again as sharp as ever.
He watched then as they started walking away, but then Teresa stopped when she saw him. She looked at him with tears still running down her cheeks. Fox wanted to go to her but stopped himself. Dylan would take care of her.
They both walked away and disappeared in the dark, leaving Fox standing alone on the wharf.
"Teresa. It is too late for us now. You'll never know that I love you."
And I know it aches,
And your heart it breaks,
You can only take so much,
Walk on,
Leave it behind,
You got to leave it behind.
Teresa looked over her shoulder.
"Good bye Fox. I hope you find peace."
Fox came back to the beach house after his drive. He could think clearly. He felt bad that he had been so harsh on Teresa earlier. He walked inside the house and went straight to their bedroom. It was empty.
"She's must be really upset with me to want to sleep elsewhere. I can't blame her."
He walked to the room she used to occupy to find it empty as well. He started calling her name but there was no answer. His steps led him to his son's room. He went inside to check up on him. The crib was empty.
"Paloma, Paloma."
"It's no use, Fox. She's gone."
"What do you mean by gone?"
She looked at him angrily.
"You chased her away."
"I didn't."
"Yes, you did. You as much as accused her of going behind your back when you knew damn well it wasn't true."
Paloma picked up her suit case and went downstairs.
"By the way, she isn't coming back this time."
She looked at him disappointed.
"I thought you would never hurt her like this, Fox. But I guess I was wrong. You are your father's son."
"Where did she go?"
"What do you care?"
"She took my son."
"I don't know where she went."
"You are lying."
"What if I am, Fox?"
"Where are you going anyway?"
"Back to the old country. There is nothing keeping me here."
With that she walked out the door and got inside a taxi cab.
"Two can play at that game Teresa."
He went in the living room and picked up the phone.
"Father, I'm coming back to Harmony. I'll do as you want."
"I knew you would come to your senses sooner or later."
*****************************
"Father, we need to talk."
Julian looked up as his son walked in the library.
"What about?"
"I'm going to cancel my engagement to Jennifer."
"You can't do that. Need I remind you what's at stake."
Fox looked at his father with an empty look in his eyes.
"No, you don't need to remind me. This is not something I want to do, Father. I got engaged out of revenge for Teresa because she left LA with my son. I wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me."
"I don't care why you did what you did, Fox. The bottom line is that you'll still marry Jennifer."
"No, I won't."
"Look, it's been 4 months since the child died. You've postponed this wedding long enough. It's time that you've moved on with your life, or else...."
"I don't understand how you could be so cruel Father. The child as you call him was my son and your grandson."
"That's beside the point now. I told you what's at stake for our family with this merger. Need I remind you what's at stake for you?"
And if the darkness is to keep us apart,
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off,
And if your glass heart should crack,
Before the second you turn back,
Oh no, be strong,
"No, Father. You don't need to remind me. I've already lost everything I cared about. Taking away my privileges as a Crane and disowning me will not make my life worst than it already is. I've been living in hell since Teresa left me. I never thought I could ever feel worst than that, but I do. I don't care about your money. If you want to cut me off completely, go ahead. I don't care."
"Be that as it may, Fox."
Fox left the library and went out. He heard someone call his name as he exited the Crane estate. He stopped and turned around.
Walk on,
Walk on,
What you got, they can't steal it,
No they can't even feel it,
Walk on,
Walk on,
Stay safe tonight,
"I haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing?"
He looked at the child Gwen was holding in her arms. He put his finger in the boy's hand and let him squeeze it. He had a little smile.
"I'm alright. Have you seen Teresa lately?"
Gwen nodded.
"Earlier today."
"How is she?"
"I'm worried about her. I think she's going over the edge."
"I see."
"Fox, she needs you."
He shook his head.
"No, Gwen. She made it clear that she didn't want to have anything to do with me ever again."
"Fox, go to her."
"Look I got to go, Gwen. I'll see you around."
He was feet away from her when he heard shouting.
"Don't runaway from her Fox. You need her as much as she needs you."
He kept walking.
*****************************
You're packing a suitcase for a place,
None of us has been,
A place that has to be believed,
To be seen,
You should have flown away,
A singing bird,
In an open cage,
Who will only fly,
Only fly for freedom,
Teresa was at the wharf, sitting on the railing and facing the ocean. "Maybe I should just end everything now."
"Or maybe you should think all of this through before you jump in the icy waters."
She turned her head to her left and looked at the man who sat beside her.
"What do you say Teresa? Give yourself another chance at been happy. Try and move on."
Tears rolled down from eyes.
"I can't."
"Yes, you can."
He jumped on the wharf and extended his hand toward her.
"Come on, Teresa."
"No, it's hopeless for me. My life ended the day my son died."
"No, that's not true. Your son was a terrific little guy, but he wouldn't want his mother to kill herself over his death. I remember how protective he was of you the second he started talking and walking."
She sobbed, but managed to give him a weak smile.
"He was, wasn't he?"
"Very much. He adored you so much. You gave him the gift of love and he knew that very well."
"You think?"
"I don't think, I know."
She extended his hand to her again and this time.
"Let me help you, please."
She went into his arms and cried.
"I want to stop hurting, Dylan. I want it to go away."
And I know it aches,
How your heart it breaks,
You can only take so much,
Walk on,
Walk on,
"Go away with me."
"What?"
"I'm going back to New York. Come with me. You can stay at my apartment and work for my father's company."
"I don't know, Dylan."
"Say yes. Leave Harmony behind you and come with me. Trust me, it'll help."
"I guess there's nothing keeping me here. I'll go with you."
He smiled at her.
"I really care for you Teresa. I hope you know that."
"Yes, I do."
Tears were still running down her cheeks and Dylan felt his heart ache for her. He finally understood why Fox was so hell bent on protecting her.
"Let's go."
She nodded and walked with him but then she stopped.
*******************************
Fox was standing on the wharf. He saw Teresa sitting on the railing looking in the water. He felt his heart beating faster and faster. He was going to her when he saw Dylan coming out of no where. He saw him sitting with her and talking to her an then giving her his hand and her crying in his arms. He felt the pain in his heart. He didn't think he could feel hurt anymore and yet, here it was again as sharp as ever.
He watched then as they started walking away, but then Teresa stopped when she saw him. She looked at him with tears still running down her cheeks. Fox wanted to go to her but stopped himself. Dylan would take care of her.
They both walked away and disappeared in the dark, leaving Fox standing alone on the wharf.
"Teresa. It is too late for us now. You'll never know that I love you."
And I know it aches,
And your heart it breaks,
You can only take so much,
Walk on,
Leave it behind,
You got to leave it behind.
Teresa looked over her shoulder.
"Good bye Fox. I hope you find peace."
