I still have one more chapter left after this one and I think you'll like
it a lot. I really hope you enjoyed the story.
CHAPTER 52 A Prayer
"Are you ready son?"
"No, I'll never be ready for this. I just want to get out of this church and leave Harmony and never come back."
Julian looked at his son and knew how he felt. After all, he knew what it was to be married to someone you didn't feel anything for. He had been miserable with Ivy for over 20 years and he felt bad that his son was about to do the same thing.
"You are doing this for the family."
Fox turned and faced his father.
"And what has the family done for me, Father."
"Well I always gave you money when you needed it, I sent you to the best schools in the world, I.."
"Don't you see? None of this matters. What I wanted, you never gave me. I don't care about the Crane fortune. I thought I did, but the truth is I don't."
"Then what do you want?"
"What I wanted was the love of 2 parents, I wanted you to be my father but you never were. I want those 2 years in LA back. I want to have Teresa and my son back."
"You can't have them back. He is dead and she is gone. But you will have everything else that money can buy."
He looked at his father exasperated with him.
"No, I would rather live under the bridge in cardboard box and have felt everything I wanted to feel than live like this."
"Listen, don't pull anything at the altar or you will regret it."
"Nothing you do will hurt me more than I've already been hurt."
"I am your father and I'm ordering you to marry Jennifer."
Fox had a bitter laugh.
"It's a little too late for you to be my father. I hate you...I simply hate you and this entire family. Please leave."
"I will leave, and I will also expect to see you at the altar."
Fox watched his father leave. He sat down on one of the empty chairs and bowed his head.
"Please God, I know that I was never much on prayer and that I've done a lot of bad things in my life. But I paid for everything I did. I lost my son and the woman I love. If you have any compassion for me at all then please don't let this wedding take place. I don't have the strength to do this. I don't have anything left in me to stop it. I can't live like this. I think I've suffered enough to last me another lifetime."
He reached inside his pocket and pulled the photograph he always carried around with him. What reminded him of better times.
"I hope you're happy Teresa. Or at least, I hope your life is better than mine."
*****************************
Teresa and Dylan were in the car driving through the streets of Harmony.
"What time is the ceremony at?"
"It's already started, Teresa."
She looked at her watch.
"Park the car. We are a couple of minutes from St-Mary's. It will be faster on foot."
Dylan did as Teresa said and they both got out of the car and walked as fast as they could to the church. They finally arrived and walked inside. Or more like Dylan walked in but Teresa ran. Father Lonigan was standing in front of Fox and the woman who was named Jennifer.
"If anyone objects to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their piece."
No one said a word.
"Teresa, say something."
She looked at Dylan.
"Yes, Father. She has something to say."
Everyone's head in the church turned toward Dylan who had spoken and their faces read shock when they saw Teresa.
Fox let go of Jennifer's hand and took a couple of steps toward Teresa but stopped. Julian got up from his seat.
"Father, please proceed with the ceremony."
Fox looked at him.
"No, I want to heat what she has to say."
"I cannot believe this. This tramp is ruining my wedding day."
Jennifer was crying as her eyes went from Fox to Teresa and back to Fox.
"Shut up Jennifer."
He turned to Teresa and looked at her expectantly.
"Fox, I...I made many mistakes in my life, and one of them was that I never told you how I felt about you."
She stopped and looked at him. She felt someone push her in the back. It was Dylan.
"Go to him."
"I don't know, Dylan."
He winked at her.
"Trust me on this."
She started walking toward Fox slowly. In the sea of faces, she recognized Gwen who was giving her an encouraging smile. She saw Ethan, her brothers and mother and all the people who were a big part of her life before she left Harmony.
"The thing is I tried to protect my heart, but in the process, I caused more grief for the both of us and our son."
She burst in tears at the memory of the day little Ethan died. And she could Fox's eyes fill with tears as well. He walked up to her and stopped in front of her. He touched her face and her hair.
"Fox.."
It's just those rainy days,.
Spend a lifetime tryin to wash away,.
Until the sun comes out and shines again,
Smile for me, smile for me,
He fell to his knees and took her by the waist as he pressed his face on her stomach. She slightly bent down and wrapped her arms around his head as she cried. She could feel her heart racing. She kissed him on his hair. He finally came back on his feet and held her in a tight embrace.
"It was always you Fox. It was only you."
He looked at her and for the first time in what seemed to be an eternity felt his lips stretch into a smile.
"You are my heart, Teresa. I love you."
She touched his face slowly with the tip of her fingers. She ran them over his lips.
"And you are my world and I love you."
He kissed her passionately. It felt like a dream and he didn't want to wake up. He opened his eyes and looked at her feeling that he was coming back to life again.
"Want to get out of here, Resa?"
She took his hand.
"Don't mind if I do!"
They walked toward the door and Fox turned around to look at his father and the woman who was supposed to be his wife.
"You two can take your billions and shove them."
He raised Teresa's hand.
"I have all I want right here by my side."
They left the church leaving Julian livid with rage. Somewhere inside of him, he felt glad that Fox had what he wanted.
All of those rainy days,
Spend ya lifetime tryin to wash away,
Until the sun shines and I see your face,
Smile at me, smile at me,
We were always livin so crazy and sexy and cool,
And we began to love it,
Watchin all of the heartache and pain of the world,
And thinking nothing of it,
And baby I got love for you,
And I know that you got me, baby,
But everytime the sun shines bright,
It gets so cloudy,
"Look at the rainbow Fox. I think it's for us."
Fox thought of his prayer earlier in the church.
"I think that God is smiling down on us."
"No, I think that our son is the one smiling down on us. The rainy days are over."
"I hope they are."
He smiled.
"Where do want to go?"
"Wherever you will take me, Nicholas. I will follow you wherever you will go."
It's just those rainy days,
Spend a lifetime tryin to wash away,
Until the sun comes out and shines again,
Smile for me, smile for me,
All of those rainy days,
Spend ya lifetime tryin to wash away,
Until the sun shines and see your face,
Smile at me, smile at me,
CHAPTER 52 A Prayer
"Are you ready son?"
"No, I'll never be ready for this. I just want to get out of this church and leave Harmony and never come back."
Julian looked at his son and knew how he felt. After all, he knew what it was to be married to someone you didn't feel anything for. He had been miserable with Ivy for over 20 years and he felt bad that his son was about to do the same thing.
"You are doing this for the family."
Fox turned and faced his father.
"And what has the family done for me, Father."
"Well I always gave you money when you needed it, I sent you to the best schools in the world, I.."
"Don't you see? None of this matters. What I wanted, you never gave me. I don't care about the Crane fortune. I thought I did, but the truth is I don't."
"Then what do you want?"
"What I wanted was the love of 2 parents, I wanted you to be my father but you never were. I want those 2 years in LA back. I want to have Teresa and my son back."
"You can't have them back. He is dead and she is gone. But you will have everything else that money can buy."
He looked at his father exasperated with him.
"No, I would rather live under the bridge in cardboard box and have felt everything I wanted to feel than live like this."
"Listen, don't pull anything at the altar or you will regret it."
"Nothing you do will hurt me more than I've already been hurt."
"I am your father and I'm ordering you to marry Jennifer."
Fox had a bitter laugh.
"It's a little too late for you to be my father. I hate you...I simply hate you and this entire family. Please leave."
"I will leave, and I will also expect to see you at the altar."
Fox watched his father leave. He sat down on one of the empty chairs and bowed his head.
"Please God, I know that I was never much on prayer and that I've done a lot of bad things in my life. But I paid for everything I did. I lost my son and the woman I love. If you have any compassion for me at all then please don't let this wedding take place. I don't have the strength to do this. I don't have anything left in me to stop it. I can't live like this. I think I've suffered enough to last me another lifetime."
He reached inside his pocket and pulled the photograph he always carried around with him. What reminded him of better times.
"I hope you're happy Teresa. Or at least, I hope your life is better than mine."
*****************************
Teresa and Dylan were in the car driving through the streets of Harmony.
"What time is the ceremony at?"
"It's already started, Teresa."
She looked at her watch.
"Park the car. We are a couple of minutes from St-Mary's. It will be faster on foot."
Dylan did as Teresa said and they both got out of the car and walked as fast as they could to the church. They finally arrived and walked inside. Or more like Dylan walked in but Teresa ran. Father Lonigan was standing in front of Fox and the woman who was named Jennifer.
"If anyone objects to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their piece."
No one said a word.
"Teresa, say something."
She looked at Dylan.
"Yes, Father. She has something to say."
Everyone's head in the church turned toward Dylan who had spoken and their faces read shock when they saw Teresa.
Fox let go of Jennifer's hand and took a couple of steps toward Teresa but stopped. Julian got up from his seat.
"Father, please proceed with the ceremony."
Fox looked at him.
"No, I want to heat what she has to say."
"I cannot believe this. This tramp is ruining my wedding day."
Jennifer was crying as her eyes went from Fox to Teresa and back to Fox.
"Shut up Jennifer."
He turned to Teresa and looked at her expectantly.
"Fox, I...I made many mistakes in my life, and one of them was that I never told you how I felt about you."
She stopped and looked at him. She felt someone push her in the back. It was Dylan.
"Go to him."
"I don't know, Dylan."
He winked at her.
"Trust me on this."
She started walking toward Fox slowly. In the sea of faces, she recognized Gwen who was giving her an encouraging smile. She saw Ethan, her brothers and mother and all the people who were a big part of her life before she left Harmony.
"The thing is I tried to protect my heart, but in the process, I caused more grief for the both of us and our son."
She burst in tears at the memory of the day little Ethan died. And she could Fox's eyes fill with tears as well. He walked up to her and stopped in front of her. He touched her face and her hair.
"Fox.."
It's just those rainy days,.
Spend a lifetime tryin to wash away,.
Until the sun comes out and shines again,
Smile for me, smile for me,
He fell to his knees and took her by the waist as he pressed his face on her stomach. She slightly bent down and wrapped her arms around his head as she cried. She could feel her heart racing. She kissed him on his hair. He finally came back on his feet and held her in a tight embrace.
"It was always you Fox. It was only you."
He looked at her and for the first time in what seemed to be an eternity felt his lips stretch into a smile.
"You are my heart, Teresa. I love you."
She touched his face slowly with the tip of her fingers. She ran them over his lips.
"And you are my world and I love you."
He kissed her passionately. It felt like a dream and he didn't want to wake up. He opened his eyes and looked at her feeling that he was coming back to life again.
"Want to get out of here, Resa?"
She took his hand.
"Don't mind if I do!"
They walked toward the door and Fox turned around to look at his father and the woman who was supposed to be his wife.
"You two can take your billions and shove them."
He raised Teresa's hand.
"I have all I want right here by my side."
They left the church leaving Julian livid with rage. Somewhere inside of him, he felt glad that Fox had what he wanted.
All of those rainy days,
Spend ya lifetime tryin to wash away,
Until the sun shines and I see your face,
Smile at me, smile at me,
We were always livin so crazy and sexy and cool,
And we began to love it,
Watchin all of the heartache and pain of the world,
And thinking nothing of it,
And baby I got love for you,
And I know that you got me, baby,
But everytime the sun shines bright,
It gets so cloudy,
"Look at the rainbow Fox. I think it's for us."
Fox thought of his prayer earlier in the church.
"I think that God is smiling down on us."
"No, I think that our son is the one smiling down on us. The rainy days are over."
"I hope they are."
He smiled.
"Where do want to go?"
"Wherever you will take me, Nicholas. I will follow you wherever you will go."
It's just those rainy days,
Spend a lifetime tryin to wash away,
Until the sun comes out and shines again,
Smile for me, smile for me,
All of those rainy days,
Spend ya lifetime tryin to wash away,
Until the sun shines and see your face,
Smile at me, smile at me,
