Part II
"Oh, come on now!"
"No, I'm telling you. Fate is the one thing I will always rely on."
"Maybe it's time you grew up a little Teresa. Fate does exist, but you can't force it the way you do."
"I'm not forcing anything."
Fox and Teresa were walking slowly in the cold sand as the sun was disappearing in the horizon to give way to the night and the stars. They both stopped and looked at the orange, red and yellow lights that reflected upon the ocean. Teresa had a smile.
"Isn't this the most wonderful thing you've ever seen in your life?"
"You always say that Teresa."
"But it's true, the sunsets in New England aren't quiet as unique as the ones we see here in California."
Fox looked at the mesmerized Teresa and couldn't help but smile. She looked up as she felt his gaze fall upon her.
"What?"
"Nothing. It just seems that everyday that goes by is a day that I discover you even more."
"Oh, I see. And?"
"And what?"
They started walking again and their arms brushed against one another. Instinctively, Teresa took his arm.
"You said that you discovered me even more."
"Well I guess I'm always amazed by you and by the things I learn about you."
"Really?"
Fox didn't answer. Teresa walked in front of him and turned around to face him. He stopped, put his hands in his swim trunks back pockets and stood there, facing her.
"Well yeah! But then, there are other times when I feel like putting my hand over your mouth so that I never hear the word Ethan or fate put in the same sentence."
"What can I say, Fox? I love him. He is the only one I'll ever love."
Fox started walking again, frustrated to see how stubborn Teresa can be at times or all the time for that matter.
"Fox wait up! My legs aren't as long as yours."
Fox stopped and sat on the sand. Teresa joined him and sat beside him.
"Are you upset with me, Fox?"
"No, it's just that you don't seem to learn from anything, Teresa. You left Harmony to put some distance between you and your feelings for Ethan and yet, every two words that comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours is Ethan. It is very tiresome for me and for Chad and Whitney."
"But this is what I believe, Fox. Fate will bring me and Ethan together."
"But what if by forcing Fate the way you have, you miss out on what's meant to be?"
Teresa looked at Fox with puzzlement.
"How do you mean?"
"Look at what happened the day of his wedding to Gwen. You had papers sent out to him for the sole purpose of having Gwen dump him at the altar. That is forcing fate. What if by making mistakes like that one, you miss out on your fate and what or who is really meant for you?"
Teresa turned her attention back to the ocean. The night was falling slowly, but the air was still warm and held that salty smell that was so proper to the ocean.
"Think about it for a second Teresa. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Our future is written for us before we take our first breath in the world.."
"But we have the power to change our future, Fox."
"Maybe we do, and maybe we don't. The bottom line is that whatever detours you take, fate will take you right back where you are meant to be. It just takes you longer than it should."
"Well it will take the time it will for me and Ethan to be together. I can wait."
"Can you really wait for him to realize where his heart really lies?"
Teresa nodded and smiled.
"Him and I are meant to be, you know."
"If you were meant to be, then nothing would have come between you. Not your lies, not your pregnancy or not Gwen's pregnancy."
He looked at Teresa and saw the look of sadness in her eyes.
"Look at your brother, Teresa. Miguel got Kay pregnant, and yet he is sticking by Charity because she is the one he loves, but it doesn't mean that he loves his child any less or doesn't want to be there for it when it is born. He is committed to the woman he loves and to his child and Ethan could have done the same thing but he didn't."
"Gwen threatened to go to New York."
"Well Ethan is more of a coward than I thought. Things can be worked out you know. Him and Gwen could have just sat down for a few hours and worked everything out, but he chose the easier solution. What does that tell you?"
"That he wants to be a father to his child."
"No, Teresa, that tells you that he chose the easy way out of this one. He didn't want to make his life complicated. He may love you Teresa, and you may be the woman of his life, but he was never willing to go the distance for you. He was never willing to sacrifice himself the way you sacrificed yourself for him."
"But fate, Fox.it is strong."
"And so is destiny, Teresa. You'll end up with the person you are destined to be with and Ethan is not it. The man you will end up with will love you unconditionally, with all you flaws and qualities and he will love your son as well because he is the best part of you. That man will look past everything and will see you, Teresa and no one else and he will never let anything stand in his way to be with you. He will love you because he won't have the choice but to love you when he lays his eyes upon that beautiful face of yours."
"Such a man doesn't exist Fox. He lives only in my mind."
"Trust me, Teresa. When you see him, you'll know and he does exist. He will come and just blow you away."
"But my dreams, Fox.my beliefs."
"Dreams are nice, Teresa but that's all they are. As for your beliefs, well maybe it's time you grew out of some of them."
"I didn't know you were such a philosopher Fox."
"There is a lot you don't know Teresa."
Teresa looked at Fox with a smile on her face.
"Maybe you are right."
"I know I am."
He got up and pulled her up with him.
"So how about that swim? Isn't this the reason we came down here in the first place?"
Teresa took off her sun dress and Fox took off his shirt and they both walked towards the ocean.
"The water is cold."
"If you stay close to me, Teresa I will keep you warm."
He winked at her and she laughed at him.
"You are impossible Fox, you know that?"
"Of course I do, my dear! But of course I do."
He pulled her close to him as they both walked in the water.
"You and your brilliant ideas, Foxworth Crane. Taking a swim in the freezing water and in the dark."
"Is this a hint of sarcasm I detect in your voice? Besides, what's a midnight swim if without the darkness of the night?"
"But it's not midnight yet."
"Doesn't have to be, darling. All you need is a pitch dark night and you're all set. Now let's get you wet!"
"Oh no you don't."
"We'll just have to see about that, now won't we."
Fox went after Teresa and stopped for a moment and watched her run and take a dive in the water. He hoped that for at least this night, she wouldn't think of Ethan and mention his name.
"Oh, come on now!"
"No, I'm telling you. Fate is the one thing I will always rely on."
"Maybe it's time you grew up a little Teresa. Fate does exist, but you can't force it the way you do."
"I'm not forcing anything."
Fox and Teresa were walking slowly in the cold sand as the sun was disappearing in the horizon to give way to the night and the stars. They both stopped and looked at the orange, red and yellow lights that reflected upon the ocean. Teresa had a smile.
"Isn't this the most wonderful thing you've ever seen in your life?"
"You always say that Teresa."
"But it's true, the sunsets in New England aren't quiet as unique as the ones we see here in California."
Fox looked at the mesmerized Teresa and couldn't help but smile. She looked up as she felt his gaze fall upon her.
"What?"
"Nothing. It just seems that everyday that goes by is a day that I discover you even more."
"Oh, I see. And?"
"And what?"
They started walking again and their arms brushed against one another. Instinctively, Teresa took his arm.
"You said that you discovered me even more."
"Well I guess I'm always amazed by you and by the things I learn about you."
"Really?"
Fox didn't answer. Teresa walked in front of him and turned around to face him. He stopped, put his hands in his swim trunks back pockets and stood there, facing her.
"Well yeah! But then, there are other times when I feel like putting my hand over your mouth so that I never hear the word Ethan or fate put in the same sentence."
"What can I say, Fox? I love him. He is the only one I'll ever love."
Fox started walking again, frustrated to see how stubborn Teresa can be at times or all the time for that matter.
"Fox wait up! My legs aren't as long as yours."
Fox stopped and sat on the sand. Teresa joined him and sat beside him.
"Are you upset with me, Fox?"
"No, it's just that you don't seem to learn from anything, Teresa. You left Harmony to put some distance between you and your feelings for Ethan and yet, every two words that comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours is Ethan. It is very tiresome for me and for Chad and Whitney."
"But this is what I believe, Fox. Fate will bring me and Ethan together."
"But what if by forcing Fate the way you have, you miss out on what's meant to be?"
Teresa looked at Fox with puzzlement.
"How do you mean?"
"Look at what happened the day of his wedding to Gwen. You had papers sent out to him for the sole purpose of having Gwen dump him at the altar. That is forcing fate. What if by making mistakes like that one, you miss out on your fate and what or who is really meant for you?"
Teresa turned her attention back to the ocean. The night was falling slowly, but the air was still warm and held that salty smell that was so proper to the ocean.
"Think about it for a second Teresa. Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Our future is written for us before we take our first breath in the world.."
"But we have the power to change our future, Fox."
"Maybe we do, and maybe we don't. The bottom line is that whatever detours you take, fate will take you right back where you are meant to be. It just takes you longer than it should."
"Well it will take the time it will for me and Ethan to be together. I can wait."
"Can you really wait for him to realize where his heart really lies?"
Teresa nodded and smiled.
"Him and I are meant to be, you know."
"If you were meant to be, then nothing would have come between you. Not your lies, not your pregnancy or not Gwen's pregnancy."
He looked at Teresa and saw the look of sadness in her eyes.
"Look at your brother, Teresa. Miguel got Kay pregnant, and yet he is sticking by Charity because she is the one he loves, but it doesn't mean that he loves his child any less or doesn't want to be there for it when it is born. He is committed to the woman he loves and to his child and Ethan could have done the same thing but he didn't."
"Gwen threatened to go to New York."
"Well Ethan is more of a coward than I thought. Things can be worked out you know. Him and Gwen could have just sat down for a few hours and worked everything out, but he chose the easier solution. What does that tell you?"
"That he wants to be a father to his child."
"No, Teresa, that tells you that he chose the easy way out of this one. He didn't want to make his life complicated. He may love you Teresa, and you may be the woman of his life, but he was never willing to go the distance for you. He was never willing to sacrifice himself the way you sacrificed yourself for him."
"But fate, Fox.it is strong."
"And so is destiny, Teresa. You'll end up with the person you are destined to be with and Ethan is not it. The man you will end up with will love you unconditionally, with all you flaws and qualities and he will love your son as well because he is the best part of you. That man will look past everything and will see you, Teresa and no one else and he will never let anything stand in his way to be with you. He will love you because he won't have the choice but to love you when he lays his eyes upon that beautiful face of yours."
"Such a man doesn't exist Fox. He lives only in my mind."
"Trust me, Teresa. When you see him, you'll know and he does exist. He will come and just blow you away."
"But my dreams, Fox.my beliefs."
"Dreams are nice, Teresa but that's all they are. As for your beliefs, well maybe it's time you grew out of some of them."
"I didn't know you were such a philosopher Fox."
"There is a lot you don't know Teresa."
Teresa looked at Fox with a smile on her face.
"Maybe you are right."
"I know I am."
He got up and pulled her up with him.
"So how about that swim? Isn't this the reason we came down here in the first place?"
Teresa took off her sun dress and Fox took off his shirt and they both walked towards the ocean.
"The water is cold."
"If you stay close to me, Teresa I will keep you warm."
He winked at her and she laughed at him.
"You are impossible Fox, you know that?"
"Of course I do, my dear! But of course I do."
He pulled her close to him as they both walked in the water.
"You and your brilliant ideas, Foxworth Crane. Taking a swim in the freezing water and in the dark."
"Is this a hint of sarcasm I detect in your voice? Besides, what's a midnight swim if without the darkness of the night?"
"But it's not midnight yet."
"Doesn't have to be, darling. All you need is a pitch dark night and you're all set. Now let's get you wet!"
"Oh no you don't."
"We'll just have to see about that, now won't we."
Fox went after Teresa and stopped for a moment and watched her run and take a dive in the water. He hoped that for at least this night, she wouldn't think of Ethan and mention his name.
