Part XXV
Teresa walked up to the gazebo as fast as she could, then slowed the pace as she started seeing Fox's form. She caught her breath as she stood behind him.
"Fox."
He didn't turn around, but she saw his back straighten up and she knew he had heard her and she knew she had his attention.
"Fox, look at me, please."
He got up, putting his hands in his pockets, and he faced her. She walked up to him, not losing the contact between them. She gave him a weak smile and put her hand on his arms. She felt him tense up.
"This was always one of my favourite places when I was growing up. It's peaceful and beautiful."
"My father built this place. When I come here, it makes me feel closer to him, like he is right here with me."
"You and I never really had it easy, have we?"
"If we had had it easy, Fox, then maybe things would be very different right now."
"What do you want, Teresa? A divorce?"
"What? No, no!"
"I know that hurt you, Teresa. I'm sorry."
"Let me talk, please."
He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was about to say and waiting for her to speak. He felt nervous but at ease because she said that she didn't want to divorce him.
"Fox, remember when I asked you about love?"
"Yes, I do. I told you that it was a truth rather than emotion."
"Ethan was saying how he wanted me back today."
Fox's face paled and he felt that he was about to explode.
"What? He did what?"
"That's not the bottom line, Fox. He made me realize something and I understood what you meant when you said that."
He nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"I know what love is. It's how I feel every time I see you, every time you touch me or whenever I see my son in your arms or whenever his face lights up when you walk in the room. It's how my heart beats when you are near me like now, or how I sleep at night when you're beside me. You are everything to me, and everything that is important. You are my family, you are my truth and you are the one who makes my emotions run as deep as they do."
"And what do you exactly want from me, Teresa?"
"I want my husband by my side. I want the man my son calls 'Daddy' to always be there for him, every day of his life. I want the man of my life, the man of my life back where he belongs."
She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he took his hands out of his pockets and opened his arms to her as Ethan stood in the shadows of a tree and looked at Teresa walking up to Fox and going in his arms and as he closed them around her. He knew that Teresa was really lost to him. He watched as both Fox and Teresa looked at each other smilingly and as their lips connected in a passionate kiss that seemed to last forever. At last, he heard Teresa's voice whisper I love yous to Fox and him whispering the same thing to her.
*****
Teresa opened her eyes and lifted her head from her pillow. She looked around to find her bearings and finally realized that she was in her bedroom in Los Angeles, in the Crane apartment.
"Oh my God, where did this dream come from?"
She got up and walked around the room to try and clear her mind. Her gaze fell on a picture that was sitting on her desk. She took it and looked at it. Fox was smiling down at her and she was smiling up at him and they looked perfectly happy, like a real couple. She caught herself wondering why she had never thought about Fox that way.
"Oh, that's right.because I was always so obsessed by Ethan."
She put it back down and put her robe on. She left her room and closed the door behind her and without making a noise, she walked through the living room and arrived at the balcony. She stood under the threshold and looked at Fox who was standing staring at a distance.
"Fox?"
He turned around and smiled at her with one of those smiles that he always gave her and only her. She had noticed that a long time ago, that there were things like that he did only with her. Like how he told her everything and like he never needed to say words to comfort her. His mere presence or a simple touch always sooths her.
"What's wrong, Teresa?"
"Nothing. How tired are you?"
"I'm still up, aren't I? What's up Teresa?"
"Do you think we can talk?"
He sat down and she did the same. She swallowed and looked at him.
"Fox."
Teresa walked up to the gazebo as fast as she could, then slowed the pace as she started seeing Fox's form. She caught her breath as she stood behind him.
"Fox."
He didn't turn around, but she saw his back straighten up and she knew he had heard her and she knew she had his attention.
"Fox, look at me, please."
He got up, putting his hands in his pockets, and he faced her. She walked up to him, not losing the contact between them. She gave him a weak smile and put her hand on his arms. She felt him tense up.
"This was always one of my favourite places when I was growing up. It's peaceful and beautiful."
"My father built this place. When I come here, it makes me feel closer to him, like he is right here with me."
"You and I never really had it easy, have we?"
"If we had had it easy, Fox, then maybe things would be very different right now."
"What do you want, Teresa? A divorce?"
"What? No, no!"
"I know that hurt you, Teresa. I'm sorry."
"Let me talk, please."
He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was about to say and waiting for her to speak. He felt nervous but at ease because she said that she didn't want to divorce him.
"Fox, remember when I asked you about love?"
"Yes, I do. I told you that it was a truth rather than emotion."
"Ethan was saying how he wanted me back today."
Fox's face paled and he felt that he was about to explode.
"What? He did what?"
"That's not the bottom line, Fox. He made me realize something and I understood what you meant when you said that."
He nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"I know what love is. It's how I feel every time I see you, every time you touch me or whenever I see my son in your arms or whenever his face lights up when you walk in the room. It's how my heart beats when you are near me like now, or how I sleep at night when you're beside me. You are everything to me, and everything that is important. You are my family, you are my truth and you are the one who makes my emotions run as deep as they do."
"And what do you exactly want from me, Teresa?"
"I want my husband by my side. I want the man my son calls 'Daddy' to always be there for him, every day of his life. I want the man of my life, the man of my life back where he belongs."
She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he took his hands out of his pockets and opened his arms to her as Ethan stood in the shadows of a tree and looked at Teresa walking up to Fox and going in his arms and as he closed them around her. He knew that Teresa was really lost to him. He watched as both Fox and Teresa looked at each other smilingly and as their lips connected in a passionate kiss that seemed to last forever. At last, he heard Teresa's voice whisper I love yous to Fox and him whispering the same thing to her.
*****
Teresa opened her eyes and lifted her head from her pillow. She looked around to find her bearings and finally realized that she was in her bedroom in Los Angeles, in the Crane apartment.
"Oh my God, where did this dream come from?"
She got up and walked around the room to try and clear her mind. Her gaze fell on a picture that was sitting on her desk. She took it and looked at it. Fox was smiling down at her and she was smiling up at him and they looked perfectly happy, like a real couple. She caught herself wondering why she had never thought about Fox that way.
"Oh, that's right.because I was always so obsessed by Ethan."
She put it back down and put her robe on. She left her room and closed the door behind her and without making a noise, she walked through the living room and arrived at the balcony. She stood under the threshold and looked at Fox who was standing staring at a distance.
"Fox?"
He turned around and smiled at her with one of those smiles that he always gave her and only her. She had noticed that a long time ago, that there were things like that he did only with her. Like how he told her everything and like he never needed to say words to comfort her. His mere presence or a simple touch always sooths her.
"What's wrong, Teresa?"
"Nothing. How tired are you?"
"I'm still up, aren't I? What's up Teresa?"
"Do you think we can talk?"
He sat down and she did the same. She swallowed and looked at him.
"Fox."
