XXIX

"How do you always manage to mess things up with Theresa and me? Ethan crossed his arms and frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please." Fox said in disbelief. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Like just now, you just had to plant seeds of doubt that I loved Theresa."

"You don't deserve Theresa." Ethan said through clenched teeth.

"What? And you do?" Fox retorted. "I love Theresa and I am sick and tired of you always interfering with our relationship."

"You and Theresa don't belong together." Ethan said.

"Then who does she belong with, Ethan? [You?" Fox pointed. Ethan averted his gaze.

"Unbelievable." Fox said as he threw his hands in the air. "You're a married man Ethan. You had your chance to be with Theresa. What are you going to do? Huh? Wait it out? See if something can miraculously bring you to Theresa again? You need to stop this Ethan. It's not wonder Theresa never gave up on you in the first place. You fed her hope. First you'd put her down and tell her that there was no more Ethan and Theresa. Then, you'd turn around and the next thing we know, we find you in her bedroom kissing her like there's no tomorrow. You make me sick, Ethan. And now, when Theresa obviously wants to move on, you still hold on to her. How can she live her life with you dragging her down? She loves me now Ethan. Theresa loves me."

"No she doesn't. I refuse to believe that." Ethan shook his head.

"Why is that Ethan? Is it because of me?" Fox asked. "I get it," Fox said when Ethan would not respond to any of his questions. "You can't even imagine that someone who loved you could possibly love me. You think you're better than me, don't you?" Fox said.

Ethan remained silent. "You don't have to answer." Fox said. "It's written all over your face. You think you're better than me. That's why you don't think Theresa should be with me."

"Theresa shouldn't be with you because of your past with women." Ethan retorted. "Let's see, how many girls have you been with, huh Fox?"

Fox clenched his jaw.

"You always had a different girl on your arm, Fox. I don't want you to use Theresa like you used all those other women in your past."

"That was my past." Fox replied. "I'm not like that anymore."

"How can you be so sure?" Ethan said. "How can I or anybody else be sure that those days are over?"

"Because for once in my life I actually love someone."

"And how do you know it's love, Fox? It could be lust." Ethan replied.

"I've been in lust about a thousand times, and the way I feel towards Theresa is not lust."

"Sure it isn't." Ethan said sarcastically.

"I give up" Fox said. "Nothing is going to change that stubborn mind of yours. I don't care Ethan. I don't care anymore because I don't have to prove anything to you. I love Theresa and she loves me and that's all that matters." Fox walked off.

"Where are you going?" Ethan asked.

"I'm going to go see my fiancé."

~*~



Fox hurriedly ran up the steps to the apartment. He opened the door and entered quietly. He looked around and headed towards his room. When he opened the door, he found Theresa propped up against the bed holding a glass of alcohol. Her eyes were closed.

"Theresa?" Fox said quietly.

"Hm?" Theresa mumbled as she opened her eyes. Her head was already pounding.

"I think you've had enough." Fox said as he reached for her glass and the bottle of liquor.

"Yeah," Theresa moaned. "I don't feel so good."

"Come here," Fox said quietly as he picked up Theresa. She held onto him tightly as he gently carried her to the bathroom. Fox had her sit on the sink counter as he wet a cloth. He wiped her face and held the cool cloth against her forehead.

"Are you mad at me?" Fox asked Theresa.

Theresa looked at Fox and sighed. "I don't know Fox."

Fox nodded. "So, you don't believe me? You don't believe that I love you?"

"It's just that, when I remembered you telling me about Whitney, it was like my heart broke all over again. It hurt Fox."

"I know," Fox said as he kissed Theresa on the forehead. "And I hate that I hurt you. But you have to believe me Theresa. I love you."

"I know you love me." Theresa whispered. "But when I relived that memory of you telling me about Whitney~" Theresa's voice trailed off.

Fox sighed. "I can't erase the past, but, al I can tell you is that the only woman for me is you. You are the woman who has my heart."

Tears filled Theresa's eyes. "Oh, Fox." She said as she flung herself into his arms. Fox held Theresa tightly as she cried into his shirt. "Shh," Fox said as he tried to soothe Theresa.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" Fox whispered into Theresa's hair.

Theresa sniffed and wiped at her eyes. She gave Fox a wobbly smile. "I forgive you."

"Okay," Fox said quietly. His nose playfully nudged hers. "So we're still getting married?"

Theresa smiled. "Yes, but how exactly do you want to go about this? I mean, we'd both like to get married as soon as possible right?"

Fox nodded. "Hm," Theresa said. "Do you want to elope?"

"Elope? Well," Fox said. "You don't want a big wedding in a church?"

"I just want to marry you." Theresa said smiling. "I don't care if it's in a church or a court. All I care about is marrying you."

Fox smiled. "I'm such a lucky man. But I'd like to throw the grandest wedding the town of Harmony has ever seen. I figure that's where we should get married since that's where we met." Theresa smiled in response. "Anyhow, I want the whole town to see how much in love we are with each other. I want the whole world to know what a lucky man I am." Fox said as he picked up Theresa to twirl her around. Theresa laughed. "So," Fox continued. "Let me make a few phone calls, and voila! We'll have our wedding."

"When?" Theresa asked.

"How about three weeks from now? Until then, I'll organize a group of people to help us with getting this wedding together."

"Three weeks? Isn't that kind of short-notice?"

"I'll find a way to get everything done quickly." Fox replied.

"I can't wait Fox." Theresa said smiling.

"Neither can I."

~*~

The next three weeks were filled with a flurry of excitement. Theresa and Fox found themselves knee deep in decisions. The three weeks proved to be tiring for Theresa and Fox, but their energies were fueled by the desire to marry each other. In those twenty-one days, the Crane/Lopez-Fitzgerald wedding was planned. Guests were notified, the church was booked, and Theresa managed to find her wedding gown. After countless nights of alterations and decision making, Nicholas Foxworth Crane and Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald were ready to exchange their vows.

Fox arranged for the Crane jet to transport him, Theresa, Chad, and Whitney to Harmony. When Ethan found out that they were all leaving to Harmony, he consulted Gwen's doctor to see if she was healthy enough to fly home. Dr. Abel reluctantly agreed, but warned Ethan to keep Gwen as calm as possible. Ethan contacted Fox and arranged for an additional two people to join the flight back to Harmony. Gwen was somewhat eager to return home. She was also pleased with the fact that Theresa and Fox were marrying each other. "This is perfect!" Gwen thought to herself. "Fox and Theresa are getting married!"

The Wedding Part One



Butterflies fluttered crazily in her stomach. She was jittery and excited. "My wedding day!" She gleefully cried aloud as she threw open the drapes to let in the morning sunlight.

"Morning!" Whitney called as she came into the room. "Wow, I didn't have to wake you up!" She exclaimed surprised.

"I'm too excited!" Theresa said as she began to dance about the room.

"Theresa!" Whitney laughed. "I don't remember ever seeing you this happy!"

"Going to the chapel, and I'm gonna get married." Theresa sang. Whitney laughed.

"It's my wedding day and I'm determined not to let anything ruin my mood." Theresa said.

"Okay, but we better get you ready." Whitney said. "In a few hours you'll be~"

"Mrs. Nicholas Foxworth Crane." Theresa sighed happily.

~*~



Fox let out a long breath. He hadn't remembered being so nervous in his life. He pulled out his wallet and stared at the small picture he had of Theresa. Fox smiled. "I'm so lucky" He said aloud.

"What's that man?" Chad asked as he entered the room.

"I am the luckiest man alive." Fox replied.

Chad smiled. "You nervous?" He asked.

"Oh yeah," Fox said. "But I'm so ready to get this over with. I can't wait to make Theresa my wife."

"It's only a matter of time," Chad said smiling.

~*~



"Oh Theresa," Pilar said tearfully as she gazed at her daughter in her wedding gown. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you mama," Theresa said as tears filled her own eyes.

"Is everyone here?" Theresa asked as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"People are arriving." Pilar smiled. "The church looks amazing. There are flowers and candles everywhere. It's so romantic and intimate.This is going to be a wonderful wedding, Theresita."

Theresa smiled. "I'm so nervous." She said as she twisted her hands.

Pilar smiled. "It's only natural for a bride to get jitters."

"Knock Knock," Stanley Livingston said as he entered the room. "Oh Theresa, honey you look gorgeous."

"Thank you Stanley." Theresa said as she gave him a small hug. "When did you get here?"

"Just a few hours ago." Stanley replied. "It seems that everyone is ready."

"Where's Whitney?" Theresa asked.

"Right here," Whitney said.

"Oh Whit, you look great!" Theresa exclaimed.

"No, you look great. Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you Theresa!" Whitney said as she ran to embrace her friend.

"Hey, you know what I just remembered?" Theresa asked.

"What?" Pilar asked warily. "You remember something?"

"Well, it was from my dream last night. It was so weird." Theresa replied.

"What did you dream about?" Whitney asked.

"I dreamed that I was at the altar when someone crashed their car into the church! How crazy is that! I mean, that wouldn't really happen right?"

Pilar and Whitney exchanged glances. "Oh Theresa, honey, that is one crazy dream." Whitney said.

"I thought so too." Theresa said as she turned to the mirror.

"Well, you ready mi hija?" Pilar asked.

"Absolutely." Theresa beamed. "Let's do this!"

~*~



Fox let out a deep breath as he took his place at the front of the church. "Ready?" Chad whispered.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Fox replied as he scanned the crowd. He looked over at Julian who held a smug expression on his face. "You better not pull anything," Fox thought. Fox then focused his gaze to the back of the chapel.

An arrangement of string music filled the church as the Whitney appeared at the end of the aisle. She slowly processed down, giving Fox an encouraging smile as she passed him. Fox took a deep breath when Luis appeared with a veiled Theresa holding onto his arm. All the guests murmured to each other about how beautiful the bride looked. Tears hit Fox's eyes as he tried his best to keep his composure. "She's absolutely gorgeous," Fox remarked as he watched her slowly making his way towards him. Chad patted Fox on the shoulder. "Hang in there, man."

Theresa smiled at Fox and fixed her eyes upon his. They exchanged thoughts as Theresa made her way down the aisle. Upon reaching the front, Luis lifted Theresa's veil and gave Theresa a small kiss on the cheek. Luis then shook Fox's hand. Fox turned to Theresa. He couldn't stop smiling."I love you," He mouthed. "I love you too," Theresa responded as she reached for his hand. Together they turned to face Father Lonigan.

"We are gathered here today to witness the holy matrimony of this man to this woman~"

Theresa gave Fox's hand an encouraging squeeze. "You look beautiful," Fox whispered. Theresa smiled.

"If there is anyone who objects to this matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," Father Lonigan continued.

"You can't get married!" Someone cried in the back of the church. Everyone seemed to turn to glance at Ethan.

"What?" Ethan said looking like a deer caught in the glare of headlights. "I didn't say it."

"Then, who?" Fox said as he turned around.

A man sheepishly approached the altar. "You can't get married without these," He said as he produced two wedding bands. Everyone in the church seemed to hold their breath, not knowing how to react. Theresa found herself bursting into laughter. Fox laughed along with her as the guests seemed to sigh in relief.

Father Lonigan smiled. "I suppose there aren't any other objections?"

Theresa and Fox glanced around the church and sighed in relief when there were none. They turned back to Father Lonigan. "Let us continue with the ceremony then."

"The couple has chosen to write their own vows which they will recite at this time," Father Lonigan said. "Fox," Father Lonigan prompted.

Fox cleared his throat. His eyes were still glistening with tears as they held Theresa's gaze. Fox smiled and took a deep breath. "Theresa," He said as he took hold of her hands. "I am so lucky that you are a part of my life. You've been the only one who's ever really understood me. And although I have my faults, you still choose to love me, and it's the greatest feeling in the world." Fox paused as he tried to control his emotions. "I~" Fox's voice quivered. "I love you with every part of my being. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, you complete me. For a long part of my life, I felt that there was something missing. Now that I'm with you, I don't feel that void anymore. You've filled it with your generous love. I am the luckiest man alive, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you are taken of. I will be there for you when you are happy. I will be your comfort when you are sad. I will be your confidant, your lover, and your best friend. I will be there for you Theresa, in rain or shine, in sickness and in health. Death shall not part us, for our souls will remain intertwined for all eternity. I love you Theresa. I always will." Fox closed as he kissed her hand tenderly.

Theresa quickly dabbed at her eyes which were overflowing with tears. She took a few moments to compose herself before she began to speak. "Fox," She said her voice still unsteady. "You are an amazing man. Words cannot express the love that I hold for you. I know that parts of my memory are missing, and it's been a frustrating experience because I want to remember so badly. But somehow you've managed to make me forget about that frustration. You always know how to make me feel better Fox. It's as if you know exactly what I'm feeling or what I'm thinking. I feel connected to you, and it makes me feel loved, and it makes me feel safe. Our souls share one thought while our hears beat as one. I know you will take care of me, and I promise that as your wife I will support you one-hundred percent. I love you with all of my heart. You're right, death will never be able to part us. Our love is too strong. It is so great that it is immeasurable. Our love shall conquer and last throughout all eternity. I love you Nicholas Foxworth Crane, and before our friends, our family, and before God I promise to love you forever.

Tears slipped out of the corner of Fox's eyes as he wiped them away quickly. He smiled and leaned in to kiss Theresa lightly on the lips. "I love you so much," He whispered.

The guests laughed. "Wait, Fox! It's not time to kiss her yet!" They all called.

Fox laughed and shrugged. "I couldn't help myself." He said. "If you were in my position, you'd do the same!"

Theresa laughed as she stroked Fox's cheek.

Father Lonigan smiled. "You'll get to kiss your bride all in due time, Fox, but at this time, can we have the rings?"

Chad pulled the rings out and slipped them into Fox and Theresa's hands.

"Traditionally, the marking of the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. May these rings which you give and receive this day be a symbol of true faith in each other, and always remind each of you of the love you share on this day."

Fox slipped the ring onto Theresa's finger, while Theresa did the same.

"All right," Father Lonigan smiled. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Fox said as he tenderly pressed his lips against Theresa's. The church erupted in music and applause.

Theresa and Fox hurriedly walked down the aisle smiling and laughing. The guests pulled out small bottles of bubbles. As Theresa and Fox entered the limo that was to take them to the reception, all the guests blew their bubbles at the same time. The air was filled with floating spheres that playfully danced in the wind.

Theresa leaned her forehead against Fox's. "We did it." She said softly.

"Yeah," Fox sighed happily. "We're finally married."

~*~



A small hush fell across the room as the wedding guests gazed in awe at the newlyweds. Fox and Theresa held each other close as they found themselves drifting away with the words to the songs that played in the background. With the lights romantically dimmed, and candlelight casting its flickering shadow upon the couple, Theresa and Fox felt as if they were the only two that existed. They were oblivious to there surroundings, and conscious to the existence of each other.

Dreamin', I must be dreamin'
Or am I really here with you?
Baby, you take me in your arms
And thought I'm wide awake
I know my dream is comin' true.

And oh, I just
Fall in love again.
Just one touch and then it happens everytime.
And there I go I
Just fall in love again
And when I do, I can't help myself
I fall in love with you.

"Is this real" Fox whispered. "I'm afraid that this is a good dream, and I don't want to wake up."

"This is real, baby." Theresa whispered back. "Very real."

Theresa and Fox continue to sway rhythmically to the music that continued to play.

You are so beautiful, to me
You are so beautiful, to me.
Can't you see?
You're everything I hoped for
You're everything I need
You are so beautiful, to me.

You are so beautiful to me.
You are so beautiful, to me
Can't you see?
You're everything I hoped for
Everything I need.
You are so beautiful, to me.

"I don't want to let you go." Fox said as he tightened his hold of Theresa.

"Nobody said you have to." Theresa replied as she leaned against Fox.

You think I'd leave your side baby?
You know me better than that.
You think I'd leave you down when you're down on your knees?
I wouldn't do that.
If you could only see into me
Oh, when you're cold I'll be there
Hold you tight to me

When you're on the outside baby and you can't get in.
I'll show you you're so much better than you know
When you're lost
When you're alone and you can't back again
I will find you
Darling I will bring you home
And if you want to cry
I am here to dry your eyes

"I want this feeling to last forever," Fox said as he leaned towards Theresa.

"It will," Theresa whispered. "We'll make this last."

My love, there's only you in my life
The only thing that's right
My first love,
You're every breath that I take
You're every step I make
And I, I want to share
All my love with you.
No one else will do.
And your eyes-they tell me how much you care
Oh yes, you will always be
My endless love.

Oh and love,
I'll be that fool for you- I'm sure
You know I don't mind.
And yes, you'll be the only one
No one can deny the love I have inside
I'll give it all to you,

"My love, my endless love." Theresa and Fox said quietly to each other before leaning in to lovingly kiss one another.