Part One
"Sheridan," Gwen said. Touching her bare arm gently. "She's so adorable." A happy smile lit up Sheridan's face. Made her blue eyes sparkle as she glanced at Catherine. Currently squealing in delight and throwing her head back when Luis pushed her high in the sky. Her almost black curls blowing in the wind. The tire swing on the ancient tree already a favorite of hers. "Sheri," Catherine called. "Watch me. Luis says I can touch the sun." Luis shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her lazily. "Look at you," Gwen laughed. "Catherine may be able to reach the sun, but you're on cloud nine. You still love him, don't you? Even after…" She sighed. Sitting down on the rustic picnic table. A relic left behind by the previous owners.
Gwen hesitated for only a second before she joined her. Smoothing her silk skirt around her crossed ankles. "Even after," Sheridan whispered. Her heart skipping a beat when Luis looked her way. "So…," Gwen began thoughtfully. "Guess all my letters and phone calls trying to convince you otherwise were ignored. I'm offended," she teased. Doing a very handy impersonation of her mother at that exact second, Sheridan thought with a laugh. "He made a mistake, Gwen. We all do. You have to admit…with my prior behavior, it was understandable." "Maybe," Gwen admitted. "What now?"
Sheridan mulled the simple question over in her mind for a few seconds before answering. "We start over. If he's willing, of course. Learn more about each other. So we won't make the same mistakes again. And hopefully," she paused. Waving at Catherine and blushing at Luis's wink. "Hopefully, he'll have the patience to put up with me. Take things slow. If I don't scare him off first." Gwen snorted. Very unlady-like. "Sheridan…do you hear yourself? Willing? Patient? Afraid? Look at the man. Most men would have run the second 'I love you' escaped your lips. And Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald hardly seems the type to be scared of anything. Or anyone. Especially you. Although…you are a bit of a challenge," she smirked.
"Well thanks for your vote of confidence. I feel so much better," Sheridan scoffed. "And you're supposed to be my friend." "I AM your friend," Gwen smiled. Jumping down from the picnic table. "That's why I'm going to go help Ethan with that lemonade he promised us and give you and Luis and Catherine some much needed quality time. Alone," she stressed. "Make the best of it," she warned. Her brown eyes twinkling with mischief. Sheridan smiled after her as she sauntered toward the French doors that led inside. To the open, airy living room. Open and airy because it's empty, Sheridan, she thought. You HAVE to go shopping for some furniture. Soon. Maybe tomorrow.
"Sheri! Sheri!" Catherine shouted. "Look what I found!" she said. Skipping up to her and proudly showing off her sweet little bouquet of wildflowers. "Aww. Thank you, Catherine. These are so pretty," she said. Bringing them to her nose and inhaling the scent. "Luis got you a flower, too," Catherine grinned. Even her green eyes smiling. "He did, did he?" she asked. Biting her lip nervously as he produced a single red rose from behind his back. "Luis," she gasped. "Where did you find this? It's so beautiful." "There's a whole garden full of them," he said proudly. His dark eyes shining. "A little neglected. But we can fix that." We. He said 'we', she thought. Her smile growing even wider.
"Sheri," Catherine said excitedly. Tugging her forward by the hand. "Swing with me. Please," she pleaded with a pout of her pink lips. A trick she had quickly perfected during their two months of living together. Catherine was well aware that her Sheri could not bear to say no to her at all. "Come on, Sheri," Luis teased. "It'll be fun." She laughed aloud. The little sneaks. They were double-teaming her, she realized when she caught Catherine's attempt at a wink out of the corner of her eye. "Okay," she relented. "How does this work?" she asked in puzzlement. "Sheri," Catherine rolled her eyes. And she's having NO problem fitting in judging by that little maneuver. "Here. I'll help you," Luis offered. And her breath got stuck in her throat at his gentle touch. Slow was going to be torture. Pure torture, came the unbidden thought. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You ready?" he asked. His brown eyes twinkling. "Luis!" she screamed when he didn't give her a chance to answer. Launching her and Catherine high in the air. Catherine threw her head back in abandon. Giggling. She on the other hand…she clutched the old tire with an iron grip. Her fingers bloodless and white from the effort. "Sheridan," Luis laughed. "I can't believe you're afraid of this. After what we've been through. Relax," Luis encouraged. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." That was all she needed to hear. She let go of her fears. Relaxed. And had more fun than she had had in ages. "Isn't it fun, Sheri?" Catherine said breathlessly. Sheridan's only response was joyful laughter.
"Sheridan," Gwen said. Touching her bare arm gently. "She's so adorable." A happy smile lit up Sheridan's face. Made her blue eyes sparkle as she glanced at Catherine. Currently squealing in delight and throwing her head back when Luis pushed her high in the sky. Her almost black curls blowing in the wind. The tire swing on the ancient tree already a favorite of hers. "Sheri," Catherine called. "Watch me. Luis says I can touch the sun." Luis shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her lazily. "Look at you," Gwen laughed. "Catherine may be able to reach the sun, but you're on cloud nine. You still love him, don't you? Even after…" She sighed. Sitting down on the rustic picnic table. A relic left behind by the previous owners.
Gwen hesitated for only a second before she joined her. Smoothing her silk skirt around her crossed ankles. "Even after," Sheridan whispered. Her heart skipping a beat when Luis looked her way. "So…," Gwen began thoughtfully. "Guess all my letters and phone calls trying to convince you otherwise were ignored. I'm offended," she teased. Doing a very handy impersonation of her mother at that exact second, Sheridan thought with a laugh. "He made a mistake, Gwen. We all do. You have to admit…with my prior behavior, it was understandable." "Maybe," Gwen admitted. "What now?"
Sheridan mulled the simple question over in her mind for a few seconds before answering. "We start over. If he's willing, of course. Learn more about each other. So we won't make the same mistakes again. And hopefully," she paused. Waving at Catherine and blushing at Luis's wink. "Hopefully, he'll have the patience to put up with me. Take things slow. If I don't scare him off first." Gwen snorted. Very unlady-like. "Sheridan…do you hear yourself? Willing? Patient? Afraid? Look at the man. Most men would have run the second 'I love you' escaped your lips. And Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald hardly seems the type to be scared of anything. Or anyone. Especially you. Although…you are a bit of a challenge," she smirked.
"Well thanks for your vote of confidence. I feel so much better," Sheridan scoffed. "And you're supposed to be my friend." "I AM your friend," Gwen smiled. Jumping down from the picnic table. "That's why I'm going to go help Ethan with that lemonade he promised us and give you and Luis and Catherine some much needed quality time. Alone," she stressed. "Make the best of it," she warned. Her brown eyes twinkling with mischief. Sheridan smiled after her as she sauntered toward the French doors that led inside. To the open, airy living room. Open and airy because it's empty, Sheridan, she thought. You HAVE to go shopping for some furniture. Soon. Maybe tomorrow.
"Sheri! Sheri!" Catherine shouted. "Look what I found!" she said. Skipping up to her and proudly showing off her sweet little bouquet of wildflowers. "Aww. Thank you, Catherine. These are so pretty," she said. Bringing them to her nose and inhaling the scent. "Luis got you a flower, too," Catherine grinned. Even her green eyes smiling. "He did, did he?" she asked. Biting her lip nervously as he produced a single red rose from behind his back. "Luis," she gasped. "Where did you find this? It's so beautiful." "There's a whole garden full of them," he said proudly. His dark eyes shining. "A little neglected. But we can fix that." We. He said 'we', she thought. Her smile growing even wider.
"Sheri," Catherine said excitedly. Tugging her forward by the hand. "Swing with me. Please," she pleaded with a pout of her pink lips. A trick she had quickly perfected during their two months of living together. Catherine was well aware that her Sheri could not bear to say no to her at all. "Come on, Sheri," Luis teased. "It'll be fun." She laughed aloud. The little sneaks. They were double-teaming her, she realized when she caught Catherine's attempt at a wink out of the corner of her eye. "Okay," she relented. "How does this work?" she asked in puzzlement. "Sheri," Catherine rolled her eyes. And she's having NO problem fitting in judging by that little maneuver. "Here. I'll help you," Luis offered. And her breath got stuck in her throat at his gentle touch. Slow was going to be torture. Pure torture, came the unbidden thought. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You ready?" he asked. His brown eyes twinkling. "Luis!" she screamed when he didn't give her a chance to answer. Launching her and Catherine high in the air. Catherine threw her head back in abandon. Giggling. She on the other hand…she clutched the old tire with an iron grip. Her fingers bloodless and white from the effort. "Sheridan," Luis laughed. "I can't believe you're afraid of this. After what we've been through. Relax," Luis encouraged. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." That was all she needed to hear. She let go of her fears. Relaxed. And had more fun than she had had in ages. "Isn't it fun, Sheri?" Catherine said breathlessly. Sheridan's only response was joyful laughter.