Part Five
"Luis! Don't you dare!" Luis grinned mischievously. Advancing on her. Paint brush brandished. "Luis! No," Sheridan giggled helplessly as he swiped the brush down the front of the faded gray Harmony High tee she wore. His. Pilar's dark head peeked through the door. There was more paint on those two than the walls. Catherine bounded up the stairs. Followed closely by Theresa. "Pilar," she bubbled. Batting her thick black lashes and prissing for her. Pilar held a hand to her mouth. Theresa giggled. "I did her make- up." "I…I can see that. Catherine," she smiled warmly. "You look lovely." Catherine threw the pink feathered boa over her shoulder and pranced down the hall. "Theresita…what will Sheridan think?" "Oh! Hush up, Mama. It's just dress-up." "OH MY…what happened to…Luis. Someone kidnapped Catherine and left a bona-fide movie star in her place." "See?" Theresa grinned. Pilar could only shake her head. "Okay…but Theresita…absolutely NO talk of Fate." "But Mama…" Theresa whined.
"No buts," Pilar said sternly.
"Sheri! Sheri! Here." Sheridan knelt at Catherine's feet. "Yes, Miss Hollywood," she teased. Catherine removed the sparkling tiara from her tangle of dark curls and placed it carefully on Sheridan's golden head. "I always knew you were a 'real' princess, Princess." Sheridan rolled her eyes. But Luis didn't miss the affection in them. Neither did Theresa. "Theresa," Sheridan smiled. "I haven't had a chance to thank you for your wonderful surprise. So…thank you." "Yeah, Sis," Luis grinned. "It was kinda like walking into the Twilight Zone," he laughed. "But what you and Whitney and Simone and Kay did…it was great." "If it was so great why have you already moved most of it?" Theresa asked. A gleam in her brown eyes. Luis waved her off. "Sheridan's furniture. She puts it where she wants it." "Luis! That is such a lie," Sheridan exclaimed. "Theresa…I'll have you know we went back and forth on where the couch should be for almost an hour. I wanted it by the window. Luis said we couldn't see the television as well from over there." "Wow!" Theresa gushed. "It's like you two are married already." Luis choked. So hard Catherine asked in a worried whisper, "Luis? Are you okay?" Theresa found Sheridan's red cheeks especially cute.
"Theresa! There you are," Whitney smiled. Waving at Luis and Sheridan. And Catherine, of course. "Terrorizing your brother again, I see," she hissed. Theresa's brown eyes went wide. "I am NOT," she said incredulously. Whitney grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the hall. "You are SO lying. Listen…Luis asked you to back off because he's determined to take things slow with Sheridan. For once in your life…listen," she pleaded. "Aunt Sheridan? Are you up there?" Theresa's face broke out in a glowing smile. "Ethan. Ethan's here." "Sheridan! We came to help." "And Gwen," Theresa grumbled. "Why did SHE have to come?" "I don't know, Theresa. Maybe…let's see…because she's his girlfriend. Not to mention Sheridan's friend. Wipe that scowl off your face. They're coming." "Hi, Theresa," Ethan said politely. "I thought you'd be here. Mother's been lost without you." Gwen smiled at the two younger girls. "Hi. Where's Sheridan?" "She and Luis and Catherine are in her room," Whitney offered. "Thank you," Gwen murmured. Brushing past them both. "So…," Ethan said uncertainly. "What are they doing?" "Painting," Theresa said as if in a trance. Ethan looked at her oddly. "Each other," Whitney added. And Ethan's lips quirked in a smile. "This I have to see."
"Gwen!" Catherine cried happily. Racing to Gwen's outstretched arms. Gwen picked her up and twirled her about with a smile. "Good morning to you, too," she laughed. Wrinkling her nose at the pink feathers. "I think I'm…I'm going to…" "Bless you," Sheridan laughed when she sneezed. Catherine squeezed Gwen's neck and slipped from her arms. Grasping one of her hands in the process. "Come see my room. Don't look. It's a surprise." The door opened slowly. Creaking on its hinges. "Catherine," she teased from behind her hands. "May I look now?" "Oui," Catherine said. With more than a hint of pride in her voice. Gwen's brown eyes blinked open. The walls were sky blue. With the illusion of fluffy white clouds. A miniature white wicker vanity set rested in the corner. Gwen smiled as she sank into the downy softness of the bed and picked up Catherine's teddy. Angels of all kinds watched over them. "Angels," she whispered. Gwen's eyes were drawn to a photograph on the night stand. Of Catherine. Sheridan. And another woman…a beautiful, smiling woman she could only guess was Marie. "Sheri gave me that. She says Mama will always watch over me. Just like her." "Of course they will," she said softly.
A gentle knock on the door made them both jump, and Gwen bowed her head in embarrassment at Sheridan's amused look. "Pilar's sending Ethan to the market for a few groceries, and since I obviously can't go," she laughed. Indicating her rather colorful appearance. "I thought you could go, and fill me in on all the details. Ethan's never done his own shopping before." Catherine's green eyes grew wide with excitement. "Sheri…Sheri, may I go? Please?" she pouted. Sheridan hooked her finger under the pink boa around Catherine's neck and pulled it free. "Oui," she smiled. "But you can't go out looking like THAT." Catherine giggled and lifted her arms above her head for Sheridan's assistance removing the equally pink ballerina tutu. Gwen drew the closet doors open and emerged with a pair of white capri pants and a lavendar tank top. "These are adorable," she cried. Catherine held onto Sheridan's shoulders for support as she stepped into the pants. Gwen pulled the heavy silver brush through Catherine's silky dark curls and tied a matching lavendar ribbon in her hair. "Oh Whit," Theresa bubbled from the open doorway. "I can't wait to have kids of my own someday. Ethan would make such a wonderful father." Even Whitney's pinch on inside of her arm couldn't bring Theresa back to reality. "Are you almost ready?" "We just have to get this make-up off and then Catherine and Gwen are all set to go."
Pilar let the curtain fall back into place after Ethan's car disappeared down the drive, and she sighed. Her fanciful daughter…Theresita would not abandon her dream of becoming Ethan's wife. Not even faced with evidence that he and Gwen were happy. That Gwen wasn't the monster she wished her to be. Ethan didn't need rescued as Theresa's romantic dreams dictated. But instead of the desired effect…it only made her more determined to make Ethan fall in love with her. What was she going to do with her daughter? "Pilar." "Hmm?" Pilar said softly. Turning around to meet Sheridan's blue eyes. "I just wanted to tell you again how grateful I am for all…this," she explained. Pilar smiled and finished pouring a second glass of lemonade. "You don't have to thank me, Mija. You're like a daughter to me." Sheridan beamed. "But I'll accept it anyway. Now…take this up to Luis. The other one's yours. If you need me, I'll be outside. Exploring those gardens of yours." "Tha…" "Mija," Pilar chided. Sheridan laughed and picked up both glasses. Brushing by. Pilar lay a hand on her cheek where Sheridan kissed it. Listening to the sound of Sheridan's footsteps as she ascended the stairs. Then the happy laughter that soon followed. "I mean it, and I'm sure that soon Luis will make it official."
"Luis! Don't you dare!" Luis grinned mischievously. Advancing on her. Paint brush brandished. "Luis! No," Sheridan giggled helplessly as he swiped the brush down the front of the faded gray Harmony High tee she wore. His. Pilar's dark head peeked through the door. There was more paint on those two than the walls. Catherine bounded up the stairs. Followed closely by Theresa. "Pilar," she bubbled. Batting her thick black lashes and prissing for her. Pilar held a hand to her mouth. Theresa giggled. "I did her make- up." "I…I can see that. Catherine," she smiled warmly. "You look lovely." Catherine threw the pink feathered boa over her shoulder and pranced down the hall. "Theresita…what will Sheridan think?" "Oh! Hush up, Mama. It's just dress-up." "OH MY…what happened to…Luis. Someone kidnapped Catherine and left a bona-fide movie star in her place." "See?" Theresa grinned. Pilar could only shake her head. "Okay…but Theresita…absolutely NO talk of Fate." "But Mama…" Theresa whined.
"No buts," Pilar said sternly.
"Sheri! Sheri! Here." Sheridan knelt at Catherine's feet. "Yes, Miss Hollywood," she teased. Catherine removed the sparkling tiara from her tangle of dark curls and placed it carefully on Sheridan's golden head. "I always knew you were a 'real' princess, Princess." Sheridan rolled her eyes. But Luis didn't miss the affection in them. Neither did Theresa. "Theresa," Sheridan smiled. "I haven't had a chance to thank you for your wonderful surprise. So…thank you." "Yeah, Sis," Luis grinned. "It was kinda like walking into the Twilight Zone," he laughed. "But what you and Whitney and Simone and Kay did…it was great." "If it was so great why have you already moved most of it?" Theresa asked. A gleam in her brown eyes. Luis waved her off. "Sheridan's furniture. She puts it where she wants it." "Luis! That is such a lie," Sheridan exclaimed. "Theresa…I'll have you know we went back and forth on where the couch should be for almost an hour. I wanted it by the window. Luis said we couldn't see the television as well from over there." "Wow!" Theresa gushed. "It's like you two are married already." Luis choked. So hard Catherine asked in a worried whisper, "Luis? Are you okay?" Theresa found Sheridan's red cheeks especially cute.
"Theresa! There you are," Whitney smiled. Waving at Luis and Sheridan. And Catherine, of course. "Terrorizing your brother again, I see," she hissed. Theresa's brown eyes went wide. "I am NOT," she said incredulously. Whitney grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the hall. "You are SO lying. Listen…Luis asked you to back off because he's determined to take things slow with Sheridan. For once in your life…listen," she pleaded. "Aunt Sheridan? Are you up there?" Theresa's face broke out in a glowing smile. "Ethan. Ethan's here." "Sheridan! We came to help." "And Gwen," Theresa grumbled. "Why did SHE have to come?" "I don't know, Theresa. Maybe…let's see…because she's his girlfriend. Not to mention Sheridan's friend. Wipe that scowl off your face. They're coming." "Hi, Theresa," Ethan said politely. "I thought you'd be here. Mother's been lost without you." Gwen smiled at the two younger girls. "Hi. Where's Sheridan?" "She and Luis and Catherine are in her room," Whitney offered. "Thank you," Gwen murmured. Brushing past them both. "So…," Ethan said uncertainly. "What are they doing?" "Painting," Theresa said as if in a trance. Ethan looked at her oddly. "Each other," Whitney added. And Ethan's lips quirked in a smile. "This I have to see."
"Gwen!" Catherine cried happily. Racing to Gwen's outstretched arms. Gwen picked her up and twirled her about with a smile. "Good morning to you, too," she laughed. Wrinkling her nose at the pink feathers. "I think I'm…I'm going to…" "Bless you," Sheridan laughed when she sneezed. Catherine squeezed Gwen's neck and slipped from her arms. Grasping one of her hands in the process. "Come see my room. Don't look. It's a surprise." The door opened slowly. Creaking on its hinges. "Catherine," she teased from behind her hands. "May I look now?" "Oui," Catherine said. With more than a hint of pride in her voice. Gwen's brown eyes blinked open. The walls were sky blue. With the illusion of fluffy white clouds. A miniature white wicker vanity set rested in the corner. Gwen smiled as she sank into the downy softness of the bed and picked up Catherine's teddy. Angels of all kinds watched over them. "Angels," she whispered. Gwen's eyes were drawn to a photograph on the night stand. Of Catherine. Sheridan. And another woman…a beautiful, smiling woman she could only guess was Marie. "Sheri gave me that. She says Mama will always watch over me. Just like her." "Of course they will," she said softly.
A gentle knock on the door made them both jump, and Gwen bowed her head in embarrassment at Sheridan's amused look. "Pilar's sending Ethan to the market for a few groceries, and since I obviously can't go," she laughed. Indicating her rather colorful appearance. "I thought you could go, and fill me in on all the details. Ethan's never done his own shopping before." Catherine's green eyes grew wide with excitement. "Sheri…Sheri, may I go? Please?" she pouted. Sheridan hooked her finger under the pink boa around Catherine's neck and pulled it free. "Oui," she smiled. "But you can't go out looking like THAT." Catherine giggled and lifted her arms above her head for Sheridan's assistance removing the equally pink ballerina tutu. Gwen drew the closet doors open and emerged with a pair of white capri pants and a lavendar tank top. "These are adorable," she cried. Catherine held onto Sheridan's shoulders for support as she stepped into the pants. Gwen pulled the heavy silver brush through Catherine's silky dark curls and tied a matching lavendar ribbon in her hair. "Oh Whit," Theresa bubbled from the open doorway. "I can't wait to have kids of my own someday. Ethan would make such a wonderful father." Even Whitney's pinch on inside of her arm couldn't bring Theresa back to reality. "Are you almost ready?" "We just have to get this make-up off and then Catherine and Gwen are all set to go."
Pilar let the curtain fall back into place after Ethan's car disappeared down the drive, and she sighed. Her fanciful daughter…Theresita would not abandon her dream of becoming Ethan's wife. Not even faced with evidence that he and Gwen were happy. That Gwen wasn't the monster she wished her to be. Ethan didn't need rescued as Theresa's romantic dreams dictated. But instead of the desired effect…it only made her more determined to make Ethan fall in love with her. What was she going to do with her daughter? "Pilar." "Hmm?" Pilar said softly. Turning around to meet Sheridan's blue eyes. "I just wanted to tell you again how grateful I am for all…this," she explained. Pilar smiled and finished pouring a second glass of lemonade. "You don't have to thank me, Mija. You're like a daughter to me." Sheridan beamed. "But I'll accept it anyway. Now…take this up to Luis. The other one's yours. If you need me, I'll be outside. Exploring those gardens of yours." "Tha…" "Mija," Pilar chided. Sheridan laughed and picked up both glasses. Brushing by. Pilar lay a hand on her cheek where Sheridan kissed it. Listening to the sound of Sheridan's footsteps as she ascended the stairs. Then the happy laughter that soon followed. "I mean it, and I'm sure that soon Luis will make it official."