Part Six
Ethan's blue eyes were wide as he looked down the aisle. "Sweetheart," Gwen smiled. "Close your mouth." Catherine fitted her little hand in his and tugged him forward. Theresa read the items off her Mama's list. "Okay…we're going to split up. Whitney," she smiled. Tearing the list in half. "You go with Gwen. I'll make sure Ethan and Catherine get the rest of this stuff." Gwen watched the trio disappear around the corner.
"Well…Whitney," she said graciously. "Let me see that list. What do we get first?" "Um," Whitney smiled nervously. "I'll go get a buggy and catch up with you. Here." Gwen took the list and wandered off in the direction of the fresh produce. "Theresa," Whitney muttered under her breath. "I can't believe you."
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"Ethan!" Catherine squealed. "I want some of those!" Ethan's eyes traveled to the top shelf where hundreds of boxes of…some kind of blue cereal were proudly displayed. "Please. Pretty please," she pouted. Ethan grinned. "Okay." Catherine bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement as he stretched an arm out to fetch the cereal. "Catherine," Theresa shook her dark head. "You can't have that cereal. There's too much sugar in it." "Come on, Theresa. You're only a kid once," Ethan teased. Unable to resist Catherine's charm as she looked up at him with those enormous green eyes. Theresa beamed at him. "You know what?" she giggled. "You're absolutely right. You can have the cereal, Catherine." "Yay!" Catherine clapped. "ETHAN!" Theresa giggled uncontrollably when the entire display of cereal toppled to the floor. On top of him. "Are you all right?"
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Whitney scanned the list. "I think we got everything." "Not quite," Gwen murmured. "Whitney…I'll meet you at the front of the store. I forgot something." Whitney wheeled the cart away. Searching for Theresa. And finding her two aisles down. Doubled over with laughter. "Whit," Theresa gasped. "There you are." "Theresa," Whitney scolded. "You haven't gotten anything on your part of the list! WHAT is so funny?" "That," Theresa pointed. "Whitney," Catherine said happily. "Ethan's buying me these! You can go swimming. And riding a horse. And all kinds of fun things!" Ethan's cheeks were red with embarrassment. Whitney took the SUPER-SIZED box of tampons from Catherine's hands gently. "Catherine…these are…they're for big girls." Catherine crossed her arms with a pout. "But that's no fair. I want to have fun, too. Like the tv says." "Oh Whit," Theresa laughed hysterically. "Wait until Sheridan hears this."
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They finally got all the items on the list. Half an hour later. And they piled into Ethan's car to head home. "Sheridan is going to kill you, Theresa," Whitney sighed. "You bought so much…JUNK." "Whitney…" Theresa whined. "Don't worry about it, Whitney," Ethan smiled at her in the rear view mirror. "I'll take the blame. I'm a sucker for pretty eyes." Theresa stared off into space dreamily. "He's talking about Catherine," she hissed. Elbowing Theresa in the ribs. Catherine's pink lips still wore a pout. Gwen hid her smile. "Catherine…you're being awfully quiet back there." "I want Sheri," she stuck her bottom lip out further. The old house came into view. "You're in luck," Gwen told her. "We're almost there."
Catherine flew up the front steps into Sheridan's waiting arms before the rest of them had a chance to get out of the car. "Catherine," Sheridan cupped her little face lovingly. "What's wrong? What happened?" Luis bent down and tucked a loose black curl behind her ear. "Who put that frown on your face? I'll beat them up for you." "Theresa!" Catherine tattled. Theresa's mouth fell open. "Theresa laughed at me." Sheridan's blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. And amusement. "She did?" "Oui," Catherine buried her face in Sheridan's neck. "She did." "Luis…Mama…I couldn't help it. She…" "Theresa!" Luis grinned and grabbed his sister. Winking at her. "Are you guilty?" Theresa bit her lip to keep from laughing and nodded her head. Luis threw Theresa over his shoulder and raced up the steps. Ethan, Gwen, and Whitney smiled at Catherine's infectious giggles.
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"Gwen," Sheridan said softly. Joining her at the old picnic table. Away from the rambunctious group inside. "I wondered where you were." Gwen scooted over to make more room for her. "I like it out here." "Me, too," Sheridan smiled. Leaning back on her elbows and gazing skyward. "I do some of my best thinking out here," she laughed. "What about you?" Gwen propped her chin on her knee. "Sheridan? Do you think Ethan really loves me?" Sheridan sat up. "Gwen? What kind of question is that? Of course, he loves you." Gwen's brown eyes shone in the starlight. "Yeah…maybe. But it's not the kind of love…it's not this all-consuming passionate love affair," she said quietly. "It's more…comfortable. Do you think that's enough?" Sheridan's blue eyes searched hers. "Enough for what? Gwen? What aren't you telling me?"
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"Luis," Catherine whined as Pilar slipped her purple pjs over her curly head. "I don't want to go to bed yet. Can't I stay up with you and Sheri? And Pilar? Please?" "Mijo," Pilar warned. Luis ducked his dark head back outside. "Mija," she said to Catherine as she pulled her covers back. "I'm going to tell you a story." Catherine crawled into the bed, and Pilar tucked the covers under her chin. "What kind of story?" Pilar smiled warmly at the little girl. "A story about Sheri and Luis. When they were little just like you." Catherine's emerald eyes lit up. "Like me?" "Like you," Pilar caressed her silky cheek. "Pilar?" "Yes?" "Did Luis love Sheri when he was little, too?" Pilar's lips curved upward in a smile as she remembered the first time Luis ever saw Sheridan. "Yes, Mija. I think he did."
Luis smiled to himself outside Catherine's bedroom door. What Mama said was true. It just took him a long time to figure it out for himself. It seemed like he'd never find the right time to let Sheridan know just how much she meant to him either. He'd just have to make his own right time, he realized as he walked down the hall. The light in the bathroom caught his attention, and he paused to flip the switch off. But before he did…he studied his reflection in the mirror. And came to a decision. No more waiting. He wanted to start the rest of his life with Sheridan and Catherine now. "I love you, Sheridan Crane," he said to his mirror image. Practice makes perfect. "I love you," he repeated with a smile.
"No more secrets. No more misunderstandings. Time to start forever now, Luis," he told himself. Fumbling with the knobs on the faucet and splashing some water on his face. "Geez, Luis," he laughed to himself when he knocked Catherine's Little Mermaid cup off the counter.. "Why are you so nervous? You love her. She loves you. At least I'm pretty sure she does," he said. Smiling at the memory of the other night as he bent down to retrieve the glass. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he assured himself. "Noth…what the hell?" he cursed under his breath as he straightened back up. His heart stuck in his throat as he read the printed letters on the box. This couldn't be.
Ethan's blue eyes were wide as he looked down the aisle. "Sweetheart," Gwen smiled. "Close your mouth." Catherine fitted her little hand in his and tugged him forward. Theresa read the items off her Mama's list. "Okay…we're going to split up. Whitney," she smiled. Tearing the list in half. "You go with Gwen. I'll make sure Ethan and Catherine get the rest of this stuff." Gwen watched the trio disappear around the corner.
"Well…Whitney," she said graciously. "Let me see that list. What do we get first?" "Um," Whitney smiled nervously. "I'll go get a buggy and catch up with you. Here." Gwen took the list and wandered off in the direction of the fresh produce. "Theresa," Whitney muttered under her breath. "I can't believe you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ethan!" Catherine squealed. "I want some of those!" Ethan's eyes traveled to the top shelf where hundreds of boxes of…some kind of blue cereal were proudly displayed. "Please. Pretty please," she pouted. Ethan grinned. "Okay." Catherine bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement as he stretched an arm out to fetch the cereal. "Catherine," Theresa shook her dark head. "You can't have that cereal. There's too much sugar in it." "Come on, Theresa. You're only a kid once," Ethan teased. Unable to resist Catherine's charm as she looked up at him with those enormous green eyes. Theresa beamed at him. "You know what?" she giggled. "You're absolutely right. You can have the cereal, Catherine." "Yay!" Catherine clapped. "ETHAN!" Theresa giggled uncontrollably when the entire display of cereal toppled to the floor. On top of him. "Are you all right?"
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Whitney scanned the list. "I think we got everything." "Not quite," Gwen murmured. "Whitney…I'll meet you at the front of the store. I forgot something." Whitney wheeled the cart away. Searching for Theresa. And finding her two aisles down. Doubled over with laughter. "Whit," Theresa gasped. "There you are." "Theresa," Whitney scolded. "You haven't gotten anything on your part of the list! WHAT is so funny?" "That," Theresa pointed. "Whitney," Catherine said happily. "Ethan's buying me these! You can go swimming. And riding a horse. And all kinds of fun things!" Ethan's cheeks were red with embarrassment. Whitney took the SUPER-SIZED box of tampons from Catherine's hands gently. "Catherine…these are…they're for big girls." Catherine crossed her arms with a pout. "But that's no fair. I want to have fun, too. Like the tv says." "Oh Whit," Theresa laughed hysterically. "Wait until Sheridan hears this."
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They finally got all the items on the list. Half an hour later. And they piled into Ethan's car to head home. "Sheridan is going to kill you, Theresa," Whitney sighed. "You bought so much…JUNK." "Whitney…" Theresa whined. "Don't worry about it, Whitney," Ethan smiled at her in the rear view mirror. "I'll take the blame. I'm a sucker for pretty eyes." Theresa stared off into space dreamily. "He's talking about Catherine," she hissed. Elbowing Theresa in the ribs. Catherine's pink lips still wore a pout. Gwen hid her smile. "Catherine…you're being awfully quiet back there." "I want Sheri," she stuck her bottom lip out further. The old house came into view. "You're in luck," Gwen told her. "We're almost there."
Catherine flew up the front steps into Sheridan's waiting arms before the rest of them had a chance to get out of the car. "Catherine," Sheridan cupped her little face lovingly. "What's wrong? What happened?" Luis bent down and tucked a loose black curl behind her ear. "Who put that frown on your face? I'll beat them up for you." "Theresa!" Catherine tattled. Theresa's mouth fell open. "Theresa laughed at me." Sheridan's blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. And amusement. "She did?" "Oui," Catherine buried her face in Sheridan's neck. "She did." "Luis…Mama…I couldn't help it. She…" "Theresa!" Luis grinned and grabbed his sister. Winking at her. "Are you guilty?" Theresa bit her lip to keep from laughing and nodded her head. Luis threw Theresa over his shoulder and raced up the steps. Ethan, Gwen, and Whitney smiled at Catherine's infectious giggles.
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"Gwen," Sheridan said softly. Joining her at the old picnic table. Away from the rambunctious group inside. "I wondered where you were." Gwen scooted over to make more room for her. "I like it out here." "Me, too," Sheridan smiled. Leaning back on her elbows and gazing skyward. "I do some of my best thinking out here," she laughed. "What about you?" Gwen propped her chin on her knee. "Sheridan? Do you think Ethan really loves me?" Sheridan sat up. "Gwen? What kind of question is that? Of course, he loves you." Gwen's brown eyes shone in the starlight. "Yeah…maybe. But it's not the kind of love…it's not this all-consuming passionate love affair," she said quietly. "It's more…comfortable. Do you think that's enough?" Sheridan's blue eyes searched hers. "Enough for what? Gwen? What aren't you telling me?"
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"Luis," Catherine whined as Pilar slipped her purple pjs over her curly head. "I don't want to go to bed yet. Can't I stay up with you and Sheri? And Pilar? Please?" "Mijo," Pilar warned. Luis ducked his dark head back outside. "Mija," she said to Catherine as she pulled her covers back. "I'm going to tell you a story." Catherine crawled into the bed, and Pilar tucked the covers under her chin. "What kind of story?" Pilar smiled warmly at the little girl. "A story about Sheri and Luis. When they were little just like you." Catherine's emerald eyes lit up. "Like me?" "Like you," Pilar caressed her silky cheek. "Pilar?" "Yes?" "Did Luis love Sheri when he was little, too?" Pilar's lips curved upward in a smile as she remembered the first time Luis ever saw Sheridan. "Yes, Mija. I think he did."
Luis smiled to himself outside Catherine's bedroom door. What Mama said was true. It just took him a long time to figure it out for himself. It seemed like he'd never find the right time to let Sheridan know just how much she meant to him either. He'd just have to make his own right time, he realized as he walked down the hall. The light in the bathroom caught his attention, and he paused to flip the switch off. But before he did…he studied his reflection in the mirror. And came to a decision. No more waiting. He wanted to start the rest of his life with Sheridan and Catherine now. "I love you, Sheridan Crane," he said to his mirror image. Practice makes perfect. "I love you," he repeated with a smile.
"No more secrets. No more misunderstandings. Time to start forever now, Luis," he told himself. Fumbling with the knobs on the faucet and splashing some water on his face. "Geez, Luis," he laughed to himself when he knocked Catherine's Little Mermaid cup off the counter.. "Why are you so nervous? You love her. She loves you. At least I'm pretty sure she does," he said. Smiling at the memory of the other night as he bent down to retrieve the glass. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he assured himself. "Noth…what the hell?" he cursed under his breath as he straightened back up. His heart stuck in his throat as he read the printed letters on the box. This couldn't be.