Part Seven
"Good morning," Sheridan yawned. Rubbing her eyes sleepily as she pulled out a stool to sit on. "Sheri!" Catherine greeted excitedly. "Catherine," Sheridan laughed. "You're all…" "Blue," Luis supplied with a grin. "You have Ethan to thank for that." Catherine puckered her lips and stood on tiptoe to offer Sheridan a kiss. Sheridan giggled and smacked her lightly on the lips. Rubbing her thumb gently across them. "Catherine," she teased. "You're turning into a Smurf." Catherine's dark brows knit, and she surveyed Sheridan with puzzled green eyes. "It's a cartoon with little blue people," Luis told her. "Miguel used to love watching them, but they scared Theresa silly." Sheridan choked, and milk spewed everywhere. "I'm sorry," she laughed. "You're kidding, right? Scared of the Smurfs?" "Yeah," Luis grinned. "If it didn't fit into Theresa's fairy tale world, it terrified her."
Sheridan yawned again. Stretching her arms up over her head. Her pale pink tank riding up over her stomach. Luis couldn't help himself. Was it true? "What?" Sheridan asked curiously. Looking down at herself. Trying to figure out what captured Luis's attention so. "Nothing," Luis answered quickly. Wringing out the dishrag and tossing it into the sink. "Are you not going to eat those eggs?" he asked with a quick glance over his shoulder. Sheridan's nose wrinkled up, and she pushed the plate of food away. "You know what, Luis? I'm not that hungry this morning." "Oh," he raised a brow. "Are you sick?" Sheridan waved his concern off. "It's nothing serious, Luis. And don't call Eve. I'm already going to see her today." She slipped off the barstool and scooped Catherine up in her arms. Kissing her silly. "Sheri! Sheri!" Catherine squealed. Luis watched them with a smile on his face. The excitement growing inside him despite himself. She would tell him. He knew she would.
He whistled a nameless tune as he walked into the living room to find them both piled up on the sofa. Cuddled close as they watched the Disney Channel. "Luis," Catherine patted the space beside her. "Sit with me and Sheri." Sheridan's blue eyes sparkled up at him. "Please?" Luis grinned and plopped down beside them with a sigh. "The Little Mermaid's on again? What luck!" Sheridan shook her head with a smile and buried her nose in Catherine's soft black curls. The sarcasm not lost on her. "Oh no, Ariel! Don't listen to her! She's mean. Bad, bad, bad," Catherine warned the floating heroine on screen. "Sheri," she lamented. "How come she never listens to me? I tell her every time, but she never listens to me." Sheridan bit her lip to keep from laughing and looked his way for help. "Well," Luis began. As serious as he could manage. "If Ursula hadn't given her legs…Prince Eric would never have married her." Sheridan arched a brow at him. "But Luis…" Catherine told him. "Prince Eric would love her anyway. And I like it when she sings," Catherine said matter-of- factly. "Yeah, Luis," Sheridan smiled. "Is it that hard to believe he would have loved her anyway?"
Catherine sang "Kiss the Girl" along with Scuttle at the top of her lungs while Sheridan buried her face in a pillow. And Luis had the overwhelming urge to take the old sea gull up on his advice. But he settled for the giggling little girl closest to him. "Luis!" Catherine squealed. "Stop! I'm watching my show." Sheridan burst out laughing. "Single-minded little thing, isn't she?" he joked. Sheridan nodded her head. Wiping the tears from her eyes. "Reminds me of someone." He thought back on his discovery the night before, and anticipation built inside him. He didn't care that she hadn't told him yet. But he couldn't wait to hear those words from her lips. Maybe after…"Catherine," Sheridan looped her arms around Catherine's waist and squeezed her tight. "I can't finish the movie with you, Sweetie. I have something very important to do." Catherine pouted. "But Sheri…" Sheridan tapped her nose with the tip of her finger. "I'll be back soon. I promise." "Okay," Catherine sighed. "Luis?" He ran his fingers through Catherine's dark curls. "I'll be here with her. We'll be waiting." Sheridan's blue eyes melted, and she gave him a smile that made his heart want to burst.
The doorbell rang nearly half an hour later, and Catherine raced to answer it. "Who is it?" she inquired. Peeking out the front window. "Luis! Luis! It's Gwen." Luis chuckled. "Well…open the door for her." Catherine wrestled with the doorknob a few seconds and pulled the door open. "Gwen!" she threw her arms around Gwen's legs, and Gwen knelt down to give her a proper hug. "Good morning," she smiled. Her brown eyes shining. "Is Sheri ready yet?" "You're going with her?" Luis asked. "Gwen…what's this little visit to Eve about? She won't tell me anything." Gwen ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. "There isn't anything to tell yet, Luis. But she will. As soon as the time is right." "You DO know what's going on. Why won't anyone tell me?"
"Luis…I…" "Gwen," Sheridan swept down the stairs. Fixing her earrings and taking one last look at herself in the mirror. "Sheri," Catherine whispered in awe at Sheridan's ensemble. "Tres belle." "Aww…" Sheridan looked at Gwen. "Isn't she adorable?" Catherine giggled. Her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "You can reach me at this number if you need me, Luis. Don't hesitate to call. I should be home in a few hours. Bye, Catherine. Bye, Luis." "Au revoir, Sheri. Au revoir, Gwen," Catherine waved as the pair walked out of the front door.
Luis sighed and turned back around to face Catherine. "So…Catherine. What do you want to do today?" Catherine lifted a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I want to go to the park. Please, Luis. Pretty please," Catherine begged. Tugging on the hem of his tee-shirt. "And what do you plan to do at the park?" he grinned down at her. "Je ne sais pas," she shrugged her tiny shoulders. "But why do you want to go?" "I just do," she huffed. "Please, Luis." "Okay," he relented. "But I don't think you can go in those," he laughed. Pointing at her pjs and fuzzy slippers. Catherine giggled and grasped his hand. Pulling him up the stairs. "Wait. Where are we going?" Catherine stopped on the top step. Her green eyes bright. "To my room. You have to make me pretty. Just like Sheri does." He laughed and followed her. He needed the practice anyway.
"Good morning," Sheridan yawned. Rubbing her eyes sleepily as she pulled out a stool to sit on. "Sheri!" Catherine greeted excitedly. "Catherine," Sheridan laughed. "You're all…" "Blue," Luis supplied with a grin. "You have Ethan to thank for that." Catherine puckered her lips and stood on tiptoe to offer Sheridan a kiss. Sheridan giggled and smacked her lightly on the lips. Rubbing her thumb gently across them. "Catherine," she teased. "You're turning into a Smurf." Catherine's dark brows knit, and she surveyed Sheridan with puzzled green eyes. "It's a cartoon with little blue people," Luis told her. "Miguel used to love watching them, but they scared Theresa silly." Sheridan choked, and milk spewed everywhere. "I'm sorry," she laughed. "You're kidding, right? Scared of the Smurfs?" "Yeah," Luis grinned. "If it didn't fit into Theresa's fairy tale world, it terrified her."
Sheridan yawned again. Stretching her arms up over her head. Her pale pink tank riding up over her stomach. Luis couldn't help himself. Was it true? "What?" Sheridan asked curiously. Looking down at herself. Trying to figure out what captured Luis's attention so. "Nothing," Luis answered quickly. Wringing out the dishrag and tossing it into the sink. "Are you not going to eat those eggs?" he asked with a quick glance over his shoulder. Sheridan's nose wrinkled up, and she pushed the plate of food away. "You know what, Luis? I'm not that hungry this morning." "Oh," he raised a brow. "Are you sick?" Sheridan waved his concern off. "It's nothing serious, Luis. And don't call Eve. I'm already going to see her today." She slipped off the barstool and scooped Catherine up in her arms. Kissing her silly. "Sheri! Sheri!" Catherine squealed. Luis watched them with a smile on his face. The excitement growing inside him despite himself. She would tell him. He knew she would.
He whistled a nameless tune as he walked into the living room to find them both piled up on the sofa. Cuddled close as they watched the Disney Channel. "Luis," Catherine patted the space beside her. "Sit with me and Sheri." Sheridan's blue eyes sparkled up at him. "Please?" Luis grinned and plopped down beside them with a sigh. "The Little Mermaid's on again? What luck!" Sheridan shook her head with a smile and buried her nose in Catherine's soft black curls. The sarcasm not lost on her. "Oh no, Ariel! Don't listen to her! She's mean. Bad, bad, bad," Catherine warned the floating heroine on screen. "Sheri," she lamented. "How come she never listens to me? I tell her every time, but she never listens to me." Sheridan bit her lip to keep from laughing and looked his way for help. "Well," Luis began. As serious as he could manage. "If Ursula hadn't given her legs…Prince Eric would never have married her." Sheridan arched a brow at him. "But Luis…" Catherine told him. "Prince Eric would love her anyway. And I like it when she sings," Catherine said matter-of- factly. "Yeah, Luis," Sheridan smiled. "Is it that hard to believe he would have loved her anyway?"
Catherine sang "Kiss the Girl" along with Scuttle at the top of her lungs while Sheridan buried her face in a pillow. And Luis had the overwhelming urge to take the old sea gull up on his advice. But he settled for the giggling little girl closest to him. "Luis!" Catherine squealed. "Stop! I'm watching my show." Sheridan burst out laughing. "Single-minded little thing, isn't she?" he joked. Sheridan nodded her head. Wiping the tears from her eyes. "Reminds me of someone." He thought back on his discovery the night before, and anticipation built inside him. He didn't care that she hadn't told him yet. But he couldn't wait to hear those words from her lips. Maybe after…"Catherine," Sheridan looped her arms around Catherine's waist and squeezed her tight. "I can't finish the movie with you, Sweetie. I have something very important to do." Catherine pouted. "But Sheri…" Sheridan tapped her nose with the tip of her finger. "I'll be back soon. I promise." "Okay," Catherine sighed. "Luis?" He ran his fingers through Catherine's dark curls. "I'll be here with her. We'll be waiting." Sheridan's blue eyes melted, and she gave him a smile that made his heart want to burst.
The doorbell rang nearly half an hour later, and Catherine raced to answer it. "Who is it?" she inquired. Peeking out the front window. "Luis! Luis! It's Gwen." Luis chuckled. "Well…open the door for her." Catherine wrestled with the doorknob a few seconds and pulled the door open. "Gwen!" she threw her arms around Gwen's legs, and Gwen knelt down to give her a proper hug. "Good morning," she smiled. Her brown eyes shining. "Is Sheri ready yet?" "You're going with her?" Luis asked. "Gwen…what's this little visit to Eve about? She won't tell me anything." Gwen ducked her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. "There isn't anything to tell yet, Luis. But she will. As soon as the time is right." "You DO know what's going on. Why won't anyone tell me?"
"Luis…I…" "Gwen," Sheridan swept down the stairs. Fixing her earrings and taking one last look at herself in the mirror. "Sheri," Catherine whispered in awe at Sheridan's ensemble. "Tres belle." "Aww…" Sheridan looked at Gwen. "Isn't she adorable?" Catherine giggled. Her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "You can reach me at this number if you need me, Luis. Don't hesitate to call. I should be home in a few hours. Bye, Catherine. Bye, Luis." "Au revoir, Sheri. Au revoir, Gwen," Catherine waved as the pair walked out of the front door.
Luis sighed and turned back around to face Catherine. "So…Catherine. What do you want to do today?" Catherine lifted a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I want to go to the park. Please, Luis. Pretty please," Catherine begged. Tugging on the hem of his tee-shirt. "And what do you plan to do at the park?" he grinned down at her. "Je ne sais pas," she shrugged her tiny shoulders. "But why do you want to go?" "I just do," she huffed. "Please, Luis." "Okay," he relented. "But I don't think you can go in those," he laughed. Pointing at her pjs and fuzzy slippers. Catherine giggled and grasped his hand. Pulling him up the stairs. "Wait. Where are we going?" Catherine stopped on the top step. Her green eyes bright. "To my room. You have to make me pretty. Just like Sheri does." He laughed and followed her. He needed the practice anyway.