~Chapter 8~
Teresa arrived at Kay and Miguel's home. She rang the doorbell and was greeted by Kay.
"Teresa!" Kay hugged her. "Come on in. Miguel! Teresa's here."
Miguel came out of the kitchen. "Hey sis! Good to see you. Thanks for watching Maria while Kay and I enjoy some time alone. I owe you big time."
Teresa waved it off. "Oh, it's nothing. Besides, I can't wait to spend some time with my little niece. Where is she?"
"She's sleeping right now. I just fed her and put her down for her nap." Kay said.
"There's plenty of food and drinks in the fridge, feel free to help yourself, Teresa." Miguel said. "Kay, are you ready? We'd better leave now if we want to catch the matinee."
"Let me just grab my jacket, I'll meet you out at the car." She kissed Miguel on the cheek and then he left to bring the car around. "Teresa, thank you again for watching Maria. I know it must be hard on you sometimes, you know, with everything that's happened."
"It's alright, Kay. Life goes on. I'm just happy that Maria was able to pull through. It's wonderful having a little niece to spoil."
"I knew she would. She takes that after the Lopez-Fitzgeralds. You're all fighters." Kay hugged Teresa again. "See you in a few hours. We shouldn't be too long."
"Take your time, Kay. It's not everyday that you get to escape parenthood for a little while." She smiled and waved at Kay as she headed out the door.
Better check on Maria, Teresa thought. She tiptoed quitely into little Maria's bedroom and peeked down at her sleeping peacefully in her crib. Memories came rushing back. Little Ethan in his crib. He wasn't breathing. God, he was already gone. She had to get out of the room. Fast.
She stood outside the door of Maria's room. She needed to pull herself together. It had hit her hard this time. Out of the blue. She thought she would be okay alone with Maria, but now she wasn't so sure. Seeing her lying in that crib reminded her of Little Ethan. Had reminded of her of the night that he left her. The night she had found him not breathing in his crib. The night her life ended.
Air. She needed air. She ran down the hall, through the living room. She saw the front door. God, it seemed so far away. She had to get out of this house. She was suffocating. She reached the front door, swinging it open she ran into Fox. He grabbed her before she hit the ground. She was struggling for air.
"Teresa, are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
She was breathing rapidly, "Fresh air. I just needed some fresh air."
"What's wrong? Are you and Maria okay?"
Teresa shook her head, "She's fine. Maria's fine."
Fox wrapped his arm around her waist, "Come on, let's get you inside. You need to sit down." Fox led her inside and positioned her on the couch. "I'm going to get you some water. Is there anything else you need?"
"My purse. Could you please hand me my purse?" She pointed to the desk where she had laid it.
"Sure." Fox handed her the purse and then left to get her a glass of water. Teresa opened the purse and pulled out a bottle of pills. Fox came in at that moment.
"Teresa, what are you doing?" He sat the glass of water on the end table beside her.
"Dr. Russell gave me these to help calm my nerves." She said fumbling with the cap.
"Do you really need to be taking one now, Teresa?"
She looked up at Fox, desperation written all across her face, "Fox, I need one."
"Fine, fine. Take one, but I'm not leaving you here by yourself. I'm staying with you."
"I'll be okay just as soon as it takes affect. You shouldn't have to stay with me. Go on and have fun. You don't want to be cooped up with depressing me and baby Maria."
He took her hand, "There's no place I'd rather be then here with you, Teresa."
"I can take care of myself, Fox. Go on I don't need you." She stood up and almost fainted. The pills had worked fast this time. No more pain. The pain was gone. Or maybe it was still there and she just didn't care. Maria, poor Maria. She was wrong to think that she could take care of her. Thank God Fox had came along when he did.
Fox grabbed her before she hit the floor, "Obviously, you do, Teresa. More than you'd like to admit." He sat her back down on the couch. "Let me take care of you, Teresa. Open up to me. Tell me what's going on inside your head."
"It's nothing, Fox. Besides, I don't want to burden you with my problems." She lay her head on his shoulder, "I'm so sleepy." She yawned.
"Just rest, Teresa. We'll talk when you wake up." He pulled her close to him allowing her to rest her head on his chest.
"What about Maria?"
"I'll watch after Maria. You just rest." She was already asleep. Dreaming of a life she knew she would never live. A life with him.
Teresa arrived at Kay and Miguel's home. She rang the doorbell and was greeted by Kay.
"Teresa!" Kay hugged her. "Come on in. Miguel! Teresa's here."
Miguel came out of the kitchen. "Hey sis! Good to see you. Thanks for watching Maria while Kay and I enjoy some time alone. I owe you big time."
Teresa waved it off. "Oh, it's nothing. Besides, I can't wait to spend some time with my little niece. Where is she?"
"She's sleeping right now. I just fed her and put her down for her nap." Kay said.
"There's plenty of food and drinks in the fridge, feel free to help yourself, Teresa." Miguel said. "Kay, are you ready? We'd better leave now if we want to catch the matinee."
"Let me just grab my jacket, I'll meet you out at the car." She kissed Miguel on the cheek and then he left to bring the car around. "Teresa, thank you again for watching Maria. I know it must be hard on you sometimes, you know, with everything that's happened."
"It's alright, Kay. Life goes on. I'm just happy that Maria was able to pull through. It's wonderful having a little niece to spoil."
"I knew she would. She takes that after the Lopez-Fitzgeralds. You're all fighters." Kay hugged Teresa again. "See you in a few hours. We shouldn't be too long."
"Take your time, Kay. It's not everyday that you get to escape parenthood for a little while." She smiled and waved at Kay as she headed out the door.
Better check on Maria, Teresa thought. She tiptoed quitely into little Maria's bedroom and peeked down at her sleeping peacefully in her crib. Memories came rushing back. Little Ethan in his crib. He wasn't breathing. God, he was already gone. She had to get out of the room. Fast.
She stood outside the door of Maria's room. She needed to pull herself together. It had hit her hard this time. Out of the blue. She thought she would be okay alone with Maria, but now she wasn't so sure. Seeing her lying in that crib reminded her of Little Ethan. Had reminded of her of the night that he left her. The night she had found him not breathing in his crib. The night her life ended.
Air. She needed air. She ran down the hall, through the living room. She saw the front door. God, it seemed so far away. She had to get out of this house. She was suffocating. She reached the front door, swinging it open she ran into Fox. He grabbed her before she hit the ground. She was struggling for air.
"Teresa, are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
She was breathing rapidly, "Fresh air. I just needed some fresh air."
"What's wrong? Are you and Maria okay?"
Teresa shook her head, "She's fine. Maria's fine."
Fox wrapped his arm around her waist, "Come on, let's get you inside. You need to sit down." Fox led her inside and positioned her on the couch. "I'm going to get you some water. Is there anything else you need?"
"My purse. Could you please hand me my purse?" She pointed to the desk where she had laid it.
"Sure." Fox handed her the purse and then left to get her a glass of water. Teresa opened the purse and pulled out a bottle of pills. Fox came in at that moment.
"Teresa, what are you doing?" He sat the glass of water on the end table beside her.
"Dr. Russell gave me these to help calm my nerves." She said fumbling with the cap.
"Do you really need to be taking one now, Teresa?"
She looked up at Fox, desperation written all across her face, "Fox, I need one."
"Fine, fine. Take one, but I'm not leaving you here by yourself. I'm staying with you."
"I'll be okay just as soon as it takes affect. You shouldn't have to stay with me. Go on and have fun. You don't want to be cooped up with depressing me and baby Maria."
He took her hand, "There's no place I'd rather be then here with you, Teresa."
"I can take care of myself, Fox. Go on I don't need you." She stood up and almost fainted. The pills had worked fast this time. No more pain. The pain was gone. Or maybe it was still there and she just didn't care. Maria, poor Maria. She was wrong to think that she could take care of her. Thank God Fox had came along when he did.
Fox grabbed her before she hit the floor, "Obviously, you do, Teresa. More than you'd like to admit." He sat her back down on the couch. "Let me take care of you, Teresa. Open up to me. Tell me what's going on inside your head."
"It's nothing, Fox. Besides, I don't want to burden you with my problems." She lay her head on his shoulder, "I'm so sleepy." She yawned.
"Just rest, Teresa. We'll talk when you wake up." He pulled her close to him allowing her to rest her head on his chest.
"What about Maria?"
"I'll watch after Maria. You just rest." She was already asleep. Dreaming of a life she knew she would never live. A life with him.