CH. 16
Fox buttoned up his white long-sleeved shirt, and slipped on a black jacket. He checked his watch and let out a deep breath.
"Well it's now or never buddy." He said to his reflection in the mirror. "It's 7:30 which means that in the next 30 minutes Theresa will or will not show up at the wharf. But whatever happens, at least you can't say you never tried."
He walked over to the night table, and picked up the long-stemmed rose he had gotten for Theresa. He then went into his dresser drawer and took out a small black box. Lifting the lid, he reached inside and pulled out the small ring.
"I really hope you show up tonight Theresa." He smiled, rubbing his finger over the tiny pink diamond. "If not, I'll have to live the rest of my life without you."
He let out a deep sigh and put the box into his pocket.
"No more stalling Fox, it's time to face your destiny." He went downstairs and climbed into his car, heading straight for the wharf.
When Fox arrived his stomach ached from the millions of butterflies flying around inside. He was so worried that Theresa might not show up. If she didn't he knew that he deserved it, but deep inside he knew that it would kill him.
"What happened to us Theresa?" Fox sighed, leaning over the edge of the dock, inhaling the salty breeze. "We used to be so happy, even when things were just innocent. Now there's a chance that I could lose you forever." He ran a hand nervously through his hair and bent his head. "I don't think I could stand that."
As he felt the cool breeze on his neck, he couldn't help but remember the days when he and Theresa were much more happier.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback One~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fox watched as fresh tears brimmed Theresa's eyes.
"Theresa?" He attempted to wipe them away, but they just kept falling. "What's wrong?"
Theresa could barely speak, as she looked into Fox's eyes.
"Fox, I'm never going to get my son back." She let her gaze wander to a nearby picture of herself and Little Ethan. "Gwen and Rebecca have won. I have no real home, besides staying with Whitney and I still have yet to find a job. There is no way that any judge is going to give me back my son."
Fox had to fight back his own tears. Watching Theresa in so much pain broke his heart in two.
"Theresa you can't think like that." He tried to look into her eyes. "The minute you give up on getting your son back, the easier it's going to be for them to win, and you cannot let that happen."
"I know." Theresa wiped away her tears. "I know I have to be strong for my little boy, but it hurts too much. To think that I can never hold him in my arms again, or sing him a lullaby breaks my heart. He's all I have Fox. I can't loose him."
Theresa fell into Fox's arms.
"You won't lose him Theresa. As long as I'm here, I will get you your son back." He gently kissed the top of her head. "I won't rest until he is in your arms again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback Two~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The prince and Cinderella danced for what seemed like hours and hours. Cinderella felt so happy dancing in the Prince's arms, that she hardly heard the faint chimes of the clock striking twelve. Cinderella knew that as soon as the clock struck twelve the spell would be broken and the prince would know who she really was." Fox read loudly to Little Ethan as he curled up beside him in his bed.
"Cinderella didn't even wait for the Prince to say another word." Fox continued reading. "She quickly dashed down the stairs, running as fast as she could. Cinderella ran so fast, that she accidentally kicked off one of her glass slippers. She was about to turn around to get it, but she could hear the prince following close behind, so she left it and ran off into the night. When the Prince found her glass slipper, he ordered his top men to look for the girl who's foot fit the slipper, because he would not rest until her found her."
Fox looked down at Little Ethan and noticed the confused expression on his face.
"Fox?" Little Ethan began. "Why did the Prince want to find Cinderella so badly?"
"Well because the Prince knew that he had finally found the woman of his dreams." As Fox tried to explain things to Little Ethan he felt as though someone was watching him. He glanced at the door and saw Theresa standing there with a smile on her face. Making sure not to take his eyes off Theresa, Fox continued to explain the story to Little Ethan.
"So you see, because the Prince felt that he found his one true love, he knew that he could never let her go." He tore his gaze away from Theresa to look down at Little Ethan. "Look, I know you're probably too young to understand this. But Little Ethan when you finally find someone that you really care about, that's when you do everything in your power to keep them in your life." He smiled, once again looking up at Theresa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback Three~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mmmm, I love chocolate ice-cream!" Little Ethan smiled, taking a lick of his ice-cream cone.
"Did you remember to say thank-you to Fox for treating us to ice-cream?" Theresa smiled at her son.
"Hey there's no need for that. "Fox winked at them both, lying down on the blanket he had laid out on the grass. "It is absolutely my pleasure."
"Fox, how come you didn't get any ice-cream?" Little Ethan noticed that Fox's hand was empty.
"Oh, well that's because they didn't have my favourite flavor." Fox sat up, and smiled. "Rocky-road."
"Well they had my favourite!" Theresa smiled, taking a lick of her ice cream. "Butterscotch is heaven!"
"Well Fox, you should've taken chocolate. It's the best!" Little Ethan grinned. "Do you want some of mine?" Little Ethan reached over to give Fox a lick, but accidentally tripped over his foot and a bit of the ice-cream landed on Fox's nose.
"Oh I think Fox likes chocolate now!" Theresa howled. Finding it incredibly difficult to not laugh at Fox's face.
"Oh you think this is funny?" Fox evilly grinned, wiping the chocolate off his nose.
He quickly tapped the bottom of Theresa's cone up-ward, dipping her nose into her own ice cream.
Theresa's eyes widened in shock, as Fox and Little Ethan laughed uncontrollably.
"I can't believe you just did that!" Theresa stared at the two laughing boys. "That's it! You know what, Little Ethan?" Theresa pulled her son to one side. "I think Fox is ASKING for one of our tag-team tickling attacks. What do you say?"
"Yeah!!!" Little Ethan joyfully screamed as he pounced on Fox.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Fox said in between laughs, catching Little Ethan. "I don't know if I can take both of you on." He tried tickling both Theresa and Little Ethan, but the two were too strong for him.
Soon the three of them were laughing uncontrollably in the sweet afternoon sunlight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fox sadly smiled at his reflection in the dark waters below.
"Theresa what happened to us? You, Little Ethan and I were so happy. Why can't it be like that again?"
Fox was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even realize the time. He glanced down at his watch and frowned.
"It's eight-fifteen." He whispered to himself.
He glanced around the wharf, but he didn't see any one in sight.
"Theresa didn't come." Fox felt his stomach tightened. "She hasn't forgiven me."
He suddenly felt tears sting his eyelids, as he stared down at his sad reflection.
"I can't believe it. I've lost her."
Fox buttoned up his white long-sleeved shirt, and slipped on a black jacket. He checked his watch and let out a deep breath.
"Well it's now or never buddy." He said to his reflection in the mirror. "It's 7:30 which means that in the next 30 minutes Theresa will or will not show up at the wharf. But whatever happens, at least you can't say you never tried."
He walked over to the night table, and picked up the long-stemmed rose he had gotten for Theresa. He then went into his dresser drawer and took out a small black box. Lifting the lid, he reached inside and pulled out the small ring.
"I really hope you show up tonight Theresa." He smiled, rubbing his finger over the tiny pink diamond. "If not, I'll have to live the rest of my life without you."
He let out a deep sigh and put the box into his pocket.
"No more stalling Fox, it's time to face your destiny." He went downstairs and climbed into his car, heading straight for the wharf.
When Fox arrived his stomach ached from the millions of butterflies flying around inside. He was so worried that Theresa might not show up. If she didn't he knew that he deserved it, but deep inside he knew that it would kill him.
"What happened to us Theresa?" Fox sighed, leaning over the edge of the dock, inhaling the salty breeze. "We used to be so happy, even when things were just innocent. Now there's a chance that I could lose you forever." He ran a hand nervously through his hair and bent his head. "I don't think I could stand that."
As he felt the cool breeze on his neck, he couldn't help but remember the days when he and Theresa were much more happier.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback One~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fox watched as fresh tears brimmed Theresa's eyes.
"Theresa?" He attempted to wipe them away, but they just kept falling. "What's wrong?"
Theresa could barely speak, as she looked into Fox's eyes.
"Fox, I'm never going to get my son back." She let her gaze wander to a nearby picture of herself and Little Ethan. "Gwen and Rebecca have won. I have no real home, besides staying with Whitney and I still have yet to find a job. There is no way that any judge is going to give me back my son."
Fox had to fight back his own tears. Watching Theresa in so much pain broke his heart in two.
"Theresa you can't think like that." He tried to look into her eyes. "The minute you give up on getting your son back, the easier it's going to be for them to win, and you cannot let that happen."
"I know." Theresa wiped away her tears. "I know I have to be strong for my little boy, but it hurts too much. To think that I can never hold him in my arms again, or sing him a lullaby breaks my heart. He's all I have Fox. I can't loose him."
Theresa fell into Fox's arms.
"You won't lose him Theresa. As long as I'm here, I will get you your son back." He gently kissed the top of her head. "I won't rest until he is in your arms again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback Two~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The prince and Cinderella danced for what seemed like hours and hours. Cinderella felt so happy dancing in the Prince's arms, that she hardly heard the faint chimes of the clock striking twelve. Cinderella knew that as soon as the clock struck twelve the spell would be broken and the prince would know who she really was." Fox read loudly to Little Ethan as he curled up beside him in his bed.
"Cinderella didn't even wait for the Prince to say another word." Fox continued reading. "She quickly dashed down the stairs, running as fast as she could. Cinderella ran so fast, that she accidentally kicked off one of her glass slippers. She was about to turn around to get it, but she could hear the prince following close behind, so she left it and ran off into the night. When the Prince found her glass slipper, he ordered his top men to look for the girl who's foot fit the slipper, because he would not rest until her found her."
Fox looked down at Little Ethan and noticed the confused expression on his face.
"Fox?" Little Ethan began. "Why did the Prince want to find Cinderella so badly?"
"Well because the Prince knew that he had finally found the woman of his dreams." As Fox tried to explain things to Little Ethan he felt as though someone was watching him. He glanced at the door and saw Theresa standing there with a smile on her face. Making sure not to take his eyes off Theresa, Fox continued to explain the story to Little Ethan.
"So you see, because the Prince felt that he found his one true love, he knew that he could never let her go." He tore his gaze away from Theresa to look down at Little Ethan. "Look, I know you're probably too young to understand this. But Little Ethan when you finally find someone that you really care about, that's when you do everything in your power to keep them in your life." He smiled, once again looking up at Theresa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback Three~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mmmm, I love chocolate ice-cream!" Little Ethan smiled, taking a lick of his ice-cream cone.
"Did you remember to say thank-you to Fox for treating us to ice-cream?" Theresa smiled at her son.
"Hey there's no need for that. "Fox winked at them both, lying down on the blanket he had laid out on the grass. "It is absolutely my pleasure."
"Fox, how come you didn't get any ice-cream?" Little Ethan noticed that Fox's hand was empty.
"Oh, well that's because they didn't have my favourite flavor." Fox sat up, and smiled. "Rocky-road."
"Well they had my favourite!" Theresa smiled, taking a lick of her ice cream. "Butterscotch is heaven!"
"Well Fox, you should've taken chocolate. It's the best!" Little Ethan grinned. "Do you want some of mine?" Little Ethan reached over to give Fox a lick, but accidentally tripped over his foot and a bit of the ice-cream landed on Fox's nose.
"Oh I think Fox likes chocolate now!" Theresa howled. Finding it incredibly difficult to not laugh at Fox's face.
"Oh you think this is funny?" Fox evilly grinned, wiping the chocolate off his nose.
He quickly tapped the bottom of Theresa's cone up-ward, dipping her nose into her own ice cream.
Theresa's eyes widened in shock, as Fox and Little Ethan laughed uncontrollably.
"I can't believe you just did that!" Theresa stared at the two laughing boys. "That's it! You know what, Little Ethan?" Theresa pulled her son to one side. "I think Fox is ASKING for one of our tag-team tickling attacks. What do you say?"
"Yeah!!!" Little Ethan joyfully screamed as he pounced on Fox.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Fox said in between laughs, catching Little Ethan. "I don't know if I can take both of you on." He tried tickling both Theresa and Little Ethan, but the two were too strong for him.
Soon the three of them were laughing uncontrollably in the sweet afternoon sunlight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fox sadly smiled at his reflection in the dark waters below.
"Theresa what happened to us? You, Little Ethan and I were so happy. Why can't it be like that again?"
Fox was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even realize the time. He glanced down at his watch and frowned.
"It's eight-fifteen." He whispered to himself.
He glanced around the wharf, but he didn't see any one in sight.
"Theresa didn't come." Fox felt his stomach tightened. "She hasn't forgiven me."
He suddenly felt tears sting his eyelids, as he stared down at his sad reflection.
"I can't believe it. I've lost her."