CH. 17
Fox sat at the edge of the dock in complete shock.
"How could this happen?" He silently asked himself. "I could've sworn Theresa would have came. I completely poured my heart out in that letter. How could she still not believe me?"
He wiped a tear from his eye, not being able to hide his emotions.
"I guess I hurt her more than I had thought." Fox tightly held the rose that he had gotten for Theresa in his hands. "I can't believe I'm never going to get to hold you again."
Fox shivered from the cool breeze, unable to imagine his life without his true love.
He was so caught up in emotion that he didn't even feel the slight touch of a hand on his shoulder.
"Fox?" Someone from behind him asked.
He slowly looked up at the familiar face and smiled in shock.
"Theresa?" Fox slowly got up and looked at her carefully, afraid that she might disappear.
But as Theresa stood before him in a beautiful long red dress, staring up at him from those amazing eyes, he knew that he wasn't imagining her.
"Fox, I'm so sorry I'm late." She apologetically smiled. "Little Ethan wouldn't let me leave the house until he finished this picture that he wanted me to give to you."
She held out a picture drawn in crayon for Fox to see.
Fox smiled carefully examining the picture. Little Ethan had drawn both himself and Fox together at what looked like a baseball game. He laughed at the detail Little Ethan had put in drawing the baseball and bat.
"He drew this?" Fox could barely speak as he felt himself get very emotional. "It's great. Oh, and this is for you." He reached behind his back and handed Theresa the rose. "I'll make sure to give something to Little Ethan for this awesome picture. I love it."
"Thank you Fox, it's beautiful." She smiled smelling the flower. "Well Little Ethan really wanted me to give the picture to you. That's why I was late." Theresa looked down at her watch and frowned. "O my gosh, it's 8:30!" I didn't realize I had taken that long!"
Theresa looked up at Fox.
"If I had known, I would've called you." She explained.
"Don't worry about it Theresa." Fox simply said.
"No, Fox. I didn't want you to think that I wasn't going to come and that I didn't forgive you." She paused and searched his eyes. "O my gosh, you did think that, didn't you?"
Fox didn't respond. He just bent his head.
"Fox, I am so sorry." She gently tilted his chin up with her hand. "That's the last thing I wanted."
The contact from Theresa's soft hand, sent shivers down Fox's spine. He never dreamed that he would ever feel her touch again.
"So does that mean that you HAVE forgiven me?" Fox held his breath, staring into Theresa's eyes.
"Of course I have." Theresa smiled. "I mean, how couldn't I? After reading your letter, and talking to Dylan, I---"
"Wait a minute," Fox interrupted. "You talked to Dylan?"
"Yeah, he told me everything." Theresa took a deep breath. "I still can't believe that he would go through so much trouble just to break us up. But he admitted it, and he sincerely apologized."
"Wow, I never knew Dylan had it in him." Fox mumbled.
"Well, I guess he just wanted me to realize just how much I would be giving up if I let you go." Theresa stared up at Fox, looking deep into his eyes. "These last few days that we've been apart have opened my eyes so much. I was blinded by so much anger that I refused to see what a blessing you are to me and my son." Theresa took a deep breath and struggled to fight back tears. "You have been so amazing Fox, and I was stupid for holding something against you that happened so long ago. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't with me throughout my whole fight with Julian and Rebecca. If it weren't for your constant encouragement and support I probably would never have gotten my son back."
Theresa paused to recollect her thoughts, as she felt fresh tears brim her eyelids.
"I was just so hurt because I was afraid that you were just using me to help your father and Rebecca take my son again. I thought that you were on their side and that you were just lying to me the whole time." Theresa looked up and saw the hurt in Fox's eyes. "But deep inside I knew that you would never hurt me like that. Somewhere inside I knew that you honestly cared for my son. It's just that I've been hurt so many times by the Cranes- -and ex-Cranes. When I found out that Ethan had helped Rebecca steal my son, I swore to myself that I would never trust another Crane. But then you came along, and you were NOTHING like them. You were caring, loving and just incredible. And to top things off, I realized that my son was crazy about you. That's when I knew that I---" Theresa took a deep breath, realizing that she had never revealed this to Fox before. "I knew that I was falling in love with you."
She took Fox's hands in her own and stared into his eyes.
"I was so confused and hurt that I didn't know what to believe anymore. But after talking to Whitney, Luis, and most of all my mother, I realized that I just had to trust my heart." Theresa placed a hand over Fox's own heart. "It took me some time to see what was really there. But eventually you know what I found?"
"What?" Fox looked at Theresa.
"You." She smiled tears falling down her face. "You, and all the love that you have given to me and Little Ethan. I could never repay you for the positive effect that you have been on my son's life. He looks up to you as if you were his own father, and I know that I have told you this before, but he really does love you."
"I love him too Theresa, and I love his mother very much as well." Fox watched the tears fall down Theresa face, as he gently wiped them away. "I don't want to scare you or anything honey, but I think I've loved you since the day I first met you. You were just so incredibly strong raising Little Ethan on your own. I know women who would have caved-in the second they found out they were pregnant by their lover's father. But you stuck it through, and as a result you gave birth to the most beautiful son. I even think you're giving me way too much credit for you re-gaining custody of Little Ethan. The truth is if it weren't for your dedication and strength Rebecca would probably still have the little guy. Theresa you are an incredible woman. You are beautiful, loving and just everything that a man could ask for. That's why when I thought there was a chance I could lose you, I almost died inside. I don't ever want to feel like that again Theresa."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black box. Fox took the ring out and knelt down, once more taking Theresa's hand.
"Sweetheart, you have made me so happy. I can't even explain the joy that you have given to me. Some days I find myself getting completely excited at the thought of seeing you and Little Ethan. You two have become such an important part of my life, that I could never forgive myself for ever hurting you." Fox sadly looked down.
"But Fox, I know that you'd never hurt me intentionally." Theresa smiled gently lifting Fox's chin to face her.
"I know, but I still did." Fox sadly looked up at her. "That's why I'm going to make you a promise." He slipped the ring on her finger. "Theresa, this ring symbolizes everything that we have shared and will continue to share. I promise that I will never give you any reason to break your trust in me. I love you so much."
"Oh Fox," she cried, pulling him up to kiss her. "I love you too."
Fox sat at the edge of the dock in complete shock.
"How could this happen?" He silently asked himself. "I could've sworn Theresa would have came. I completely poured my heart out in that letter. How could she still not believe me?"
He wiped a tear from his eye, not being able to hide his emotions.
"I guess I hurt her more than I had thought." Fox tightly held the rose that he had gotten for Theresa in his hands. "I can't believe I'm never going to get to hold you again."
Fox shivered from the cool breeze, unable to imagine his life without his true love.
He was so caught up in emotion that he didn't even feel the slight touch of a hand on his shoulder.
"Fox?" Someone from behind him asked.
He slowly looked up at the familiar face and smiled in shock.
"Theresa?" Fox slowly got up and looked at her carefully, afraid that she might disappear.
But as Theresa stood before him in a beautiful long red dress, staring up at him from those amazing eyes, he knew that he wasn't imagining her.
"Fox, I'm so sorry I'm late." She apologetically smiled. "Little Ethan wouldn't let me leave the house until he finished this picture that he wanted me to give to you."
She held out a picture drawn in crayon for Fox to see.
Fox smiled carefully examining the picture. Little Ethan had drawn both himself and Fox together at what looked like a baseball game. He laughed at the detail Little Ethan had put in drawing the baseball and bat.
"He drew this?" Fox could barely speak as he felt himself get very emotional. "It's great. Oh, and this is for you." He reached behind his back and handed Theresa the rose. "I'll make sure to give something to Little Ethan for this awesome picture. I love it."
"Thank you Fox, it's beautiful." She smiled smelling the flower. "Well Little Ethan really wanted me to give the picture to you. That's why I was late." Theresa looked down at her watch and frowned. "O my gosh, it's 8:30!" I didn't realize I had taken that long!"
Theresa looked up at Fox.
"If I had known, I would've called you." She explained.
"Don't worry about it Theresa." Fox simply said.
"No, Fox. I didn't want you to think that I wasn't going to come and that I didn't forgive you." She paused and searched his eyes. "O my gosh, you did think that, didn't you?"
Fox didn't respond. He just bent his head.
"Fox, I am so sorry." She gently tilted his chin up with her hand. "That's the last thing I wanted."
The contact from Theresa's soft hand, sent shivers down Fox's spine. He never dreamed that he would ever feel her touch again.
"So does that mean that you HAVE forgiven me?" Fox held his breath, staring into Theresa's eyes.
"Of course I have." Theresa smiled. "I mean, how couldn't I? After reading your letter, and talking to Dylan, I---"
"Wait a minute," Fox interrupted. "You talked to Dylan?"
"Yeah, he told me everything." Theresa took a deep breath. "I still can't believe that he would go through so much trouble just to break us up. But he admitted it, and he sincerely apologized."
"Wow, I never knew Dylan had it in him." Fox mumbled.
"Well, I guess he just wanted me to realize just how much I would be giving up if I let you go." Theresa stared up at Fox, looking deep into his eyes. "These last few days that we've been apart have opened my eyes so much. I was blinded by so much anger that I refused to see what a blessing you are to me and my son." Theresa took a deep breath and struggled to fight back tears. "You have been so amazing Fox, and I was stupid for holding something against you that happened so long ago. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't with me throughout my whole fight with Julian and Rebecca. If it weren't for your constant encouragement and support I probably would never have gotten my son back."
Theresa paused to recollect her thoughts, as she felt fresh tears brim her eyelids.
"I was just so hurt because I was afraid that you were just using me to help your father and Rebecca take my son again. I thought that you were on their side and that you were just lying to me the whole time." Theresa looked up and saw the hurt in Fox's eyes. "But deep inside I knew that you would never hurt me like that. Somewhere inside I knew that you honestly cared for my son. It's just that I've been hurt so many times by the Cranes- -and ex-Cranes. When I found out that Ethan had helped Rebecca steal my son, I swore to myself that I would never trust another Crane. But then you came along, and you were NOTHING like them. You were caring, loving and just incredible. And to top things off, I realized that my son was crazy about you. That's when I knew that I---" Theresa took a deep breath, realizing that she had never revealed this to Fox before. "I knew that I was falling in love with you."
She took Fox's hands in her own and stared into his eyes.
"I was so confused and hurt that I didn't know what to believe anymore. But after talking to Whitney, Luis, and most of all my mother, I realized that I just had to trust my heart." Theresa placed a hand over Fox's own heart. "It took me some time to see what was really there. But eventually you know what I found?"
"What?" Fox looked at Theresa.
"You." She smiled tears falling down her face. "You, and all the love that you have given to me and Little Ethan. I could never repay you for the positive effect that you have been on my son's life. He looks up to you as if you were his own father, and I know that I have told you this before, but he really does love you."
"I love him too Theresa, and I love his mother very much as well." Fox watched the tears fall down Theresa face, as he gently wiped them away. "I don't want to scare you or anything honey, but I think I've loved you since the day I first met you. You were just so incredibly strong raising Little Ethan on your own. I know women who would have caved-in the second they found out they were pregnant by their lover's father. But you stuck it through, and as a result you gave birth to the most beautiful son. I even think you're giving me way too much credit for you re-gaining custody of Little Ethan. The truth is if it weren't for your dedication and strength Rebecca would probably still have the little guy. Theresa you are an incredible woman. You are beautiful, loving and just everything that a man could ask for. That's why when I thought there was a chance I could lose you, I almost died inside. I don't ever want to feel like that again Theresa."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black box. Fox took the ring out and knelt down, once more taking Theresa's hand.
"Sweetheart, you have made me so happy. I can't even explain the joy that you have given to me. Some days I find myself getting completely excited at the thought of seeing you and Little Ethan. You two have become such an important part of my life, that I could never forgive myself for ever hurting you." Fox sadly looked down.
"But Fox, I know that you'd never hurt me intentionally." Theresa smiled gently lifting Fox's chin to face her.
"I know, but I still did." Fox sadly looked up at her. "That's why I'm going to make you a promise." He slipped the ring on her finger. "Theresa, this ring symbolizes everything that we have shared and will continue to share. I promise that I will never give you any reason to break your trust in me. I love you so much."
"Oh Fox," she cried, pulling him up to kiss her. "I love you too."