Later than afternoon Teresa sat with Whitney at the apartment her and Chad
shared.
"Teresa, you have to make this decision on your own. I can't tell you what to do. I can say though that I trust you and I think you'll make the right choice in the end if you just follow your heart."
Teresa stood beside the window looking outside, "I'm just so confused, Whitney. At one time, I thought Ethan was my destiny. That he was the man I would always love. Now, now I'm not so sure. He's changed, Whitney. Since he learned that Julian wasn't his father and everything we went through with that whole fake marriage ordeal. He's not the same Ethan I feel in love with." She shook her head, "God, Whitney, this is so confusing. Up until two weeks ago, I thought, Ethan was the man I wanted in my life and now." She ran over and sit beside Whitney on the couch. "Oh, Whitney, when I saw Fox that day in the park I felt like my old self again. Like the free-spirited Teresa I use to be before my life got turned upside down. And when he kissed me." Teresa touched her lips, "Oh, Whitney, I just can't explain."
Whitney took Teresa's hand, "Look, Teresa, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you're getting married in a few days, maybe this is just cold feet. Maybe your just scared because Ethan is the last person you'll ever make love to again. I don't know, but please don't make any rash decisions that you're going to regret. You know what you have with Ethan. Fox, on the other hand, you never know. Look at his past, he's not the most reliable guy out there."
"You sound just like Ethan." Teresa said frowning. "Whitney, I know Fox better than anyone. He's a good man. And you shouldn't take everything you read in those trashy newspapers so seriously. Look what they wrote about me. They made me look like some sort of monster."
"You're right, Teresa, just be careful. Please. You're my best friend and I want to see you happy."
"I know you do. Thanks for being a good listener." Her and Whitney hugged, "I've got to go by mama's and pick up Little Ethan."
A short time later Teresa pulled into the drive of her mama's house. She walked the short distance to the front door and walked on in. "Mama, I'm here." She walked through the entrance into the living room, "Little Ethan, mama's here to take you home." She looked around the living room and the kitchen, but no one was there. 'Strange', Teresa thought to herself, 'her mother hadn't mention going anywhere.' She walked upstairs to what use to be her bedroom and slowly opened the door. Since moving to the cottage they had converted this room to a room for Little Ethan when he stayed over with his grandmother.
Teresa was stunned by what she found. There sat Fox holding Little Ethan reading him a story. She had never seen Little Ethan sit so quitely. Not even for her. They both seemed content just spending time together. She walked over and sat on the bed across from where Fox and Little Ethan sat in a rocking chair. Fox looked up from the book, but he didn't miss a beat of the story. He kept on reading until the end. When he was finished he laid the book down on a small table and placed Little Ethan in his crib. He was sound asleep.
He walked out the bedroom door without looking at Teresa. She walked over and ran a hand through her little man's head and then followed Fox downstairs. He stood at the foot of the stairs. Not sure if he wanted to face Teresa or not, but knowing it was the right thing to do.
"Where's mama, Fox?"
"I found out Little Ethan was here and I just wanted to see my baby brother for the first time. Your mother said she had some errands to run for your wedding and asked if I would stay with him. I thought it would be nice to spend some quality time with him seeing how we've never met before."
"That's very sweet of you, Fox. It looks like Little Ethan took a liking to you."
"Yeah, well, he's pretty special, Teresa. You must have done a terrific job raising him. You would never know that he was the spawn of my father."
She smiled, "I could say the same thing about you."
He grimmaced, "And you, Teresa, would be the only one."
"Fox, we need to talk."
He ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah, Teresa, about today, I'm sorry about that. It was a mistake."
"Was it, Fox?" She inched closer to him, "Maybe it wasn't. Maybe you came back to Harmony for a reason. Care to fill me in?"
"Teresa..." He pulled her in closer to him and as their lips were ready to meet the doorbell rang.
"Umm, I'll get that, Fox."
Fox stepped back, "Yeah, good idea."
Teresa walked over and opened the front door, "Ethan, what are you doing here?"
"I saw your car parked out in the drive. Thought I'd stop by." He forced his way in.
"Ethan, wait..." Teresa tried to stop him.
Ethan stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Fox standing there. "Fox, what are you doing here?"
"Came by to see my little brother. As if it's any of your business." Fox grabbed his jacket off the coat rack. "I'll be leaving." He smiled at Teresa. "You have a beautiful son, Teresa. I hope we can spend more time together. His big brother could show him a thing or two."
Ethan shot him a quick glance, "Fox, I don't think so. Little Ethan will be raised as my son. You will have nothing to do with him."
Fox just stared at him for a brief moment, "Then I feel sorry for Little Ethan. I would hate to think that you would shelter him from every bad thing out there. If that's the case then maybe he should never be around let's say...Mother."
Ethan stepped toward Fox with his fist drawn at his side, "You sonofabitch."
Teresa grabbed Ethan's arms, "Ethan, please. He's my son. If Fox wants to spend time with his brother than I think that's only fair." She looked toward Fox. "I'm sorry, Fox, I don't know what's gotten into Ethan. Thanks for coming by to spend time with my son. I know one day he'll appreciate it."
"Thanks, Teresa. I'll see you around." He walked out the door.
Teresa started to walk past Ethan into the living room, but he grabbed her wrist, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She turned to face him, pain written all over her face, "Please, Ethan, let go. You're hurting me." She struggled to free her wrist from his grasp.
"I don't give a damn, Teresa. You will not belittle me in front of Fox again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal!" Teresa yanked her wrist free of Ethan's grasp. "Don't you ever grab me like that again."
"I'll do whatever I damn well please, Teresa, and you'd better remember that. The next time I catch you with Fox I will not be so civil."
"What's wrong with you, Ethan? Where's the Ethan I use to know?"
"The Ethan you use to know is dead, Teresa. When you pulled all those little stunts down in Bermuda and then turned up pregnant with Little Ethan, it killed me. You're so naive and stupid sometimes, Teresa, and if I have to be this way to keep you in line, then so be it." He grabbed Little Ethan's diaper bag and coat. "Now, go get your son. I'm taking you home. We're going to sit down and have a long talk about how things are going to be if you intend on marrying me."
"Teresa, you have to make this decision on your own. I can't tell you what to do. I can say though that I trust you and I think you'll make the right choice in the end if you just follow your heart."
Teresa stood beside the window looking outside, "I'm just so confused, Whitney. At one time, I thought Ethan was my destiny. That he was the man I would always love. Now, now I'm not so sure. He's changed, Whitney. Since he learned that Julian wasn't his father and everything we went through with that whole fake marriage ordeal. He's not the same Ethan I feel in love with." She shook her head, "God, Whitney, this is so confusing. Up until two weeks ago, I thought, Ethan was the man I wanted in my life and now." She ran over and sit beside Whitney on the couch. "Oh, Whitney, when I saw Fox that day in the park I felt like my old self again. Like the free-spirited Teresa I use to be before my life got turned upside down. And when he kissed me." Teresa touched her lips, "Oh, Whitney, I just can't explain."
Whitney took Teresa's hand, "Look, Teresa, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you're getting married in a few days, maybe this is just cold feet. Maybe your just scared because Ethan is the last person you'll ever make love to again. I don't know, but please don't make any rash decisions that you're going to regret. You know what you have with Ethan. Fox, on the other hand, you never know. Look at his past, he's not the most reliable guy out there."
"You sound just like Ethan." Teresa said frowning. "Whitney, I know Fox better than anyone. He's a good man. And you shouldn't take everything you read in those trashy newspapers so seriously. Look what they wrote about me. They made me look like some sort of monster."
"You're right, Teresa, just be careful. Please. You're my best friend and I want to see you happy."
"I know you do. Thanks for being a good listener." Her and Whitney hugged, "I've got to go by mama's and pick up Little Ethan."
A short time later Teresa pulled into the drive of her mama's house. She walked the short distance to the front door and walked on in. "Mama, I'm here." She walked through the entrance into the living room, "Little Ethan, mama's here to take you home." She looked around the living room and the kitchen, but no one was there. 'Strange', Teresa thought to herself, 'her mother hadn't mention going anywhere.' She walked upstairs to what use to be her bedroom and slowly opened the door. Since moving to the cottage they had converted this room to a room for Little Ethan when he stayed over with his grandmother.
Teresa was stunned by what she found. There sat Fox holding Little Ethan reading him a story. She had never seen Little Ethan sit so quitely. Not even for her. They both seemed content just spending time together. She walked over and sat on the bed across from where Fox and Little Ethan sat in a rocking chair. Fox looked up from the book, but he didn't miss a beat of the story. He kept on reading until the end. When he was finished he laid the book down on a small table and placed Little Ethan in his crib. He was sound asleep.
He walked out the bedroom door without looking at Teresa. She walked over and ran a hand through her little man's head and then followed Fox downstairs. He stood at the foot of the stairs. Not sure if he wanted to face Teresa or not, but knowing it was the right thing to do.
"Where's mama, Fox?"
"I found out Little Ethan was here and I just wanted to see my baby brother for the first time. Your mother said she had some errands to run for your wedding and asked if I would stay with him. I thought it would be nice to spend some quality time with him seeing how we've never met before."
"That's very sweet of you, Fox. It looks like Little Ethan took a liking to you."
"Yeah, well, he's pretty special, Teresa. You must have done a terrific job raising him. You would never know that he was the spawn of my father."
She smiled, "I could say the same thing about you."
He grimmaced, "And you, Teresa, would be the only one."
"Fox, we need to talk."
He ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah, Teresa, about today, I'm sorry about that. It was a mistake."
"Was it, Fox?" She inched closer to him, "Maybe it wasn't. Maybe you came back to Harmony for a reason. Care to fill me in?"
"Teresa..." He pulled her in closer to him and as their lips were ready to meet the doorbell rang.
"Umm, I'll get that, Fox."
Fox stepped back, "Yeah, good idea."
Teresa walked over and opened the front door, "Ethan, what are you doing here?"
"I saw your car parked out in the drive. Thought I'd stop by." He forced his way in.
"Ethan, wait..." Teresa tried to stop him.
Ethan stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Fox standing there. "Fox, what are you doing here?"
"Came by to see my little brother. As if it's any of your business." Fox grabbed his jacket off the coat rack. "I'll be leaving." He smiled at Teresa. "You have a beautiful son, Teresa. I hope we can spend more time together. His big brother could show him a thing or two."
Ethan shot him a quick glance, "Fox, I don't think so. Little Ethan will be raised as my son. You will have nothing to do with him."
Fox just stared at him for a brief moment, "Then I feel sorry for Little Ethan. I would hate to think that you would shelter him from every bad thing out there. If that's the case then maybe he should never be around let's say...Mother."
Ethan stepped toward Fox with his fist drawn at his side, "You sonofabitch."
Teresa grabbed Ethan's arms, "Ethan, please. He's my son. If Fox wants to spend time with his brother than I think that's only fair." She looked toward Fox. "I'm sorry, Fox, I don't know what's gotten into Ethan. Thanks for coming by to spend time with my son. I know one day he'll appreciate it."
"Thanks, Teresa. I'll see you around." He walked out the door.
Teresa started to walk past Ethan into the living room, but he grabbed her wrist, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She turned to face him, pain written all over her face, "Please, Ethan, let go. You're hurting me." She struggled to free her wrist from his grasp.
"I don't give a damn, Teresa. You will not belittle me in front of Fox again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal!" Teresa yanked her wrist free of Ethan's grasp. "Don't you ever grab me like that again."
"I'll do whatever I damn well please, Teresa, and you'd better remember that. The next time I catch you with Fox I will not be so civil."
"What's wrong with you, Ethan? Where's the Ethan I use to know?"
"The Ethan you use to know is dead, Teresa. When you pulled all those little stunts down in Bermuda and then turned up pregnant with Little Ethan, it killed me. You're so naive and stupid sometimes, Teresa, and if I have to be this way to keep you in line, then so be it." He grabbed Little Ethan's diaper bag and coat. "Now, go get your son. I'm taking you home. We're going to sit down and have a long talk about how things are going to be if you intend on marrying me."