"Theresa?" Gwen repeated again as her muscles tightened.
"Aww, you missed me?" Theresa said as she sat down on a couch in the living room.
"I...you...no!" Gwen said finally getting her words together.
A stunned Ethan just stood in the doorway not believing his eyes.
"I guess you're wondering how this all happened." Theresa said nonchalantly.
"Yes! I want answers and I want them now!" she demanded.
"Well," Theresa paused "could I have a glass of water?"
Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to Ethan. "Can you get her a glass of water?"
Ethan just stood there. He couldn't move.
"Ethan!" Gwen snapped. Realizing he was too shocked to move she thrusted the baby into his arms and went to get Theresa a glass of water.
"Thanks." Theresa said as Gwen handed her a glass of water.
"Whatever. Are you going to tell me now?" she said unpatiently.
Theresa nodded as she slowly drank down the glass of water. "Ah, refreshing!" she said as she downed the glass.
"Theresa!" Gwen growled.
"Fine, fine." Theresa replied, loving the way she was driving Gwen insane. "Well, I thought child birth was a wonderful experience so I wanted to try it. Low and behold while I was in California, you and Ethan show up on TV and the reporter said you were looking for a surrogate mother so I volunteered."
"I always thought that the fact that the surrogate mother wanted to have a blind interview was mysterious." Gwen said angry that she didn't see it coming.
"I was suprised that you were dumb enough to perform an interview with me behind a curtain." Theresa laughed. "Moving along with my story, I had the operation and everything pretty much went smoothly."
"I can't believe this." Ethan finally said.
"Oh, hi Ethan! So glad you could join us." Theresa said sarcastically.
"Look," Gwen said breaking the ice, "I know we aren't on great terms right now with everything thats happened in the past few years, but I um...I'd like to thank you."
"Well," Theresa said smiling, suprised by Gwens comment, "you're welcome. Just giving back to the community."
Gwen rolled her eyes, tasting the bittersweetness in Theresa's voice. "That doesn't change the fact that you went behind my back while I was engaged to Ethan."
"Oh, by the way. Did you guys kiss and makeup after I left? Cause I really thought you were over with." she struck back.
"That's it Theresa!" Gwen yelled standing up. "Get out, now!" she said pointing towards the door.
"Well," Theresa said standing up, "so much for being a welcomed guest." she quickly walked over to Ethan and kissed the baby on the forehead. "Bye Madison!" she turned and left leaving Ethan and Gwen to put the pieces together.
________________________________________
Fox began to play with his tie as the boring conference droned on. He knew that he should have come up with an excuse to why he couldn't make it. All this talk from CEO's of powerful companies was driving him insane. He could use a good drink right then. He excused himself from his table and walked out to find the nearest bar.
As he downed his drink he heard the audience applauding. "Good, hopefully this stupid thing is almost over." he muttered to himself.
He paid the bartender and made his way back into the conference room.
"Last but not least I would like to introduce someone very special tonight." the hostess began.
"Yeah, Fox Crane." he mumbled laughing at himself.
"This woman started as an underdog at her company but quickly rose to be its CEO, proving that not all nice bosses get walked over."
"Ha!" Fox said a little louder. "Wish she could teach me some tips!"
He got a few dirty stares from people but he ignored them.
"Everyone, please welcome Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald!" the woman announced.
Fox nearly choked on the air. He was probably hearing things, Theresa would never set foot in Harmony again. His eyes proved the woman right. Right before his eyes stepped a beautiful Theresa in a stunning gold gown onto the platform. "God she's even more beautiful." he said watching her intently.
"Thank you." Theresa said acknowledging the applause. "I don't really have that much to say tonight because I know ALL of you want to go home."
The crowd chuckled and she began to relax.
"I think that one thing most CEO's need to realize is that putting on an act of toughness is nothing. I did that once. I did it for a long time until someone opened my eyes. Underneath that toughness there was someone who was scared and insecure. Believe me, being tough does nothing for you. It just hurts you even more."
Fox drifted off as Theresa continued her speech. She was talking about him. He was the one who saw her for what she was and made her realize it. Of all the years he had last spoken to her, she remembered. Before he knew it Theresa's speech was over and she had left the stage. People began to brush past him and he quickly turned around hoping to catch up with her.
After ten minutes of searching he found her. He paused as he watched her waiting for her ride. She had changed. He always thought she could never be any more beautiful than she already was but it was a lie.
"Theresa." he called out. It felt good to say her name. It had been so long.
At the sound of her name Theresa turned around. Her breathing became heavy as she recognized the person who called her. "Fox."
Fox's heart raced as she turned to face him.
"Fox?! Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed running over to give him a hug. "How are you?" she asked as she let go.
"I'm-I'm good. You? You look great." he stuttered.
"I'm good." she said smiling. "Wow, it's been a long time."
"Yeah, so you're...you're a CEO now?"
"Yeah, I am!" she smiled proudly.
Their silence was quickly interrupted by the horn of Theresa's cab.
"Well um, that's my cab." she said getting ready to leave.
"Oh, how long will you be here?" he asked.
"For a few weeks, I haven't spent time with my family in years." she replied. She pulled out a piece of paper and begin to write on it. "Here," she said handing the paper to him, "that's the hotel and the room number I'm staying in. Give me a call sometime or come visit me." She gave him a hug and began to walk away.
"It was great seeing you!" he yelled after her.
"Yeah!" she said turning around and walking backwards to her cab. "But really, call me or just drop by, we can do coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner...whatever!"
Fox laughed as Theresa accidently bumped into the cab. She was still clumsy. He waved to her as her cab pulled off and looked down at the paper she had given him. It seemed like he would be giving her a visit the next day.
"Aww, you missed me?" Theresa said as she sat down on a couch in the living room.
"I...you...no!" Gwen said finally getting her words together.
A stunned Ethan just stood in the doorway not believing his eyes.
"I guess you're wondering how this all happened." Theresa said nonchalantly.
"Yes! I want answers and I want them now!" she demanded.
"Well," Theresa paused "could I have a glass of water?"
Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to Ethan. "Can you get her a glass of water?"
Ethan just stood there. He couldn't move.
"Ethan!" Gwen snapped. Realizing he was too shocked to move she thrusted the baby into his arms and went to get Theresa a glass of water.
"Thanks." Theresa said as Gwen handed her a glass of water.
"Whatever. Are you going to tell me now?" she said unpatiently.
Theresa nodded as she slowly drank down the glass of water. "Ah, refreshing!" she said as she downed the glass.
"Theresa!" Gwen growled.
"Fine, fine." Theresa replied, loving the way she was driving Gwen insane. "Well, I thought child birth was a wonderful experience so I wanted to try it. Low and behold while I was in California, you and Ethan show up on TV and the reporter said you were looking for a surrogate mother so I volunteered."
"I always thought that the fact that the surrogate mother wanted to have a blind interview was mysterious." Gwen said angry that she didn't see it coming.
"I was suprised that you were dumb enough to perform an interview with me behind a curtain." Theresa laughed. "Moving along with my story, I had the operation and everything pretty much went smoothly."
"I can't believe this." Ethan finally said.
"Oh, hi Ethan! So glad you could join us." Theresa said sarcastically.
"Look," Gwen said breaking the ice, "I know we aren't on great terms right now with everything thats happened in the past few years, but I um...I'd like to thank you."
"Well," Theresa said smiling, suprised by Gwens comment, "you're welcome. Just giving back to the community."
Gwen rolled her eyes, tasting the bittersweetness in Theresa's voice. "That doesn't change the fact that you went behind my back while I was engaged to Ethan."
"Oh, by the way. Did you guys kiss and makeup after I left? Cause I really thought you were over with." she struck back.
"That's it Theresa!" Gwen yelled standing up. "Get out, now!" she said pointing towards the door.
"Well," Theresa said standing up, "so much for being a welcomed guest." she quickly walked over to Ethan and kissed the baby on the forehead. "Bye Madison!" she turned and left leaving Ethan and Gwen to put the pieces together.
________________________________________
Fox began to play with his tie as the boring conference droned on. He knew that he should have come up with an excuse to why he couldn't make it. All this talk from CEO's of powerful companies was driving him insane. He could use a good drink right then. He excused himself from his table and walked out to find the nearest bar.
As he downed his drink he heard the audience applauding. "Good, hopefully this stupid thing is almost over." he muttered to himself.
He paid the bartender and made his way back into the conference room.
"Last but not least I would like to introduce someone very special tonight." the hostess began.
"Yeah, Fox Crane." he mumbled laughing at himself.
"This woman started as an underdog at her company but quickly rose to be its CEO, proving that not all nice bosses get walked over."
"Ha!" Fox said a little louder. "Wish she could teach me some tips!"
He got a few dirty stares from people but he ignored them.
"Everyone, please welcome Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald!" the woman announced.
Fox nearly choked on the air. He was probably hearing things, Theresa would never set foot in Harmony again. His eyes proved the woman right. Right before his eyes stepped a beautiful Theresa in a stunning gold gown onto the platform. "God she's even more beautiful." he said watching her intently.
"Thank you." Theresa said acknowledging the applause. "I don't really have that much to say tonight because I know ALL of you want to go home."
The crowd chuckled and she began to relax.
"I think that one thing most CEO's need to realize is that putting on an act of toughness is nothing. I did that once. I did it for a long time until someone opened my eyes. Underneath that toughness there was someone who was scared and insecure. Believe me, being tough does nothing for you. It just hurts you even more."
Fox drifted off as Theresa continued her speech. She was talking about him. He was the one who saw her for what she was and made her realize it. Of all the years he had last spoken to her, she remembered. Before he knew it Theresa's speech was over and she had left the stage. People began to brush past him and he quickly turned around hoping to catch up with her.
After ten minutes of searching he found her. He paused as he watched her waiting for her ride. She had changed. He always thought she could never be any more beautiful than she already was but it was a lie.
"Theresa." he called out. It felt good to say her name. It had been so long.
At the sound of her name Theresa turned around. Her breathing became heavy as she recognized the person who called her. "Fox."
Fox's heart raced as she turned to face him.
"Fox?! Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed running over to give him a hug. "How are you?" she asked as she let go.
"I'm-I'm good. You? You look great." he stuttered.
"I'm good." she said smiling. "Wow, it's been a long time."
"Yeah, so you're...you're a CEO now?"
"Yeah, I am!" she smiled proudly.
Their silence was quickly interrupted by the horn of Theresa's cab.
"Well um, that's my cab." she said getting ready to leave.
"Oh, how long will you be here?" he asked.
"For a few weeks, I haven't spent time with my family in years." she replied. She pulled out a piece of paper and begin to write on it. "Here," she said handing the paper to him, "that's the hotel and the room number I'm staying in. Give me a call sometime or come visit me." She gave him a hug and began to walk away.
"It was great seeing you!" he yelled after her.
"Yeah!" she said turning around and walking backwards to her cab. "But really, call me or just drop by, we can do coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner...whatever!"
Fox laughed as Theresa accidently bumped into the cab. She was still clumsy. He waved to her as her cab pulled off and looked down at the paper she had given him. It seemed like he would be giving her a visit the next day.