24
Ethan Martin's ears hungrily absorbed the plot of the new story that Fox and Theresa jointly read to him. As Ethan Martin immersed himself in the thrill of the escapades of the mischievous Tom Sawyer, his eyes registered the same look of awe and excitement that any other eager child would normally exhibit on occasions such as Christmas morning. Theresa's own expression revealed her own enjoyment while Fox secretly treasured the familial-like sense filling the atmosphere surrounding the trio. As he listened to Theresa's gentle voice gliding over the sentences that composed the engaging adventure, Fox found himself reaching into his buried desires and grabbing a hold of the longing to feel a part of a family.
For most of his life, Fox never had the opportunity to feel as though he belonged in the Crane family. Calling the Cranes a family at all was a mockery. The word family evoked the sense of belonging, togetherness, acceptance, and most of all unconditional love, but the Cranes never seemed to come close to achieving the sense of family. Instead, they shamefully represented everything that a family shouldn't be- cold-hearted, patronizing, and manipulative. Being a Crane had its perks at times, but not even wealth could make up for the loneliness that plagued Fox as he grew up.
While Fox continued to ruminate over his past, Theresa watched him out of the corner of her eye. She immediately noticed an all too familiar scowl etched in his features. Whenever Fox spoke of any of the Cranes, the scowl would slowly settle upon his face. It revealed a blend of obscured emotions- the most evident being the bitterness he had the hardest time getting rid of. Ethan Martin seemed to notice the tension building up within Fox and regarded him with a concerned stare. "Wait Mommy," Ethan Martin interrupted as he grabbed a hold of the book in Theresa's grasp.
"Something wrong, buddy?" Fox asked surprised that the young boy had asked his mother to stop reading. "I thought you were enjoying the story."
"I am." Ethan Martin replied matter-of-factly. "But you don't look like you are." Slightly baffled, Fox glanced briefly at Theresa. She raised her eyebrows questioningly as she gazed into his eyes. "He's right you know." She said nodding her head towards her son.
"Yup." Ethan Martin nodded his head emphatically as if to prove his point.
"What in the world would make you think that?" Fox asked as he regarded both mother and son with eyes doused with confusion.
"Oh c'mon Fox." Theresa said exasperatingly. "That look on your face a couple of minutes ago said volumes about what you were feeling."
"What look?" Fox asked.
"This one." Ethan Martin said as he tried his best to replicate Fox's scowl. Theresa stifled a laugh at Ethan Martin's imitation.
"That look." Theresa said coughing to hide her laugh.
"I did not look like that." Fox said crossing his arms.
"Uh-huh. You did!" Ethan Martin insisted. "You looked like this!" Ethan Martin proceeded to mimic Fox's scowl once again and prompted Theresa's hearty laughter. Her infectious hilarity soon spread to Ethan Martin and tempted the corners of Fox's lips to turn up in a smile.
"That's not funny." Fox said trying his best not to join in the jovial moment.
"Yes it is." Ethan Martin said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Nu-uh." Fox argued.
"Uh-huh." Ethan Martin countered.
"Nu-uh." Fox shook his head.
"Uh-huh." Ethan Martin nodded.
Theresa smiled at Ethan Martin and Fox's display of playfulness. She always enjoyed watching Fox interact with her son.
"I know something that's funnier." Fox said grinning widely as he distracted Ethan Martin from their banter.
"What?" Ethan Martin asked curiously.
"This." Fox said as he lurched towards Ethan Martin and began tickling him relentlessly.
Ethan Martin began giggling so hard that tears began streaming down his face. "Mommy!" Ethan Martin cried. "Help me!" He said gasping in between laughs.
Theresa moved towards Fox and clutched him from behind. Once freed of Fox's grasp, Ethan Martin bounded towards the opposite side of the room. He stifled his giggles as he watched his mother and Fox. "Go Mommy!" He cheered on the sidelines as he watched Theresa restrict the movement of Fox's arms.
"Ow, Theresa!" Fox cried. "You're hurting me!" He said trying to sound convincing.
Theresa immediately eased up on her grip and suddenly found herself flipped on her back and pinned to the ground. "Fooled you," Fox sang as Theresa stared at him in disbelief.
"Hey, not fair!" Theresa squirmed.
"Oh it's fair my dear," Fox laughed. "You're the one who fell for my fake display of hurt."
Theresa frowned. "No wonder they call you 'Fox.' You're so clever." Theresa rolled her eyes.
Fox winked. "Of course I am." He said grinning. The smile on Fox's face soon disappeared as his eyes filled with an expression of admiration that made Theresa's heart flutter with nervousness.
"What?" She asked.
"Do you know how beautiful you are?" Fox whispered, leaving her skin tingling from feel of his breath.
Theresa gulped as her crimson flooded her cheeks. "Fox," She admonished. "Now where did that come from?"
"I'm full of surprises, remember?" He asked.
"You certainly are," Theresa smiled as she quickly kissed Fox on the nose.
"Ew," Ethan Martin complained as he covered his blue eyes with his small hands. "Gross!"
Fox chuckled as he helped Theresa to her feet. "I forgot we had an audience." He said motioning towards Ethan Martin. Theresa grinned and headed towards her son. She enveloped him in a big embrace and kissed him on the forehead.
"Mommy!" Ethan Martin protested at Theresa's sudden display of affection.
"It can't be that bad." Fox joked as he ruffled Ethan Martin's blond hair. "Any guy would enjoy receiving that attention from such a beautiful woman." Fox grinned. "Hey, you think I could get my own private attention later?" He whispered in Theresa's ear. Theresa's eyes widened at his audacious request. "Fox! You devil!" She said reprimanding him good-humoredly.
Fox shrugged. "Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying."
"Oh, Mommy!" Ethan Martin said excitedly as he began jumping up and down.
"What is it sweetheart?" Theresa asked.
"Let's make cookies! Remember? I was going to make you cookies once you came back home."
"But honey, don't you want to wait for all the other guests to leave?" Theresa asked.
Ethan Martin pondered Theresa's suggestion. "Okay," He said slowly as he tapped his small chin. "Will you keep reading till those people leave then? Please?" He asked as his clutched his folded hands against his chest.
Theresa smiled. "Of course." She agreed.
"Yay!" Ethan Martin cheered as he grabbed Theresa and Fox's hands in his own.
As the three resumed the journey of Tom Sawyer, Fox relished the wonderful feeling of belonging. Spending time with Theresa and her son gave Fox the experiences he had secretly wished he had had as a child. Their open acceptance and love warmed his soul in ways he never thought possible. Fox knew the bonds he shared with Theresa and Ethan Martin were special treasures that one could only hope to come across in their lifetime. As Fox stole a quick glance at Theresa, resolve filled his heart. Making sure that Theresa and Ethan Martin were happy were going to be his first priorities, and in order to make that happen, Fox knew he would do everything in his power to make sure that Theresa regained full custody of her child.
Ethan Martin's ears hungrily absorbed the plot of the new story that Fox and Theresa jointly read to him. As Ethan Martin immersed himself in the thrill of the escapades of the mischievous Tom Sawyer, his eyes registered the same look of awe and excitement that any other eager child would normally exhibit on occasions such as Christmas morning. Theresa's own expression revealed her own enjoyment while Fox secretly treasured the familial-like sense filling the atmosphere surrounding the trio. As he listened to Theresa's gentle voice gliding over the sentences that composed the engaging adventure, Fox found himself reaching into his buried desires and grabbing a hold of the longing to feel a part of a family.
For most of his life, Fox never had the opportunity to feel as though he belonged in the Crane family. Calling the Cranes a family at all was a mockery. The word family evoked the sense of belonging, togetherness, acceptance, and most of all unconditional love, but the Cranes never seemed to come close to achieving the sense of family. Instead, they shamefully represented everything that a family shouldn't be- cold-hearted, patronizing, and manipulative. Being a Crane had its perks at times, but not even wealth could make up for the loneliness that plagued Fox as he grew up.
While Fox continued to ruminate over his past, Theresa watched him out of the corner of her eye. She immediately noticed an all too familiar scowl etched in his features. Whenever Fox spoke of any of the Cranes, the scowl would slowly settle upon his face. It revealed a blend of obscured emotions- the most evident being the bitterness he had the hardest time getting rid of. Ethan Martin seemed to notice the tension building up within Fox and regarded him with a concerned stare. "Wait Mommy," Ethan Martin interrupted as he grabbed a hold of the book in Theresa's grasp.
"Something wrong, buddy?" Fox asked surprised that the young boy had asked his mother to stop reading. "I thought you were enjoying the story."
"I am." Ethan Martin replied matter-of-factly. "But you don't look like you are." Slightly baffled, Fox glanced briefly at Theresa. She raised her eyebrows questioningly as she gazed into his eyes. "He's right you know." She said nodding her head towards her son.
"Yup." Ethan Martin nodded his head emphatically as if to prove his point.
"What in the world would make you think that?" Fox asked as he regarded both mother and son with eyes doused with confusion.
"Oh c'mon Fox." Theresa said exasperatingly. "That look on your face a couple of minutes ago said volumes about what you were feeling."
"What look?" Fox asked.
"This one." Ethan Martin said as he tried his best to replicate Fox's scowl. Theresa stifled a laugh at Ethan Martin's imitation.
"That look." Theresa said coughing to hide her laugh.
"I did not look like that." Fox said crossing his arms.
"Uh-huh. You did!" Ethan Martin insisted. "You looked like this!" Ethan Martin proceeded to mimic Fox's scowl once again and prompted Theresa's hearty laughter. Her infectious hilarity soon spread to Ethan Martin and tempted the corners of Fox's lips to turn up in a smile.
"That's not funny." Fox said trying his best not to join in the jovial moment.
"Yes it is." Ethan Martin said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Nu-uh." Fox argued.
"Uh-huh." Ethan Martin countered.
"Nu-uh." Fox shook his head.
"Uh-huh." Ethan Martin nodded.
Theresa smiled at Ethan Martin and Fox's display of playfulness. She always enjoyed watching Fox interact with her son.
"I know something that's funnier." Fox said grinning widely as he distracted Ethan Martin from their banter.
"What?" Ethan Martin asked curiously.
"This." Fox said as he lurched towards Ethan Martin and began tickling him relentlessly.
Ethan Martin began giggling so hard that tears began streaming down his face. "Mommy!" Ethan Martin cried. "Help me!" He said gasping in between laughs.
Theresa moved towards Fox and clutched him from behind. Once freed of Fox's grasp, Ethan Martin bounded towards the opposite side of the room. He stifled his giggles as he watched his mother and Fox. "Go Mommy!" He cheered on the sidelines as he watched Theresa restrict the movement of Fox's arms.
"Ow, Theresa!" Fox cried. "You're hurting me!" He said trying to sound convincing.
Theresa immediately eased up on her grip and suddenly found herself flipped on her back and pinned to the ground. "Fooled you," Fox sang as Theresa stared at him in disbelief.
"Hey, not fair!" Theresa squirmed.
"Oh it's fair my dear," Fox laughed. "You're the one who fell for my fake display of hurt."
Theresa frowned. "No wonder they call you 'Fox.' You're so clever." Theresa rolled her eyes.
Fox winked. "Of course I am." He said grinning. The smile on Fox's face soon disappeared as his eyes filled with an expression of admiration that made Theresa's heart flutter with nervousness.
"What?" She asked.
"Do you know how beautiful you are?" Fox whispered, leaving her skin tingling from feel of his breath.
Theresa gulped as her crimson flooded her cheeks. "Fox," She admonished. "Now where did that come from?"
"I'm full of surprises, remember?" He asked.
"You certainly are," Theresa smiled as she quickly kissed Fox on the nose.
"Ew," Ethan Martin complained as he covered his blue eyes with his small hands. "Gross!"
Fox chuckled as he helped Theresa to her feet. "I forgot we had an audience." He said motioning towards Ethan Martin. Theresa grinned and headed towards her son. She enveloped him in a big embrace and kissed him on the forehead.
"Mommy!" Ethan Martin protested at Theresa's sudden display of affection.
"It can't be that bad." Fox joked as he ruffled Ethan Martin's blond hair. "Any guy would enjoy receiving that attention from such a beautiful woman." Fox grinned. "Hey, you think I could get my own private attention later?" He whispered in Theresa's ear. Theresa's eyes widened at his audacious request. "Fox! You devil!" She said reprimanding him good-humoredly.
Fox shrugged. "Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying."
"Oh, Mommy!" Ethan Martin said excitedly as he began jumping up and down.
"What is it sweetheart?" Theresa asked.
"Let's make cookies! Remember? I was going to make you cookies once you came back home."
"But honey, don't you want to wait for all the other guests to leave?" Theresa asked.
Ethan Martin pondered Theresa's suggestion. "Okay," He said slowly as he tapped his small chin. "Will you keep reading till those people leave then? Please?" He asked as his clutched his folded hands against his chest.
Theresa smiled. "Of course." She agreed.
"Yay!" Ethan Martin cheered as he grabbed Theresa and Fox's hands in his own.
As the three resumed the journey of Tom Sawyer, Fox relished the wonderful feeling of belonging. Spending time with Theresa and her son gave Fox the experiences he had secretly wished he had had as a child. Their open acceptance and love warmed his soul in ways he never thought possible. Fox knew the bonds he shared with Theresa and Ethan Martin were special treasures that one could only hope to come across in their lifetime. As Fox stole a quick glance at Theresa, resolve filled his heart. Making sure that Theresa and Ethan Martin were happy were going to be his first priorities, and in order to make that happen, Fox knew he would do everything in his power to make sure that Theresa regained full custody of her child.