Chapter Six
Dreaming
Theresa watched her son as he carefully flipped through photos contained in Fox's drawers. His small fingers delicately picked up one particular photograph. Theresa watched her son as a sad smile formed on his lips. "Look Mommy," he said holding up a photo of him, Theresa, and Fox.
Theresa reached over and held the photograph in her hands. She smiled to herself as her fingers caressed the glossy surface. "What a nice picture." She said quietly. Theresa immediately felt as though her body were being pulled back in time as her mind traveled back to the day she, Fox, and Ethan Martin had gone skating. Theresa could vividly feel the cold of the air against her cheeks. She closed her eyes and remembered how Fox had kissed her under the mistletoe. It had been unexpected, but very welcomed. Theresa remembered the chill of the air and how it quickly dissipated as Fox's lips touched hers.
"We look like a real family." Ethan Martin said interrupting his mother's reminiscing. He stood by his mother and peered at the photo. Theresa's index finger slowly traced the outline of Fox's wide grin. "We do, don't we?" She agreed softly. No one could measure how much Theresa missed Fox. It was simply impossible.
Why had death chosen Fox? Why now? All the questions building up within Theresa always began with one word.
Why.
It was always difficult to explain why.
Just because.
We don't really know why.
The common answers Theresa came up with dissatisfied her. They weren't enough. She wished for answers, but the ones she wanted would never come. It was so frustrating not knowing the exact reason why Fox was taken away. Death was a mystery, and Theresa hated that she could not solve it.
No one had revealed how Fox died. No one except a few people knew, but Theresa was not one of them. Theresa was among the thousands of people who were clueless about Fox's death.
Theresa did not even get to view the body, for she was told that it was advisable that absolutely no one saw the body. Horror struck Theresa when she was told that she could not gaze upon the face of the man she harbored so much love for. The only question she asked was, "Why?"
Theresa was told that it would be too much for anyone to view the body. Theresa immediately felt sick to her stomach. What if Fox had died in a manner that disfigured his body beyond recognition? Theresa could not bring herself to think about it any longer. It was too painful.
While Theresa stared at the photograph, she heard her son sniffling. When she turned her attention to him, she found his blue eyes filled with tears dampening his cheeks. Theresa immediately reached over and wrapped her arms around her son. Ethan Martin clung to his mother as his little body shook with sobs. His grief was becoming too much for Theresa. She found herself releasing the tears that were welling in her eyes. Theresa hated to see her son hurting.
"I miss him!" Ethan Martin wailed. "I want Fox!"
Theresa cried along with her son. "I know honey," She whispered. "I want him back too." Theresa held her son until he exhausted himself into a restless sleep. Theresa held him in her arms as she heard him talking in his sleep. "Fox come back," Ethan Martin whispered. "Come back,"
Theresa bent her head and closed her eyes. She found that deep within her she chanted the same thing. "Fox come back." While Theresa repeated the phrase, sleep beckoned to her exhausted soul. Allowing herself to succumb to its irresistible call, Theresa dozed off. As she slept, she remained oblivious to the pair of eyes that watched her through the small opening of the door.
"Theresa," She heard someone whisper her name. "Theresa,"
Theresa opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes opened wide as she gazed into familiar brown eyes. "You're here." She managed to say.
"I'm here." Fox said grinning.
Theresa felt as though her body were floating. She noticed that Ethan Martin was no longer with her. "Where's~"
"It's just me and you." Fox said stepping closer.
Theresa felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. "I'm dreaming aren't I?" She asked miserably. "You're not really here. This is a dream." Theresa covered her face as tears spilled from her eyes.
"Don't cry." Fox said wiping away Theresa's tears.
Theresa looked at Fox sadly. "I can't help it. When I wake up~" Theresa paused to control her shaking voice. "When I wake up~" She began again tearfully. "You'll still be gone. It hurts every time I think about it. You're gone, and you won't be coming back."
"Oh Theresa." Fox said pulling her into his comforting embrace. "I'll never leave you. Who's to say I'm really gone?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Theresa asked confused.
"You'll see." Fox said pulling away and tilting her chin upwards. "We'll meet again Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, and when we see each other again, I'm going to do this." Slowly, Fox leaned down to plant a soft kiss upon Theresa's lips. "I love you." He whispered.
Theresa opened her eyes, her lips still tingling. "Who's to say he's really gone?" Theresa thought to herself. "I have to be sure." Theresa thought. "I have to find out what really happened." Theresa's hunger for answers would not be satisfied until she was given the truth.
Theresa watched her son as he carefully flipped through photos contained in Fox's drawers. His small fingers delicately picked up one particular photograph. Theresa watched her son as a sad smile formed on his lips. "Look Mommy," he said holding up a photo of him, Theresa, and Fox.
Theresa reached over and held the photograph in her hands. She smiled to herself as her fingers caressed the glossy surface. "What a nice picture." She said quietly. Theresa immediately felt as though her body were being pulled back in time as her mind traveled back to the day she, Fox, and Ethan Martin had gone skating. Theresa could vividly feel the cold of the air against her cheeks. She closed her eyes and remembered how Fox had kissed her under the mistletoe. It had been unexpected, but very welcomed. Theresa remembered the chill of the air and how it quickly dissipated as Fox's lips touched hers.
"We look like a real family." Ethan Martin said interrupting his mother's reminiscing. He stood by his mother and peered at the photo. Theresa's index finger slowly traced the outline of Fox's wide grin. "We do, don't we?" She agreed softly. No one could measure how much Theresa missed Fox. It was simply impossible.
Why had death chosen Fox? Why now? All the questions building up within Theresa always began with one word.
Why.
It was always difficult to explain why.
Just because.
We don't really know why.
The common answers Theresa came up with dissatisfied her. They weren't enough. She wished for answers, but the ones she wanted would never come. It was so frustrating not knowing the exact reason why Fox was taken away. Death was a mystery, and Theresa hated that she could not solve it.
No one had revealed how Fox died. No one except a few people knew, but Theresa was not one of them. Theresa was among the thousands of people who were clueless about Fox's death.
Theresa did not even get to view the body, for she was told that it was advisable that absolutely no one saw the body. Horror struck Theresa when she was told that she could not gaze upon the face of the man she harbored so much love for. The only question she asked was, "Why?"
Theresa was told that it would be too much for anyone to view the body. Theresa immediately felt sick to her stomach. What if Fox had died in a manner that disfigured his body beyond recognition? Theresa could not bring herself to think about it any longer. It was too painful.
While Theresa stared at the photograph, she heard her son sniffling. When she turned her attention to him, she found his blue eyes filled with tears dampening his cheeks. Theresa immediately reached over and wrapped her arms around her son. Ethan Martin clung to his mother as his little body shook with sobs. His grief was becoming too much for Theresa. She found herself releasing the tears that were welling in her eyes. Theresa hated to see her son hurting.
"I miss him!" Ethan Martin wailed. "I want Fox!"
Theresa cried along with her son. "I know honey," She whispered. "I want him back too." Theresa held her son until he exhausted himself into a restless sleep. Theresa held him in her arms as she heard him talking in his sleep. "Fox come back," Ethan Martin whispered. "Come back,"
Theresa bent her head and closed her eyes. She found that deep within her she chanted the same thing. "Fox come back." While Theresa repeated the phrase, sleep beckoned to her exhausted soul. Allowing herself to succumb to its irresistible call, Theresa dozed off. As she slept, she remained oblivious to the pair of eyes that watched her through the small opening of the door.
"Theresa," She heard someone whisper her name. "Theresa,"
Theresa opened her eyes and looked up. Her eyes opened wide as she gazed into familiar brown eyes. "You're here." She managed to say.
"I'm here." Fox said grinning.
Theresa felt as though her body were floating. She noticed that Ethan Martin was no longer with her. "Where's~"
"It's just me and you." Fox said stepping closer.
Theresa felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. "I'm dreaming aren't I?" She asked miserably. "You're not really here. This is a dream." Theresa covered her face as tears spilled from her eyes.
"Don't cry." Fox said wiping away Theresa's tears.
Theresa looked at Fox sadly. "I can't help it. When I wake up~" Theresa paused to control her shaking voice. "When I wake up~" She began again tearfully. "You'll still be gone. It hurts every time I think about it. You're gone, and you won't be coming back."
"Oh Theresa." Fox said pulling her into his comforting embrace. "I'll never leave you. Who's to say I'm really gone?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Theresa asked confused.
"You'll see." Fox said pulling away and tilting her chin upwards. "We'll meet again Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, and when we see each other again, I'm going to do this." Slowly, Fox leaned down to plant a soft kiss upon Theresa's lips. "I love you." He whispered.
Theresa opened her eyes, her lips still tingling. "Who's to say he's really gone?" Theresa thought to herself. "I have to be sure." Theresa thought. "I have to find out what really happened." Theresa's hunger for answers would not be satisfied until she was given the truth.