Theresa was sitting in Little Ethan's room playing a video game with him. "Look, you beat me again!" She tossled his hair.

"Wow, mom, I've beat you every game!" He said amazed. "Daddy, never let's me win."

"Daddy's a spoil sport, isn't he?" She winked.

"Daddy, told me he didn't like to loose." Little Ethan put down the video controller and went and climbed up in his mommy's lap. "Sometimes daddy is no fun."

She hugged him close to her, "Oh, Little Ethan, daddy's very busy trying to make a better life for you and me. He's just tired that's all. You know he loves you very much don't you."

"I guess. Uncle Fox stopped by this morning and look what he brought me." Little Ethan walked over and brought a sports bag back that was obviously packed full of toys. He sat it in front of his mom. "Isn't it great mom. Look", he said pulling out a new baseball mit and a new baseball, "he says he's going to teach me how to pitch.

"That's great Little Ethan." She said pulling out the baseball shirt which Fox had Little Ethan's name embroidered on it. "Your uncle Fox really cares a lot about you, too."

"Yeah, I wish he was my daddy. He's great." He said tossing the ball up in the air.

"Oh, sweetie, come here." She hugged him close to her again. She should have scolded him, but it was hard to when she wished for the same thing. Things would definitely be different if Fox was Little E's father. "I love you very much."

"I love you, too mommy."

"Come on, grab your jacket and we'll go to the park. I bet you didn't know that your mom knows a thing or two about pitching a baseball."

He looked up at her wide-eyed, "You know how to play baseball, but you're a girl!"

Theresa giggled, "Oh, honey, you've got a lot to learn about women. Besides I had three older brothers. I grew up playing baseball. Come on, last one to the car has to buy an ice cream."

"But I don't have any money."

She pushed him toward the door, "Then I guess I'd better let you have a head start."

Several minutes later Theresa pulled her car into the small park that sat across the street from the Book Cafe. Little Ethan got out of the car and two other younger boys ran over to him. "Wow" one of them said. "Cool mitt, would you like to play with us."

Little Ethan looked up at his mom as if asking permission, "Go on, Little Ethan, have fun. I'll be over here watching."

"Thanks mom." He said excitedly.

Theresa walked over and sat on a park bench watching her son play with the other boys. He had gotten very little play time when Gwen and Rebecca had taken her away from her. They always kept him couped up in the Crane mansion. Little Ethan had told her once that Gwen wasn't a very good mommy. She would never let him play with anything because she was afraid he would break it. Theresa had explained to him that though Gwen may have taken care of him, that no one would ever replace her as his mother.

She knew Little Ethan had a hard time understanding that, what with growing up most of his life believing Julian was his father. Then Ethan and Gwen adopting him. She guessed he did have a distorted view of what a true mommy and daddy was. Maybe Fox was right when he said they could never be together. That would be just one more stumbling block for Little Ethan.

"Here, you look like you need this."

Theresa looked up and saw Whitney sitting across from her. She hadn't even seen her approach. She took the cup of coffee from Whitney. "Thanks. Do I actually look that bad?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest, you have looked better."

"Thanks." She said sarcastically.

"Hey, what are friends for if not to criticize you at your lowest hour." She grinned. "So, how is married life?."

"Good." Theresa said taking a sip of her coffee.

"Theresa, I've known you my whole life. You can tell me."

"There's nothing to tell. Ethan and I are fine. Little Ethan's great and recovering from the whole thing with the paternity and custody battles."

"Theresa, I know when you're lying." Whitney pushed. "Are things not going well with you and Ethan?"

Tears nearly came to her eyes, "I really don't want to talk about this, Whitney. Please."

"You fought so hard to be with him. Hurt a lot of people in the process. Surely, you can't tell me that you and Ethan aren't happy. You've finally gotten everything you've ever wanted. Right? You and Ethan are married. He loves you. He's the father of your son and you're living in that mansion in the sky. What more could you ask for, Theresa?" Whitney went on.

"To be warm at night." Theresa said looking away.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just Ethan has been stressed at work and it's taken it's toll on his relationship with Little Ethan." Theresa heard little Ethan giggling uncontrollably. She looked up and saw Fox was wrestling with him. Fox must have seen them and decided to come over. Fox looked up at that instant and their eyes connected. Memories of what had happened between them earlier that day sent shivers through her. Whitney noticed the entire exchange.

"What's going on, Theresa?" She said looking from Theresa than to Fox.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She looked at Whitney, finally breaking her intense stare down with Fox.

"I saw the way you were looking at Fox. You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We're just friends."

"Who used to be a couple."

"That was until I learned that Ethan was the father of my child. Like Fox said, we have to do what's best for Little Ethan. Fox and I can never be together again."

"Remember that, Theresa. Fox is off limits to you." Whitney got up and walked away. Theresa sat there dumbfounded as she watched her best friend walk away The intensity of Whitney's last words sent chills down her spine.