Family Ties

Having left Sheridan's place, Theresa sighed as she walked to her mother's house.

"This is what my life has come to. I thought I'd be happily married, and instead, I find my husband cheating on me with his ex-wife, and now I have two children to raise by myself. Yup, Theresa, you've really done it this time." Slumping her shoulders, Theresa makes her way into her house, where she suddenly hears "SURPRISE!"

Looking up startled, Theresa smiles as she sees her family all standing in the living room. "What are you guys doing?" She asks as she laughs.

"Mama, abuela did this! She wanted to make you happy for coming back!" Gracie said as she hugged her mom.

"Well, abuela certainly did that." Hugging Pilar, Theresa sighs. "Thanks, mama, I needed this."

"You're welcome, mi hija."

Theresa smiles as she hugs Sheridan, "you didn't tell me about this!"

"Well, of course not! When you got to my house, I knew I had to find a way to tell your mother, so I called Luis when I went to the kitchen, and then I ran out of the house after you and took a faster shortcut here."

"Oh, you!" Theresa says as she hugs Sheridan.

"Come, let's enjoy some great food." Pilar says.

As Theresa and her family sit at the table, she looks around and feels an emptiness inside. Ethan is missing from this table. God, why did this have to happen?

After dinner, Theresa watches as her children run off to play with their cousins. Looking to her mother, Theresa sighs when her brother Luis comes to sit back at the table.

"Theresa, we need to talk. You need to tell us what happened. Why isn't Ethan here with us?"

Sighing, Theresa gears up for the moment she's waited for. "This is very hard to say."

"We're your family, Theresita, we aren't angry with you, we're just concerned."

"I know, mama." Taking a breath, Theresa begins her story. "You see, I went to Ethan's office one day…."

Flashback

"OH MY GOD!"

"Theresa?" Ethan slurs, looking up. "Theresa…w-w-ait…." He attempts to talk, but finds his voice totally gone.

"Forget it, you jerk! How could you! How could you do this to our kids! Damn you, Ethan! Damn you!" Theresa says as she runs off."

End Flashback

"I found Gwen in Ethan's arms. I didn't know what to do. I was so confused, how could he have gone back to her? I thought he loved me, you know? I didn't think, I just grabbed the kids, and I came here."

"That jerk! I'm going to kill him!"

"Mi hijo! Please! Do not talk like that, the children could hear you."

"But, mama!"

"No buts, Luis! No matter what wrongs Ethan has or hasn't done, those children in the other room are a part of him, and we can't tarnish his image for them."

"Mama, it's no use. Little Ethan is so mad at his father. He can't even talk about him or what happened. My little girl…she's too young to understand why her daddy isn't home with her playing. But Little Ethan…he's so mature and understanding…what am I going to do, mama?"

Holding her daughter's hand, Pilar pats it gently. "You're strong, Theresa, you're going to do the right thing."

"I don't know what the right thing is anymore."

"Just have fate, mi hija."

Fate…

"I don't know if I believe in Fate anymore, mama."

"Fate believes in you, Theresa, I know it."

Coming Up

Ethan calls Theresa!