"Thank you again for sailing me up here—for renting this car." Glancing over at the Lopez-Fitzgerald's house and then back at Brian, Sheridan's heart swelled in her chest. "I can't tell you how grateful I am."
"Yeah, well, how else were you going to get back up here without anyone knowing?" Brian asked. "You don't have any ID, and, even if you did, I doubt you would have been able to board a plane without getting noticed."
"Still," Sheridan ventured, "—I know that taking me back to Harmony wasn't something you wanted to do."
Brian looked over at the house. "Just make sure he treats you right."
"You don't have to worry about that." Her voice thickening, Sheridan looked back at the house. "Luis has saved my life so many times—I don't know what I would have done without him." Pausing for a moment, Sheridan turned back to Brian. "I know I wouldn't be alive today without you, either—I truly appreciate every single thing you've done to help me."
Brian shrugged and averted his eyes. "I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have done."
"I don't know about that—but I do know I'll be forever grateful to you." Something inexplicable tugging at her, Sheridan studied him. "I know you don't want to talk about why you've seemed so uncomfortable since we docked—but if you do ever want to talk about it, I'm more than happy to listen."
"Like I said, it's nothing." Curling his fingers around the parking brake, Brian fixed his eyes on the steering wheel and cleared his throat. "Now, why don't you go knock on that door before I change my mind and beg you to stay—before I realize what a fool I'm being?"
Sheridan's throat tightened. "You're not a fool."
Brian's eyes remained fixed on the steering wheel.
Swallowing, Sheridan nodded.
Tugging the hood on her coat as far forward as she could get it, she put on a pair of sunglasses and reached for the passenger door handle.
"Sheridan?"
Sheridan turned back.
Brian looked at her. "Remember—I'm going to stay the night on the boat. If you need me, all you need to do is call."
Hope and joy welling within her, Sheridan knocked on the front door.
This was it.
After all of this time—after all of this misery—she was finally going to see him again.
The door in front of her swung open.
Pilar.
Pilar.
Sheridan's heart burst.
Pilar looked her up and down. "May . . . may I help you?"
Tears in her eyes, Sheridan nudged up her sunglasses and smiled. "Pilar?"
Pilar gasped, her hand flying to her heart. "Sher . . . Sheridan?"
Her heart in her throat, Sheridan nodded.
Pilar fainted dead away.
"Pilar!" Closing the front door, Sheridan fell to her knees next to the woman she had always considered a second mother.
Across the room, the kitchen door swung open.
Theresa and Ethan came running out.
"Mama!" Theresa cried, rushing across the room, Ethan right behind her. "Mama—what happened?"
Theresa and Ethan stopped in their tracks.
"Sh . . . Sheridan?" Ethan stammered. "Is that really you?"
"Yes." Sheridan smiled, fresh tears springing to her eyes.
Ethan took a step toward her. "I can't believe you're really here."
"That makes two of us." A tear slipping down her cheek, Sheridan leapt to her feet and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Ethan—I've missed you so much!"
"Sheridan." His voice catching in his throat, Ethan tightened his arms around her. "Sheridan—I've missed you, too."
"Did Mama faint when she saw you?" Theresa asked.
Sheridan looked up. "Yes," she said, glancing back at Pilar and then over at Theresa. "I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to frighten her."
"I know you didn't." Kneeling down next to her mother, Theresa stroked Pilar's hair and looked up at Sheridan. "I can't believe you're alive—I'm so happy you're here."
"I'm happy I'm here, too." Sheridan smiled through her tears. "I've missed you all so much."
Theresa's eyes slid over to Ethan. "Ethan and Luis have been so lost without you."
Ethan frowned.
"Ethan?" Sheridan's heart fell. "Ethan—what's going on?"
"Nothing we can't talk about later." Ethan cleared his throat. "Let's just get Pilar conscious again and call Luis—I'm sure you can't wait to see him."
"I really can't." Sheridan's heart lifted. "Please tell me he's somewhere close by."
Theresa smiled. "I think he's out with Hank and Beth. But if you call him, I know he'll come running right home."
Sheridan's pulse accelerated. "Would . . . would you mind calling him? I know this might sound strange, but I don't think it's a good idea for anyone else to know that I'm back in Harmony until I talk to Luis myself."
Ethan's brow creased. "Sheridan—what's going on?"
Pilar groaned and rolled her head.
"Mama?" Theresa's attention snapped back to her mother. "Mama—are you okay?"
"¿Mija?" Her eyes flying open, Pilar grasped Theresa's shirt. "Mija—I think I just saw a ghost."
Theresa smiled, a tear slipping down her cheek. "If you did, then we're all seeing the same thing."
"Wh . . . what do you mean?" Pilar asked.
"Pilar?" Sheridan dropped down next to her.
Pilar grabbed Theresa's hand.
Theresa nodded at Sheridan.
Pilar inched her eyes over. "¿Mija?"
Her eyes flooding with fresh tears, Sheridan clasped Pilar's free hand in her own. "Pilar—I've missed you so much."
Pilar blinked back tears. "How is this happening?"
Sheridan squeezed Pilar's hand. "A fisherman pulled me out of the water—barely alive. I couldn't even remember my own name."
Ethan squatted down next to her. "You had amnesia?"
Sheridan looked at him. "Yes," she said, her eyes glistening. "Until the other day."
"That must have been awful," Theresa said.
"It was." Sheridan turned back to Theresa. "But then I saw a picture of Luis." Tears gathering in her throat, Sheridan smiled. "And all my memories came rushing back."
"That's the power of true love." Theresa fixed her eyes on Ethan. "It can overcome anything."
Sheridan glanced back and forth between Theresa and Ethan. "I'd like to think that," she said, hope rising in her chest. "All I know is that my love for Luis—just seeing his face—it changed everything."
"So you really think your father and Julian faked your fingerprints and dental records?" Her brow creasing with worry, Pilar sat down on the couch next to Sheridan.
"I don't see who else could have done it," Sheridan said. "That's why I was all covered up before—I don't want my family to find out I'm alive before I've talked to Luis."
"Well, hopefully, he'll be here soon." Squeezing Sheridan's leg, Pilar looked over at Theresa. "Do you see any sign of your brother?"
Theresa peeked out through the curtains. "No." Her eyes sparkling, Theresa clasped her hands in front of her face as she turned back to face them. "But I'm sure he'll be here soon."
"I'm sure he will be," Pilar agreed. "He was only down at the wharf when I talked to him."
Covering Pilar's hand with her own, Sheridan smiled. "Thank you for calling him."
"Of course, mija," Pilar said. "I just want this nightmare to be over."
"Me, too." Fresh tears gathering in her eyes, Sheridan glanced over at the windows. "I can't wait to see him again."
"Mama?" Luis's voice sounded from the kitchen.
Sheridan's eyes snapped to the kitchen door.
"Mama, what's wrong?" Luis burst into the living room. "Why are all the curtains clo . . . ?"
Luis froze, the word dying on his lips.
Sheridan's heart leapt.
"Sher . . . Sheridan?" Luis fell back on his heel. "Is . . . is that really you?"
Tears in her eyes, Sheridan nodded.
Luis looked at his mother.
Her eyes glistening, Pilar smiled at him.
"Luis?" Theresa tried.
Luis's eyes snapped to hers.
"You're not seeing things." A tear slipping down her cheek, Theresa's face lit up as Ethan slid one arm around her waist. "Sheridan's really here."
"Luis?" Sheridan breathed.
Luis's eyes flew back to hers.
"Oh, Luis . . ." Jumping up from the couch, Sheridan flew into his arms. "Luis, I've missed you so much."
"Sheridan?" His voice catching in his throat, Luis tightened his arms around her. "Am I really holding you in my arms?"
"You are." Tears spilling onto her cheeks, Sheridan leaned back and smiled at him. "I'm really here with you."
Tears in his own eyes, Luis swallowed a lump in his throat. "How is this even happening?"
Sheridan's smile grew. "Liz figured out everything. She somehow got it in her head that you and I were connected."
Luis's brows shot up, his eyes widening. "You're Diana?"
"Yes. . . . I mean, I was," Sheridan said. "But I never saw Brian as anything more than a friend," she rushed, cupping Luis's face in her hands. "I had amnesia—but I never forgot my love for you."
Luis's brows fell, his face brightening. "The whole time I was down there, you and I kept missing each other."
"We did." Fresh tears gathered in Sheridan's eyes. "After you left, Liz managed to pull up a picture of you from an article we found online. The second I saw your face—it all came rushing back to me."
"I can't believe this." Looking her up and down, Luis smiled and rubbed her arms. "You're really here."
"I'm really here." Tears slipped down Sheridan's face. Pulling him back into a tight embrace, she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm really here with you."
~Fin~
Congratulations! You've broken Tabitha's spell!
No matter what other obstacles this lifetime throws Luis and Sheridan's way,
they will face and overcome them together!
If you'd like to explore other routes you can take to break Tabitha's spell, restart your adventure and play again!
Or go to Chapter 17 to end this journey and read the author's closing note.
