~15~

"Yeah," Luis's voice sounded gruff as he carefully untangled their clasped hands and fixed his gaze on the softly falling flakes outside. "The snow is beautiful."

Sheridan frowned at his perceived efforts to rid himself of her touch and puzzled again over the abrupt change in his behavior. She felt a pang of sadness at her inability to read him and wondered if this was all they had left, if this was all they would remain to each other: past acquaintances, almost strangers, who shared a child.

"Mama!" Marty bounded to her side, his small hand tugging eagerly at her sleeve. "Can we make a snowman?"

"You silly boy," Paloma captured him in her arms from behind, tickling his tummy and making him giggle. "There's not enough snow for a snowman."

"But there will be," Marty cried between shrieks of laughter and bouts of squirming. "Tell her papa," Marty insisted stubbornly.

His son's pleas finally reached Luis's ears, and his response was stern and not at all the one the boy had been hoping for, "Tomorrow."

Marty's young face fell in disappointment, tears springing to his blue eyes. "But Papa," he pouted.

Paloma sobered, hugging her arms about the child loosely for comfort. Tomorrow, Paloma knew, could never be as wonderful as today. It just wouldn't be the same.

Beside Luis, Sheridan hung her head in guilt and turned away, unable to bear witness to the heartbreaking scene unfolding even as she ached to take Marty in her arms and whisper promises that weren't hers to make.

Ignoring Marty's forlorn expression, Luis instead sought out his mother's sympathetic face. "Mama."

"Mi hijo," Pilar took Marty's slender shoulders in her hands.

"No, Abuela," Marty tried to push her hands away, and he squirmed to get down when she scooped him up into her arms.

"Marty," Luis spoke warningly.

"Mama!" Tears rolled down Marty's face as he reached for Sheridan.

The slight, silent shaking of Sheridan's shoulders was the only indication she heard Marty's plaintive wails as Pilar disappeared down the hall, carrying the child away.

"Luis," Martin stepped forward to confront his son as Paloma placed a tentative hand on Sheridan's arm. "Son, this is crazy. At least allow them a proper goodbye."

"Stay out of this," Luis advised his father. "I'm his father."

"And Sheridan's his mother," Martin snapped, his patience with their stubbornness having run out. Softening his tone, he continued, "What harm can a few more hours do?"

A few more hours, Luis wanted to shout. A few more hours would only raise Marty's hopes, making the fall that much harder and that much more painful to recover from when Sheridan did what she always did after these visits—left them both behind. No. It was easier this way, like ripping off a bandage—more immediately painful but better than prolonging the inevitable. And if it made him the bad guy, he was okay with that because he didn't want to taint his son's love for his mother. "Sheridan," he finally spoke, "I think you should leave now."

"Luis," Paloma made one final attempt to protest, but her brother's heavy sigh and Sheridan's soft whisper stopped her.

"Don't. Don't," Sheridan gave Paloma's hand on her arm a grateful squeeze. "Luis is right. I," she fought to speak over the lump in her throat, "I should be going. Tell Marty…tell Marty I love him, okay. Tell him I'm sorry, but I just can't stay. Do that for me?"

"Si," Paloma nodded her dark head vigorously as she pulled Sheridan into a brief but tight hug. "I will tell him," she promised.

"Sheridan," Martin stepped forward, his own words faltering as he strove to make sense of things the way they were. He finally settled for a somber "Take care."

"Thank you," Sheridan gave him a trembling smile as she gathered her purse and the rest of her things in her arms. "Give Pilar my love."

Luis held his breath until the sound of her car's engine faded in the distance, Marty's soft cries the only remaining sound in the too-silent house.

"I don't understand you," Paloma shook her head sadly as she regarded her brother with disillusioned dark eyes. "Either one of you."

Ouch, Luis. Just...ouch.

Anybody reading this one?

:D

Hope you're enjoying the fic.