~23~

Inside the Bed and Breakfast, Fox and Fancy were still competing in the verbal Olympics, with Ivy acting as their exasperated referee and Julian looking on with an expression of mild amusement.

Sheridan curled her arms about her middle protectively and moved from the warm glow of the window, her boots clomping as she traveled down the porch steps and into the frozen wonderland beyond. She lifted her eyes to the sky, blinking as she felt tiny snowflakes melting against her lashes on contact. She tensed when she heard movement behind her, only relaxing when her mother's familiar voice reached her ears.

"Sheridan Crane," Katherine gently chastised. "You'll catch your death of cold."

Sheridan accepted the heavy quilt Katherine draped over her shoulders with an indulgent smile. Holding one end of the quilt up, she invited Katherine to join her in its cocoon of warmth.

Slipping an arm behind Sheridan's waist, Katherine pressed her lips to Sheridan's temple then followed her suit, lifting her own eyes to the heavens with a smile on her face. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

Silence reigned on the pair, comfortable silence. Snowflakes floated down from the midnight sky like sparkling jewels, and their warm breath formed faint clouds in the chilly air in front of them. The rest of the world seemed to drift away, leaving them in such utter stillness and solitude, neither desired to create a disturbance, not for several long minutes, minutes of holding each other.

Sheridan's words, when they finally came, brought an end to the illusion. Her pain was thick and hovered, ghostly, over her shoulders. "I can't stay, Mother."

Choosing to be obtuse, Katherine tightened her arm around her daughter's waist. "Boston's not that far."

"Boston's not far enough," Sheridan murmured.

"Sheridan," Katherine could not keep the panic from her voice as she turned Sheridan in her arms, holding her captive. Sheridan's blue eyes when they finally met hers glittered like sapphires. "Oh, Sheridan, no. What happened tonight? Did Luis say something, do something?"

"Luis isn't the problem," Sheridan shook her head. "I'm the problem. I've caused him and his family nothing but pain and misery from the moment we met."

"Sheridan, that's not true," Katherine objected. "Alistair's given them nothing but pain and misery. Not you. You've given them life and love and Marty. That little boy is the greatest gift…Listen to me," she implored her daughter. "The one thing Luis and I agree upon besides our love for you is that that child is precious and worth all the tears and anger and heartache."

Sheridan's lips trembled and her eyes closed as she thought again of her sweet little boy's tears at their parting, and she felt her heart clench painfully at the choices that had led them to this point, her choices. She chose to 'move on' with Chris when the pain of Luis's absence beside her was too much to bear. She chose to mother a son that was not her own, when it seemed she'd never again hold Marty close to her heart. She chose to accept Chris's proposal when she didn't want to wear any man's ring but Luis's. She chose…. "Marty deserves more than me disrupting his life on holidays and birthdays. I'm not fit to be his mother. I'm not fit to be a mother at all."

Katherine grasped Sheridan's hands tightly in her own. "It wasn't your fault."

"It's all my fault," Sheridan shrank from her mother's touch, seeking the bitter cold again, the quilt falling to the snow below. "Everything."

"It wasn't your fault," Katherine insisted. "Sometimes things just happen without reason or blame."

"No," Sheridan wouldn't be persuaded. "No, Mother, you're wrong."

"Sheridan, don't. Don't say it," Katherine cried, clutching her daughter's shoulders, desperately wanting to shake some sense into her. She dropped her hands in dismay when her efforts proved fruitless.

"The blame rests on me. I killed my baby."

Hooboy.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Poor Sher...she's drowning in angst.

Least there's the image of Fox and Fancy and their fun banter with their parents as reluctantly amused referees to keep this chapter from being complete misery.

On the bright side, how beautiful does a snowy night sound (as long as you're warm and toasty enough to enjoy it-and have electricity)? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the (rare) snowfall we're experiencing where I'm from doesn't mean I'll wake up in the morning with frozen toes and no heat due to a power outrage. Keep your fingers crossed for me, kay?

Anyway...enough of my RL stuff that you could really care less about.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter (and the other I'm about to post).

I can't wait to read your thoughts (I'm looking at you, Shaun...you're the only one brave enough to post, lol...not that I'm blaming anybody).

Thanks so much for reading!