Home, she thought to herself. I'm finally home. A quick glance in the rearview mirror told her that her two passengers were still fast asleep in the back seat. She smiled softly at them before navigating her car towards her childhood house where her brother Miguel and his wife Kay now resided. Going past the police station she wondered how her brother Luis and his wife Sheridan were doing. Theresa smiled at the irony of it all. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, hater of all things Crane had ended up marrying Sheridan Crane, daughter of Alistar. But they had been married for two years so far and not a single glitch, except for the fact that Sheridan didn't know who the father of her four-year-old nephews was. As Theresa turned the corner by the high school she could just see the country club out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head sternly she reprimanded herself. You're not gonna go there Theresa. All that's a long time past and there's no use going back. No use at all.
Theresa pulled to a stop in front of the house she'd grown up in and shut the car off. As soon as she cut the engine she heard a sleepy voice, "Mama?"
"It's okay Joshua. Mama stopped the car cause we're here." Theresa said softly as she opened her door and pulled the seat forward. She unbuckled the awake Joshua and the still sleeping Elijah before she heard the front door open and a voice say,
"Theresa?"
Pulling out of the car she turned to see her younger brother Miguel coming out of the house wearing a pair of sweatpants.
"Hi Miguel." Theresa smiled at her brother before she turned and lifted Joshua out of the car. Setting him down she knelt down beside him and pointed. "Do you remember your uncle Miguel, Joshua?"
"Uh-huh. He's where Eli's middle name came from."
"That's right." Theresa smiled at her son.
"Mama?" A sleepy voice identical to the one she'd heard when she had
stopped the car said from behind her.
"I'm right here Eli." Theresa said turning to get her other son out
of the car. "We're home sweetheart."
"For good?" Miguel asked.
"If you'll have us." Theresa said softly.
"Of course we will. Welcome home Theresa."
"Thanks Miguel."
^~^~^~^~^~^
Ethan Crane walked up to the front door of the Crane mansion and just
as he was about to open the door it was flung open from inside and he found
himself in the embrace of his mother, Ivy Crane.
"Hello Mother."
"Oh Ethan I'm so glad to have you home." Ivy said as she let her son
go. "But where's Gwen?"
"Still in town. She liked that antique shop of Grace Bennett's
so much I think she might bring home the whole store."
"Oh. Well I am just glad to have my son home. Come in, come in."
Ivy ushered her son into the house and then shut the door behind him.
"Oh it is so good to see you. How was London darling?" She asked
as they sat down in the living room.
"It was great Mother." Ethan said, smiling.
"You stay here. I'm going to go get use some tea and I want to
hear all about it." Ivy said as she hopped up and headed for the kitchen.
Ethan smiled slightly before he rose too and headed for the window.
Looking towards the guesthouse he spotted his Aunt Sheridan wobbling towards
her front door. He wondered where Luis was. His mother had
said Luis rarely left Sheridan alone these days since she was so close
to her due date. Not that he was in any hurry to run into Theresa's
brother.
Ethan closed his eyes as an image of Theresa's face popped into his
head. He wondered vaguely what she would have looked like pregnant
with their child. Don't torture yourself Crane. he told himself. That dream
died a long time ago.