"Ya know Luis is gonna make a great father." Theresa remarked as they calmed down. "I should know. He had enough practice with me and Miguel."
"I know he'll be wonderful." Sheridan said.
"Have you decided on names yet?" Kay asked as she handed her sisters-in-law a can of soda each.
"Tomas if it's a boy and we're leaning towards Anna Pilar if it's a girl."
"Mama will be so honored." Theresa said.
"We hope so." Sheridan said quietly.
"How did you do it Theresa?" Miguel said as he collapsed onto a bench next to his wife. "I can barely keep up with one of them for an afternoon. How did you do it with two of them for four years, on your own?"
"Stamina. Besides it's easy when you love them more than life." Theresa said as she looked at her boys fondly before looking back at her brother. "What I want to know is why did you desert our brother?"
"It was either desert Luis now or have a heart attack later." Miguel said.
"Wuss." Theresa said.
"Hey Theresa!" Luis called.
Theresa turned around. "Yeah?"
"Joshua just ditched us." Luis said pointing to a path.
Theresa shook her head. That boy was going to be the death of her. "Keep Eli busy. I'll be right back." Theresa said as she got up and ran after her son.
<><><><><><>
Joshua ran speedily down the path after a squirrel. He was stopped after about ten feet by pair of legs and he was kept from falling by a strong pair of hands.
"Whoa there buddy." A voice said. "You okay?"
Joshua looked up and saw a pair of clear blue eyes looking back down at him. The man they belonged to knelt down to be eye level with him.
"You okay?" he asked again.
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Joshua said softly. "Mama said so."
"Oh. Well that's very good advice." He smiled. "How about this? My name's Ethan Crane. Now I'm not a stranger."
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Joshua said.
"Well," Ethan reached into his pocket, "here's my driver's license." He showed it to the little boy. "See there I am and there's my name."
"Okay. Hi Ethan."
"Hi. So what's your name?"
"Joshua Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald." He said proudly.
Ethan nearly fell over. Then he shook his head. The little boy in front of him wasn't Resa's. He would've had a different last name. He was most likely Miguel's son.
"Joshua?" a voice called suddenly. "Joshua where are you?"
"I'm here Mama." Joshua called and a few minutes later Ethan very nearly fell over again as Theresa walked onto the scene.
"There you are." Theresa said as she knelt down next to the small boy not noticing her former boyfriend was staring at her. "What did I tell you about running off?"
"I'm sorry Mama." Joshua said. "But I saw a squirrel."
"Oh." Theresa nodded as if she understood the importance of chasing a squirrel.
"But he stopped me." Joshua said pointing at Ethan.
Theresa turned her head as she started to apologize. "I am so sorry." her voice trailed off. "Ethan?"
"Hi Resa." Her former boyfriend said.
"I thought you and Gwen were in Europe."
"We got back about a week ago."
"So did we." Theresa said as she stood. "It's been a long time."
"Yes it has. You look good." Ethan rose as well.
"Thanks. So do you."
"Mama?" Joshua said pulling on his mother's jeans.
"What sweetheart?"
"I'm hungry."
"Oh you are huh? Well imagine how I feel. I was chasing after you and a squirrel." Theresa teased.
Ethan laughed remembering how many times Ivy had chased after him as a child. "Sheridan told me he's a twin."
"Yeah. Imagine an identical looking calmer version of this one." Theresa ruffled Joshua's hair.
Ethan laughed and looked back at Joshua. He looked a lot like Theresa but there was something else about him. Something familiar that reminded Ethan of him at that age. "Theresa why don't they have your husband's last name?"
"I'm not married."
"I'm sorry."
"Thanks." Theresa said. "Well we better be going. It was nice to see you Ethan."
"You too." Ethan said as he watched Theresa and Joshua walk away. Something about this whole situation didn't wash with him. Something was off and he needed to know what it was.
<><><><><>
"I'll get it." Luis called to his wife when he heard the doorbell ring, as they were getting ready to go to Miguel's house for dinner.
"Okay." Sheridan called from their bedroom.
Luis smiled but when he opened the door his smile faded and he put his cop face on. "Ethan. I heard you were back in town."
"Hi Luis. I need to talk to you about something."
"And what would that be?"
"You sister."
"Theresa's not up for discussion." Luis said flatly. "I assume that is who you're talking about since you've never met Paloma."
"Yeah I'm talking about Theresa."
"Well like I said. Theresa's not up for discussion. Now
if that was all I'll be going."
"That wasn't all." Ethan said.
"What now?"
"Your nephews. Who's their father?"
"I don't know. Theresa doesn't like to talk about him."
"Don't you find that the littlest bit odd? And what about their last name?"
"What about it?" Luis said, tired of this game of twenty questions.
"Why don't they have the same one as their father?"
"That was Theresa's choice."
"Really? Do you know for a fact that she was married?"
"Look Crane my sister is none of your business anymore. She ceased to be your business the day you got plastered and crawled into bed with Gwen Hotchkiss again."
"Fine if that's how you wanna play this then so be it. But answer me this. Are you certain that Theresa wasn't pregnant when she left Harmony?" Ethan turned and walked away after Luis wasn't able to answer him.
<><><><><><>
"Theresa can I talk to you for a minute?" Luis said once they'd finished dinner that night.
"Uh sure." Theresa said before she followed her brother into the back of the house. "So what's up?" she asked once they were in Theresa's bedroom.
"How come you don't have any pictures of the boys' father?"
"What?"
"You heard me Theresa."
"Why are you asking me this now?"
"Cause I wanna know."
"Why?"
"Who's their father Theresa?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Where were you married? When were you married?"
"Stop it."
"Were you married at all?"
"Why are you asking me this? I thought we put this behind us."
"So did I. Ethan Crane raised a lot of questions for me though."
"What?" Theresa said shakily.
Luis noticed the change is his sister's demeanor. One moment she was defensive and now she looked scared. "Talk to me Theresa. Who's their father?"
"It's Ethan."
"What?" Theresa and Luis turned to see Sheridan in the doorway. She had obviously heard their discussion. "Ethan is Joshua and Eli's father?"
"Yes. I left when I found out."
"Why? Ethan loved you. God I think he still does. Why did you leave?"
"Because he was recommitting to Gwen and I didn't want him out of responsibility."
"It wouldn't have been out of responsibility."
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do. I saw him when he found out you were gone. I saw him the other day when he thought you were married. He was crushed both times. Theresa he loves you."
"He may love me but he won't leave Gwen."
"We'll see about that."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I'm going to tell him about the boys."
"No. Sheridan you can't."
"Oh yes I can. And I will."
"No. I will." Theresa said. "If he has to know, he'll find out from me."
"Theresa are you sure?" Luis asked.
"No." Theresa smiled sadly. "But it'll be better coming from me then Sheridan."
"You're doing the right thing Theresa." Sheridan said.
"I hope so." Theresa said as she left her bedroom followed by Luis and Sheridan. "Boys?" Joshua and Elijah came running into the living room as Theresa picked up her purse and fished out her keys.
"Yes Mama?" They said.
"I'm going out for a little while. I'll be back soon. You listen to Uncle Miguel and Aunt Kay and Uncle Luis and Aunt Sheridan okay?"
"Okay Mama." They said together before running back to play.
"Good luck Theresa." Miguel said.
"Thanks." Theresa left the house and hurried to her car through the rain. She sat in her car for a moment before starting it up and whispering to herself. "Here goes nothing."
<><><><><><>
Luis and Miguel watched their sister drive away.
"Think she'll be okay?" Luis asked.
"I know she will. She's a fighter. She always has been." Miguel said before he went back into the living room.
<><><><><><>
As Theresa neared Raven Hill the rain got worse and she could barely see the road. She was a mile from the Crane mansion when another car came barreling at her. She swerved and the last thing she saw was a tree before everything went black.