Collision Course, Chapter 16
 
 

" Yes, Ethan, I will marry you."

Ethan smiled at Gwen’s acceptance, yet got concerned when Gwen turned away from him. He went around to face her and saw tears forming in her eyes.

" Why are you crying?"

" Because, I’m scared. I made it through you nearly destroying me, Ethan. I have to wonder if I’m crazy to give you another chance."

" Gwen, I won’t hurt you. I promise."

" Ethan, don’t make any promises that I’m not able to believe right now."

" Then, why are you marrying me?"

" Because, even after you shattered my heart into a millionpieces, I still love you. Maybe that’s an indictment on me, but, it is the truth."

" I am sorry Gwen, and I know that I’ll have to earn your trust. I’m willing to do that. So, I’ll see you at the house in an hour?"

" An hour, Ethan?"

" Gwen, it will be a simple ceremony. Elegant though. Just your family. Mine is elsewhere. We’ll have a Crane-style party later."

" Fine. In an hour."

Ethan left, and Bobby and Rebecca came in.

" So?", Rebecca asked.

" Ethan and I will be married in an hour."

" An hour? Gwen, are you crazy?", Bobby asked.

" No. I want you to give me away."

" I won’t Gwen. He doesn’t deserve you."

" This isn’t your call, Bobby. Please….for everything that we’ve meant to one another…please?"

Bobby looked into his sister’s eyes. He never could deny her anything that she TRULY wanted. He remembered his mother’s words about relationships being between the two people, and sighed.

" If he hurts you again, I’ll kill him."

" Thanks.", Gwen says, kissing him. She takes Rebecca’s hand. " Come on,Mother. We have to find something elegant for me to marry in."

" Oh, Gwennie. I know just the outfit."

Bobby shakes his head, and decides to go get his tuxedo on.
 

Theresa sat on the floor in her room, with all her Ethan momentos surrounding her. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She was sure of their love. She was sure that they would live ‘happily ever after’. She was sure that Ethan Bennett would be HERS, and that Ethan would thank her for telling him the truth about his paternity.

Instead, NONE of that happened.

There would be no ‘ happily ever after’.

There would be no Ethan BENNETT.

He was Ethan CRANE, and wanted to stay that way.

He was marrying Gwen.

And, IF she revealed his paternity, he would hate her forever. Her blood had run cold when he told her that, for she knew he was speaking the truth. If anyone found out about his paternity, he would blame HER, and they would not be together.

But, then again, they weren’t together now.

He was marrying Gwen.

In order to stay a Crane, he was going to marry Gwen.

Mama had told her that Ethan’s identity was in being a Crane. She had told her that Ethan loves that family and would never leave them. Even for ‘love’.

She didn’t believe her mother.

But, her mother was right.

Ethan may love her, but, he loves being a Crane MORE. And,if he had to sacrifice their relationship, he was only too willing to do so.

Theresa didn’t believe it.

Could it actually be ending like this?

All her dreams? All the times she had envisioned a life forher and Ethan? All of it going up in smoke today.

TODAY?

He told her goodbye and was going to marry Gwen tonight?

How could this happen.

Theresa didn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe that Ethanwould turn his back on their love. Something will stop him, she thinks.Something will make him halt the wedding, when he realizes the love that he’sabout to give up between us. He won’t do it.

And, when he doesn’t go through with it, he’s going to need support. He’s going to need her, Theresa thought. There is encouraged for the first time. She KNOWS that Ethan loves HER. She’s going to the Crane Mansion to be there when he breaks off the wedding.

"WHAT did you say?", Chad asks.

" I’m your Mother.", Eve responds.

" No. Naw. It ain’t possible. Why you lyin’ to me, Dr. Russell? Are you so against me being with Whitney?"

" Chad, it’s the truth. "

" I’m not listening to no lies. I can’t listen to this.", Chad turns to leave,but, Eve rushes to the door and blocks it, and locks it.

" Chad, you have to hear me out. This wasn’t the way that I wanted to tell you.This wasn’t what I had planned, but, you came in here, talking about you loving Whitney, and.."

" I DO love Whitney!"

" You can’t, Chad. I’m sorry. You can’t. "

" Because, I’m not good enough."

" No, because you’re MY son. I have the proof. I didn’t…I COULDN’T come to you,until I had the proof. Please, listen to me."

Eve slowly moves a numb Chad to sit down in a chair. Evegoes to the totebag what she used for her trip, and removes all the evidence.She goes to her locked cabinet and removes the original tests, and brings over the others that she had done.

She hands Chad the original test.

" This is the first DNA test that you took at the hospital."

" First?"

" Yes, there are others. I was in the lab when the results came back. It had meas a match for you. I thought that it was wrong. It had to be wrong. So, I ran it again and again, with the same result. You and I were a match."

" But, how can that be, Dr. Russell. You didn’t have any babies before you metCoach."

There was a long silence between them, and Eve looked downat the ground as she made her confession.

" Yes, Chad, I did have a child before I met and married TC. I lived anotherlife back then. A life I’ve tried to erase by pretending that it didn’thappen."

" You mean lying."

" Yes, lying. TC and the girls know nothing of my other life. I was a different person back then. I’ve tried to improve my life since then, and I think that I’ve done a good job."

" You had a baby? A boy?"

" Yes, a beautiful baby boy that I loved with all my heart."

" You think that boy is me?"

" I know that boy is you."

" You loved this baby so much that you gave him up. What love.", Chad says bitterly.

" NO! I believed that my son was dead. I was told my baby died a couple of hours after he was born. I had no reason to believe otherwise."

" Likely story."

" Chad, it’s true. When I found out the results to the first DNA test, I wanted to double check, so I had others run, and then I went out of town to prove that you couldn’t be my son. I went to Boston.."

" Boston?"

" Yes, that’s where you were born."

" No. That’s not what Orville says."

" I’ve talked to Orville already. I know his part in all of this. "

" Orville…part…what are you talking about?"

" I’m talking about you being my son. When I went to Boston, I got the birth and death certificates for my baby boy. I took them to a crime lab to have them compared. I was shocked to find out that the footprints didn’t match. "

" Footprints?"

" Yes, a child is footprinted when it’s born, and if it dies as an infant. The footprint is an individualistic as the fingerprint. No two are alike. The baby that they cremated under my name, isn’t the child that was born to me. YOU arethat child, Chad."

" Some ridiculous test, and a footprint, and you’re willing to claim me?"

" It wasn’t just that. I DID go talk to Orville, who confirmed it."

" How could Orville know. You don’t even know him?"

" I’ve known Orville for over 20 years."

Chad looks at Eve in disbelief. " The lies just keep comin’,don’t they Doc?"

" Yes. I also have the results of the other DNA tests. More thorough. More comprehensive, but, they all say the same thing: you and I are a DNA match. I am your mother."

Eve tries to hand the tests off to Chad, but, he doesn’twant to look at them.

" I don’t believe you! I come to tell you that I’ve found my first real love.Someone that I care about..no, I LOVE, and you’re telling me that it’s perverse. That it’s sick and twisted and wrong!"

" Chad, I…"

" NO! I don’t wanna hear anything more. How could you, Doc? How could you?"

Chad unlocks Eve’s door and runs out, with Eve yelling after him, pleading,

" Chad! Come back!"
 

The string quartet began to play on Ethan’s command. Soundsof Pachelbel’s Canon echoed through the Crane Mansion, as Gwen descended thestaircase to enter the Living Room, which was lit only by candlelight. Gwen looked stunning in a two piece off-white satin with velvet trim by Carolina Herrera. Gwen looked almost ethereal, as she floated down the aisle, escorted by Bobby. Her sorority sister Buffy was only too pleased to be invited on such short notice, and it was just the four of them, and the Reverend.

Ethan smiled slightly at Gwen, and the butterflies that she had in her stomach, somehow went away. Gwen couldn’t believe that this washappening, but, she was happy that it was. She knew that Ethan would keep his word. She didn’t know how she knew, but, something had changed in him. She looked into his eyes, and realize that they had lost the innocence that once shone brightly in them.

She stopped halfway down the aisle. Bobby looked at her,hoping that this was a signal that Gwen had come to her senses and was calling the wedding off. Gwen stopped because she realized that Ethan was no longer the boy that she had met that afternoon long ago, a lifetime ago. He was now a man.All man, and that this was one of his ADULT decisions. When this realization overcame her, she burst into a huge smile, and looked intently at Ethan. The wedding march began again, and she wound up at the end of the aisle.

There was one uninvited guest: Theresa, who was looking in on the activities from the window outside. She couldn’t believe it.

This couldn’t be happening, Theresa thought.

Ethan loves ME, Theresa thought.

He believes in the fairy tale as much as I do, Theresa thought. Having let up the window a crack, Theresa could hear the Minister, ashe began:

" Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Ethan, and this woman, Gwendolyn, in Holy Matrimony. Marriage is not a state that should be entered into lightly. It should be considered with all the seriousness that pertains to this sacrament. That is why, if there is anyonehere, with just cause as to why these two should not be married, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

‘ Ethan, this is your chance. You can stop it now’, Theresa thought.

‘Come on, Ethan. What are you doing? You don’t love her’,Theresa said in her head, sending Ethan mental brainwaves.

‘ I can’t let this happen’ , Theresa thought. ‘ I have to stop this wedding. I have to save Ethan from himself, so that he’ll wake up and realize that he should be with me.’

Theresa was about to open the window and shout that SHE had a reason why Gwen and Ethan should NOT be married when she heard a female voice shout:

" What the hell is going on here?!"

Everyone turned to see Julian, Ivy and a wheelchair bound Penny  at the entrance to the Living Room.