Ethan was in the Book Café, looking for items for Penny and his parents. He saw a book on fairy tales, and his hand went towards it. It was met be another hand
who also wanted the book. Ethan looked up at the fellow patron.

“ Well, hello Theresa.”

“ Ethan! I…I didn’t know you were back.”

” Yes, Gwen and I decided to take a break and come back home.”

” What, the honeymoon already over?”, Theresa said bitterly.

” No. The honeymoon is going fine. Gwen and I are very happy.”

” How wonderful.” Theresa turned to leave and Ethan grabbed her arm. “ Theresa..”

” What, Ethan! What could you possibly want with me? You made things very clear the day you broke my heart. Now, leave me alone!” Theresa had tears in her eyes and ran away from Ethan. He was going to go after her, but was stopped by Chad.

” Leave her alone, Ethan.”

” Chad, this doesn’t concern you.”

” Yeah, it does, Ethan. Theresa’s my friend. You married Gwen. You broke Theresa’s heart. Live with it.”

Ethan noticed the difference in Chad’s tone.  “ Are you sure Theresa and you are just ‘friends’?”

” Ethan, Theresa is my friend. You and I have been friends. From one friend to another – leave the girl alone. You have a wife now. This isn’t the kind of situation where you can ‘remain friends’ with the ex. Not gonna happen.”

” I know that. I didn’t mean to make Theresa cry. I have no doubts that I made the right choice in marrying Gwen. Theresa isn’t the innocent she pretends to be, Chad.”

Chad pulled up his hand to stop Ethan from talking. “ Ethan, YOU are the one who didn’t know Theresa. You wanted Theresa to be something that she wasn’t. And, when she let down her guard and revealed her flaws, you wanted nothing to do with her. So, don’t lecture me about Theresa.”

“ Chad, I…”

” Stop it, Ethan. You have an empire to inherit. You have a WIFE at home. So, leave the ‘Housekeeper’s Daughter’ alone.”

” I never saw Theresa that way.”

” Doesn’t matter anymore. She will have a future.”

” With you?”

“ Dunno. But, if it’s the milkman down the street, it’s STILL none of your business.”

Chad walked away from Ethan and out of the Book Café. He walked until he found Theresa at her favorite place in the park.

” I thought you’d be here.”, Chad said, sitting next to Theresa.

” You know…I thought I could handle it. I thought..”

” That you were over him? Come on, Theresa….you’ve had your Ethan fixation for HOW LONG? You think a few words of determination is going to change all that?”

” So….so…I’m not silly to you?”, Theresa said, tears in her eyes.

“ Absolutely not. You were very strong and brave in there. You’ll make it.”

” Chad, when I saw him, it was like everything came flooding back. All the love and all the pain of when I saw him marry Gwen.”

” I think you should focus on the pain, Theresa. It’s the reality. He’s with Gwen now, Theresa. He had every chance to marry you, and he didn’t. There’s no hope for the two of you.”

Theresa looked at Chad. “ I know that. All the time that he was away, in the back of my mind, I thought…maybe…one of these days, he would come back to Harmony, sweep me off my feet, tell me that he doesn’t love Gwen..that he abandoned her in some city in Europe because he HAD to get back to me. Truth is…he’s married to her. He didn’t leave her. He came back with her. They’re going to FINISH their honeymoon. He’s lost to me.”

” Yep, that’s the truth. “

” I believed in fairy tales. I thought Happily Ever After was going to be Ethan and I. Not, me watching him marry another woman with my face pressed up against the glass.”

” You will find someone who loves YOU, Theresa. Truth be told, a man whose heart is torn belongs to nobody. “

“ You’re right.”

” I’ll walk you home, Theresa, if you want.”

” Chad, I need to be alone. I’ll be fine.”

” Sure?”

Theresa leaned over and kissed Chad. “ Yeah. Thanks.”

Chad got up and walked away.

Theresa looked out at the scenery for a long time.
 

Ethan came into the Crane living room and poured himself a drink.

“ Having a hard time, Son?”, Julian said, observing him from a seat in the corner.

” I’m fine, Father.”

“ Ok.” Julian went back to reading his paper. Ethan finished the drink and went over to sit next to Julian.

“ What’s wrong, Son. You looked better before you left.”

” I…I ran into Theresa.”

” Oh.”

” I didn’t plan it. It just happened.”

” And?”

” I…I was surprised. I didn’t feel what I thought I’d feel. I was ready to marry Theresa, and I didn’t feel the longing.”

” Maybe because you wound up marrying the right girl.”

” I know, Father. I realized that Theresa wasn’t the girl I thought she was. “

” You never did tell me, Ethan, what did she do?”

Ethan looked at Julian, seeing the concern in his eyes.

” Father, let’s just say I’m glad I found out the truth BEFORE I made the worst mistake of my life. But, someone doesn’t share my opinion.”

” No? Who?”

” Chad Harris.”

Julian was startled to hear his son’s name. “ What about this Chad?”

” He was very defensive of Theresa. Very protective. Made me think that he’s more than her friend.”

” Oh really? Well, Ethan, let Theresa be HIS problem, now. You have a new life.”

“ You’re right, Father. I’m going to find Gwen.”

” You do that.”

Ethan left Julian, who thought about the possibility of Theresa being with Chad. “ You must have the right kind of nose, Theresa. Going from one Crane to another.” Julian laughed and went back to his report.