” I had to destroy any feelings that Whitney felt for me, and any that I had for her because we can NEVER be together. Not because of her father. Or mine. But, because of our mother.”

Theresa processed that statement in her head and then she looked at Chad in shock.

” Yes, OUR mother. Eve Russell is my mother. Whitney is my sister.”

Theresa fainted dead away.

Chad ran over to Theresa and pulled her up into his arms.

“ Theresa! Theresa! Wake up!”

Chad was still shaking her when Theresa’s eyes opened.

“ Hmmmm…Ummmm….Chad?”

“ Yeah, Theresa, I’m here.”

Theresa shook her head. “ What happened?”

“ You fainted.” Chad helped Theresa up and they walked to her bed.

” Fainted? Oh. Yeah. Odd, but the last thing I remember, seems like a dream. You said something about Dr. Russell.”

” She’s my mother, Theresa.”

Theresa just looked at Chad, with her mouth wide open. She shook her head.

” That can’t be true.”

” It is.”

” Chad…..Dr. Russell and JULIAN CRANE?!”

“ I know. Most days I can’t wrap my mind around it either. But, the truth is the truth.”

” How long have you known?”

“ The day the Russells got back from their trip. Mrs. Bennett called me up and told me Doc wanted to see me. When I got there, we had a talk, and as I was about to leave, she began describing the day that I was born. Freaked me out.”

” I’m sure.”

” So, there it was. She told me she was my mother, and she was happy to know that I was alive, and she wanted a relationship with me.”

” She wants you?”

Chad smiled as he nodded. “ Absolutely. She was going to tell her family everything, until..”

” Until what?”

” Until I found out that she was pregnant. That changed everything.”

” Why?”

” Theresa, my whole life, I wanted a family. The truth about my parentage didn’t give me that. I guess I’m lucky that both my parents wanted me in their lives. But, they already had families, and to be honest, I don’t know if I would be welcome in either one, because of complications. But, the baby…”

” Has no complications.”

Chad nodded. “ From the day this baby was born, I would be a part of his or her life. Me being in their life would be considered ‘normal’ to them. I wanted the chance to have a bond with a sibling like that. The Doc’s pregnancy is high risk. If she has a lot of stress, she could lose the baby. So, I told her that I didn’t want for her to tell her family. Them finding out about me is nothing but stress for her. The problems that would arise if the truth about me is known won’t be any different months from now, but by then, I’ll have a little brother or sister.  So, for everyone’s sake, who my mother is won’t be answered for awhile.”

” Whitney is your sister. I can’t believe it.”

” She is. I’m sorry, Theresa. I never meant to hurt you, but I didn’t want Whitney to live in a world of false hope. I had to brutally crush her feelings for me. My mind worked so fast to come up with the plan, I didn’t know how to stop it once it had all come together. In a way, I had to do it that brutally because I had to put up a wall around my feelings for Whitney. I had to dig a grave for them. I had to move forward too.”

Theresa nodded her head. “ I suppose I understand.”

” And Theresa, I needed you. I can’t explain how much I need you, but it’s true. I have to have someone in my life that I trust, and selfishly, I decided for you. I couldn’t have your loyalties divided between Whitney and myself. I acted like a Crane – I took what I wanted. Hurting you was a necessity, but I hated it.”

There was a prolonged silence between them when Theresa spoke up,

” You really hurt me, Chad. But, now, it makes sense. After all the crazy plans I’ve come up with over the years, I have to give you props for effectiveness. Your plan actually worked.”

Theresa smiled slightly and Chad let out a huge sigh of relief. He hadn’t lost her.

” Resa, there’s more.”

” More?”

” I went to see Julian. He was the only one I could talk to about this, because he knows the truth. He brought up something that makes a lot of sense.”

” What?”

” I told him that you were going to be part of my life, so he and everyone else should get used to it.”

” You said that? To Julian?”, Theresa asked quietly.

” I did, and he reminded me how good your mother has been to me. And, that having a relationship with her daughter under her roof is disrespectful.”

Theresa didn’t want to agree, but she had nothing to say, because he was right.

” So, Julian said that if I still wanted a relationship with you, I should find another place to live. “

” But, what about the press?”

“ He thought of that. So, he offered me asylum at the Crane Estate.”

” YOU’re going to live at the Crane Mansion?”, Theresa said, not able to hide her shock.

Chad shook his head. “ No way. He offered me a cottage.”

“ You’re moving in with Sheridan?”

” Nope. There’s another cottage on the grounds. Belonged to Julian’s mother. My grandmother. He  said it would be private, and that I would be left alone.”

” I didn’t even know there was another cottage on the Crane Estate.”

” It looks private. He gave me the key. I told him I would look at it, and clean it myself. I could use a friend’s perspective and help – in case I like it.”

Theresa nodded. “ Let me put on stuff that I can get messed up. Gimme five minutes.”

“ Thanks, Resa.”

Chad left the room, and went into the living room. Pilar was there. “ Is Theresa better, Chad?”

” Lots, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald.”

” Good.” Pilar thought about her next words. “ Chad, I love my daughter, but you know her history with Ethan. I have my doubts about her..”

” Being involved with another Crane. I know Theresa too, and she’s good people.”

Pilar didn’t know what else to say. Ethan had always had a fundamental core of naivete about him. Chad didn’t. He had seen to much of the bad part of life to be naïve. She knew that he understood Theresa in ways that Pilar herself did not. She didn’t know if that comforted or disturbed her.

Theresa came out, dressed in horrible clothes, but grinning ear to ear. “ Let’s go, Chad.” Theresa kissed Pilar. “ Bye, Mama.”
 

Chad put the key in the lock. “ I can’t believe how secluded this place is.”

He and Theresa walked into the cottage. They both just stood there, looking around. The design of the cottage was interesting. It was a two-story structure, with a huge open area that contained the living room, what seemed to be a dining area, and the upstairs didn’t begin until the kitchen. On one side, there was a wall of glass, and the doors opened to what in modern terms could be described as a sitting room. The views were incredible. While the place was hidden clearly, on one side by a small forest, on the other side, the views were amazing, showing the depth of the Crane Estate – it’s lakes, and to the other side, the rest of Harmony, just beyond a garden that looked something out of magazine, and that had been kept to perfection. Chad followed Theresa upstairs. Immediately they encountered the only open space upstairs, a loft of sorts. Then they realized how large the house was. They counted three bedrooms upstairs, including a huge master suite. Each of the bedrooms had terrific vistas and its own balcony.

They were standing on the balcony of the master bedroom, which had views of the Crane Mansion from one side, and the rest of Harmony on the other.

” So, what do you think?”, Theresa asked.

“ Think? It’s fucking incredible, don’t ya think?”

Theresa laughed. “ Yeah, I do.”

Chad shook his head. “ Cranes don’t do anything halfway, do they?”

“ Nope.”

” This was my grandmother’s ‘get away’. I was expecting something, just not ‘This’.”

” I understand.”

” It’s weird. I don’t feel at ease in that Mansion. And Sheridan’s place is a bit too cozy for me. But, this… I love the design. The room. The views. I can ‘see’ myself here.”

“ I can too. …..so, you want to get started?”

” Where?”

” Why not up here? You can have somewhere to sleep. But, a word to the wise?”

” What’s that?”

” You really do need the Crane help to come and do the windows the right way. Last thing you want is streaks.”

Chad laughed. “ Yeah, I guess so. But, let’s begin here.”

“ I saw that Julian had them put the cleaning supplies in the kitchen.  Let’s go get the right ones.”