Eve was in the bed, watching a DVD and knitting a baby bootie when TC came in with two cups.

” How about some tea, Baby?”

Eve took her cup from TC. “ Thanks.”

“ Where are the girls tonight?”

” At Chad’s. He’s having his house warming.”

” Dammit, Eve! How could you let our girls go there?”

“ How could I ‘ let’ them? TC, they are adult young women and they have minds of their own. I’m glad that they’re OPEN minds.”

” What does that mean?”

“ It means that you can be a narrow-minded bigot about some things, TC. And, one of them is Chad.”

” Chad is a CRANE! He’s that bastard Julian’s son!”

” And, he didn’t know that until recently. You’re being unfair. “

” WHY, would I EVER want my daughters around a Crane?”

” Because Chad is his own man. He’s a good young man just trying to find his own way.”

” NO good can come of him learning about his family. Nothing good can come of him finding his family.”

” I disagree. I believe that Sheridan is a positive for Chad. I even think Julian could be a good influence.”

” Then you’re being deluded.”

“ Stop being condescending to me. Like you know the be-all, end-all about the Cranes.”

” And YOU have better knowledge?”

” I know that Chad is a good person. And, I choose to believe part of that is genetic, which means that some of it has to come from Julian. “

” Julian doesn’t have any good in him.”

” I don’t believe that.”

“ Since when did you become Julian Crane’s defender?”

” I don’t need to be his defender, TC. I just know the man isn’t the devil.”

” Because..”

” Because he saved our daughter’s life. If he hadn’t of stepped up to the plate, at risk to his own life, we wouldn’t have Whitney today. “

” Well….one good deed..”

” Can lead to another. Chad wouldn’t be giving Julian a chance if he didn’t think there wasn’t something there. I have faith in Chad.”

” Well, I don’t. He’s a bum and his father is a lowlife. And, I would prefer if MY daughters had nothing to do with him.”

” Well, I’m proud that MY daughters are willing to extend an olive branch to Chad and see that him being a Crane is only PART of who he is, but that it doesn’t define him.”

TC stared at Eve. It is rare that she stood up to him, and for the likes of Chad and Julian Crane? He shook his head and left the room.

Eve sighed. She took deep breaths. She knew that she wasn’t supposed to get upset during her pregnancy, but she couldn’t let TC talk about Chad or Julian like that.  She looked down at the baby bootie. Sometimes she thought she was living in a dream world. In her perfect world, right after the baby was born, she would tell her family about Chad, and when she brought her baby home from the hospital, Chad was right there with Whitney and Simone, beaming about the new sibling. She had thought with Chad clearly involved romantically with someone else and not being a romantic possibility for their daughters that TC would relent. Yet, it hasn’t happened.

Eve is at a loss as to what to do and after awhile, felt the tears as they stained her cheeks.
 

Chad looked around the deck. Everyone was grouped in their own cliques.

Julian walked over to him. “ This is a good party, Son.”

” You think? It’s just begun.”

” I know the Chef did a great job with the meal.” Julian looked over towards Theresa, who was talking with Luis and Pilar. “ Theresa is doing well as hostess.”

” Yeah, I think so too.”

“ It’s obvious how much you care for her.”

” It is?”

” Absolutely.” Julian then looked over to Whitney and Simone, who were talking with Sheridan. “ You’re glad your sisters came.”

” Delighted. It was touchy for a bit. Whitney still feels betrayed by Theresa. And me.”

” I know. But, you know it was for the best. One day she will realize why you did it, and it will be clear to her. “

” She might hate me altogether.”

” No. She doesn’t. If she did, she wouldn’t be here. Simone looks like she’s genuinely happy to be here.”

” Yes, she does. I…um…”

” What?”

” I’ve been trying to think about a way that I could get to know Simone again. Some project that we could do together. It’s too soon with Whitney, but I want to establish some bonds with Simone before the truth is revealed.”

” Why don’t I work on that at dinner?”

” I don’t know if you’re sitting next to her.”

” I will be.”, Julian smiled and slunk away.

Chad walked over to Luis.

” Enjoying yourself, Luis?”

” Chad, for this to be a party on Crane property, it’s not bad. You know, I had a lot of skepticism about this. About Sheridan sticking around because she wanted to make a family with you and Julian.”

” Luis..”

” Let me say this. I love Sheridan. I’ve always liked you. I hate Julian and mistrust him. But, I’d have to be Ray Charles not to see that the man is bending over backwards because he wants to have a relationship with you. Tell the truth, it’s almost mindblowing.”

Chad and Luis laughed.

” And, about my sister. I know that Theresa has always had grand dreams. She’s ALWAYS wanted a Crane lifestyle. I don’t mean for you to think that all she’d want from you is your money.”

” Luis, I know Theresa. I know what she wants. And, I know when I had nothing, she was there for me.”

” Theresa is a dreamer. A determined dreamer, but a dreamer. She’s more vulnerable than most people know. I don’t want her to be hurt.”

” I won’t hurt her.”

” I’m also glad you moved out of Mama’s house. Wasn’t right to have a relationship with Theresa and be under her roof.”

” I respect Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald. I wouldn’t dis her like that.”

” Good. Well, I see my lady, and I think she needs some good kissing.”

Whitney is sitting by herself on a bench. Theresa comes to sit down next to her.

“ Whitney, I…”

” Do you love him?”

Theresa looked at her stunned. “ Huh?”

” I asked you if you love him?”

“ Oh….Yes, I do.”

” You said you loved Ethan. You said you’d love Ethan until the day you died.”

” Whitney, those were the rantings of a teenaged girl.”

” You forget Theresa, I was there for ALL of your Ethan antics. You did anything. You said anything to be with Ethan.”

” And, that’s why I lost him. That’s why it was wrong.”

” You’ve always wanted the Crane lifestyle, Theresa.”

” When I was a girl.”

” Oh puleeze Theresa. You’re telling me that a BIG part of you being with Chad isn’t because he’s a Crane?”

” No, Whitney! It’s not true. You want to know the biggest part of why I’m with Chad? It’s because he knows me and still wants to be with me. I was always twisting myself with Ethan….trying to live up to what I thought he wanted me to be. Chad isn’t like that. He listens to me. I actually think of a life that I want OUTSIDE of Chad. I have dreams and goals. Goals that I put on hold and completely dismissed when I was in pursuit of Ethan.”

” You could have told me you were seeing him romantically.”, Whitney said quietly.

“ I know. I used to think the moment Ethan found out the truth was the top moment I wanted to re-do in my life. Now it’s been replaced. Whitney, I know that we may never be friends again. And, I’m sorry about that. SO sorry. But, I’m not a golddigger. Chad being a Crane is a bonus, but it’s CHAD that I love. We were friends for so long. Real friends. The cliché is right about it being the best basis for a relationship.”

Whitney stared at Theresa. “ I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not. I hope you are. Chad’s life is in turmoil. He needs someone to depend on, Theresa. I hope you are that person.”

Theresa was about to say something else when they heard the cling of a triangle.

” I know the rich are supposed to ring a bell, but that was a bit pretentious to me. Gimme the good old Western triangle everytime. In case you didn’t know….the grub is ready, and dinner is served.”

Everyone filed into the house.