Ch.8 A friend to lean on
 
 

Theresa sat staring at the VCR. Just the night before she had been given the tape, and she knew she needed
to watch it. She let out a small yawn, Ivy had came by early to get the kids, Julian had requested spending
the day with them, and Theresa felt it was a good idea. Just knowing Julian was reaching out helped her
feelings. The silence in the house seemed strange, and that in its self surprised Theresa. Since she
had moved out on her own she lived for the quite times, she loved silence but now, now it just made
her think, and thinking only leaded to crying. She looked over at her phone and picked it up dialing
the number quickly she wanted for a answer.

"Hello?" A voice answered.
"Miguel? How’s mama." She asked.
"Resa hey, she’s the same. She was up early fixing breakfast for me, when I told her not to worry about it
she snapped.
"Miguel she’s in denial."
"Yeah But how do we deal with it? " Miguel questioned.
"I’m not sure Miguel. I try talking to her but it doesn’t work." Theresa said curling up on her sofa
"How are you this morning Resa?" Miguel asked his own voice weak.
"I’m here. " She sighed. "Ivy and Julian have the kids, and its so lonely."
"Yeah, I’m going to spend the day with Kay, see if that helps any." Miguel told her.
"I’m not sure what to do, I’ve been staring at my VCR for an hour debating on watching
the tape."
"Yeah, I haven’t watched mine either, it just seems so, so."
"Final?" Theresa finished for him. "The last thing from them, I know Miguel."
"Well I better go, call me if you need anything. "
"You too, Love you Miguel."
"I love you too Theresa." He said hanging up.
Theresa sat down the phone and smiled, Hearing her brother’s words reminded her of one
of her mother’s many lesson’s to them, one Luis always tried to keep.
 

Flashback.

Theresa grabbed her makeup brush and rolled her eyes, "I don’t wear too much make up
either." She yelled at Luis.
"Are you kidding, your 13 going on 20." He shot back, "And I won’t have that."
"But your not my parent are you Luis?" She snapped.
His eyes fell to the floor then he looked back up at her, "I try to do the best I can, Sorry if it isn’t good enough. "
"Luis, Theresa, did I hear yelling?" Pilar asked as she walked into Theresa’s bedroom.
"I’m sorry Mama." Theresa said looking down.
"Yeah sorry mama." Luis agreed.
"Now you two settle this disagreement now."
"Sorry Luis." Theresa said biting her lip.
"Yeah, I’m sorry too sis." He agreed.
"What else my children?" Pilar asked.
"What else?" Theresa asked.
"We never walk away with out telling each other ‘I love you’ in this house. "
"I forgot mama." Luis admitted.
"Yes well, that’s a rule my children should never forget, no matter how angry you get
always say ‘I love you’ you never know what might happen before you get that chance
again." She lectured.
Luis sighed. "I love you Resa."
Theresa hugged her big brother. "Love you too Luis."

End Flashback.

Theresa wiped a tear and looked up toward her ceiling. "I love you Luis" She whispered just before her tears flooded her eyes again.
 

~*~*~*~

Chad paced in his living room, Luis wanted him with Theresa, that was his final request. Did he say that in Theresa’s video? Did he tell her that’s what he wanted for her? What was he suppose to do? Theresa was his friend, he’d never thought of her as more than that. But Luis, what about what he had asked, what was a man to do when someone asked something like that of them? A knock at his door stopped his pacing. He turned and walked over to his door, still in his pajama bottoms.
"Theresa." He said as he opened the door.
Theresa smiled at him, she couldn’t help but notice his muscled chest, but her eyes finally focused back on his face. "Chad hope its not to early." She smiled.
"No of course not." He said.
Theresa walked in the house and smiled, "Chad when’s the last time you cleaned this place?" She asked kicking a toy out of the way.
He grinned, "Everything is where I need it to be." He joked. "So what brings you over." He said grabbing his shirt and slipping it on.
Theresa looked down at the video in her hand, "I want you to watch my video with me, I just can’t do it alone." She said looking up at him. "I know it’s going to be hard, and I can’t handle it unless someone is there." She admitted.
"So why me?" Chad asked confused.
"I don’t know, it just felt right." She said shaking her head.
"That video, its personal." Chad told her.
She nodded, "I know. But I can’t do it alone Chad please." She begged.
Chad wrapped his arm around her "Of course Resa, I’ll watch it with you." He told her as he led her to the sofa. He took the video from her trembling hand and put it in the VCR.
Together they sat down on the couch and prepared to watch.
"You ready for this?" He asked her.
She nodded, "I guess." She said tears sitting in her eyes.
Chad put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, "I’m going to be right here Resa." He told her.
She choked back a few tears, "Play it. " She said staring up at the T.V.
"You sure?" He asked.
"Yeah."
 

He hit play and they watched as Sheridan and Luis came on the screen.

Sheridan sat in her pink dress, as usual she was holding Luis’s hand. He looked at the camera frowning.
"Theresa. My little sister, I pray you never watch this, but if you are, I want you to know I love you. I am so proud of the woman you have become. I loved the girl you were, every second of you childhood I enjoyed, even those times we stood yelling back and forth, you were still my sister and I loved you. I’ve always been proud of you, though I didn’t always agree with you, I loved you. Your a strong woman, you’ve always been sturborn and set in your ways, I’ve known that from day one. " Luis chuckled, "Remember when we fought about what you wore, how short your dresses could and couldn’t be? Well even then I was proud of how you stood your ground, you made me mad but I loved you. Resa I must be gone now, and I’ve left you my children, the lights of my life. I hope you can raise them as mama raised us. To be strong and always do the best in everything. Teach them to love like we loved, to be there for each other just like us. I know it will be hard, but I know you love me as much as I love you and I believe you are the one person that can help my kids be strong and true. I pray you find a good man some day Theresa, one I would approve of, If could pick for you I would. Let Chad help you through this Theresa, he’s a good man, and I hope one day you two grow to love each other. I love you sis, and remember no matter what I told you, Fairy tales can come true, because true love does happen, just look at me and Sheridan. You were always my little Theresa, my princess and my baby, now I’ve gave you my Princess Kendra and my Prince Matthew, hold them to your heart Resa, and enjoy every moment with them. I love you sis, with all my heart. Bye Resa." Luis finished wiping a tear from his eye. Sheridan hugged him and looked at the camera.
"Theresa, of all the things to say to you, I’m not sure where to start. I love you, like a sister you must always know that. I’m so proud of who you are, you’ve grown so much over the last few years and It makes me so happy to see the woman you are. Theresa, my babies will grow to know you as the one that raises them, love them and hold them. Kendra is scared of storms and hates green foods. She also loves her pigtails and braids, but you have to get them tight of she will get mad, she had Luis’s hot temper you know. And Matthew, he loves warm baths, but cold water makes his scream. He loves to be sung to at night, any song works. Love them and tell them each day mommy and daddy loved them so much. Let them see our home movies and tell them the story of mine and Luis’s love. Let it be pasted on for years to come. I hope you follow your heart, let true love happen on its on Theresa, You’ll find it one day, and I know you’ll be happy. I love you Theresa, thank you for giving be the gift of your friendship. Goodbye Theresa." Sheridan cried on Luis’s shoulder as the Camera went blank.

"Oh Chad." Theresa cried, curling up on the couch like a small child. "That’s it, there really gone now." She choked, as he wrapped his arms around her, her body shaking from the tears.
"Its OK baby, Resa it’s all right, let it out." He whispered.
"Its not fair, they, they deserved to live." She said burying her head in his chest.
"I know Resa, believe me I know." He said holding back his own over due tears.
"Why then? Why them? " She blurted.
"I can’t answer that."
"He was proud of me Chad, he really was proud of me." She said sitting up.
"Of course he was." Chad said wiping his own eyes.
"I didn’t deserve it though, I was a horrible child and he still loved me for it." She whimpered falling back on the couch.
"He was your brother, of course he loved you."
"He still is my brother, but Chad, he’s really gone isn’t he?" She asked sounding like a confused child.
Slowly Chad nodded, as Theresa cuddled herself up in a ball, "I just don’t understand." She said.
"Your not suppose to."
Chad moved her small body over toward his, holding her again as she cried. This time Theresa didn’t speak, instead she let him hold her, let her tears fall on him as his fell to. She could let it all out, and so could he, together they could let the pain out.