" Grace, what did you just say?"

" I said that I'm pregnant, TC."

" Grace, you….pregnant?"

" Yes."

" Do I ask…who's the father?"

Grace looked TC in the eye. " You are."

" How.."

" How can I be so sure? Sam and I were intimate for the last time months ago. Since then, things have been strained. No, unless I'm four months' pregnant, this baby is YOURS."

" Ok, Grace. Ok. I'm sorry. A baby?"

" Yes."

" I didn't think this could get any worse."

" Thanks a lot."

" Well Grace, I'm sorry. I thought we would be able to keep this a secret. That's not going to be possible anymore. We've got to tell them."

" Yes, we do."

TC shook his head. " I can't believe it. How could everything spin out of control? How could everything be happening this way? How am I going to tell Eve that I'm having a baby with another woman?"

" Her best friend. Or, shall I say, soon to be FORMER best friend."

" We don't know…maybe Eve will understand."

Grace looked at TC, and he shook his head. " I know. I'm in a dream world right now. I am talking about the end of my marriage. What will my daughters think of me? And, Sam? We've been best friends for almost as long as I've been alive. I've betrayed him too."

" I know…I'm sorry, TC. Maybe…maybe I could leave town to have the baby?"

" And then what, Grace? Give it up for adoption? NEITHER one of us would consider it. And, let's get real. People will notice the skin color of our baby. It's not like you could pretend that it was Sam's, and to be honest, I wouldn't want it. We made a child, and I have every intention of being in this child's life, beginning with claiming paternity."

" TC.."

" Grace. Life happens. I don't recognize the man in my bathroom mirror sometimes. I thought I could live with the lies. But, even not telling, instinctively, there has been a wall put up between Eve and myself, even though she doesn't know why. It will be better to get the truth out."

" TC, we're going to lose everything!", Grace cries.

TC takes Grace into his arms. " Not everything. I have to think it will all work out, Grace. The pain is going to be unbelievable, but, we'll make it through. If only for our kids."

" Who will hate us."

" No doubt. I'm terrified about telling the girls. I'm supposed to be their role model, and I have totally let them down."

" When are you going to tell Eve?"

" In the next few days. I have to do other things in the meanwhile, like find a place to live. Even if by some miracle, we actually DO work things through, I know for awhile, Eve is not going to want to be under the same roof as me. I'll talk to a realtor within the next 24 hours."

" Well, that's something Sam and I don't have to worry about. He's already out of the house.", Grace says with sarcasm, but TC can see the pain in her eyes. He takes her hand.

" No matter what, Grace, I won't turn away from you. You can count on me."

Grave smiles slightly. " I needed to hear that, because I've never felt more alone than I do right now."

" I should go now.", TC says. " I'll call you before I tell Eve the truth."

" Bye, TC."

TC leaves Grace behind, and she enjoys a healthy cry.
 

The next few days went fast for TC. He pulled the security deposit out of his bank account, and leased a small house a few blocks from where he lives. He had started the conversation with Eve so many times, but the words never seemed to come out for him. But, it was almost a week since Grace had told him, and he knew the time would never be 'right'. That the longer he took, he was only avoiding the inevitable.

Eve looks around the room and smiles. Everything looked absolutely perfect. She knew that the girls were spending the night elsewhere, and she thought that tonight would be a time for her and TC to have for themselves. She had set the dining room table intimately for two. The candles were lit, and the lights in the room were dimmed. She knew that TC had been distracted by something, and hoped that this romantic interlude would be just the thing he needed.

TC had decided that this was the night to tell Eve. His daughters wouldn't be home, so he and Eve could have this time to talk. TC opened his house to darkness.

" Eve? Eve?"

TC went into the living room. Maybe Eve got a call from the hospital and had to go in. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was spared a few minutes more. TC was resting his eyes when he heard a noise. He opened them to find Eve standing there, in a beautiful white satin negligée hugging her every curve. She was holding two glasses in her hands. Before he could say anything,

" Champagne?", Eve said, handing him a glass and sitting down next to him.

" Eve….what is this all about?"

" Can't a wife plan a special evening for her and her husband that she loves so much? TC, I know that something has been bothering you. I just wanted to give us this evening, so that you know how much I love you. "

TC felt his heart sink. " Eve, you didn't have to.."

" TC, I love you. The girls will be gone this evening, and I've told the hospital I'm not available. Just the two of us, Honey.", she said, planting a kiss on his lips. Eve was about to deepen the kiss when TC pushed her away.

" TC?"

" Eve , we have to talk."

Eve looked at her husband. Really looked at him, and a chill came over her.

" This is serious, isn't it?"

" Yes."
 

Rebecca Hotchkiss opened up her door slightly. She could hear the sounds of the string quartet that she hired playing. She closed the door and went to sit at her vanity. She heard a knock on the door.

" Come in."

Gwen came in. " Hello, Mother."

" Gwen! You came afterall."

" Against my better judgement. Mother, I still think it's a bad idea. Are you sure that you want to marry Julian?"

" Of course I do, silly. Gwen, I am about to become one of the richest and most powerful women in the world. I was born to be Mrs. Julian Crane."

" I can't believe Julian didn't try and get out of it."

" Oh, he's tried, but I'm keeping him to it. I got rid of Ivy, and there's no way that I'm not going to become his wife. And, then, once I'm married to Julian, I'll work on fulfilling your dream. I'll get Julian to adopt Ethan."

" About that, Mother. I…..I don't think I want that anymore."

Rebecca stopped with her makeup. " What are you talking about?"

" Mother, Ethan doesn't love me anymore. He loves her. And, I don't even see him missing being a Crane. So, why would Julian adopting him lure him back to me. I lost him, Mother. It's time for me to move on."

" I didn't raise a quitter, Gwennie!"

" I am NOT a quitter! What I am is a woman who realizes that she actually DOES have some self-respect. Or, at least I used to. It's time for me to reclaim my life. "

" Where is all this nonsense coming from?"

" It's not nonsense. I ran into someone that I used to talk to on a weekly basis because of work. They said that they thought I had left the country since they hadn't heard from me. That is when it hit me. Once upon a time, Mother, I actually had a life. A life which consisted of MY dreams and goals, both personal and professional. Since Ethan dumped me, my professional life has ceased to exist, and my personal life has been in limbo. I've let Ethan have too much power over me, Mother. Power that he never had when we were together. What is going to happen if, after all the lies and schemes, Ethan DOES come back to me. That doesn't mean that he's mine, Mother, and I would have turned into the one person that I never wanted to become: THERESA.

No, Mother, I had a full life, once upon a time. But, I've reduced myself to being depressed and chasing after someone who doesn't appear to give me a second thought. My ego can't stand anymore of this, and I realize that being alone, REALLY being alone, not just 'waiting in limbo for Ethan to come back', can NOT be as bad as I feel right now. So, I told Daddy that I want him to send me out of town on a series of assignments. I'm not ready for anything romantic, but, I can use my brain right now."

" Gwen…"

Gwen holds up her hand. " Mother, my mind is made up. That's why I came tonight. I'm going to attend your wedding, wish you well, and then, I'm going on an extended business trip. "

" Alone?"

" Actually, I'll be meeting up with Daddy's point man in South America, Tony…Tony Lobianco-Francisco. Daddy says he's an up and comer. My spanish is a bit rusty, but I think a tour and inspection of the Hotchkiss holdings down there is just what I need."

Rebecca looked at her daughter. " I can't change your mind. Just like when you were a little girl. You've got that look in your eyes."

Gwen hugged her mother. " I'll be ok. For the first time in a long time, I think I'll be ok. I'm not over Ethan. I'm still in love with him. But, I have to move on. It's time. So, enough about me. We're going to finish getting you ready. You have a wedding to attend!"

Gwen and Rebecca laughed through their tears, and then finished dressing Rebecca.
 
 
 

Julian Crane stood in front of his mirror and finished tying his bowtie. He pulled up his tuxedo jacket, and took a swig of brandy from his glass.

" Well, Julian old-boy, you're about to tie the knot again. It won't be so bad. At least Rebecca wants you."

Julian drank the rest of his brandy, and poured himself another.