Who You Really Are Chpt 18
by lilbugg
 
 

Paloma opened the door to her families new house. She walked into the living room, looking around as she went. There were pictures all over the place. Sheridan, Luis, and the twins smiling happily at the camera. Theres and Pilar in designer gowns with their arms around each other. Miguel, Luis and Antonio in tuxedos. Paloma sighed. Just as she thought. Not one of her anywhere. Nothing had changed. She cringed as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Fixing a fake smile on her face, she turned to greet whoever it was. Pilar entered the living room. Her face spread into a huge grin.
"Paloma, my baby! It's so great to see you!"
She ran and drew her into a big hug. Paloma rolled her eyes. If it was so wonderful to see her, why hadn't she asked her to come home sooner. Luis and Sheridan entered the room and hugged Paloma each in turn. They were all smiles and Paloma's hatred of them grew even more. How dare they act like everything was so great! Luis had not tried to contact her once in more than five years, not even on her birthday. She smiled right back at them, playing witht the twins and acting like everything was okay. She survived a few hours with them rambling on and on about what was going on in their lives, then just as she was about to excuse herself, Pilar said something that brightened her day.
"Theresa hasn't been doing so well. She's gotten herself into a mess with the Cranes and now they've kicked her out of the mansion."
Paloma looked up in surprise.
"Then is she here?"
"No," Luis said."We decided that she expects us to come to her rescue all the time and that she needed to grow up."
Paloma could not hide the smile that crept onto her face. So the golden child had finally been thrust off her pedastal. It was about time. Maybe things were finally starting to change around here. At least she hoped so.
A few hours later, after dinner and desert, Paloma went upstairs to the room she was staying in. The rest of the evening had been barely tolerable, but the news about Theresa had made the evening much more entertaining. On her way to her room, she passed Miguel's door. He had not come down for dinner. He was glued in front of the computer screen waiting for a reply from Charity. Paloma rolled her eyes and walked into the room.
"Nice of you to come down to say hi to me."
Migual looked at her with blank eyes.
"Hi Paloma," he said, turning back to the screen. "How are you doing."
Paloma sneered at him. "You are so pathetic Miguel. Here you are, sitting in front of some computer screen waiting for Charity to answer your stupid little plea to come back to you. If she was smart, she's most likely moved on. There is a world outside of Harmony you know, which seems to be something you people have all forgotten."
"We people? You were born here too you know."
"Yeah, and I was uncerimoniously shipped off before I could even talk. Yeah, that's love for you." Paloma said sarcastically.
"Mama did that because she thought it would be best for you."
"Yeah whatever. But you know, she did me a favor. If I had stayed here I would have probably turned out to be just like all of you. So stuck in my own pathetic little world I couldn't even see past the end of my snobby little nose. Totally convinced that the Cranes have everything that matters and are Gods on earth. I am so glad mama loved all of you more and made me leave. "
Miguel stared at her in disbelief. "I never knew you felt that way."
"How else was I supposed to feel? I was never invited to any weddings or parties or even invited to come home at all until a few months ago. There are no pictures of me at all in this house yet there are endless ones of you and Theresa, Luis and Antonio all wearing designer clothes, one of which could have bought me a whole new wardrobe for over a year. While I have been working my butt off in Mexico to pay my own way, you have been living off Crane money doing pittance jobs at Crane Industries because our sister got knocked up by a Crane. Yes, I do feel neglected and unloved."
Paloma was close to tears now. She tried to tell herself over and over that she didn't care about her family, but as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted more then anything to be a part of their lives again. Miguel looked at her sadly.
"You are right. You are absolutely right. None of us cared enough about you to let you in on our lives. We have spent all these years being so worried about oursleves and Theresa and the Cranes that we didn't even think about you. At least I didn't. I am so sorry Paloma."
Miguel walked tot he bed and put his arms around his sister. She resisted at first, but then leaned into his arms, letting the tears flow freely.
 

Chad was surprised to see Theresa smiling as she walked through the door.
"I'm moving back to the Cranes, Chad. Isn't that wonderful."
Chad 's stomach dropped. He had been trully enjoying having her stay there. He was sad to see her go.
"SO what happened?"
"Oh, I told them Lil Ethan was Ethan's son so I am moving back in to be close to them."
"I know you told them." Chad was watching her closely. Something was odd.
"Yeah, well he is Ethan's son. The paternity test came back" Theresa stammered. "Anyway, I'm moving back in and me and Ethan are going to be together again just like we were supposed to be."
"DId Ethan say that?"
"Well, no, but it's only a matter of time."
Chad nodded. That was one of the many things he admired about her, her constant ashurity that things would work out for her the way she wanted. He only wished that she wouldn't go.
"DO you need some help moving?"
"Sure Chad. You're so great!" she said, pulling him into a big hug. He held her back, never wanting to let her go.