The Fine Print - Chapter 11
by yhh
"Well, let's see how the babies are doing," Dr. Ramona Xavier declared,
turning on the monitor. She had read about Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald's case
in the newspaper, seen it on the news, and heard the gossip in the hospital.
The story was a little hard to miss. She had contemplated long and hard how
she was going to handle these now weekly check-ups. She finally decided to
ignore the massive amount of tension and treat it like the glorious event
that it was. Two little babies were coming into the world and based on all
the people in the room, they would obviously be well-loved. Now the story
of how they came into the world would be a different story. One, thank God,
she didn't have to tell.
Pilar held her daughter's hand as two images appeared on screen. Those
were her grandbabies. She was seeing her grandbabies for the first time.
She was in awe. And she didn't care what anyone said, those were her grandbabies,
regardless of their biological make-up. These two precious babies were growing
and being nurtured by her Theresita thus making those babies Lopez's. Forever
they would be part of her family, regardless of what Theresita did.
"There is baby A," Dr. Xavier announced to the quiet room dwellers.
Eve couldn't take her eyes off the screen. She had done numerous sonograms,
but this one was different. Right before her eyes, she was seeing a piece
of her, her parents, their parents, and countless generations that had been
before them, alive, moving, and breathing. Her grandchildren. She was a
grandmother of three by her son. Her son. She still got shivers saying it
out loud. A month ago, she had thought Chad was her son and was trying to
deal with the fall out of her son sleeping with her daughter. And now, here,
she stood, watching her grandkids on the big screen. She smiled. One day
in the not so distant future, Ethan's twins would be playing with Whitney's
child. Three cousins all around the same age, happily playing together.
She couldn't wait to hold all three in her arms.
Gwen was speechless. Her babies were alive and healthy. They weren't in
distress or going to die like their big sister, Sarah. They would live, grow
up, and one day make her a grandmother. Blocking out the woman carrying her
babies and the man who called out the whore's name in his sleep, she kept
her attention on the monitor. She had requested the doctor use the 4-D sonogram
machine so she could see her babies better. She was glad the doctor did as
she requested. She couldn't wait until she held this picture in her hands.
The picture and Ethan-Martin would help her get through this. They would help
her live through this nightmare her life had become.
"And here's baby B."
"Ethan, aren't they beautiful? We do such great work together. Can you
tell us what sex they are?" Theresa asked, bringing the tension in the room
to a new level.
Should he respond? Was she asking a rhetorical question? He didn't know
what to do. He honestly never wanted to hear her voice again. Every night,
he heard her voice in his sleep, even if he didn't see her. He hadn't had
a decent night sleep since the reading of Alistair's will. He wanted to enjoy
this moment more than anything but how could he when the room was full of
people who shouldn't be sharing this moment with him and Gwen, when there
were guards stationed outside the examination room, when there was a tracking
device wrapped around Theresa's ankle. How did everything spiral so out
of control?
"Dr. Xavier, I want to know the sex of my children," the biracial beauty
demanded.
"Theresita, I never knew the sex of any of my children before they were
born- -" Pilar began.
"That's because you had children in the old age, Mama. We can find out
now and I want to know."
Dr. Xavier looked to Eve for help.
"Theresa- -" Eve began.
"Tell her," Ethan interjected. He just wanted Theresa to shut up as quickly
as possible.
Inside her head, she screamed. Once again, Ethan rode to Theresa's rescue,
gave her exactly what she wanted. Did he once consider her or her feelings?
Damn it, she was standing right next to him. Suddenly, she felt a hand grab
hers. She looked over and saw Eve- - her mother-in-law's eyes shining not
with pity or compassion, but with support and a new source of strength.
Since the fall out had begun, Eve had become her new tower to lean on.
She hadn't had anyone to lean on since her dad moved to Tokyo with her brother,
after his divorce from her mother. They talked on a daily basis, but it
wasn't the same. Her admiration for Eve rose daily. How did a woman who
had so much on her plate have time for her? But somehow Eve did and she
was growing to love her for it. Squeezing Eve's hand back, Gwen knew she
wasn't alone in this room and neither were her twins.
Eve squeezed her daughter-in-law's hand back and nodded to the doctor.
They watched as their view of the babies changed from side to front. Baby
A had his or her legs pulled up.
"Baby A doesn't want to seem to cooperate with us today," Dr. Xavier said,
after trying to jostle Baby A slightly to get the baby to change position.
Gwen wanted to do a victory dance. That was her girl. She knew in that
instant Baby A was a girl. And her daughter wasn't putting up with any of
Theresa's nonsense.
"Okay," Theresa said disappointed, "what about Baby B?"
Moving over to the second baby, the doctor didn't need to utter a word.
"Ethan-Luis, he looks just like his daddy. Don't you think, Ethan?"
Ethan felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't stay in here a minute longer.
He needed some fresh air and more importantly to get away from Theresa.
"Theresita, Ethan-Luis? I think- -" Pilar commenced.
"Mama, these are my babies so your opinion or what you think isn't important,"
Theresa reprimanded her mother.
"Theresa Ava Lopez-Fitzgerald, watch your tone and the way you speak to
your mother. Do you understand?" Eve asked.
Not used to being called on her behavior, Theresa was contemplating a smart
retort but seeing the look in her Aunt Eve's eyes, she changed her mind.
"Theresa, do you understand?"
"Yes, Aunt Eve," the younger woman murmured.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you."
"Yes, Aunt Eve," Theresa repeated louder.
"Theresa looks tired so I think we should end our visit now," Eve stated,
bringing this horrid visit to a close.
Dr. Xavier was quick to agree with Eve. "Theresa, take it easy and I'll
see you back next week."
Upon hearing the doctor's final words, Ethan motioned to Gwen and exited
the room as quickly as possible once she understood his silent message.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Xavier," Gwen said, as the doctor handed her three
pictures of the twins' sonogram.
"Doctor, may I have one, too?" Theresa asked.
"Theresa, we already have a picture from the last sonogram." Pilar pleaded
with her hard-headed daughter.
"But not in 4-D, Mama."
"Theresa, we'll let your mom help you dress and Dr. Xavier will give you
a picture when you're through," Eve said, as she ushered Gwen and Dr. Xavier
out of the room.
"Thanks, Eve," her colleague whispered, walking back to her office.
Not seeing her husband anywhere, Gwen sighed. Why did Ethan always chose
Theresa over her and over their children? What did the younger woman have
that she didn't? She was so sick of doubting herself and their relationship.
She was just so tired.
Did her son realize how close he was to losing the best thing that had
ever happened to him? She wanted to throttle him. She knew he hadn't told
Gwen about the nightmares and one look at his face, and you knew he wasn't
getting enough rest. What must Gwen think? She couldn't betray her son's
confidence. And while one part was very upset with Ethan, another part of
her understood. Some rape victims would rather suffer in silence and pretend
they were okay than admit they were still hurting. She had hoped her son
would be different and seek the help he needed, but that didn't appear to
be the case. Doing the only thing she could, she guided the blonde woman
into her office and wrapped her arms around her as Gwen broke down and lowered
her façade.