Chapter 18- Working through it
 

Miguel walked into his mother’s kitchen and gasped. "Mama?" He asked.
"Hmm?" Pilar said turning around from the stove.
"Mama what are you doing?" He asked walking up to her.
She let out a small laugh. "It appears I’m cooking our breakfast."
"Are you all right? I went to check on you and you weren’t in your bedroom, I got scared." Miguel explained.
"I’m fine son. Now do you want eggs?" She asked.
Miguel nodded, "Uh yeah."
Pilar looked at her son again, "We will be all right Miguel. All of us. We must take things slowly though."
Miguel put his hands on his mother’s shoulder’s kissing her cheek . "Thank you mama." He smiled.
"Now you go take your shower, breakfast will be done soon." Pilar said pointing toward the door.
"Yes. Ma’am." He smiled.
Miguel ran to his phone and dialed Theresa’s number at the sound of her voice he smiled.
"Theresa, she’s back. Mama’s came back to us."
~*~*~*~

Julian smiled as he walked down the stairs, Ivy sat in a chair looking at the paper. "Ivy darling, sleep well?" He asked.
She looked up at smiled, Her eyes reflecting all the beauty she had, "Yes, and you Julian?"
"I slept all right. So, do you have your day planned out?" He questioned.
She shook her head, "No, I’m not sure what I’m going to do today. How about you?"
"I have no plans. " He said as he studied her. "Ivy, would you like to spend the day with me?" He questioned. "Doing, Common things?" He asked.
Ivy chuckled. "Common things Julian?"
He nodded, "Yes. Perhaps we could go eat at one of those small cafe’s. Then do some shopping for the children. Common things." He explained.
Ivy smiled, Julian was reaching out to her, for whatever reason he was reaching. "Sounds nice Julian."
He gave her a quick grin. "Wonderful. Shall I have the driver prepare?"
Ivy laughed "Why don’t we give the driver the day off?"
"Yes, yes we’ll do that. I can drive I suppose." He smiled.
"It is the ‘common’ thing to do." Ivy joked.
Julian smiled, "I’ll go get ready now. See you soon Ivy dear."
Ivy watched as Julian headed up the stairs. "Julian Crane, a nice person. Now this is a shocking development." Ivy smiled.
~*~*~*~

"Theresa you look, well terrible." Gwen admitted as Theresa swung her door open.
Theresa nodded. "No sleep again." She sighed.
Gwen smiled, "Well are the kid’s ready? I have money and I want to spend it." She laughed.
Kendra came running in the living room all smiles, "Aunt Gwen." She cooed giving Gwen a hug.
"Kenji you look so cute." She told the little girl, who was wearing a red shirt and Blue Jean overalls.
"Thank you." She giggled.
Theresa looked at Kendra and smiled, "Now you better be good for your Aunt Gwen. "
"Oh I will." She said her eyes dancing.
"Don’t worry Theresa, we’ll be fine. "
Theresa nodded. "Are you sure you want Matthew to go? He’s been real fussy lately. I can watch him and work to." Theresa told her.
Gwen shook her head, "Nope, I want both of them today."
"I’m gonna go get my money." Kendra told Gwen.
"Honey you don’t need money." Gwen laughed.
"Nope I do. See Uncle Hank gave it to me and said by something with it. So I am." She explained heading up the stairs.
Theresa shook her head, "She’s Five going on Twenty isn’t she?"
Gwen nodded. "You know I should give you my phone number." She said. "And I need yours."
Theresa pointed to her desk. "There should be paper and a pen in the top drawer." She said picking up Matthew.
Gwen walked over and opened the drawer, She started to pick up the paper when her hand touched a photo. Picking it up she frowned. "When was this took?" She asked holding it up.
Theresa bit her lip as she looked at the picture of her and Ethan . Her stomach felt sick as she answered. "A week after we started dating."
Gwen nodded. "Which was a week after he dump me? Wow you two worked fast huh?" She whispered.
"Gwen, I, I didn’t even remember that photo."
"Don’t explain. " Gwen sighed. "Its all over now." She said, her words calm, but her face showed signs of hurt and bitterness. "Just don’t worry about it."
Gwen took Matthew just as Kendra walked down to her. Theresa kissed each child, as Gwen headed out the door. "I’ll call before I bring them home." Gwen said, her voice distant, not cheerful and friendly like before.
"That will be fine. " Theresa said as she shut the door. Leaning up against the wood door Theresa let out a breath. "Nothing’s ever easy is it?" She said falling down to the floor.
~*~*~*~

Ethan hit his knee’s on the soft green grass. He looked at the grave before him. "Sher, I came back. I’m here now." He whispered. He still couldn’t grasp the fact that she was gone. Never coming back again. "I don’t know what’s going on. Things have changed Sheridan. Resa doesn’t want me, She hates me. And I’ve lost you forever." He cried. His mind spinning back in time.
Flashback
A young Ethan looked over at the blonde who sat frowning in the corner. "Can’t go can you?" He questioned.
"No." She complained. "Sheridan Crane is too good to go to a slumber party at a ‘commons’ house." She said in a mock tone rolling her eyes.
Ethan walked over to her, "Sher cheer up, I couldn’t go to that baseball game either. Father didn’t think it was a good idea."
"I just wanta be normal Ethan. For once I want to go spend the night with friends who don’t live in huge mansions. I want to eat chip’s and dip in my room and talk about boy’s until morning with girl’s who are not after money. Its so annoying." She explained.
"Sher your 13. One day you’ll be all grown up and you can do whatever you want. We both can." Ethan laughed. "Hey we can sneak out together tonight again though."
"We almost got caught at the beach though. And that one guy was so cute. His eyes were so beautiful. " She cooed. "And his dark hair. He was hot."
Ethan rolled his eyes," Yeah well if you want to sneak out let me know, we won’t be here much longer anyway. You know we’ll get sent off again soon. Might as well have fun while we’re here."
"At least I’ve got you." Sheridan sighed.
Ethan nodded. "You’ll always have me AUNT Sheridan." He laughed.
"Ugh that makes me sound SO old." Sheridan complained with a grin watching Ethan head upstairs.
End Flashback

"I’m so sorry I let you down Sher. So very sorry." Ethan cried, his tears falling on the ground. "If I could change it I would. I wouldn’t have never left. Not if I had known." He said trembling. "I just didn’t know. I mean I meant to come back, I did. I was just so confused, and now its too late. I can’t change things now." He said wiping his eyes.
 

"You can start over though." A male voice bounded from behind Ethan. Turning around he looked up at the man standing behind him.
"Hank?"
"That’s Uncle Hank to you Ethan." He smiled. "Sorry if I’m imposing. " He said holding flowers in his hand. "I just wanted to put these on Luis’s grave.
"No, its fine. I need to be going." Ethan said standing up."
"Hey Ethan. You know, I made a lot of mistakes in my life. Never thought my family would forgive me. But I’ve started over and they have."
Ethan nodded. " I suppose."
"Look its not like you did anything as horrible as the things I’ve done. You made one huge mistake. Leaving Theresa and all. Yeah you messed up, broke some hearts and look like a total creep but hey you can still change." Hank explained.
Ethan frowned, "Well when you put it that way. Now I feel lower than mud." He sighed.
"Sorry man. Just laying it out there. Just like a good Uncle would. Anyway just think about it. "
Ethan smiled, "Thanks Hank, you’ve gave me something to think about." He said as they shook hands.
"Don’t be a stranger Ethan, I’d like to get to know you better."
"Thanks Hank. I won’t be." He said walking off.

~*~*~*~

Chad let out a yawn as he entered Jada’s room. "My girl’s sleeping in today." He smiled. Watching her sleep he sat down on her bed. Sometimes she looked just like her mother, the mother she’d never know. Carrie Planter had started out as a wonderful woman, both a singer and a model, she swept into Chad’s life like a whirlwind, changing everything forever. At first he thought she was a rebound, after all he met her right after Whitney ran off to be a tennis star. But what he found with Carrie was real love.
Chad kissed Jada on the forehead, her little body was curled together like a small baby. She’d always slept like that, since day one. He remembered the ring he had bought Carrie when Jada was born, they were going to be married raise their little miracle together, but instead Carrie got a modeling job in Paris, and just couldn’t ‘connect’ with Jada. She said she wasn’t ready to be a mom, in fact she would never be ready. Chad shook his head as the memories flooded his mind.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Justin, how he had said Theresa was the perfect woman for him, for Jada. But the pain stabbed him too deep, being hurt by both Whitney and Carrie had been too much for him. He had promised himself he’d never love like that again. He had Jada to think about, and he couldn’t let her get hurt by women coming and going. It wasn’t fair. No. Theresa was his best friend, and she would stay his best friend. It was the right thing, for everyone.

Jada opened her eyes and blinked, a smile wrapped around her face as she looked up at her father.
"Daddy." Her tiny voice whispered.
"Morning sleepy head." Chad said as she lifted up her small arms for a hug.
"Morning daddy." She smiled.
Chad hugged his little girl. She was the woman in his life, the only one he had time to think about, the one that really mattered.