Chapter Eleven

Luis watched from his reclined position as some of his buddies flexed before a wall of mirrors, the clanking of weights being raised and lowered drowning their mumbled conversation. Ryan Cook stood beside his bench, spotting him as he went through his usual routine. Ryan, a blond haired blue-eyed gentleman, was a newcomer to the Harmony PD having recently left Boston when the crime got too much for him to handle. He had grown weary of dealing with murder cases and drug busts and opted to go to the small haven of Harmony for some rest and relaxation. After all, the largest crime they had had in years was the hold up at the supermarket.

The two other cops making up their workout team were Roger Mahoney and Carlos Vasquez. Roger had been with the Harmony PD for eleven years, joining on his eighteenth birthday much to his families chagrin. He had flaming red hair and dark green eyes, very much like his Irish Catholic mother. Carlos, however, had moved to Harmony from New York City when a drunk driver killed his little sister. He had vacationed in Harmony most of his life and felt very comfortable there.

The four of them had started working out nearly two years before and had also spent a lot of time hanging out in bars together. His three friends were single and very good looking, trying their hardest to meet Ms. Right and settle down. They had even bet quite a sum of money on who would marry first, though Luis had wanted no part of it and he was glad. He’d hate for Serenity to think he was with her because he had money riding on his wedding date.

“So, how was that chick we saw you with last night, Carl?” Ryan asked, watching Luis and not his flexing comrade. Once before he had been stupid enough to look away from the person he was spotting only to have a five-pound weight drop off the heavier end on onto his foot. “Get any?”

“Don’t I always?” he returned nonchalantly, smirking at Roger. Carlos was hopeless when it came to women. He considered them all far too needy and spent most of his time warming their beds rather than trying to find a real relationship, despite the bet with the others. “Let me tell you, that babe was hot but a real bore in bed. Not exciting enough,” he shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter,” Roger picked up a set of weights and started doing curls. “She’s engaged and was having one last fling before the wedding. In fact, she should be saying her nuptials this weekend. Isn’t that right, Carl?”

“Yea, but I hope he’s into monotony, cause he’s gonna have a lot of boring nights with her,” he joined Roger by the rack and started lifting as well. For a moment he struggled with the fifty-pound weights before picking up a twenty. “Either they hadn’t slept together yet or she won him over with that chest. Best trait she has: built in flotation devices!”

“You guys are pigs,” Luis chuckled, resting for a moment. He usually worked out silently, listening to his friends make fools of themselves and commenting very little on his love life. It wasn’t in him to be smutty about the women he loved. “You do realize women have feelings, right? They’re not sex slaves.”

“I was waiting for the paternal voice of the love driven Luis,” Carlos laughed. “So how’s life going with your girl, Luis? I mean she’s back from the dead and you’ve had a lot of lost time to catch up on. Lots of great makeup sex?”

Luis didn’t reply, acting as if he hadn’t heard Carl at all.

“Come on, Luis. Crane was one hot babe. You can’t tell me you haven’t gotten lucky at all since she reappeared in your life! She was always all over you at the Policeman’s ball.”

“And the pool hall,” one of the others supplied.

“You know Luis never talks about his conquests,” Ryan laughed, though his cheeks held a certain redness. Despite his talk, he really wasn’t into acting like a buffoon like Carlos and Roger. “But she is back in town, right Luis?”

“Yea, Sheridan’s back,” he started bench-pressing again. It was true; Sheridan Crane was back, even if he wasn’t dating her. “She’s been back for a few months now.” He purposely left out that she was also engaged to his brother and marrying him in two days time. No one needed to know about his personal life right now, especially not these three. They had loose lips and as much as he wanted the world to know he was with Serenity, he didn’t want it coming from the filthy mouths and minds of Vasquez and Mahoney.

Suddenly the high-pitched chatter of some women coming in for their morning aerobics class overtook the gym. The girls, all dressed in tight pants and sports bras, were walking in small clusters and giggling over this or that. Some walked slowly past the men working out in the weight room, but most just rushed by trying to avoid being seen. One trio stopped right outside the weight room to wait for the doors to the workout room to be opened. A pretty little brunette from the group had her back to Luis and his friends. She was using her hands to talk quickly with her companions, who looked very interested in what she was saying.

“Now that is one fine looking woman,” Roger dropped his weights back into the rack and moved towards Luis’ bench for a better view of the woman’s backside. His tongue was nearly on the floor. “She looks so damn hot in those tights!”

Luis shook his head, again resting his weights in the holder and sitting up as he finished his set. Looking in the mirror, he realized he was still affected by the talk about Sheridan. Sometimes, he couldn’t figure out just why that woman had such a hold on him, despite the fact that he loved and adored Serenity. Shaking it off, Luis decided that it was just hard to put the past behind you when it had been left open as wide as his relationship with Sheridan. With that resolved in his mind, he didn’t even bother looking to the right where the girls were congregated. No one could compare to Serenity and the way she made him feel when they were together or the way he reacted to her beautiful body.

The girls shifted positions slightly, the brunette now showing a profile view of her body, which was very appealing in the purple bra and black pants. The men all had the same reaction at once: jaws hitting the floor. Not only did she look good in her exercise pants, but she more than filled the tight, skimpy sports bra she was wearing. She still hadn’t noticed that she and her friends had a bit of an audience and continued to talk with her hands. Every time her arms moved, her chest swayed, hypnotizing the three cops.

“Damn,” Carlos swallowed hard, mesmerized by her looks. “I would love to get her into bed. I bet she’s a tigress between the sheets! And look at that rack! Man she’s stacked! I haven’t seen anyone look so good in clothing since Luis introduced us all to Sheridan and we all know what a nice piece of ass she was.”

“Do you have to be so crude?” Luis asked, bending over to retrieve his water bottle. Sheridan might not be his fiancée anymore, but there was no reason to be degrading when they talked about her or any other woman.

“We know, we shouldn’t talk about your woman that way,” Roger apologized. “But I want to get my hands on that one, let me tell you. Luis, you may be attached, but you have to look at her! She’s babe-a-licious!”

“I have a woman,” he replied, still not looking and clearly not interested.

“Well could you at least look and let us know who she is? You know just about everyone in town and we don’t. Least you can do is help us hook up with her…”

“So you can break her heart? No thanks, I don’t really want to help you trash…” he faded off as the movement of the woman caught his eye and he looked over. He gasped, realizing whom it was. “Oh my God.”

“You know her!” Ryan was shocked. Luis really did know everyone in Harmony!

“Quite well,” he replied, ogling her. “And I’d rather appreciate it if the two of you would stop talking about her like she’s a piece of meat.”

“Why’s that?” Carlos got defensive. “You used to do it yourself before you had Sheridan.”

“I said stop, Carl!” he jumped up and pushed his friend, clearly getting over defensive about the woman in the hallway.

“What’s your problem man? You’re acting all possessive over her. You’ve got Sheridan, Luis, you can’t have every freaking girl in Harmony! Now I want that one and there’s no way on Earth you’re keeping me from her!”

“I sure as hell am going to stop you, Carlos! She’s mine!”

“Luis, really buddy, you gotta share eventually,” Ryan piped in, though softly. He wasn’t one to raise his voice for frivolous reasons and he definitely hated fighting with friends. “Carlos and Roger did see her first. You’ll just have to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Besides, Sheridan’s the hottest woman in Harmony, you’re happy with her.”

“You don’t understand,” Luis defended. “She is mine! Her name is Serenity and I’m living with her! She’s my girlfriend.”

“Yea right,” Carlos laughed. “You’re dating Sheridan.”

“No, he’s engaged to Sheridan,” Roger shook his head. “You two are Harmony’s poster couple of romance. You‘re going to have the American dream: two point two kids and everything. Why not let the rest of us try and find our soul mates here man?”

“Yea well she’s currently dating someone else,” Luis told them, quite miffed by their attitudes. “My brother in fact.”

“Miguel?” they all scoffed.

“No, stupid, Antonio,” Luis rolled his eyes. “Look, if you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it.”

“How?” Ryan asked.

“Watch,” he told them. “Hey, Serenity,” he called to her.

Turning her sapphire blue eyes from the girls she had previously been talking to, Serenity’s entire face lit up when her look landed on her boyfriend. Dropping her gym bag, she dashed across the workout room and flew into his arms. “Luis!” she cried, kissing him soundly on the lips. “What are you doing here, baby?”

“Buffing up with the guys,” he explained, giving them all a smug look. “In fact, Carlos and Roger here were just saying that they were going to come over and talk to you.”

“Oh really, what for?” she turned to the men in question.

“No reason,” they muttered, turning back to their weights.

“Something I said?” she questioned her boyfriend.

“No, baby,” he laughed, kissing her thoroughly enjoying seeing his friends stew. “Enjoy your workout,” he smacked her on the backside.

She glared at him, starting to back away towards the door. “Watch it, Lopez-Fitzgerald, or you won’t be getting any tonight,” she blew him a kiss. “I’ll see you at Sheridan’s rehearsal dinner tonight. Love you.”

“Love you too,” he watched her leave.

“Don’t say it, Luis,” Carlos grumbled. “We got the picture. It’s over for you and Sheridan and you’re with the babe.”

“About time you realized it,” he walked over to another weight machine and started working out. Leaving everyone to think silently for a moment, Luis tried to get his smile under control. He did love proving people wrong. Finally, having enough of the tension, he changed the subject. “So, how about those Patriots?”

The icicles glistened on the roof of the old stone church as Luis pulled Serenity’s Mercedes into the parking lot. The dimly lit building was the location for Sheridan’s rehearsal and inside waited the bride, groom and the near dozen members of their wedding party. Serenity shook her head, looking at the mounds of snow that covered the brick pathway to the church. She would have preferred staying at home with her handsome boyfriend, spending the evening zoning in front of the television. It didn’t take a genius to see that Sheridan had something up her sleeve. In fact, a blind man could see the gears turning in Sheridan’s thick skull. The woman was out for one thing and Serenity refused to let her have it, especially since it was hers now.

Sighing, she undid her seatbelt and turned towards Luis. “Are you sure they’ll need us here tonight, Luis?” she asked. Serenity had never been in a wedding before. Actually, she had never even been to a wedding, since Sheridan was her only friend and still very single for two more days. “I mean it’s not like we say or do anything.”

“They still need the maid-of-honor and the best man, Serenity. Besides, it would be rude to not show up. He’s my brother and he’s expecting us.”

“Right, your brother,” she muttered, climbing out of the car. She was sure that Luis had other reasons to attend the rehearsal and the dinner to follow than his dear brother. Luis hadn’t even spoken to Antonio since her arrival in town, save the one or two times they all had dinner together. She found it hard to believe that her boyfriend suddenly found the need to be more friendly to the soon to be married Antonio. Serenity was almost positive that Luis was going so he could see Sheridan again, perhaps even to convince her to drop the charade. She hated doubting him, but he had given her reasons to over the days since Thanksgiving.

“Serenity, if this is about the other night…”

She shook her head, not wanting to talk about it again. More than once over the last week or so she had found Luis staring at pictures of Sheridan with a forlorn look, not that he knew about every time she spotted him. Whenever she tried to talk to him about it, he closed up and told her it was nothing; she was imagining things. But she definitely wasn’t inventing things the other day when she awoke in the middle of the night to his tossing and turning. He was clearly calling out Sheridan’s name in his sleep, begging her to come back to him. Once or twice he even told Sheridan he loved her in his dream and Serenity had been unable to fall asleep afterwards, crushed and totally numb inside.

She had made it a point over the years to never stay with men that treated her this way or suddenly took to the habit of calling out her best friend’s name during dreams or sex. But Serenity loved Luis, more than she thought possible, and no one had ever made her feel the way he did. She was determined not to let his love go without a fight, but it wasn’t easy battling Sheridan on this. Luis and Sheridan had a past, one that everyone in Harmony knew about. They were so close to each other that people living in town predicted nothing but the best for the couple. Whenever she and Luis were together, people would ask why he broke up with “that nice Sheridan Crane girl.” It was as if Serenity didn’t exist or wasn’t with him and it stung, more than she cared or dared to admit.

“Serenity? Baby?” he put his hand on her shoulder. Her back was to him and when he turned her, he noticed the shimmering tracks of tears on her face. Placing a finger beneath her chin he raised her eyes to meet his. “I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.”

She sniffled, brushing the tears off her cheeks and stepping away. Hearing Luis’ true desires in his dreams the other night had been hard enough to deal with; she didn’t need him to confirm it while he was awake. So she didn’t even ask him, just let it fade away and pretended that nothing had changed. But it did. From that very moment she analyzed everything he did. Was he hugging her because he wanted to or because she leaned towards him? Was that kiss missing the spark it held before? Was it longer than previously? Shorter? Why was he taking so long coming home? Why the extra workouts? It bothered her and she hated feeling that way.

“Nothing,” she turned her back to him again and started for the church doors. She placed her hand against the door of the church and started to pull it open. Before she could, Luis pressed his palm against it and kept it closed.

“You know I love you, right?” he checked.

“So you say,” she replied.

“I do and I love no one more than you. Trust me?”

She nodded, deciding that giving in was better than arguing. He released the door and she walked inside, removing her coat and laying it on the back pew. Beneath her ankle length black coat, Serenity was wearing a midnight blue knee length dress with three-quarter sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. The dress fit like a glove against her skin and accentuated her best parts. Around her neck was a single strand of pearls and the beads were sewn into her hair, which was done in wispy curls.

“Wow,” Luis shook his head, looking at her beauty for a moment. His eyes swept over the decorated church, which was covered in garlands and poinsettias for the start of the Christmas season. Up front his brother spoke with Miguel and Father Lonigan and Sheridan stood discussing something with Ethan’s fiancée, Gwen. Sheridan was wearing the same white suit she had worn to their wedding rehearsal over a year ago and her hair was even curled in the same manner. It was like looking into the past and Luis was affected immediately.

Paloma, who had been asked to be a junior bridesmaid, crossed the church to stand beside Serenity. Pausing to take in the woman’s mood, she decided that Serenity definitely wasn’t happy, especially since she was watching Luis drool over his ex-fiancée. “Thanks for taking me shopping the other day,” Paloma broke into Serenity’s brooding.

“It was no problem, Paloma,” Serenity replied automatically, her dark blue eyes pinned on Luis. “Like I told you the other day, I enjoy spending time with you and I love shopping.”

Paloma forced a chuckle, feeling the tension in Serenity’s body rise as Sheridan left her previous conversation and headed towards Luis with a come hither look in her eyes. She watched Serenity’s hands clench into fists and knew it took everything Serenity had not to go over and tear Sheridan’s pretty blond hair out. “You look beautiful tonight,” she tried again to start a conversation with Luis’ girlfriend.

“Thank you, so do you,” she didn’t even look Paloma’s way. Her nails started to dig into the flesh of her palms when Sheridan threw her arms around Luis in greeting and pretended to kiss his cheek, but instead she landed a kiss on his lips. “Why that conniving…”

“Church language,” Paloma stopped her, snapping her fingers in front of Serenity’s face. “She’s not worth getting this worked up over, Serenity. She’s getting married in two days.”

“And she’s playing your oldest brother for a fool.”

“Short game,” the younger woman shook her head, looking in her brother’s direction for a moment. Paloma truly believed that Antonio was depriving some village of its idiot.

Serenity laughed. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to,” she noticed Father Lonigan was taking his place. “All right, we’re starting. Thank God! I was getting hungry. Leave it to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb to plan their rehearsal at dinner time,” she checked her watch. “No one has ever made me wait until seven to eat dinner before!”

Serenity smirked, finally feeling a little bit better. She and Paloma walked to the back of the church where the wedding coordinator, Ms. Truman, was lining the girls up in the order they would walk down the aisle. She put the smallest, a distant relative of Sheridan’s, in the front of the line as the flower girl. Following behind her were Paloma, Theresa, Gwen and several of Sheridan’s relatives. One by one she taught them to slowly walk down the aisle and then finally she let them begin, waiting until the first was nearly at the end before the second would go and so forth. For a while, that left Sheridan and Serenity at the back of the church alone.

“Glad you could make it,” Sheridan told her friend, watching as Theresa tried to trip Gwen at the altar. She didn’t care much because it gave her an excuse to look at Luis, who was right beside Antonio at the altar. No one would know just who her eyes were watching if she were cautious enough.

“Oh I’m sure you are. I mean, Luis couldn’t have possibly have come without me, could he? Then whom would you drool over?”

“Jealous?”

“Why should I be? He sleeps with me at night. In fact, we made love before we arrived,” she lied, not feeling the least bit guilty. She hated Sheridan with a passion.

Sheridan, however, was livid with the intimate detail she didn’t want to know. It irked her that Serenity was living with and making love to the man she believed was hers. “Funny, because ever since you arrived, he’s been looking at me.”

“But he’s going home with me,” Serenity tried to shake it off as she was signaled to walk down the aisle as well. Slowly, in the pattern she was taught, she made her way towards the altar where everyone stood. Luis seemed to be watching her, something of a smile twitching on his lips. But it wasn’t until he looked past her that the smile spread and the fire inside her started to grow. She could plainly hear Antonio when he asked, “Isn’t Sheridan beautiful Luis?”

“Her beauty is unparalleled, Antonio. You’re a lucky man.”

Angrily, Serenity took her place on Sheridan’s side of the altar. All she could do now was hope that Sheridan would trip and land on her head.

The coordinator gestured to Sheridan to join the rest and she took the aisle a bit faster than the others, to the annoyance of the planner. Once she was in position, a signal was given to Father Lonigan and he began, explaining how the wedding would go. Of course, Sheridan and Luis already knew the steps to a wedding; both had been through a rehearsal that fateful June before she was lost at sea. It seemed as if both were thinking about it when their eyes connected and neither looked away. Father Lonigan droned on and on, but Serenity’s head was pounding too loudly for her to hear any of it. The longer Sheridan and Luis exchanged looks, the louder her head seemed to get until finally tears were pouring down her cheeks and she wanted to scream. Instead, she pushed Sheridan out of her way and ran down the aisle, picking up her coat and escaping to the outdoors.

Paloma glanced at her brother only momentarily and she realized exactly what had caused the problem. Catching Luis’ attention, she motioned for the door. “Do something, you idiot!” she demanded.

Luis was confused, but the second the door shut loudly at the other end of the church, he looked for Serenity. Finding her missing from the line, he took off down the aisle and into the cold night air. The keys to Serenity’s car lay buried in his pocket, but the dense gardens outside the church were twisted and wide. She could have gone in any direction on the cleared paths or merely escaped down the street. He looked around for her until the cold became unbearable and then returned inside, where Paloma awaited him with her arms crossed and anger dancing in her deep hazel eyes.

“You are an ass,” she informed him easily. “Do you realize what you were doing this entire time or are you too stupid to even notice?”

“I wasn’t doing anything wrong!” he defended himself.

“Oh no?” his little sister asked. “Drooling over the woman you are no longer engaged to while the woman you are living with is standing right there is perfectly all right?”

He sighed. “I better go find her,” he grabbed his coat and pulled it on. “Apologize to everyone for us, will you?”

“No,” she shook her head. “The only one that deserves an apology right now is Serenity, and you’re damn lucky if she sits still long enough to listen to it.”

Serenity arrived home near eleven, having been ejected from the closing Book Café. She had wanted to stay out longer, but the only businesses open so late were bars and she made it a point to never go to one alone. Digging into her purse, she pulled out her spare key and stuck it into the lock, surprised to find the door slightly ajar. Looking over at the driveway, she realized that Luis was home and probably waiting for her in the living room. Once she entered, she noticed he was just where she predicted.

“What are you doing up?” she questioned as she hung her jacket up in the hall closet. Tossing her purse onto an end table, she headed for the stairs. She had been hoping that he would be asleep or still out when she arrived, not wanting to deal with this problem tonight or ever. To her, his decision had been made.

“I was waiting for you. Don’t you think we need to talk?” He flipped off the TV, which had been on mute. However, he stayed where he was, watching her.

“What for? You can’t help how you feel, Luis, and if you love Sheridan I shouldn’t be in your way. I’ve spent my entire life dealing with the fact that Sheridan Crane was better than I was and for a while I had deluded myself into thinking I stood a chance at having you. But you know what; this is tiring and I really don’t think I can do this anymore.”

“W-what do you mean?” he stuttered.

“Look, I’ve taken care of myself for years, Luis: first at the orphanage, then at the prep schools, then alone in Paris. I’ve had my share of heartbreaks but I dealt with them alone. I didn’t need anyone and I still don’t.” She paused, looking upstairs. “I love you, Luis. It’s that simple for me and I want nothing more than for you to have everything you want and to be happy. I’ve been alone and it suited me. I wasn’t blissful, but it was enough. I can get by on that again.”

“What are you saying?”

“I can go back to Paris, Luis. I can be content there. I’d hate to leave Harmony, but I think that if you truly love Sheridan then you need to stop her from marrying Antonio before it’s too late.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and her voice was choked as she continued. “You can keep this mistake from happening and be with the woman you love, but I need to leave town if it’s going to work for you and if there’s any hope for me to find someone new.”

“I don’t want you to leave,” he rose from the couch, going to her. “I love you.”

“You have a funny way of showing it sometimes,” she remained calm. “I could have ignored the looks, Luis, if only you hadn’t called her name out in your sleep nights ago. I could have pretended that you were just trying to deal with demons from your past if the words you murmured last night weren’t ‘I love you, Sheridan.’ If you love me, Luis, you wouldn’t be thinking of her and I want to think if you loved her, you wouldn’t have slept with me.”

“I do love you!” he argued. “She’s getting married, I’m trying to cope!”

“Don’t you see? If you weren’t in love with her still, you wouldn’t have anything to cope with,” she cried. “It explains everything, Luis: the dreams, the looks, the way you tensed when she announced her wedding date! I don’t want to stay where I’m unwanted. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in the shadow of Sheridan’s memories.”

Luis felt numb. Serenity was so sure he was in love with Sheridan that she was willing to just walk away from what she wanted. He knew she loved him, her unselfishness was proof of that, but he didn’t think she would just relinquish all ties to him so easily. “Give me a way, Serenity. Tell me how I can prove I love you.”

“The only way to prove it, is by saying goodbye to her for good, Luis. You have to truly let her go and mean it this time.” She sighed. “You have to decide: do you want to marry Sheridan or do you want to be with me.”

“It’s no contest…”

She put her hand up. It wasn’t a contest, but it was definitely a decision he had to think over. A few words now would not make up her mind that he meant it. “Tomorrow, you have to decide by midnight tomorrow. By then you have to have said goodbye to one of us, or else you’ll lose us both,” she started up the stairs.

Luis didn’t want this to be over; he wanted to keep her talking and to try to get her to stay and work it out. "I guess I should sleep in the guest bedroom tonight," he said, half asking her and half telling her where he would be.

Serenity hesitated on the steps, looking up at the door to her bedroom. She hated sleeping without him now that she was used to having his body in bed. Without looking at him, she responded, "I've let men into my bed before that loved her, why should I stop now? Sleep wherever you want." She finished climbing the stairs and silently entered her room.

Luis didn’t know what to do, where to go or how to feel. All he did know was that he had twenty-four hours to make a decision, one that would change his life forever.

Chapter Twelve

Luis listened with closed eyes as Serenity shuffled through her drawers, looking for something to wear to the restaurant. With only one week left to the grand opening, he would have assumed that Serenity would be nervous, but she wasn’t. After opening several smaller restaurants in Paris and running a major corporation, she wasn’t the least bit worried about the response of Harmony residents to her new Café. Of course, Luis knew that part of the reason she wasn’t even a tad apprehensive was the mere fact she didn’t have time to dwell on it. With Sheridan’s wedding, his upcoming decision and a slight plunge in D’Artigny Inc stock, Serenity really didn’t have a moment to spare. She was trying to keep her world from falling apart.

He felt guilty adding to her burdens recently and especially feigning sleep while his girlfriend muttered in French under her breath. From what he could understand, Serenity was quite miffed at Sheridan, whose name continued to pop up between strains of angry French phrases. He wished he wouldn’t have copped out and taken Spanish in high school; maybe then he would understand a little of what Serenity was saying. Suddenly, her tone changed and he recognized his own name in her grumblings. But she didn’t sound angry any longer. Now her voice held barely contained sadness as she stifled a sob. Luis really felt like slime.

Serenity finally slammed shut the drawer she had been looking through and left the room. Luis could only assume she was dressed. Opening only one eye, he watched her descend the staircase with all the poise and dignity he had come to admire about her. One thing he had to admit was that Serenity held amazing grace under fire. Until the other night he had never seen Serenity lose her patience or her temper when people were around. Like him, she didn’t like having her dirty laundry aired in public and preferred private confrontations on level playing fields.

Through his thoughts, Luis heard the front door shut and Serenity’s convertible rev to life. He waited a few moments listening to the purr of the motor before she peeled out of the driveway and away from the house. Watching the clock, he waited five minutes before pulling himself from the bed. He still felt terrible for leading her to believe that he was sleeping. He had, in fact, been awake since before Serenity’s alarm had gone off, observing her as she slumbered peacefully. Serenity was pressing him to make one of the hardest decisions of his life. She wanted him to choose between the woman he thought was his soul mate and the woman he currently loved. He knew that love was a fickle thing, but he honestly couldn’t see his life without Serenity in it. On the other hand, he couldn’t see his life without Sheridan either. She had been the reason he had lived in the first place. He hated to admit it, but Sheridan saved him once just like Serenity was his savior now.

Reaching for the phone, Luis brushed his thumb over the smooth buttons and tried to decide if he really wanted to make this call. Serenity had been quite clear in her demands: he had to say goodbye to either herself or Sheridan by midnight and he intended to do so before he lost them both. Dialing Sheridan’s phone number quickly, Luis listened to the shrill sound of it ringing six times before someone picked up on the other end.

“Hello?” Sheridan answered lazily. She had convinced Antonio that it would be best if they didn’t spend the day or night before the wedding together. He willingly went to stay at his mother’s new house.

“Sheridan, it’s Luis.”

Her sharp intake of breath was due to surprise, but Sheridan quickly recovered. Part of her had waited for this call all night. “Luis? I didn’t expect you to call. Is everything all right? Antonio and I were quite worried after you left so abruptly yesterday evening.” On the phone she sounded truly concerned but if her could see her face he would know she was faking. While Antonio had been concerned about his brother, Sheridan had only found the theatrics from the night before the cornerstone in her plans to win back Luis.

“Yea, everything is fine,” he hesitated. It wasn’t a total lie; besides Serenity’s anger and ultimatum, everything was just perfect. “Look, what happened last night has truly opened my eyes to a few things I need to do before it’s too late. I’ve had to come to terms with a lot of things I’ve been wanting and feeling for a long time. I really need to see you tonight.”

“Sure, Luis. Tell me where and when and I’ll be there with bells on!”

He was sure she would be. “The Lobster Shack, six. Don’t be late. It’s imperative that you’re on time because we need to discuss a few things before the wedding and they’re things that will change our lives.”

Growing excited, Sheridan truly believed that Luis needed to see her before the wedding because he wanted her to call it off. Her mind already started to form plans for the evening when she was with Luis. She knew just the perfect dress to wear and what items to order to refresh his memory on their romance. This had to be a night he wouldn’t forget if she was going to make sure he was hers and not Serenity’s. “Luis, this sounds serious,” she tried to control her joy. “Are you sure that everything is all right?”

“Yea, just be there tonight at six, Sheridan, or else it will be too late. Goodbye,” he hung up the phone. Luis quickly jotted down a list of things he had to do and then dressed. Today was going to be a busy day.

His first stop was a jeweler down by the wharf that specialized in engagement rings and wedding jewelry. Luis, having had little practice at purchasing diamond engagement rings, was overwhelmed when he entered the one story brick building at the corner of Seaside and Second. The craftsman, Casey Lawrence, was well known in Harmony for his wedding pieces. In fact, he had designed the five-carat engagement ring that Julian had given Ivy over twenty-five years prior. Sheridan had pointed out a few of the rings she thought were interesting once, but insisted that Luis’ grandmother’s ring meant far more. Of course, she still owned his grandmother’s ring thanks to Antonio. Luis would need another one now.

Due to his total lack of expertise, Luis had decided to call two people whose opinions he trusted completely: his sisters. Paloma and Theresa were only too happy to meet Luis at a jewelry store, especially when he sounded like he was on a secret mission. In ten minutes, both girls had arrived at the small boutique and were perusing the cases of rings, oohing and ahhing over this one or that. Neither, however, said two words to him during their first swoop around the store. Finally, they met him in the center.

“We’ll need some facts before we can pick out an appropriate ring,” Paloma told Luis, already having seen several rings that were more than likely in his price range and perfect for Serenity. “Is the ring for Serenity?”

“I’m not saying,” Luis told his sister evenly. “Like I said when you first got here, Serenity wants me to make a decision tonight and say goodbye to the woman that I don’t want to be with anymore. I thought it would be a nice touch to propose marriage to the one I do want and I just need an engagement ring to do so. Now is that enough information?”

“Not really,” Paloma crossed her arms. She had to wonder if her brother’s silence was because he planned on proposing to Sheridan and stopping the wedding. “See if the ring is for Sheridan, she’s more than likely going to be fine with the hunk of metal from Grandma Lopez, even if it once symbolized her engagement to Antonio. The reason for this: she’s desperate to bring things back to the past when she had no competition. However if she knew you were buying her a diamond, she’d feel naked in anything less than a carat.”

Luis appreciated his sister’s attention to details and knew one day she would have a brilliant career based on that skill. She had turned out better with their Aunt than she ever could have in the house: look at Theresa.

“Sheridan’s not like that,” Theresa argued. “But I do think she’d want to stay with Grandma’s ring, Luis. It’s something from the family.”

“But we’re not using Grandma’s ring, so let’s pick a diamond, please,” he groaned.

“Well, if it’s for Serenity, I’d go small but elegant. Something nicely cut in white gold. I rarely see her wearing fourteen carat gold, so I’d have to assume she likes the antique look of platinum. Your best bet is over here,” she led Luis to a set of cases and pointed out a solitaire.

“I like that one,” he admitted.

“But,” Theresa argued. “If the ring is for Sheridan I would go with a gold band. She’s always wearing that gold heart that she bought in Bermuda with Antonio.” Theresa’s desire was to see Luis marry Sheridan because they were meant to be. If they married, there was hope that she would one day have Ethan back. It had nothing to do with Serenity, of course; she couldn’t have liked the woman more. It was all about Fate.

“My stupid sister makes a point,” Paloma replied. “Sheridan wears a lot more gold than Serenity does. If the ring is for her you should look at that case there,” she pointed to one adjacent to the white gold rings.

“But Sheridan does have a white gold tennis bracelet,” Luis told Paloma. “I don’t think she buys herself a lot of jewelry and everything people give her is either custom made or special ordered. It’s lack of creativity for them to venture into the world of white gold.”

“It’s more expensive too,” Paloma shrugged. “You would think someone like Sheridan would have tons of it.”

Luis shot her a look. At least he was clear that Paloma was not fond of Sheridan and definitely in Serenity’s corner. “What about something that looks like an heirloom? Both women appreciate the appeal of jewelry that has a history behind it.”

“I saw one like that!” Theresa grabbed his arm, dragging him clear across the room. In a case against the back wall lay two rows of diamond rings in white gold and platinum settings. The diamonds were all beautifully cut and engraved with intricate designs. Luis wasn’t sure these were going to be in his price range, forget his being able to decide on one. Finally, his eyes caught the glitter of one ring in particular. It was perfect.

“That’s the ring,” he pointed to the second ring in the second row. The ring held a half-carat piece in the center and on both sides of it was oval shaped diamonds lowered slightly. The back of the ring looked like pieces of rope with knots on the ends. He knew he should have asked the price, but he didn’t have the heart. Whatever woman he picked would not only deserve this ring but would be more than happy to receive it from him.

Paloma watched as her brother removed the only credit card he owned and handed it to the salesman for the ring. Thanks to her sister’s big mouth, she would never figure out who was going to receive the proposal that evening. Had Luis picked a white gold ring from the newer collection, she would have immediately assumed it would soon be on Serenity’s finger. But now he was using the antique route as a way to hide his choice from both of them. The ring was expensive, but neither woman would have wanted Luis to go bankrupt on a ring. Sighing, Paloma admitted defeat. She would have to wait like everyone else.

Meanwhile, Luis concentrated on the ring as the salesman waited for the credit card to go through. Fingering the beautiful octagon shaped diamond, Luis tried to picture it on the finger of his future fiancée. He knew she would love it; he only wish he knew he was making the right decision. Could he really say goodbye?

Luis arrived at the Lobster Shack fifteen minutes early. Looking around, he noticed that the popular joint was hopping due to it being a weekend during Christmas season. Many of the patrons were out with visiting family or else stopping after a long day of shopping at the Harmony mall. With a heavy sigh, Luis realized that his conversation with Sheridan would be easily overheard by anyone in the diner and looked for a smaller, less populated area. He was pleased to find that the front of the restaurant by the plate glass windows facing the street were near empty. That was where he wanted to sit, even if passersby could witness the night’s events.

“Hey, Luis,” Mike, the manager shook his hand as he stood behind the host’s podium. Mike had worked here for years, becoming co-owner not too long ago when the Shack was going through financial difficulties. “Your reservation is for six, right?”

“Right,” Luis replied. “Mike, could you do me two huge favors?”

“Anything for you, man.”

“The first is easy enough. I want to have some privacy when Sheridan gets here. Could you possibly seat us over by the window where there is less of a crowd?”

“Not sure how much more private that will be with all the people walking by, but sure, if that’s what you want.” He shrugged. “What’s the other favor?”

Luis pulled a CD from his oversized coat pocket. “Could you possibly play the first song on that CD exactly at a ten after six? It’s important that it’s playing when Sheridan and I dance. I have something I need to say to her and I want that song to be a part of it.”

“Sounds romantic,” Mike smiled, jotting down Luis’ instructions. “I’ll be sure that it’s on at exactly six-ten. Anything else?”

“No, just show Sheridan where I am when she gets here,” he offered a faulty smile and headed off for the dimly lit corner of the restaurant. Fortunately, there was a small table for two a row back from the windows, though still quite visible from the street. He used his extra time to continuously examine the engagement ring he had purchased that afternoon. The diamond shimmered even in the poor lighting and Luis knew that this was the right ring. Deep down inside, he admitted that he had chosen the correct woman too; it was just hard for him to face the fact that he had to say goodbye the other. Suddenly he knew what the guy on The Bachelor felt like.

For fifteen minutes, Luis sat at the table for two comparing the women he loved. Sheridan and Serenity had many common aspects: both had quite a sum of money, were educated in the finest schools, were beautiful, smart, funny and going to be great wives and mothers. But the differences were vast too. Serenity was much shier and private. She didn’t appreciate having people meddle in her affairs. She was neither conniving nor vindictive and had come a long way in learning to trust him. Her loyalty surpassed any he had ever seen in another person. Her past was full of pain that she had overcome to become a stronger person and she ran not one but two successful businesses.

Sheridan, on the other hand, was none of that. She had no talents that could transfer into the work force and despite her being a wonderful wife; she would have to learn everything. She couldn’t cook or clean and she was only loyal when it suited her. When it came to making hard decisions, Sheridan opted to take the easy way out. Lately, she had become quite underhanded and she didn’t care who knew personal facts about her. She had no work experience and seemed to enjoy living a better life, even though she claimed she would be able to live that off a cop’s wife. Sheridan’s past had not made her stronger; in many ways it had broken her spirit. Where Serenity had proven that she would sacrifice herself for others, Sheridan’s only sacrifice had come when she hid behind his brother’s medical condition.

“Ahem,” Sheridan cleared her voice as she slid into the vacant chair across from Luis. He had just enough time to notice that she was wearing the same red dress from their first date over three years before. “It’s six,” she showed him her watch.

“You’re on time,” he smiled softly, quickly hiding the ring. Fortunately, Sheridan hadn’t noticed that he had been playing with it. “Sorry I didn’t stand and pull out your chair, I was a little preoccupied.”

“Quite all right,” she told him, sliding her hand across the table to hold his. “I’m so glad you asked me to meet you here tonight. I seriously thought…well, never mind. You called and that’s what counts. I just want you to know how much I love you.”

Luis looked into Sheridan’s crystal blue eyes and caught a glimmer of the woman he once loved and wanted to marry. It was almost as if she were that woman: the one that he had lost at sea two years ago. But she wasn’t. Luis had seen just how cruel and manipulating this Sheridan could be and part of him wept at how she had changed. “Should we order dinner?”

Sheridan nodded. “I’m famished,” she admitted. “I haven’t eaten all day I was so excited about our date. It seems so long since we’ve last had a chance to be together and alone without Antonio and Serenity.”

At the mention of his girlfriend’s name, Luis felt a twang of guilt and pain. Sometimes he honestly believed that Serenity deserved better than him. At this very moment, he wished he had been a better man for her. He had always had Sheridan lingering at the edge of his thoughts and his heart never truly belonged to Serenity. Now he understood why she was making him choose. If he hadn’t it would have killed their relationship eventually.

Both fell silent as they scanned the menus. Luis decided not to go for his usual lobster since he already assumed Sheridan was going to make this date similar if not the same as their first one. Instead, he ordered a platter of shrimp. Thrown by his decision, Sheridan’s voice was hardly heard as she ordered the lobster and a salad.

“So I’m sure you realized that tonight I have asked you to join me for a reason,” Luis broached the subject, hoping to make this as easy as possible.

“I did,” she smiled brightly. She just knew that Luis was going to ask her to call off the wedding and marry him instead. Finally she would be rid of Antonio and Serenity and be back in the arms of the man she loved.

He nodded. “Care to dance?”

“All right,” she was confused. Wasn’t he just about to tell her that they were going to get married and live happily ever after?

Taking her hand, Luis led her out to the dance floor. For a while they danced to the ending of a love song that both he and Sheridan once thought could be their wedding song. Neither mentioned it, however, as they were lost in the gentle sways. It was like they had never been apart; that’s how in sync they were. He held Sheridan gently, but close so they could talk.

“I’ve missed this,” he told her, looking into her eyes. “We’ve had such a wonderful relationship for so long. It’s hard to think that so much has changed.”

“Nothing has…”

He shook his head. “Let me finish,” he demanded as the song he requested began. “I’ve missed you, Sheridan, and I still care for you, very much. Sometimes, I can’t see my life without you in it and I start to wonder if letting you go to Antonio was such a smart idea. That day at the hospital I was angry and bitter. You had compared me to someone that was reprehensible and a sorry excuse for a man. I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

Sheridan’s excitement mounted. Luis was sorry he let her go and apologizing about the day they broke up. He thought they had a great relationship…had? Did he say had? Quickly she scanned her memory. He did! Luis had used the past tense when referring to them. Suddenly, she started listening to the lyrics of the song that was playing overhead. The man in the song was telling someone it was the end. He was moving on with another woman.

“I’ve made a final decision, Sheridan, and it came with a lot of thought. After what happened last night, Serenity insisted that I finally say goodbye to one of you; I needed to make a choice and though I was inclined to disagree, she was right. She said if I picked you she would go back to Europe and never look back. As much as I care about you, Sheridan, you’ve changed and I don’t think I love the woman you’ve become. But I do know I love Serenity and I know for a fact that I can’t live without her.”

“Wh-what are you saying?” Sheridan grew teary, realizing all too well what he was saying. He had opted to say goodbye to her. Her faults, her obsessions with winning him back, had cost her the one thing she wanted most in her life: her Luis. She had tried to hard, been too late in wanting to tell Antonio the truth, and now she was going to pay.

“Part of me will love you for the rest of my life, Sheridan. I will always be thankful for everything you have given me, including your love. But the time has come for me to make a commitment to the woman I really belong with, a woman that has stood by me these past months and helped me to deal with the gaping hole you left in my heart. I know you might not understand this right now, but I love her. More than I think any man could love a woman. I know we planned our lives together, but I think that God or Fate or whatever had another plan. Someone, somewhere doesn’t think that we’re supposed to be together and I agree. Tonight, when I leave here, I am going to propose to Serenity.”

Sheridan stepped away from him, completely surprised. She started to walk away, but couldn’t even move. Luis hadn’t called her out tonight to ask her to call off her wedding. Instead, he had come to break her heart and cut her loose forever. He was never going to come back, never going to love her. Luis, the man she still loved, wanted Serenity…her former best friend.

“Sheridan?”

“You…you picked Serenity?” her disbelief as evident in her voice.

“You have to understand, Sheridan. It really wasn’t that hard of a choice. Yes, part of me still has deep feelings for the woman I lost at sea, but even you have to admit that you aren’t that woman anymore. You’ve changed so much and my brother adores you just the way you are. You deserve someone like that, someone that will take your flaws too. When you were willing to use any child we created to tie me down, I realized that you were another person. One I didn’t want to be married to forever.”

She nodded, heading back to the table to sit before her knees gave out. Once there, she gulped down the glass of wine she had ordered with dinner, though no longer hungry. She looked at him for a moment, still bitter and angry but too numb to truly react. She hadn’t realized it, but outside it had begun to rain, mirroring her own tumultuous feelings. “Do you have the ring?”

Luis nodded and pulled it out to show to Sheridan.

Unbeknownst to Luis, Serenity was walking in the rain along the street towards her car. She had been at the Book Café for another cup of Chad’s very wonderfully made cappuccino when it began to pour. Of course, she hadn’t brought an umbrella because the rain was completely and totally unexpected. In fact, she could have sworn the stars were out before she left the house, even if there were a few clouds. Shrugging deeper into her jacket and hurrying along, she was just passing the Lobster Shack when she spotted a man holding an engagement ring towards a woman.

Stopping for a moment, she realized that the ring was held in the extended hand of her beloved Luis. Her heart shattered as she watched Sheridan touch the ring and smile at Luis, saying something that she wished she could hear. Then again, she didn’t really want to hear what either was saying. It was obvious that Luis had decided to marry Sheridan and not her. Backing away from the window, she saw Luis eyes raise and spot her. Suddenly, she was paralyzed and couldn’t move.

Luis rose from the table and rushed out the door, totally neglecting Sheridan. The rain continued to fall heavily upon them, soaking their clothing and causing it to stick to their bodies. Luis grabbed Serenity’s arm, keeping her from running, not that she could have moved even if she wanted to.

“Why?” she demanded. “Why her?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, shouting over a clasp of thunder.

“Why do you love her so much more than me?” she sobbed.

“I don’t,” he told her, brushing the wet hair off of her face. “I don’t love her more than you, Serenity. I love you and no one else.”

“But you’ve chosen her. You proposed to her,” Serenity cried, her tears mixing with the rain. “Why? Why not me? What’s wrong with me?”

“You’re wrong, Serenity. I didn’t pick her,” he dropped to one knee on the cold, rainy sidewalk. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you and only you. I don’t know why I’ve taken so long in admitting it, but I do. Part of me was afraid of letting go of the past, but I’m ready now. I’m ready to love you the way you deserve. Marry me.”

“What?” she was flabbergasted.

“Marry me, be my wife. Have my children. I love you, Serenity Winters, and I can’t see my life without you in it. I want you to be my forever. Will you marry me?” Luis brandished the beautiful engagement ring. The rain continued to soak them, but neither seemed to notice.

Serenity’s eyes softened and her tears started anew. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes,” he smiled.

“Yes,” she replied. “Definitely yes!”

Luis slid the ring onto her finger and then rose up to kiss her soundly on the lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him tightly. “I’m getting married,” she laughed.

“We’re getting married,” he corrected, looking deep into her beautiful blue eyes.

“I love you, Luis,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” he replied, kissing her again.

Sheridan watched through the window as Luis proposed to Serenity, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. Finally her friend had gotten everything she deserved and wanted. Unfortunately, it had come at a price for Sheridan: she had lost it all. Touching the cold window, she watched them walk away and whispered the words, “Goodbye Luis.”

Heartbroken, she left the restaurant to prepare for her wedding the following day.

[To see the song Luis played, click here: Need to Say Goodbye]

Chapter Thirteen

The freak winter storm had ended sometime during the car ride to Pilar’s home, but neither Serenity nor Luis noticed as they walked hand in hand to her door. During the ride, Luis had asked Serenity to follow his lead when they got to his mothers because he wanted to have a little fun at the expense of his sisters. He had explained to her how Paloma and Theresa had helped him choose a ring at the store and both were dying to know just which woman he was marrying. Of course, Serenity wanted to tell Paloma right away, totally enjoying the young girl’s enthusiasm for their relationship, but she had given in to her fiancé. Fiancé: she was loved saying that word. In fact, several times en route to his mother’s home, Serenity had called Luis her fiancé adding a little giggle when the word rolled off her tongue.

Both were quite soggy and cold by time the front door swung open revealing Paloma, who wore a wry smile. Giving them both the oddest of looks, she quipped, “I don’t remember Mama ordering a pair of drowned rats for dinner. Pizza, but not drowned rats.”

“So delightfully entertaining,” Serenity grumbled, twisting her engagement ring backwards with her thumb. She couldn’t let Paloma see the diamond before Luis had a chance to toy with her mind. After the wet rat crack, Paloma deserved it.

Paloma noticed nothing out of the ordinary as she moved to the side to let them by. “Come on in, I’ll get you two some towels to dry off with,” she offered, leaving the door open as she disappeared down the hall a minute. When she returned, she was carrying several fluffy dry towels for the duo. She was dying to know if they had gotten engaged but she knew her brother was as stubborn as, well, herself, and it wasn’t going to do any good if she just asked.

Luis, still holding Serenity’s left hand, led her inside the house and right to the roaring fire in the living room. He accepted the towels, thanking his sister as he removed Serenity’s coat and wrapped her in the soft material. Then he joined her in a seat by the fire with another towel around his shoulders. “Where’s Mama?”

“With Theresa putting little Ethan to bed. My dim bulb of a sister decided to have him sleep here because she needed to work with Ethan tonight,” Paloma rolled her eyes. “Of course, Ethan’s with his fiancé, but whatever.”

“Some women will do anything to keep the man that doesn’t love them,” Serenity shrugged, pulling her hand from Luis’. “Don’t be too hard on your sister, she’s delusional and can’t seem to help it.”

“Paloma is that the pizza we ordered? I left money on the…Luis,” Pilar stopped in the archway leading from the hallway to the living room, Theresa standing right behind her. She was honestly surprised to see her son. “I didn’t expect you, mijo. What brings you and Serenity by?”

“Can’t a son pop in to speak to his mother and sister without the inquisition?” he pouted, though it wasn’t long before he cracked a smile.

“No!” Paloma exploded, covering her mouth. She couldn’t believe she had said that out loud. “Sorry, but I think you’re here to tell us what you’ve decided and I can’t wait a second longer to find out!”

“Decided?” Pilar asked, joining her children by sitting on the couch. “What are you talking about mija? What decision did Luis have to make that interests you so much?”

“Who he was going to propose to,” Theresa crossed her arms, leaning against the wall as nonchalantly as possible. She honestly wasn’t happy that Serenity had accompanied her brother and not Sheridan; it didn’t bode well for her and Ethan if Sheridan and Luis weren’t together. Looking around, she added, “I don’t see Sheridan, Luis, did you not make your move this evening at dinner?”

“I do not understand,” Pilar was obviously confused. “Luis, what are your sisters talking about? Why would you decide to propose the night before your brother’s wedding?”

“Mama, I can explain everything the two nitwits are saying,” he shot both of his sisters looks to remain silent. “It’s a long story though, so you might want to get yourself a bowl of popcorn or something, prop up your feet…”

“Luis!” his sisters shrieked simultaneously, quickly losing patience with him.

Serenity slugged him in the arm. “If you don’t start spitting it out, Lopez-Fitzgerald, I’m going to leave you here for the night and make your mother stick you on the floor of little Ethan’s bedroom as punishment.”

“Oh you are, are you?” he reached to grab her around the waist but Paloma intervened and sat between them. There was no way she was going to let him get sidetracked now. “Loma!”

“Get to telling the story old man,” his sister stuck out her tongue. “And make it good since you’re wasting so much time over here.”

“All right,” he sighed. So much for having a little fun! Turning back to his mother, Luis leaned forward and smiled gently as he searched for the right words to begin. “I’ll give you the Cliffnotes version since my two sisters want to get this over with. You’ve known all along that something about Sheridan has been different and she’s purposely tried to get in between Serenity and me. After what happened at the rehearsal last night, Serenity told me I had to decide which woman I wanted to be with. She told me she loved me too much to see me settle for her if I wanted to be with Sheridan. So she gave me until midnight to say goodbye to the woman I no longer loved and said that she would leave if she was that person.”

“But…come on, man tell Mama the rest!” Paloma insisted. “Tell her about taking Theresa and me shopping today!”

“I’m getting there,” he muttered. “I decided it would be nice to propose to the woman I did decide that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with…so…”

“He proposed to me!” Serenity finally snapped, no longer able to contain her excitement. “Luis asked me to marry him and I said yes,” she fixed her ring and revealed the diamond to her future mother-in-law.

“I knew it! I knew it!” Paloma screamed, throwing her arms around her still damp older brother. “Congratulations Luis! I’m so glad you picked Serenity! She’s perfect for you and you’re so in love and everything is going to be magnificent now,” she then hugged Serenity.

“Thank you, Paloma,” Serenity blushed. “Of course as my closest friend in Harmony I would be honored if you’d be my maid-of-honor and help me plan the wedding.”

“Do you even have to ask?” Paloma was practically giddy. One would have believed that she had just been the one to become engaged to the man she loved. “I knew my brother wouldn’t let me down by being an idiot and proposing to anyone but you.”

Luis’ eyes were still on his mother, however, as his little sister started celebrating the fact that he had proposed to Serenity. Something was wrong; he could tell, but he wasn’t sure what she was thinking. It looked almost as if she wasn’t sure what to say. “Mama? You haven’t said anything about the engagement. Aren’t you happy for me? Us?”

“I…Mijo,” she shook her head. Pilar was torn between two completely different emotions: joy that her son was pleased with his new fiancée and disappointment over his not choosing Sheridan. While her son’s former fiancée had changed significantly, she still believed that Luis and Sheridan were meant to be. “Everything is going so fast, Luis. I didn’t realize you and Serenity were so seriously involved that you were ready for marriage. But you know that I want nothing but your happiness and if being together and planning a life together is what does that, then I want that for you. Congratulations, Mijo…” she rose and hugged him. Stopping in front of Serenity, she added, “And Mija. Welcome to the family,” hugging her as well.

Serenity’s eyes teared at the realization that she was not just gaining a husband, she was also getting the one thing she never had before: a family. Pilar’s use of the word mija had touched her deep inside and she finally felt like her entire life had fallen into place. Ready to thank her future mother-in-law for the welcome, Serenity was cut off only by Theresa’s tantrum.

“How!” Theresa freaked out, stamping her foot and storming forward. “How could you do this to your family? How could you propose to her?” She pointed at Serenity. Taking a deep breath in attempt to calm herself, Theresa knelt before her older brother and took his hands into hers. “I know that you have somehow become deluded into believing that you truly love her, Luis. I know that Serenity came at a very difficult time for you and she’s helped give you someone to lean on. A fling to keep you busy even…but that’s hardly a real relationship.”

“Theresa…” he started to argue.

“No, let me finish,” she continued her rant without even an apology to the woman she was insulting. “Now Serenity is great, but come on, Luis, she’s not Sheridan. Sheridan was your soul mate, your true love. She was the woman that you were destined to be with, the one Fate wanted you to marry. Love has thrown some curve balls but you’re a smart man, Luis, and you know how to play the game well. She is beautiful, smart and funny! Sheridan is everything you’ve always wanted in one package!”

“Who has always wanted?” Antonio asked, joining the family at last. He had caught the end of Theresa’s tirade. “Resa, why were you talking about Sheridan?”

The entire room panicked, though they each attempted to hide what they were feeling. This was not the most opportune moment for Antonio to decide to wander into the living room to be with the family. It also was not the best way for him to learn that his fiancée was really in love with his little brother, who was going to be marrying her best friend. Without Sheridan present to help cushion the blow, everyone looked for someone to take charge and answer his questions.

Serenity, being the one most detached, volunteered. “Antonio, we only mentioned Sheridan because,” she paused, wracking her brain for something to say, “well, Luis and I have just announced our engagement and Theresa was just proving that Sheridan’s taste is so fine and distinguished that we should use the same wedding planner. I had wanted to plan it myself.”

Antonio wasn’t buying it. “What does Sheridan’s taste have to do with her being perfect? And what was all that crap about Fate?” When no one answered, he grew angry. “Look, something’s been wrong with Sheridan since we returned from Bermuda! She’s been a different person and I want to know why. I’m tired of dealing with the secrets and I feel like everyone is playing me for a fool! I want the truth, damn it!” He sank into the couch.

Theresa and Pilar looked at each other worriedly, especially when Luis started to near his brother. They knew it wasn’t their place to reveal the secrets that had been kept for months. Serenity looked as if her entire world were falling apart. With Antonio finally cluing into the fact that Sheridan had something else going on behind his back, Serenity stood to lose the man she loved. He may have proposed to her before Antonio knew, but would that hold now?

“Antonio, I’m sure nothing’s changed with…” Paloma started to comfort her brother, but the front door swung open and revealed the object of conversation.

Sheridan entered the house and quickly removed her coat. “Pil…oh,” Sheridan was surprised to find the entire family in the living room. Her intention had been to come and speak with Pilar about the night’s occurrences at the Lobster Shack. She wanted her advice on how to deal with Luis’ decision and how to possibly sway his favor back to her. Of course, with Antonio present, she couldn’t exactly have the conversation now.

“Just the woman to answer all my questions,” Antonio said snidely to his bride to be as she joined them in the living room. “Have a seat, we have something to talk about.”

“Really? I don’t see what, sweetheart,” she kissed his cheek and sat beside him on the couch. “Everything for the wedding is well prepared and it will go smoothly.”

“This isn’t about the wedding,” he told her. “Well, perhaps it is.”

“Maybe we should leave you alone,” Serenity took Luis’ hand. “I’m sure this is something you would rather discuss in private, Antonio.”

“No,” he shook his head. “There is nothing the rest of my family and future family,” he looked at her, “can’t hear coming from Sheridan’s mouth. But this is something that cannot wait a moment longer either and in some way, Serenity, it seems to involve you too.”

“Antonio?” Sheridan realized where this was heading.

“I want to know, Sheridan. I want to know why everyone has been on eggshells around me, especially when it concerns you and Luis. Whenever I see you together I get the feeling that I’m not being told something and after Serenity’s reaction to your looking at Luis last night, I can only assume that she knows what I’m missing. If I have to, I’ll ask her, but I would prefer having this come from you.” He hesitated. “Are you in love with my brother? Do you two have a relationship that I need to know about?”

Serenity waited with held breath for Sheridan’s answer. This response, this moment, changed her entire future. She could see it in Luis’ eyes; if Sheridan lied here, it was over. If she didn’t…there were no guarantees anymore.

“Antonio,” she shook her head. “Don’t be…”

He could tell by her tone that she was going to try and avoid it, so he cut her off. “Don’t lie to me Sheridan!” he growled. “I want to know right now: is there something going on that I need to know about?”

“Not anymore,” she was honest, but it was short lived. Before long her expert lies returned. “Look, before the accident that brought me to your ship, Antonio, I was going out with Luis. It was nothing serious, we probably wouldn’t have even gotten married. It was just a casual kind of romance. When we returned to Harmony and I saw Luis for the first time, I was a little shocked that you and he were related and I was afraid if you knew I had a relationship with him that you’d be angry. I was afraid to tell you.”

“Theresa made it sound like you two had a very deep emotional relationship,” he shot a look at his sister. “Why?”

“She’s blowing things out of proportion,” Sheridan told him.

“Come on, Tony,” Paloma laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “Serenity told you that Luis proposed to her. They’re obviously very much in love and getting married. Sheridan can’t possibly be having an affair with him, right Luis?”

“Right. Whatever kind of relationship we had is long over. She’s telling the truth about that,” he massaged Serenity’s shoulders. “There’s only one woman I love enough to marry and she’s wearing my engagement ring.”

Sheridan fingered his grandmother’s ring unconsciously. “See? Antonio, we’re getting married tomorrow and that’s it. Serenity, I’m so happy for you, congratulations. I hope that I can be part of the ceremony.”

Serenity simply nodded, completely confused by Sheridan’s actions. The woman had the perfect chance to confess it all and perhaps even win Luis over. She could have, at the very least, postponed the wedding with this new information, but instead she simply led Antonio to believe that she was no longer interested in Luis. Despite Sheridan’s words, however, Serenity could see the glint in her friend’s eyes and knew that something else was going on in that blond head. It was far from over.

“Serenity, are they telling me the truth? I know my brother would lie if it meant protecting me, but you have nothing to gain from hiding their relationship.”

“Luis is engaged to me, Antonio, and it’s thanks to Sheridan asking me to come to Harmony and spend time with him because she saw how lonely he was when you two were together. She’s not with him and she hasn’t been since long before your return to Harmony.”

Antonio accepted Serenity’s words. “Serenity, Luis, I’m sorry for ruining the happy tone of the night,” he apologized. “I guess I was just afraid of losing Sheridan. She’s right though. We’re getting married and so are you two. Everything’s going to work out for the best.”

Serenity felt Luis slide his arms around her and smiled. “It’s fine, Antonio. I’m sure it’s just last minute wedding jitters.” Feigning a yawn that Luis recognized as her ploy to get out of the situation she was in, Serenity added, “Tonight has been an emotional night for me and since tomorrow is such a big day, I think we should be going home and getting some rest.”

“I agree. Goodnight everyone,” Luis hugged his sisters and shook Antonio’s hand. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Get some rest I’ll be here pretty early to get your butt to the church on time.”

Antonio laughed. “Wouldn’t miss tomorrow for the world.”

“Won’t be missing mine either,” Luis winked at his fiancée. “Come on babe.”

Serenity hugged everyone but Sheridan on her way to meet Luis. The second she could she slipped out of the house, glad to have that over with. But Sheridan’s actions inside still bothered her inside. She knew that even though Luis’ decision had finally been made, Sheridan was far from done trying. Caution was of the utmost importance to Serenity now. She couldn’t let her guard down until her own wedding day when Luis finally spoke the words that made her his legal wife in front of everyone.

“What’s all this?” Serenity asked as she slowly descended the last few stairs. She was dressed in a teal, silk camisole set and a pair of black fuzzy slippers with her hair blown dry after a long, hot shower. She was surprised when Luis turned her shower invitation down earlier, simply changing into one of his night sets and then going back downstairs. She, however, had taken her time, trying to warm back up after the cold rain and frigid outdoor temperatures.

It was the living room that surprised her so very much. Luis had taken his time to start a roaring fire in the hearth. In front of it lay chocolate kisses, graham crackers and marshmallows beside two steaming cup of hot chocolate and a can of whip cream. The room was completely dark except for the light of a few well position candles and in front of the hearth laid a bed of pillows and quilts. To complete the romantic air in the room, Luis had soft love songs playing on the radio in the corner.

“A romantic conclusion to my spontaneous proposal for my beautiful future wife,” Luis replied, crossing the room. She was surprised to find him dressed in the midnight blue silk pajamas she had purchased for him. Taking her left hand into his, he placed a kiss atop it and smiled seductively at her.

Serenity shivered. “You’re such a wonderful man,” she praised him, sliding her arms around his waist. “You didn’t have to do this for me, Luis. I thought the proposal was beautiful, both the rain and unexpectedness. I love you; that’s what matters most.”

“I love you too,” he kissed the very tip of her nose. “And I know I didn’t have to do this, Serenity, but I wanted to. You deserved the romance novel proposal after last night and I gave you a corny romantic comedy proposal. I owed you,” he smirked, resting his head against hers. “Do I really need a reason to spoil you?”

“Guess not,” she laughed softly, her breath grazing his lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” Stepping away from her, but still holding one of her hands, Luis led her over to the makeshift bed before the fireplace. Helping her settle, he quickly joined her atop the plush quilt. “Would you like whip cream in your hot cocoa?”

“Yes please!” Serenity watched him expertly add the sweet white cream to both their mugs of cocoa. As she took the mug from him, her hand brushed his and she blushed. Every time she touched Luis, especially now, she felt a warmth flood over her. It was as if her soul woke from just the grazing of his fingers with any part of her body.

An easy silence settled over them for a few minutes as both sipped the rich homemade cocoa that Luis had learned from Pilar. Serenity’s eyes shifted back and forth from the sparkling diamond on her left hand to Luis’ shimmering, soulful brown eyes. She felt her body melt inside from the heat of the fire both in the hearth and in Luis’ eyes. His desire for her always made her weak and wanton, but her mind was still running over the events of the evening. This morning after her meetings she had thought her life in Harmony was about to end and that Luis was on the road to reuniting with Sheridan. Then she had seen them at the restaurant and was positive it was over for her…

And yet, Luis had surprised her yet again by proposing in the middle of the sidewalk while rain soaked their clothing. It had been the most romantic and impromptu moment of her life and she would always remember the sound of the rain and his voice, the feel of the cold and his kisses and the words he used when he asked her to be his. His decision had taken her by surprise and she was a little wary to admit just how much. The last twenty-four hours had really done a job on her heart and she knew she’d never be happy unless she finally talked to Luis about it all and determined for herself if Luis was serious. Resting her mug in her lap, she tilted her head to study her fiancé.

He paused in drinking his own cocoa and reached out to sweep the chocolate mustache from her upper lip with the pad of his thumb. “Something wrong, baby? You seem like you’re not completely ready to submit to my serenade of romance and seduction. If there’s anything you want to talk about, you know I will without hesitation.”

“I know…I was just thinking,” she watched the melting cream bob in her cocoa. “Luis, I’ve got to know something. How did you finally make a selection today? How did you know that I was the one you wanted to be with? The one you wanted to propose to?”

“I just knew,” he replied honestly, thinking about the last day. “When I tried to picture my future without you in it, I couldn’t, but I could easily see my life without Sheridan. I could see our children and I could see how happy we were. I love you so madly, Serenity, that I intended from the moment I woke up this morning to make us official. I couldn’t lose you and I wasn’t going to let anything, especially Sheridan, come between us. Nor will I ever.”

“So you woke up and thought it would be a good idea to go ring shopping?” she moved closer, her legs settling across his.

He nodded, kissing her lips gently. “And then I called my sisters and asked them to help me pick a ring for my future fiancée and when they showed me this one I knew that belonged on your finger and it didn’t matter if it costs more than my car,” he teased. “I had to make you mine.”

“I am yours.”

“Forever?”

“And then some,” she gave him an Eskimo kiss. The answers made her feel much better about their engagement and she finally knew that he did this without persuasion. Putting down her mug, she looked over the food he had laid out once again. “So, chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows…they don’t exactly go together, do they?” she effectively changed the subject of their conversation.

He gasped theatrically. “Are you saying, Ms. Winters, that you have never eaten a S’more before?”

“Excuse me? A what?” she looked at him as if he had several heads.

Clutching a hand to his heart, Luis fell backwards onto a pile of pillows. “She’s never had a S’more. I can’t believe it,” he rolled his head from side to side. “This is a travesty.”

“Well now that you’ve qualified for a Daytime Emmy, Luis, why don’t you just tell me what you’re talking about before I start eating the chocolate without you?”

“All right, a S’more,” he picked up a marshmallow and put it on the end of a skewer, which he placed into the fire, “is made of one marshmallow and a piece of chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. In this case, I decided we should use Hershey Kisses,” he wiggled his eyebrows. Removing the flaming puff from the fireplace, he quickly threw together the first sandwich and handed it to her. “Try.”

Taking the sweet, gooey S’more from Luis, Serenity was a little reluctant to bite into it. Chocolate she loved but graham crackers were so healthy! Shrugging, she took a bite into it and had to lean over a napkin as the melting chocolate started to spill all over her hands. “Mmm, these are actually pretty good!”

“Told you so,” he chuckled, starting to make himself one. “One of my friends had learned to make these at camp and told me about them when he came back home. I never got to go so my father used to let me camp out in the living room near the fireplace and make them with Antonio. Since we couldn’t afford a tent, we built it out of sheets and chairs.”

“I’m sorry you never had the joy of summer camp, not that I’ve been there,” Serenity apologized, watching him eat his own S’more. Luis’ childhood sounded as empty as hers except he had a wonderful family to support him. Shaking her head, she asked, “Do you think we can set a date for the wedding tonight or did you want a really long engagement?”

“I’d like to set a date,” he told her. Both decided to make themselves more comfortable for the wedding talk and stretched out on the bed facing each other. Luis brushed some hair from her face as she laid her head against one of the pillows. He allowed his fingers to trace her cheek before taking her hands into his. “What month are you thinking about?”

“I honestly don’t know. I haven’t been here long enough to know what the weather would allow for each month. What do you think? Spring, summer or should we wait for fall?”

He paused to think about it for a moment. “What about May? A Spring wedding would give us more options between flowers and weather.”

“I’d like that. We could get married around my birthday,” she cleared a bit of cracker from his lips. “How does May third sound to you?”

“I think it sounds absolutely wonderful,” he smiled brightly. “Now, the important question, what kind of wedding do you want to have?”

“A private one: closest family and friends only otherwise we’d be forced to include all my business contacts. I’m not into flashy weddings,” Serenity replied. “I want just Paloma and Theresa in the wedding party and a simple dress, but I definitely think we need to have a ton of flowers.” She shifted to lie on her back. “I want to have it in the church, preferably in the early evening with candles and then I think we should rent the ballroom at the Seascape for the reception. A perfect wedding with my perfect husband.”

“I’m not perfect,” he rested his hand on her stomach and kissed her ear. “But I love you and I think that’s enough for us to work with, don’t you?”

She sighed contently and then popped a chocolate kiss into her mouth. “I definitely do, Luis. For the first time ever I feel that love is really enough,” she kissed him.

As they kissed, Luis slid his hands over the silky material of her shirt until he found the tiny plastic buttons that held it shut. Slowly unbuttoning each one, he pushed the thin material off so that he could caress her satiny smooth skin beneath. “I love the feel of your skin,” he kissed her flat abdomen and slowly moved to kiss the sweet valley between her breasts.

She smiled drunkenly, overwhelmed by the feeling of his breath brushing against the underside of her breast. “Why do you think they call them Hershey kisses?” she asked, totally distracted by other thoughts as his fingers traced languid patterns against her side and hip.

“Why are you thinking about candy while I’m trying to seduce you?” he groaned, nipping at one of her peaks in order to get her interested in what he had in mind.

“Because they’re in my line of vision,” she apologized.

Moving the bowl of chocolate, Luis leaned over her. “They call them kisses because of the sound they make on the conveyor belt,” he placed a loud smooch against her stomach. “They sound like they are kissing the line as they move along,” he repeated the action, higher this time. “Almost as if they are in love, so they’re a romantic candy.”

“Oh,” she looked into his eyes. “A romantic aphrodisiac,” she watched him reach for one of the chocolates, which had started to melt. When he opened the wrapper is started to dribble on her chest and she arched towards the warm chocolate.

“Oops,” he slowly and teasingly licked the chocolate from her skin. “I made a mess.”

“You’ll have to clean it up,” she panted as his lips and tongue continued to wreak havoc on the area between her breasts. Her fingers clutched the blanket beneath her as his teeth began to nip at the gentle curves and the hardening peaks of her breasts.

“All done,” he kissed lower, tugging her pants off as he slowly rose to his knees. His thumbs had caught her thongs at the same time, removing all of her clothing in one pull. Running his hands up her legs, he caressed her thighs as he leaned back over her and captured her mouth. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, running his fingers through her locks and massaging the base of her neck with one hand as the other slyly crept between her legs, tracing the center of her body.

Arching an eyebrow, Serenity used nimble fingers to discard Luis’ shirt. She slipped twice as his intrusive fingers started stroking her desire and elicited a moan. Running her hands over his chest, she caressed the rippling muscles of his abdomen. His body was familiar and yet every time looking at it and touching it amazed her more. Pushing her hands lower, she slid her hands inside his pants and boxers, catching the waistband and pushing it downwards. She paused at his taught backside and caressed him brazenly. “And you, my fiancé, are quite hot. I love the way you tense under my hands.”

He groaned as her small palms moved to the front of his pants and stroked him, causing him to shudder. When her fingers brushed over his tip, he nearly lost control. “Oh God,” he rested her head against hers as he tried to maintain his composure.

She smirked, snaking her tongue out and tickling his lips with it. “Make love with me, Luis,” she purred.

He didn’t need a second invitation as he kicked off his clothing and gently parted her legs. There was no time for teasing when he looked into her sapphire blue eyes that were alit with a burning desire. Gently joining them, he used his fingers, mouth and body to bring her to peak after peak of pleasure that ended in explosions of light and sound. They took turns exploring each other as if they were first time lovers yet pleasing and moving together as if they had been lovers forever. Their night ended near dawn when they finally fell exhausted against the pillows, the cocoa and snacks long forgotten, and they snuggled closely together sharing the same air. Luis’ body pinned her, one arm draped over her chest and one leg resting between hers.

Before they fell into a long, restful sleep, Serenity whispered, “I couldn’t ask for more than you, Luis. I adore you more now than ever.”

“Ditto baby,” he kissed her ear as he shifted slightly, his hand unconsciously caressing her hip. “This is going to last forever,” he promised, falling asleep satiated by her love.

“Forever,” she mouthed, smiling as she succumbed to sleep and dreams of him.

She could finally believe in forever. For once she had a reason to.

Epilogue

The months following their engagement had been hectic at best. Sheridan’s wedding had almost been a disaster when she slipped and said Luis’ name during the vows instead of Antonio’s. The congregation had laughed it off, as Luis and Serenity hadn’t even looked at the bride or the groom since her walk down the aisle. Sheridan’s flushed face had matched the color of the carpet that ran the length of the aisle and Antonio had said it was nerves, but Serenity knew and never said a word. Luis had mouthed ‘I love you’ to her and that was all it took to calm her back down.

Five months later, Luis and Serenity had finally committed to their own forever in front of their closest friends and family. In a simple but elegant wedding with special written vows, the duo had finally become husband and wife surrounded by her signature color: purple. Paloma had teasingly asked how long it would be before she was an aunt again, deciding that Luis’ children would be much more fun to spoil than her sister Theresa’s, but Serenity hadn’t been able to say a word. She and Luis had never discussed how soon they wanted children; yet the more time she spent with little Ethan, the more she wanted a baby of her own. The subject came up repeatedly over their month long honeymoon at her Spanish villa on her private beach. They had spent most of the time making love in the sand but what little talking they had done revolved around future children: all eight of them.

Once they returned home, Serenity had thrown herself into the restaurants and business to deal with the disappointment of not being pregnant each month that passed. When five months of unsuccessful attempts had come and gone, Serenity was at her wits end. Sheridan had found out shortly before the wedding that she was indeed pregnant and not long after had a paternity test done in secrecy. The good news: the baby was Antonio’s. The bad news: Sheridan was gloating. It was bad enough that every baby they passed on the street made Luis’ eyes cloud over, but now that his ex was due with a baby he was desperate. Sheridan had given birth to a beautiful baby boy that had captured Luis’ heart right away. The little angel was named Antonio Luis Junior, under complete protest from Serenity and Pilar. AJ and his Tio Luis were close, but it made Serenity crave a child of her own; one that would make Luis forget Sheridan completely.

Six weeks later, Serenity’s prayers were answered when she realized for the first time that she was late. She had immediately taken a home pregnancy test and was excited by the positive results. Concerned that she was getting her hopes up for nothing, she had gone to see her doctor for a blood test. Her confirmation came two days later on hers and Luis’ one-year wedding anniversary. It was the day that had changed her life and after a hectic day at work, she had gone home to surprise her husband with the news. She didn’t know how she was going to do it, all she knew was it had to be special. After months of trying and facing negative test after negative test, Serenity was determined to make this a moment Luis would never forget.

And she believed it was…

Luis arrived home tired and dirty from his day at work. All he wanted to do was shower and spend the evening at home with his wife. He knew she’d be disappointed since it was their anniversary, but he couldn’t help it. Exhaustion gave him barely enough energy to drag his body into the shower.

Fifteen minutes of scalding hot water and Luis felt much better. The water was invigorating and encouraged the little energy he had to multiply. He stepped out of the shower, dripping water on the floor as he reached for a towel. He was about to clear the steam from the mirror when he spotted the letter “Y” written into it. Stepping back, he wiped his eyes, thinking he had been seeing things. But when he opened his eyes again he recognized more letters printed on the glass.

Confused, he slowly scanned the writing to decipher what it said. One at a time the letters registered to form the words: You are going to be a daddy. Shaking his head, he again looked the words over, but realized they conveyed the same message. It was then that he noticed he wasn’t alone in the bathroom.

“So?” Serenity smirked, watching as he turned around wide-eyed. She was sitting on the toilet lid, her arms crossed over her chest and eyes dancing mischievously. “What do you think?”

“Are we…?”

She nodded. “We’re going to have a baby.”

Luis fell to his knees on the shaggy blue carpet in front of her. His fingers reached out to caress her stomach beneath the thin layer of shirt she wore. “A baby,” he repeated excitedly, bright brown eyes meeting her blue ones. Slowly, the special smile he wore only for her spread over his blissful face. “I’m going to be a daddy.”

“That’s what the mirror says,” she giggled, watching as tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. “I take it you’re happy?” she brushed the tears away with her fingertips.

“Happy? Happy doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling! When did you find out? How long have you known? Tell me everything!”

“I’ve known for a while I think,” she admitted. “I was feeling queasy the other day when you surprised me with breakfast and I just put two and two together. I went to see the doctor today and she was able to confirm it. We’re due in about eight months.”

“Eight months,” he paused to calculate the exact month they would have the baby. “December? Does that sound right?”

Serenity laughed. “I knew you were trying to figure that out!” She held his left hand in hers. “December tenth is my exact due date. But I’d be very surprised if this little one didn’t arrive late. She is going to have a stubborn streak like her father.”

“No,” Luis countered, as he helped his wife up and lifted her into his arms. “She is going to be as beautiful and smart as her mother. A little bundle that has everything I love about her mother wrapped up inside of her.”

After that, there had been only one thing to do: celebrate. They had spent the night in bed, making love and discussing names for their impending bundle of joy. Serenity was determined that this was going to be a daughter, especially since Pilar already had two grandsons. She wanted to finally give Pilar someone to buy frilly dresses and bows for. Her idea for names revolved around her mother, Sabrina, and her favorite names from movies and books. Luis, on the other hand, had been certain it would be a boy and decided that his first-born was going to be a junior. Serenity refused. She preferred the thought of naming their son after his grandfathers, not that it was a son anyway.

Throughout her pregnancy, Luis was incredibly supportive. He fetched her three am cravings, even if it meant going to find an open McDonalds, and rubbed her sore back and legs. Each night, he read the baby stories after she sang a lullaby and he would never leave for working before kissing both Mommy and belly. Together they designed the nursery, a teddy bear picnic, and went to sonograms.

As the due date neared, Luis became more protective of a mother lion over her cubs. He almost never left Serenity’s side and every pain made him rush her off to the ER. He would constantly quote from pregnancy manuals and remind her of their plans should she go into labor while he was at work. Besides driving her nuts, he made the rest of the family insane by forcing them to take turns babysitting his wife. It was months of agony for everyone involved.

But finally, another beautiful memory was made for husband and wife as their daughter entered the world…

Luis brought two dishes of food to the table at his mother’s house as the entire family met for Sunday dinner. Serenity was now a week overdue and showed no signs of giving birth soon. Their child, who was obviously a lot more like his or her parents than anyone expected, had absolutely no interest in seeing the world when it was positively frosty compared to her bed in Serenity’s womb. With the constant snowfall outside, Luis couldn’t exactly be too disappointed that Serenity had yet to give birth. After all, should anything go wrong he’d be delivering the baby at home! He wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

Serenity fidgeted in her chair, pressing less than gently on her swelled stomach as she grumbled something incomprehensible under her breath. Luis’ eyes flicked to her from his plate of arroz con pollo and she knew he was worried. Every flinch and sign of a contraction had sent Luis into protective overload. He was ready to whisk her away to hospital at the first sign of labor and there had been several false alarms! Paloma had teased her about her size and the many hospital visits, but they had done all the shopping for the baby together.

“I’m fine, darling,” she covered his left hand with hers. “The baby is just active tonight. I promise these aren’t contractions.”

Luis nodded, still afraid to look away from his wife. Leaning across the distance between them, he kissed her lips and smiled. “I’m sure you’d know better than anyone.” Then, he turned his attention to his two nephews. Ethan was in his high chair, banging his spoon repeatedly on the tray and little AJ was fast asleep in his swing. Sheridan caught Luis eyes and smiled. She may have been married and a mother, but that didn’t stop her from wanting Luis.

“Ouch,” Serenity shifted again, the hand covering Luis forming claws and digging into his hand. Her fingers sought out her stomach and tried to massage away the cramp as her husband’s panic-filled brown eyes searched her face for a sign that this was it.

“Mija, are you sure you’re all right? Perhaps Luis should take you to the hospital in case,” Pilar put her hands on Serenity’s shoulders and kneaded her muscles gently. “Better safe than sorry. I’m not sure I can deliver a baby in the kitchen.”

“You mean you can’t do a simple home birth?” Serenity teased. She noticed the look her husband and Sheridan shared and fumed. Almost every time she opened her mouth she learned of another Sheridan and Luis adventure. “Care to fill me in?”

“I delivered a baby with Sheridan’s help a few years ago…a little boy,” Luis explained, looking down at his plate. “So I suppose it wouldn’t be impossible to deliver…”

He was cut off by Serenity’s groan of pain. “All right! I give in. I need to at least lie down. Would anyone mind if I went to rest on the couch? I don’t think the baby likes the cramped style of this position I’m in.”

“Go ahead,” Antonio smiled at his sister-in-law. “You need the rest. When Sheridan was in her last month…”

Serenity didn’t hear anything more. She was already in the other room on the couch. There was no way she was listening to another Sheridan story. Before long, she had fallen asleep despite the twinges in her stomach. She slept for nearly an hour when suddenly she awoke with a great start. Eyes wide with realization, she cried out. “I think I need a hospital!”

That was all it took to get her husband into the room from the kitchen, where the family had been discussing names for the impending Lopez-Fitzgerald. He fell over the ottoman and slid to a stop beside the couch where his wife lay. “Baby,” he panted, “What’s wrong?”

Serenity laughed at the coffee stain on his shirt and the disheveled look he offered as he knelt beside her resting place. “Well, Daddy, I think our child has decided that warm or not she wants out. My water broke.”

“Your…you…we’re…oh God!” He looked around the house, getting up and starting to move in one direction but changing his mind and going the other. He simply went in circles for a minute as Paloma retrieved their coats and started to help Serenity put hers on. When his wife was standing, Luis suddenly snapped into action. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“Obviously,” Paloma laughed, rolling her eyes. “And if you don’t get moving, big brother, it’s going to be…”

Serenity doubled over, clutching her stomach as a contraction hit. “Damn it, Luis! Help me!” she grunted.

Finally realizing the severity of the situation, Luis helped his wife to the car, her Mercedes, which they had taken as always. Once inside the sleek convertible, he revved the engine to life and took off towards the hospital in the heavy fall of snow. Trying his hardest to drive carefully but quickly, Luis coached his wife through two contractions. With just a mile left to the hospital, Luis prayed it was going to be all right…

And then the car battery died in the middle of the street. Luis lost control of himself. He couldn’t leave his wife, he knew that, and her contractions had come so close together that she was barely breathing between them. From the sound of it, she was having one long contraction interrupted by seconds of rest. Walking to the hospital was definitely out of the question and, as he tore the car apart looking for the cell, he prayed someone could come to them.

“I need to push,” she told her husband, ignoring the fact they weren’t moving and smacking his shoulder. “Luis…”

“The car’s dead,” he told her, not immediately registering what she had said. “Wait what? You can’t push, Serenity! We’re not at the hospital!”

“Duh!” she groaned, head falling back as a contraction grew with intensity. So much for the first baby coming slowly! Tears were rolling down her pale cheeks and she was clutching her midsection. “I need to! Please!”

Not really wanting to deliver his own baby but finding no other choice, Luis helped his wife strip from the waist down. He knew there was a blanket in the back seat and used it to cover her legs from the cold. Their eyes met, blue and brown filled with worry and excitement, as he positioned her against the door to the car.

“I’m going to see if you’re far enough along to deliver,” he told his wife, holding one of her hands while lifting the blanket. He was quite surprised to see his child’s head crowning already. “Ok…” he started breathing hard. “We can do this.”

“We my ass,” Serenity cried, squeezing his hand hard. “I hate you. I didn’t think I could hate you but I do,” she sobbed. “My stomach hurts and I’m going to give birth in my car! My beautiful car!”

He chuckled, earning a kick in the stomach. “Ouch! No need to get violent.”

“You’re lucky I don’t cut little Luis off!” she screamed as a contraction ripped through her. “Can I push? I need to push!”

Luis nodded mutely, his voice caught in his throat as his wife began to bear down with the contraction. He freed his hand from her grasp and used it to guide their child into the world. Serenity stopped to breathe for a few moments until the next contraction began and then she renewed her pushing. For nearly twenty minutes she yelled and cursed at her husband as she gave birth to their first child.

“You aren’t getting eight,” she grunted mid-push. “You’re lucky if you get sex again!”

Luis opted not to respond as with one last push their baby slipped free and gave a great scream. Her disappointment with the world was obvious as Luis used his Swiss army knife and a shoelace to cut the umbilical cord. Then he wrapped the baby in his coat and handed it slowly to his wife. With tears in his eyes and a trembling voice, he whispered, “It’s a girl, Serenity. We have a baby girl.”

Her name from that moment on became Mercedes Elisa, though she was known simply as Ellie. Now two-years-old, she was the spitting image of her mother, right down to the sapphire blue eyes and rich chocolate brown ringlets. Her defining characteristic, however, was the olive toned skin she had inherited from her father. She was lively, determined and stubborn as her parents with her mother’s savvy and father’s heart. It was clear that she was going to grow into a wonderful young woman some day.

Serenity watched as her two children, her husband and daughter, lay sprawled out on the floor with a set of dolls in front of them. Sometimes she didn’t know who was the bigger kid. Her husband had almost as much fun with the toys as Mercedes did. To Luis’ right was the Barbie radio they had purchased for their daughter’s Easter gift and her husband had one of the dolls doing leaps and twirls for their daughter, whose pudgy little hands clapped excitedly, her father’s smile brightening her face. They were listening to one of Mercedes’ favorites: her Winnie the Pooh tape. She giggled melodiously, warming the heart of both her parents.

“Mowe Dad-deeee!” Ellie begged, giving her world famous pout as the doll took a bow at the end of her unrehearsed routine. “Mowe!”

“More?” he asked his tot, sweeping her into his arms and rolling onto his back. He lifted her into the air then slowly brought her down for a kiss. “Would you dance with Daddy, princess?”

“Mowe!” was her only reply as she reached for the discarded dolls. Dancing was not exactly what she had in mind as she squirmed and stretched to reach Bella, her ballet doll, and Loma, her favorite baby doll.

“She has a one track mind,” Serenity smiled, leaning back against the wall as her husband sat up. He hadn’t even realized she entered the room and she wanted it that way. She enjoyed watching him being so free with his little girl. It was moments like this that showed her the real Luis. “So much like her father in that aspect,” she winked.

“Mom-meeee!” Elisa screeched, wiggling from her father’s grasp and running to her mother. “Up!”

Serenity lifted their daughter from the floor and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. Her daughter’s creamy cheek rested against her shoulder and she smiled like the cat that caught the canary. Serenity kissed her daughter’s forehead, gently caressing her back. Luis crossed to his wife and daughter, offering Serenity a chaste kiss on the lips. For a moment they were lost in their own little world, their lips locked. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” he replied.

“Wuv too!” Elisa mimicked her parents and giggled happily.

Looking into her husband’s eyes with her daughter in her arms, Serenity felt as if she had finally stepped into the sunlight of her own life. She and Luis were going to last forever and Elisa was her pride and joy. She had sold her company to have more time with her family and planned on making them her first priority for the rest of her life…

Especially now that they were expecting a new bundle of joy in five months. Luis had been overjoyed to receive a box of toy cars for his birthday with a note that said Daddy, keep these safe from my big sister for me. I want to have something to play with when I arrive in September.

For the first time since her parents’ death, Serenity felt as if her life were truly complete. She had found a friend in Paloma, a husband and lover in Luis, joy in her daughter and a mother in Pilar. Serenity finally had a family; one she had no intention of losing.

“Dinner’s ready,” she told her husband, as she turned and headed for the kitchen.

“Good, I’m famished. Then after dinner I thought we could…” he continued, passing her and entering the kitchen as she followed behind with their daughter.

She didn’t care what he wanted to do, as long as she was spending time with him. Closing her eyes for a moment, she whispered, “Thank you for blessing me with them.”

“Baby, where are you?” he called, from the kitchen.

“Home,” she smiled. “I’m finally home.”

The End

Disclaimer: This story in is in no way meant to infringe upon the rights belonging to , NBC, or any entity thereof. All rights to Passions and any related content, including characters used, belong to "Outpost Farms Production Inc", James E. Reilly, and NBC.
This story is the property of the author. Copyright 2003. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without the written permission of the author.
Out of Her Shadow- Copyright © 2003 - All Rights Reserved.