Harry: — What’s wrong, Ethan?
Ethan: — Uncle, do you know anything about Deanna?
Harry: — What do you mean?
Ethan: — It looks like she argued with Dad on Sunday. When we got back, she was gone… It’s been four days, and she hasn’t come back. Naomi called her, but Deanna just says she’s taking care of her grandmother and that she’ll return when she gets better.
Harry: — I didn’t know Deanna’s grandmother was sick.
Ethan: — She’s not, Uncle. She doesn’t want to come back because of Dad.
Harry
"Mrs. Crusher… Deanna. Did something happen? Why haven’t you been coming to the theater?""I’m sorry, Professor Marcus. I’ve been dealing with some personal issues… I forgot to let you know. I’m really sorry.""Oh! Don’t worry about that. I took the liberty of calling because we miss your presence and your voice here… I won’t pry into your business, Deanna, but it would be a real shame to lose you.""That’s not my intention, Professor…""Magnificent! Please come back soon. I’d love to introduce you to some of the permanent cast and the orchestra musicians.""That would be wonderful. I’ll be there tomorrow. Does that work for you?"
Daniel gripped her waist as she began to move slowly against him, trying to arouse him. Deanna had done that too.Her fingers tangled in his hair as she whispered in his ear. Just as Deanna used to do.She sighed deeply and held him tighter when she felt her movements beginning to affect him. Deanna would voice her desire without shame.Her kiss, her mouth, the softness, the persistence, the tip of her tongue seeking entry. Deanna would simply take what she wanted, without asking.Something suddenly awakened within him. He grabbed her thighs and placed her on the desk. Just like he had done with Deanna. Legs wrapping around his waist, pulling him closer; the arched back, the exposed skin that begged for his mouth.
Daniel was in his office, just as Susan had predicted, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, preparing for another night of self-punishment. His near-encounter with Beverly tormented him; his emotions had betrayed him as he thought of Deanna, trying to recall the feelings she stirred in him. Now he faced yet another mess: trying to fix his mistake.He knew Beverly had always waited for some signal from him, some sign that he might yield to her intentions, but he'd never seen her that way. No matter how she presented herself or how subtly she tried to get his attention, he'd never felt drawn to her. If he hadn't caught himself in time, he'd now be drowning in regret.Someone knocked on his door, but he didn't bother to answer. He heard the door open and opened his eyes, ready to dismiss whoever it was—and then he saw her. Dea
Beverly was sitting behind her desk when one of the legal team members peeked through her door."He didn't come in today either," they informed her.Daniel hadn't shown up for two days. The coward was hiding after what they almost did that day. She was about to lose her patience when she received a call."She went back to the house, she went back to him. You weren't fast enough, Beverly. Now it'll be harder than before."So, she made a decision. She couldn't separate them by herself, and everyone was too calm for her liking. She knocked on Harry's office."Come in, Beverly," he called from inside."Sorry to bother
In the morning, she found him in his office at last. His face was expressionless; he knew he had made a mistake but not how to fix it. Regardless, he had to face her."Daniel, I need to talk to you," Beverly said, stepping into the office."Yes, Beverly, sit down," he gestured to the chair across from him."About what happened between us the other day..." she began carefully."I'm very sorry, it was a lapse in judgment. I hope you can forget it and we can continue working together," he replied with a formal tone.Forget it?"I refuse to do that," she leaned forward slightly."Beverly..." he
Daniel walked into his parents' house exhausted; the day at the company had been difficult. His father was, as always, enjoying a drink before dinner."Dad," he nodded."Hello, son," Charles replied, not looking up from his glass."Where's Mom?""In the library, I think... What did you do?""Nothing... What's wrong with her?""I don't know... but you must have done something because she's unbearable... Go see her, will you?"It was incredible that he still had to rush to their house whenever she called. All he wanted was to return to his family after an exhausting day.
Leonard reclined again in one of the theater seats to wait. The young aspiring Prima Donna hadn't shown up at the Ambassador for several days."Relax, Leonard. If she went back to her husband, she must be 'reconciling' with him," Marcus remarked with a knowing smirk."I envy Crusher's luck, Marcus... I truly do," Leonard sighed, staring at the empty stage."I don't doubt that.""But I still don't understand what she could have seen in Daniel. He's a block of ice," Leonard muttered, drumming his fingers on the armrest."Perhaps he's only that way on the outside and is saving several surprises for his 'little wife'..." Marcus leaned back in his seat. "Don't get desperate, she'll come at some
Susan waited for them in Leonard's car. It was Ethan's last year of high school, and he was about to start college. When they saw her standing there, they were surprised.“Auntie, how are you?“ Naomi greeted her.“Hello, kids...”“What are you doing here?” Ethan asked.“I came to pick you up because Daniel and Deanna are at the hospital. Your sisters are about to be born.”Naomi screamed uncontrollably! She practically dragged everyone to the car.“Calm down, Naomi, there's still time. Don't get nervous,” Susan tried to calm her down.“My sisters are coming! I want to get there!”For some reason, of the three siblings, she was the most anxious. She was finally going to have sisters. Yes, they would be a few years older, but she wouldn't be alone. Throughout the pregnancy, she had spent a small fortune on little dresses, hair ribbons, tiny shoes, and everything else in duplicate. She was overwhelmed with excitement.Ethan, on the other hand, didn't quite know how to feel. He was happy
The day had arrived; the day everyone had been waiting for. Her obstetrician had warned her that multiple pregnancies often resulted in delivery before 37 weeks; that if it happened, she shouldn't panic, even if the girls were born a little premature, as this was to be expected.And Deanna felt it, like a premonition, that morning. Something inside her was telling her, her body was screaming at her. But she told Daniel to take the children to school as usual and go to work, that she felt fine and it was probably just another discomfort. She stayed in bed; she had a strange, uncomfortable feeling in her chest.During those last few weeks, she rarely got out of bed, it was very difficult for her, and her husband insisted that she stay calm, that he would take care of everything and that she should rest. She took advantage of the time to finish reading that pile of books she always left half-read, and that's what she was doing when she felt moisture wetting the sheets.She found a large
“I want to show you something,“ Daniel said, taking her by the hand.“What is it?”“It's a surprise, come on...”Deanna stood up, she was in the final stretch, she could feel it. With some difficulty, she let her husband take her by the hand to the door of what would be their daughters' room.“You mustn't look,” he warned her.Deanna covered her eyes with both hands, and he made sure she wasn't peeking. He opened the door and, with one hand on her back, guided her inside.“Okay, you can look now.”In the center of the room, between the two cribs, Daniel had placed a low table. On it, a lamp spun on its base, emitting colored lights, and for each light, the shape of a firefly was reflected on the ceiling, walls, and furniture. It looked like a starry sky.“God... It's beautiful,” Deanna said with a smile.And he looked proud of his achievement, of his little gift.“Explain something to me...” she said.“What?”“Where did you come from? How do you do such beautiful things with that seri
Camila entered Daniel's house as she always did: as if it were her own. Deanna was a little surprised to see her. Although the relationship between the two women had improved greatly, Camila was still a little embarrassed about the things she had done and didn't know exactly how to make amends.So when Daniel called her to ask her to talk to his wife and help her, she was happy and glad to be able to do something for her. She arrived with lots of bags, lots of things for the girls. She wasn't very demonstrative, but she was as anxious as she was with any of her grandchildren for the twins to arrive. Anxious like any grandmother.“Dear, how are you?”“Hi, Camila, I'm fine... What are you doing here?”Camila put the bags on the floor.“I came to bring some gifts for my granddaughters,” she said, sitting down across from Deanna, ”and to talk to you.”Deanna looked at her a little confused. Talk about what? She waited for Camila to start. She just sighed and had another burst of sincerity
Deanna's pregnancy began to complicate even the most routine and simple tasks. Her back was killing her, her legs were swollen, and bending over was no longer an option. Even something as simple as putting on a pair of shoes was now a thing of the past. Daniel watched her with concern; although the first few months had gone smoothly, her belly was growing rapidly.She had always been a petite woman with a small waist and a fragile appearance. A single pregnancy was one thing, but a double pregnancy was another, and although she endured it with difficulty, the pain and discomfort sometimes put her in a terrible mood. She began to feel useless and frustrated.The situation was not easy. Every day seemed to bring a new challenge with her pregnancy, and the complications were not limited to the physical aspects. The feeling of helplessness and frustration that overwhelmed her was mixed with the fear that grew along with her daughters. At times, she felt like she didn't know what to do.Da
For his part, Leonard was suddenly facing another aspect he didn't know. His years of marriage had never given him what he now shared with Susan; his countless affairs with young women had not shown him this strange side of himself, which could overwhelm him as much as it enchanted him.After getting engaged, even though they lived separately, Susan and Leonard began to spend more time together, to experience living as a couple. He wasn't used to that kind of intimacy, to the simple, ordinary moments shared on a daily basis. Dear Leonard, in his 50s, was learning new things.Getting married without love, spending years with someone he didn't love and who didn't love him, meant an emotional distance more than a physical one. Because even though they lived under the same roof, for him it was the same as being alone. He didn't participate in anything, he didn't care about anything, and he escaped from that cold place whenever he could, until finally, he stopped escaping and simply disapp
By the time Deanna returned, Daniel and the children had already come back. Meeting Frank had given her a feeling of well-being despite the past. She entered smiling.“Where were you?“ her husband asked her.“I went out for a drink with a friend... It was nice, I hadn't done that in a long time,” she replied happily.For Deanna, it was perfectly normal, but for Daniel, not so much.“What friend?”“Frank. Remember?” she said, sitting down next to him.“The guy from college? The one who cheated on you?”Something in his tone bothered Deanna.“Yes, that one...”“And why?”“He called me this morning, he wanted to talk... He's getting married next month.”“The messages last night were from him. You said you didn't know the number.” And again, that hint of mistrust crept into his voice.“And I didn't know it.”Deanna had honed her patience and temperament. She knew that tone and those mannerisms of Daniel's, and that's why she had put so much of herself into learning to calm him down, to le
Deanna and Jonathan's relationship had returned to normal, the only thing that had changed was that the boy now called her “Mom.” It sounded a little strange to her, but at the same time it made her happy to hear it. She just had to get used to it.“Mom, I'm hungry,” said the little boy. They were sitting in the living room reading a book.Now that he was a little older, he was interested in other things besides stories. So Deanna brought him one of her books about music to answer his questions as best she could.“Dad's making dinner. Are you very hungry?”“Yes, my tummy is rumbling,” he replied, and she laughed heartily.“Well, read a little more and I'll go steal something from the kitchen.”But she stopped at the door when she saw Daniel. She leaned against the frame and looked at him.With his back to her, wearing his apron, he was skillfully wielding a knife. She had become so accustomed to these moments they shared together that now he was the one who turned on the radio to list
“But of course it's nonsense!” Camila exclaimed indignantly, rushing out into the courtyard.Susan held her breath and Amanda just watched her. She knew what Harry's mother was like: very traditional, very attached to customs, and relentless. She knew how resistant she had been to Deanna and how difficult it was to please her.“Mom...“ Susan tried.“It's nonsense, Amanda. Ridiculous!” she said, raising her arms.Susan's face tensed, and she looked at her as if to warn her.“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked her daughter, then looked Amanda in the eyes.“Didn't you just give him a son? Doesn't Emma call you Mom? What rights don't you have? Of course you have all of them! For God's sake!”She sat down next to her and touched Ryan's little hand as it slipped out from under the blanket.“You gave my son the chance to love and have a family. You were there for him when none of us could be, and you supported him and made him feel safe. I don't even want to think about wh