How many problems can a love bear ?
Chapter 7						Accueil   Home

37

At the same time in Acapulco, Eden and Sophia were driving to the address that Brick has given to his sister and his mother. Eden seemed to be very nervous, what was understandable because she hasn't seen her children and her husband for years.

"Are you very nervous?" Sophia asked her daughter while she softly touched Eden's arm.

"Yes, I am! But it's not only because I'll see Cruz and my children again. I mean sure I'm afraid of their reactions but there's something I haven't told you yet, Momma!" Eden said and her eyes were filled with tears.

"Darling, I hope you know that you can always tell me anything! AND I hope you know that I would never judge you or anything you've ever done!"

"Yes, Mum! I know that! I'll tell you my secret! Look when I left Santa Barbara because I was sick, there was something that I didn't know!" Eden told her mother who listened carefully to what her daughter told her.

"Do you want to tell me what it was?" Sophia asked because she didn't want to talk Eden into something.

Yes, Mum! I ... was pregnant when I left Santa Barbara!" Eden said and felt ashamed because she didn't dare to talk about it for days.

"And the child?"

"I've a beautiful daughter! Only a few persons know about her because I was afraid that someone could take her away from me when I was ill! She helped me so much to become healthy again. Do you want to see a picture of her?"

"Oh, I'm so happy for you Eden! And believe me no one would ever have tried to take the girl away from you! And I'd like to see a photo of her and if you want I would like to once meet my grand-daughter?"

"Of course you'll meet her as soon as we're back in Santa Barbara." Eden replied and smiled at her mother, she felt a kind of relief, it seemed that her mother was able to forgive her everything she had done to her when she suffered from her split personality and the relationship between Eden and her mother seemed to be stronger than it was ever before.

"Is she in Santa Barbara? Would you please tell me more about her?" Sophia asked and her big blue eyes were filled with tears, but this time it were tears of happiness, her beloved daughter had found her way back home, she had another grandchild and it seemed that Eden trusted her again. There was only one thing that made her unhappy, the fight with C.C. and that they might have destroyed their last chance to be together again.

Eden took a picture of a small girl out of her wallet. The girl on the photo had dark hair and looked very much like Cruz, except her eyes they had the same green color as Eden's.

"Her name is Emma and she's almost three years old now! And she doesn't look like me at all, does she?"

"She's gorgeous! She looks like her father, except that she has your eyes. Where is she now?"

"She's in Santa Barbara! Brick takes care of her, she really loves him!"

"Excuse me, Ladies!" the cab driver interrupted the two women "There we're!"

"Well, mum! It seems as if this would be the moment of truth!?" Eden said and felt very confused, it was so easy for her to talk to her mother, to tell Sophia about Emma and she was almost sure that it would be easier to talk to her mother about what happened the night Eden left Santa Barbara than talking to Cruz and their children. Sophia realized that Eden wasn't sure anymore if she made a step in the right or the wrong direction by coming to Mexico. 

"Eden, if you want you can wait here for a few minutes and I'll go to the house and tell Cruz that you're here with me and want to talk to him. Hmm?"

"Would you really do that for me? I mean after all that I've done to you in the past?"

"Of course, Honey! I'll be right back!" Sophia said while she got out of the car.

Eden watched out of the window of the taxi, while her mother went to the front door of the house and rang the bell. A few seconds passed and Carmen, Cruz' s mother, opened the door.

"Hello Sophia! What a surprise to see you?" Carmen said and the two women hugged.

"Hi Carmen! Is Cruz here?"

"I'm sorry! Cruz and the bambinos left this morning, they went on a holiday for two or three weeks!" Carmen replied.

"Oh! Well Carmen, I'm here because Eden wants to see Cruz!"

"Eden? Where is she? And how's she?"

"Eden's waiting in the taxi and thanks God she's healthy again. Do you know where Cruz and the kids wanted to go for their trip?"

"Cruz got an invitation from C.C. to come to Santa Barbara for celebrating the wedding with you! Didn't you know that?"

"No, I didn't!" Sophia replied and for the first time since her fight with C.C. a smile appeared on her face while she thought about C.C.. Sometimes he was the cutest and most romantic man on earth. Sophia began to remember the evening on the beach when C.C. told her for the first time after her coming back to Santa Barbara after 16 years that he never stopped loving her. It was such a romantic evening on exactly the same place where they met so many years before. Sophia was torn out of her thoughts, when Carmen softly touched her arm.

"Would you please wait a minute Carmen?" Sophia said and went to the cab.

"Sorry, darling! Cruz and the kids left this morning for Santa Barbara, but Carmen wants to see you!"

"I would love to see her!" Eden said and got out of the taxi.

38

In Santa Barbara C.C. was still holding the letter of his beloved daughter in his hands. He went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Up until now he hadn't found the courage to open and read the letter Eden wrote him. He had to remember the last time he got a letter from her, in her last letter she wrote that she would never come back home and now she was home again and her mother was the only person who knew about it. C.C. has to think about Sophia, he already missed her very much, was Mason right by thinking that Sophia took a plane to Italy because she would never come back to him. C.C. couldn't think about losing the woman he loved so much, so he decided that he would fly to Italy and beck Sophia to forgive him as soon as he would have read Eden's letter. C.C. opened the cover of the letter and began to read what his eldest daughter wrote him.

Dear Daddy,

I don't know where to start. I know it's a long time ago since you heard from me. Daddy, please don't worry because this letter is totally different from the last that I wrote to you. I think you understand that I don't want to begin this letter with the typical "How are you" phrase, because I know that you're fine. I'm sure you already know the reason why I write this letter to you. Momma told me that the both of you had a terrible fight because you thought that she was seeing Lionel on the yacht, but, Daddy please believe me, it isn't true. Momma was seeing me and I begged her not to tell anyone that I'm back because I still have some things to clarify before I can return to my family. First of all I want to talk to Cruz and to my children, I can't expect that they will forgive me and welcome me with opened arms but I have to explain my behavior to them and I'm ready to do that now. Then I'll have to talk to Mum and explain her why I shot her the night I left Santa Barbara.

Daddy, we'll see each other in the next few days and I hope that I haven't destroyed everything you and Momma built up in the last few weeks. I really hope that you and Mum will find a way back together again, I know that you always loved each other and even if you had to fight a lot to be together I'm sure that you're meant for each other.

I love you, Daddy.

Love Eden.

C.C. felt confused, he was happy to read that Eden wanted top come back home, but on the other side he felt that he was sad because he was afraid that he might have lost Sophia forever. Tears were running down C.C.'s face, he couldn't believe that his beloved princess wanted to come home in a few days. Memories appeared in front of C.C.'s inner eye, memories from a time when everything in his life was still alright, from the time before Eden suffered from her split personality. He remember the day of his and Sophia's second wedding, it was Eden who had arranged the ceremony because after all the troubles they had at that time with Gina, who was blackmailing C.C. and Sophia with the tape that testified Kelly's innocence in the murder case of Dylan Hartley.

"Hey Dad!" Mason said and tore his father out of his thoughts.

"Mason! I thought that you would have left?"

"Well I was already in my car, when I felt a strong desire to tell you something!" Mason said and smiled, because after so many years it was so easy for him to go to his father and talk to him.

"Ok, I listen! But could you make it as short as possible I still have some things to do before I'll leave town!" C.C. replied and pointed at his watch.

"You'll leave town? Well Dad I'm here to tell you that I'll help you to convince Sophia that she has to come back home!"

C.C. was surprised by what Mason just told him, because Mason never accepted Sophia as a part of his father's life, sure Mason was still a small boy when C.C. left Pamela because of Sophia, but it always seemed that Mason would never accept it.

"Why?" C.C. asked his eldest son.

"Dad, I never told Sophia and I never told you that I accept that you love Sophia and over the years some kind of feeling for Sophia grew in me. I think I didn't only accept the fact that she's a part of your life, but I think I feel some kind of love for her!" Mason said and smiled at his father.

C.C. was very happy to hear what Mason just had told him, C.C. wanted to take his son into his arms, when the phone rang.

"I'll be right back!" C.C. said, went to the phone and answered it.

"C.C. Capwell on the phone!"

C.C. listened carefully to what the person at the other end of the phone told him, Mason who stand close to his father realized that something must have happened because C.C. wasn't able to say much accept yes and my God.

C.C. hung up the phone and made himself on the way to the stairs because he wanted to go upstairs to be alone, he didn't even look at Mason.

"Who was on the phone, dad?" Mason asked.

"It was the police department!" C.C. said, but he didn't turn around to his son.

"Dad! What ...!" Mason's question was interrupted by the door bell.

Mason went to the door and opened it.

"Cruz?" Mason was astonished to see his sister's ex-husband and his sister's children.

"Well here we are! Didn't you know that Mr. C. had invited us for the wedding?"

"No, I didn't! Come on in!" Mason replied and thought that it would be better not to lose a word about the fight C.C. and Sophia had earlier this day and that Sophia had left town.

"The wedding won't take place! Mason would you please call Kelly, Ted and the rest of the family? I want to see them all here in 15 minutes, because I have something important to tell you. I'm upstairs for a few minutes and won't be disturbed." C.C. said and went upstairs without waiting for Mason's answer.

"Did something happen?" Adriana asked, this girl looked more and more like her mother.

"I don't know Adriana!" Mason replied because he didn't want to tell this little girl about the fight her grandparents had.

39

"Oh my god, Eden! I can't believe that you're here!" Carmen said and went to her ex daughter-in-law to hug her! "I'm so happy to see you! How are you?"

"I'm fine Carmen! It took me a long time to recover from my illness but now I'm healthy again!" Eden said and smiled.

"It's really sad that Cruz and the children left this morning for Santa Barbara because they got an invitation from C.C. for the wedding! When is the great day, Sophia?" Carmen asked.

"Well, Carmen the wedding is not going to take place!" Sophia replied and once again her beautiful blue eyes were filled with tears! There were so many reasons why she should have been happy, Eden was back, she has learned that she had another granddaughter and Brick was back in Santa Barbara after so many years, but nothing could make her forget the fight with C.C.. They had to fight so often and so much to be together again and every time they fell apart again.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know! Did something happen?"

"Would you two please excuse me? I'm going for a walk I need some time alone!" Sophia said, stood up and left the house, because she wasn't able to answer any question about the fact why her marriage with C.C. wouldn't take place!

"Carmen, my parents had a terrible fight, because Momma visited me on daddy's yacht and daddy thought that she was seeing Lionel, because I begged momma not to tell anyone that I was back in Santa Barbara. But what momma don't know is that I left a letter on the boat for my father to explain him that he was wrong by accusing my mother to have an affair with Lionel." Eden told Carmen after Sophia had left the house.

"What do you think; will they manage to be together again? I mean they really love each other and believe me your parents are meant for each other like you and Cruz!" Carmen said and a smile appeared on her face.

"What do you mean? I'm sure Cruz went on with his life and he has already found a wonderful woman with whom he's in love!" Eden said and hoped that Carmen would answer her that there was no other woman in Cruz' life.

"Sure, he went on with his life! He met a few nice girls but he never really felt in love again. All he lives for is his job and your children!" Carmen said and saw that Eden felt relieved by her answer.

"Carmen, may I ask you something?"

"Everything you want!"

"Do you have some recent photos from Chip and Adriana? I would love to see how they look now!"

I have lots of pictures of your children!" Carmen said and took Eden's hand to lead her into another room.

40

At the same time Sophia has reached the beach which wasn't very far from Carmen's house, she sat down on a rock and started to remember when she and C.C. celebrated their wedding anniversary after she had come back to Santa Barbara. In front of her inner eye pictures appeared from this very special evening. First they talked about their first wedding that was held on the beach at the same place where they met all those years ago.

"Kind of nice to look back without bitterness!... C.C. listen to me! I know what you think about that day. It seems like it was all pretence because I was pregnant that must seem to you like I didn't mean anything that I said how I felt. That's not true! I meant everything!"

"I fall from one extreme to the other! As I always tend to do!" C.C. replied.

"You know what I was really frightened of?"  

"What?"

"You! It's true I was frightened of you! I didn't want to be in love not then! I didn't want anything I couldn't control!" They both laughed.

"I sure picked the wrong man for that, didn't?" 

"Mhm!"

"Thank you!"

"The evening is not over!" C.C. replied.

"No, I didn't mean that! Thank you! You've been trying so hard to make things better between us and to make us friends again. I'm not sure why you doing it but it mean a lot to me!"

"I don't wanna be your friend, Sophia! … Not here and not tonight!" C.C. said to her while her got up from the rock where they were sitting on. He took Sophia's hand and so she stood up too, he tore her closed to him. "Tonight I'm your husband!" C.C. said and then kissed her passionate.

Sophia was torn out of her thoughts when a raindrop fell on her face, she wiped away her tears and realized that she remember that evening like if it had been only a few days ago since they confessed their love to each other after so many years of separation. But it was already years ago and even if things were bad between them at that time, it was easier to believe in reconciliation than it was now. Sophia felt like every hope was lost.

41

At the same time in Santa Barbara the whole Capwell family was sitting in the living room waiting for C.C. because he had ordered them there because he got something important to tell them!

"Mason, do you know why daddy wanted to see us?" Kelly asked.

"As I told every one of you on the phone, I don't know what the reason is! The only thing I can tell you over and over again is that dad got a phone call that confused him and that he went upstairs after he asked me to phone every one to come here!"

"And grandpa said that the wedding won't take place!" Adriana said and her beautiful green eyes were filled with tears. The girl was so happy when Cruz told her that C.C. had invited them for the wedding and deep inside she hoped that she could be her grandmother's flower girl.

"What? Why?" Ted asked.

"You know that they had this terrible fight and that mum left Santa Barbara for Italy!"

"I can't believe that they won't marry because of a misunderstanding!" Ted said when C.C. entered the living room.

"My son it has nothing to do with the argument we had!" C.C. said and felt that his eyes were filled with tears, he had lost the woman he loved so deeply forever and he has to tell their children and grandchildren that it seemed that Sophia had died in a plane crash.

"What's the matter, dad?" Mason asked because he realized that his father was very sad and that his father's eyes were filled with tears.

"Earlier a got a call from the police department. The plane Sophia was in crashed and... it..." C.C. couldn't hold back his tears any longer "It seems that no one survived the crash!" C.C. said and turned his back to his family.

"Oh my God!" Mason said, went to his father and took him into his arms to comfort him.

"Dad, can we do something for you?" Kelly asked.

"No, Kelly! I wanna be alone!" C.C. replied and made a few steps to leave the living room, when Adriana ran after her grandfather.

"Grandpa! I know how sad you must be now! You love grandma and you always will! Would you please tell me some stories about her, I'm afraid that some day I will forget her! That's the reason why I always beg daddy to tell me things about mommy!"

C.C. couldn't refuse Adriana's request, even if he mourned because he had lost Sophia forever, he took Adriana's hand and lead her upstairs into his room to show her pictures and videos of Sophia.

"Sit down on my knees, baby!" C.C. told Adriana after he had put a tape in the VRC to show Adriana a film about Sophia when she was an actress.

"This is an informal interview that was made before I even met your grandmother!"

"I love music and I love arts and I love to sail and I love ski and of cour se I love being an actress so I wouldn't be here would I?"

"Ok! Now how about the unexpurgated version?" the interviewer asked.

"Alright! Well, I like to sing from the top of my lungs and I have a terrible voice I can't carry it too!"

"Is that right, grandpa?"

"What do you mean?" C.C. asked because he didn't listen to the interview because he was lost in his thoughts when he saw Sophia on the screen!

"Is it true that grandma liked to sing at the top of her lungs and had a terrible voice?" Adriana asked because the small girl had realized that her grandfather hadn't listened to the interview.

"She always said that, but I always found that she had a wonderful voice! Do you know that your mother and you look more than your grandmother than anyone else?" C.C. told his granddaughter while tears ran down his face.

Adriana took her grandfather into her arms to comfort him a bit.

"I know how hard must be for you, I remember how sad I was when mummy left us!"

C.C. remembered that he received a letter from Eden earlier this day and he was sure that it was time to tell Adriana that her mother was willing to come back to her family!

"Listen, little princess! I'm going to tell you a secret! But you have to promise that it will stay our secret for a few days, ok?"

"Ok, I promise!"

"Today I got a letter from your mummy and she wrote that she will come back to Santa Barbara and to her family because she missed you so much!"

"She really wants to come back to us?" Adriana asked once again, because she couldn't believe that she would see her mother again.

"Yes she will! But by know I think it's time for you to go to bed, it's already late!"

"Alright!" Adriana said, gave C.C. a goodnight kiss on his cheek and stood up from his knees. She went towards the door and suddenly stopped!

"Grandpa, you know where you'll find me if you can't sleep because you miss grandma too much! Than you can wake me up and I'll listen to you!" Adriana who was almost six years old spoke like an adult, she was really matured for her age.

Chapter 8