That's where the photograph came from. They had coffee, but ended up arguing again; Harry was evasive and it annoyed Deanna that he wouldn't be direct. Finally, all she had gotten were mere excuses, incomplete phrases, and sidelong glances from Harry. That's why her face was red and he looked gloomy.
Daniel and Beverly got off at their floor.
"I'm sorry I showed you that..." she said hesitantly.
"Why did you do it then?" he asked, his voice tense.
"I'll be straight with you: Deanna is a sweet and considerate person, but she's going to end up ruining you," Beverly stated firmly.
"Excuse me?" Daniel's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes, I know.
He didn't go to the office that morning. He felt guilty for not being there when Camila attacked her and because she continued to be everyone's target in his family; Deanna was becoming the Crushers' punching bag. He had his mother and brother come to the house; he was going to put an end to this.Camila arrived with a haughty attitude, unwilling to give in to her son. Harry, on the other hand, only felt remorse. When he heard from Susan what Camila had done to Dean, he wanted to run out to see her, but his sister stopped him; he would only create more problems."This has to end and it has to end now," Daniel began, trying to remain calm though tension radiated from his voice."I told you not to marry her, Daniel!" Camila shot back defiantly.
The situation for Ethan was difficult. He was being bullied at school because his father had married a young woman, gossip spread like wildfire, and Camila wasn't helping. Apparently, the storm hadn't completely dissipated.When she saw Ethan, Deanna tried to help him with his injuries, but the boy was still angry. And he made her feel sad again; her knight in shining armor was taking blows because of her. How could everything be so complicated?After dinner, she went to Ethan's room."Yes, come in," he said hesitantly."Ethan... can we talk?" she asked gently."Okay.""I'm very sorry about what happened to you today. Do you want to tell me
That night, Marcus called Leonard to personally deliver the good news."Crusher called me this afternoon. His wife is willing to come to the Theater," he announced."Fantastic, Marcus! I assure you won't regret it—the young lady has a true gold mine in her throat," Leonard replied, his enthusiasm evident."Can I ask you not to bring your usual drama to my Theater, Leonard? Last time I had to reassemble the entire cast because of your affairs...""Don't worry, Marcus. This time my interest is genuine. That woman is worth all the trouble. This won't be just an affair... I fully intend to take her from Crusher and claim her as mine... I think it's time I settled down."Marcus burst out l
"You'll sing in a theater?" Ethan asked, his curiosity piqued."That's awesome! Can we go see you?" Naomi chimed in excitedly."Of course we can, Naomi," Daniel assured her."I want to see you, Deanna! Can we, Dad?" she pressed eagerly."Absolutely, we'll be in the front row when Deanna performs," he promised."That's still a long way off, but my first performance will be just for you all..." she said warmly, then shifted to a more practical tone. "You finished your homework, right Naomi?""Yes, all of it.""Th
All the work he has planned to get ahead on that night was forgotten."I didn't know you were into those things," he whispered as he held her close in bed.She was already drifting between sleep and reality."What things?" she murmured drowsily."The aggressiveness... You're always passionate, but that was something new...""It's what I love most about you," she confessed."My aggressiveness is what you love most?" he asked, surprised."Yes... no... I don't know... It's what you do to me," she sighed."You're going to be the death of me..."
"I'm sorry about what I did today at the company," Deanna said softly."You don't have to be sorry... Actually, you changed my mood. I had a difficult meeting before you arrived... Those stubborn old men..." Daniel sighed."You had a complicated afternoon... Let me prepare something to cheer you up.""What's that?" he asked, curiosity replacing the weariness in his voice."My mother used to make a dessert when I had a bad day or felt sad. I'll prepare it for you..."They went to the kitchen. Daniel sat at the small table with a cup of coffee while she prepared her chocolate dessert. Deanna turned on the radio and melodies flowed between their gentle conversations, mingling with the co
After arguing with Deanna, Harry looked like he wanted to throw himself off the balcony. She returned alone, her eyes holding back tears, walked straight to Daniel and with just a look, he understood."We'll come back tomorrow if necessary. Goodbye, mom," he said firmly, placing his hand protectively on Deanna's back.They left. Deanna was clearly upset and distressed, and Daniel confirmed once again that her feelings for Harry were not the same as what his brother felt."They'll both be fine, don't worry," he reassured her."I don't know what Harry has in his head... he seems like a different person."I don't know either," he lied, avoiding her searching gaze.
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
And Daniel wasn't the only Crusher dealing with doubts and uncertainties. Harry was also still learning, but for him, the learning curve was different: he had left behind a toxic relationship, devoid of affection and love, for one that was completely opposite. And sometimes, just sometimes, the resentment from those times would leave a lump in his throat.Even though Amanda was about to give birth, Harry still hadn't taken that next step in their relationship: marriage. He truly wanted to marry the mother of his child, but he had bitter memories from his last marriage that were holding him back.“I understand, Deanna, it's not easy for him to accept that things have changed,” Amanda said one warm afternoon as they sat together enjoying the last rays of sunshine.“That child was very lucky to have found you. I guess he still has a lot of open wounds.”“Yes... but he also became a happy and funny man. He's nothing like the Harr
For the other grandfather, the more worldly one, everything was new. He couldn't share Charles's vision regarding children and grandchildren. He had only just learned to be a father to Deanna, when she no longer needed him to grow up. And he was still learning. Grandchildren? That was in another dimension.He had spent half his life immersed in resentment, hatred, and self-punishment. He reflected his mother's rejection in the women around him: his wife and daughters. He carried the unhappiness of lost love and felt nothing but fleeting moments.And in the blink of an eye, he had a family and a stable relationship that complemented him. He and Susan were something neither of them suspected or planned; they grew closer after Deanna and Daniel remarried, at family gatherings, in casual conversations. Until one day he realized he couldn't stop thinking about her.Old Leonard dusted off his true charm to win her over; because this woman was not like the others, this
He held her hand as they waited for their turn for the ultrasound. One of her feet kept tapping the floor, causing her knee to rise and fall.Several other couples were waiting, some women alone, and they looked at them curiously. You couldn't help but notice the 15-year age difference, especially Daniel's increasingly noticeable gray hair. And, for some reason, Deanna's face looked more cheerful, fresher, and younger.“Don't be nervous,” she said, giving him a small smile.He just looked at her and smiled back. He was always nervous for her and their children; he couldn't help it. Even if everything was perfect and normal, Daniel always worried. It was just the way he was.Finally, it was time to go in, and the specialist welcomed them with everything ready.“Would you like to know the sex of your babies?” she asked.“Yes.”“Very well... Then let's check how they are first.”She
Deanna continued singing throughout her pregnancy, but it became increasingly difficult. Carrying two children growing inside her and still shining on stage, captivating the audience with her voice and stage presence, was becoming difficult. Daniel accompanied her to every performance, proud of his wife and excited about the belly that grew every day.“I can't do this anymore,“ she told Leonard as she stepped off the stage.Wagner's Tristan and Isolde was the opera Marcus had chosen for that season.“Don't worry, I'll talk to Marcus and we'll find a replacement for you. It's time for you to rest, baby,” he said worriedly.He held her hand as if she were going to fall or fall apart. For Reed, it was a new experience. Despite Alice's pregnancies, he had never been involved in anything like this. But now he could see his grandchildren growing inside his daughter and was experiencing all kinds of emotions.Deanna was so touched
When the last page of the document was signed, Harry could finally breathe deeply. It was over. Laura tried to fight it, but she had nothing left; none of the Crushers supported her. And the first thing he did with his freedom restored was to go and bring back the mother of his child. They settled back into Amanda's small, old apartment, for the time being. The house had gone to Laura, and Harry had no interest in going back there.And although Emma was legally in the care of her grandparents, she moved in with them. And for the first time, she was able to experience what it was like to have a loving family. It was easy for her to bond with Amanda, the little girl got along with everyone, especially when she received kisses and hugs and heard stories before going to bed. Having the same person take her to daycare by the hand and then pick her up to spend some time at the park soon became a habit for the little girl.Amanda asked Deanna to be her son's godmother and Dan
“Well, what shall we do? Shall we have dinner?“ asked Leonard.“Please, I'm starving...” replied Deanna.“Get changed and let's go the Liverpool, my friend has booked us a table.”“Are you coming, Harry?“ asked Daniel.“Harry said he had things to do, but we'll take Emma,” replied Deanna.He rushed out with his phone in one hand and his car keys in the other. He had no idea what was going on, all he understood was that the envelope he was now carrying inside his jacket gave him the freedom he so desperately wanted. Freedom without fear.How had Deanna gotten it? He didn't understand either. All he could see was the road ahead. As he drove, he realized what he was feeling, what he really needed. It wasn't an impulse or a consolation. He wanted to see her, hear her, be with her, beg her for forgiveness and plead with her.When he arrived at the address on his GPS, he got out of
Once again, the Ambassador raised the curtain, the lights shone brightly, and the seats awaited the audience. It was another opening night in the city. Some were eager to see her again, others went out of curiosity, and she continued to feel nervous. But this time, the entire family was present, even Camila.She could no longer make excuses; she was the wife of his eldest son. And to Charles' surprise, she hadn't put up much resistance; it seemed that she was beginning to accept Deanna's place. Harry also got his tickets, which caused another argument at home, but he didn't care what Laura had to say. He dressed Emma and they left; he didn't know how long the girl would be able to sit still, but at least they would see her for a while.In her dressing room, there was a bouquet of roses from Daniel, her costume hanging on a hanger, and the makeup artist putting the finishing touches on her. Her stomach was a ball of nerves and her heart was filled with happiness. She ha
Daniel arrived home from work to find Leonard sitting in his living room, looking very relaxed and comfortable, but Deanna was nowhere to be seen.“What are you doing here?” he asked.“Deanna called me and asked me to come over.”“For the premiere?”Leonard just shrugged.“Are they here?”“Nope...”“And Susan?”“At home.”The door opened and Jonathan ran in, followed by Ethan and Naomi and finally Deanna.“Hi, sweetie,” Leonard greeted her.Strangely, the children barely said hello and quickly went up to their rooms. Her face said nothing; she was grim, somber. She looked at them and made them uncomfortable.“Deanna, what's wrong?“ Daniel noticed something strange.“I need to talk to you. Can we go to your office?”“Yes...”What was going on?
Deanna searched her mind, but she couldn't remember anyone named Amanda, not even from college. But from the way she asked about Harry and looked at Emma, she knew him.“Harry's fine... I saw him a few hours ago.”“Emma has grown so much,” she said, but something in her voice sounded wrong.“Excuse me... are you okay?”“To be honest, no... I sound like a stalker, don't I? I'm sorry... I couldn't resist the urge... I came to town to do some research and see my doctor, and I was passing by... I know I shouldn't have done it.”She was confused. The woman spoke to her naturally, even confidently. However, it was clear from her expression and tone of voice that she wasn't quite right. She looked at her belly as she caressed it with one hand.“I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused Daniel too. He's been so good and kind, he cared about me... About us. If it hadn't been for him, Harry would have