Disclaimer: The names of the a few characters found later on are *g* taken with thanks from real people. (hope no one minds!) And two other names (trying not to give anything away) were borrowed from another story (not one of mine) with hopes that the author does not mind. I could think of no better names myself, due to the mindnumbing setting this story was written in. (Word Processing class, if anyone's curious :-P can i help it if thanks to my many hours spent in front of this screen that I can type better than the teacher? Not to mention those poor, poor computer-illiterate classmates of mine...:-P) All right, I'll stop babbling, here's the story. Hope you've got Kleenex nearby!

“Maria!” Gabi Martinez exclaimed, turning around so fast she almost tripped on the train of her long, brilliantly white dress. “What about-“

 “Don’t even say it!” Maria cut her soon to be once again sister in law off with a slightly amused tone. “Gabi, there is nothing that you have forgotten, I promise you that.”

 “But-“

 “No!” Maria interrupted again! “I don’t want to hear it! I just want you to turn around and let me finish fixing your veil. We only have,” She glanced down at her watch, “Forty-five minutes left!”

 “On…” Gabi swallowed. “Only…forty-five minutes?” Her hand was shaking from nerves.

 “You poor thing, you’re really scared aren’t you?” Maria sympathized as the door opened behind them.

 “Gabi, you have no reason to be scared!” Sara Mitchum said, shaking her head. “Not with a man like that out there waiting for you! I swear, with that collar on you really couldn’t tell what a body he has…you are so lucky.”

 Gabi giggled a little, knowing exactly how right Sara was. Maria finished adjusting the lacy veil and Gabi turned to see who all had come. She found her friends there, all of them…it seemed like a dream to her. Not a year ago she had been about to leave Sunset Beach for good, leave behind hopes of a happy life and true love…and now. Now she was about to marry the man of her dreams in front of people who loved and cared about her. It was amazing how life could do a complete 180 on you. Tears began to form in her eyes as she looked around slowly, meeting all of their eyes. Maria, Sara, Meg, Vanessa, Annie…Paula. The tears began to spill as she saw her sister standing there. Paula moved forward and said sternly to her little sister, “Don’t you dare cry. It took us two hours to get that make-up right!” Everyone laughed, knowing it was the truth. Gabi forced back the tears and smiled shakily. Paula wrapped her arm around Gabi’s shoulder and grinned mischievously. Leaning over, she whispered in Gabi’s ear. “Say cheese.” And before Gabi had a chance to react, a flash blinded her. When the brightness subsided, she saw Casey standing in the doorway with a camera in his hand. He took one look at Gabi and gave a low whistle of approval. Sara punched his fist into his arm, but didn’t seem too annoyed. She was smiling widely herself. “Get outta here,” Sara ordered and Casey obligingly left.

“Oh, you guys, we have to give her the stuff!” Annie reminded, reaching in her purse. Maria, Paula, and Meg did the same.

“What do you have to give me?” Gabi asked curiously, slipping off the heels she had been trying on and gingerly sitting down, careful not to crease her dress.

“The traditional stuff, you know…something old, something new-“ Paula said, holding up a small box.

“Something borrowed.” Maria held up her package.

“And something blue!” Annie lifted a long white department store box and grinning devilishly.

“I can’t believe you guys! Thank you so much…” Gabi almost got teary-eyed again, but managed to ward off the feeling. There would be plenty of time for the tears of joy later.

“Me first!” Meg said quickly as they all crowded around. “Something new!” She handed Gabi the box and Gabi quickly tore open the top. She lifted out a long, homemade quilt made of a dark green material. The words ‘Antonio and Gabi Torres’ were elegantly quilted in sky blue obliquely across it. “Mom made it, but she wanted me to give it to you. You and Antonio can put it to use tonight…if you get any sleep, that is!”

“Oh…you’re awful, Meg! Thank you…it’s beautiful…thank you so much!” Gabi exclaimed, excited. Maria stepped up next and handed Gabi a small box.

“Something borrowed.” She smiled in her usual gentle way and Gabi opened the box. Inside was a gorgeous pair of teardrop diamond earrings.

“Maria, they’re…I can’t believe you’re letting me borrow these! Thank you so much…” She reached up to hug Maria and walked over the mirror to put them on. “They’re amazing…”

“Me now!” Annie, still grinning widely, handed her the long white cardboard box. “Something…blue…”

Gabi lifted the top off and gasped when she saw the silky blue lingerie that lay underneath. “Oh…oh my…I…”

“Good thing Mom made that quilt, you’ll certainly need it if you’re going to wear that!” Meg joked.

“Oh, that isn’t the thing you keep on for long…” Annie teasingly shot back.

“Thank you, Annie…” Gabi said and Paula sat down next to her. “Let me guess, something old?”

“Yeah.” Paula handed her a small black box. Gabi eagerly opened it and Gabi’s mouth fell open. Inside lay a silver locket that haunted Gabi’s memory. She gingerly lifted the ancient necklace and her finger immediately found the catch on the side. The metal cover lifted open to reveal a black and white photograph of a beautiful woman, raven haired with black eyes that dominated her face. Across her lips lingered a tender smile, as if she were looking into the eyes of a loved one when the picture was taken. This time Gabi couldn’t, and didn’t even try to stop the tears.

“Mommy…” Gabi whispered, and looked up at her sister with questioning eyes.

“When I left Sunset Beach, I decided to find out more about my father…my family. I stayed with our Abuela Alessandra for a few months…she told me all about your mother…how she died so young. She gave me this, to give to you. I was waiting for a special occasion…and I think this is special enough.” Paula explained. Gabi was so overwhelmed, so touched, that her sister would do this for her. She hugged Paula long and hard, then with care put on the necklace. The thin silver chain was just long enough to let the locket hang just above where the white silk front of the dress dipped down.

“Thank you.” Gabi whispered, fingering the necklace with love. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome…sis.” Gabi tried to wipe the tears away before too much damage was done to her carefully applied make-up. She and Paula’s relationship until now had been, to word it gently, tentative, but she felt that this had gone a long way to helping them become sisters, family.

“Gabi! Twenty minutes!” Michael called from outside. Muffled voices could be heard outside the doorway, then Vanessa’s husband spoke again. “Hey, are you like…decent in there and everything?”

 The women laughed at his tone, then called out that hey were. Maria, Paula, Meg and Vanessa were all dressed and ready in their bridesmaid’s dresses, and Gabi was, she hoped, ready.

“Well, Gabi, Antonio wants to talk to you…in private.” Gabi’s heart clenched. He didn’t want to…call it off, did he? Her heart fell. She knew this was going o happen, she knew it.

“He can’t!” Meg called out. “The groom can’t see the bride before the ceremony.” More muffled voices.

“He says it’s important!” Michael called out. “Why don’t they talk through the door or something?”

“Gabi?” Almost in tears from her own destructive thoughts, Gabi nodded. Paula noticed her sibling’s torn expression and squeezed her shoulder.

“He loves you, Gabi. He’s not going to call it off, don’t even think that.” Paula whispered so that only Gabi could hear. She looked into her sister’s eyes and saw that Paula really believed that. She had a lot of respect for her sister…but…she couldn’t stop the doubts from flooding her mind.

“We’ll all leave you two alone so you can talk.” Meg said, and everyone made their way out of the small room.

As they were exiting, Paula caught her soon to be brother in law’s eye and whispered furtively, “If you call this off, I will kill you!” Antonio glanced back at her, confused, but Paula was already gone. Grinning softly, Antonio waited until they were all gone and stepped up to the crack in the door. “Gabi? Sweetheart?”

“Antonio?” She was standing against the door too, and saw her hand reach out. He caught it in his own and squeezed it tightly.

“Nervous?” He asked, knowing that he certainly was.

“Yeah…very!” She admitted, then asked hesitantly. “What about you?”

“More nervous than I’ve ever been in my life.” Antonio confessed. “I had to come talk to you to reassure myself that you weren’t going to say that you thought this was a mistake…that you didn’t want to marry me.”

“I would never do that!” Gabi exclaimed, feeling a little foolish now. “Actually…I thought…I thought that was what you wanted to talk to me about. I was so scared, Antonio!”

“Never, Gabi.” He lifted the soft hand that was entwined in his to his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She said, her voice throaty from emotion. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”

“And I can’t wait to be your husband.” He brought her hand to his lips once again, then said reluctantly. “I should go…we only have about ten minutes left.”

“Oh my God…only ten minutes until our wedding! I can’t believe it.” Gabi said, excited. “You’re right though, I need to fix my makeup…crying again.” She laughed a little as Antonio slipped away, not letting her hand go until the very last second.
 
 

Gabi gazed at her reflection in the mirror after Antonio had walked away. She couldn’t believe how happy, content, settled the woman smiling back at her looked. It was a completely 180 from the bitter, hateful young girl that had come to Sunset Beach four years ago to wreak havoc. She had always been beautiful, but under Antonio’s careful loving supervision, she had truly blossomed. Her onyx eyes were sparkling with positively sparkling with joy. Her skin, a creamy tan color, glowed with the healthy tone of a well adjusted, accepted California girl. And, in most ways, she was. She had everything here in Sunset Beach now. Family, home, friends, a job…and, in mere minutes, a husband. She couldn’t wait. This was going to be the beginning of the rest of her life.
 
 
 
 
 

7 Years Later
 

“Antonio?” Gabi called into the house as she struggled with three grocery bags, her purse, and a backpack she had found discarded in the yard.  “Gabriel? Annie?” She called out for her family, and got no answer. She stumbled her way to the kitchen and set the bags down, throwing Annie’s backpack on the counter next to it, where she found a note.
 

Gab,
  Ran Annie and Gabe to the library, be back in a few minutes. Mama came by, and got the baby. Just us for a while when I get back! Love you.
       Antonio

She smiled at the thought of being alone with Antonio, even for just a couple of hours. With two six year olds and a six month old, they got very little time alone, not that Gabi would have given up her children for anything. They were her world, just like Antonio.

She set to the task of putting up the groceries until she heard the door open in the living room of their shoreline, two-story house on Sunset Avenue. Quickly, she ran in and threw her arms around Antonio’s neck, greeting him with a warm kiss. “Mmm…” Antonio commented when she pulled away. “Delicious. What did I do to deserve that?”

“You’re so good to me.” Gabi answered, the smile that lit her face warming Antonio’s heart. “That’s what you’ve done…and I have just begun to repay you.” She grinned devilishly and grabbed his hand, walking him to the kitchen. She hopped up onto the bar and Antonio stepped close to her.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He pressed his lips against the soft, bared skin of her shoulder and began to nibble delicately, raising a finger to push the material of her shirt down even more as he repeated his earlier sentiment. “Mmm…”

“Knowing very well what you’re thinking, I hate to say it…but no. Before we can get to that, you have to help me put up the food.” She grabbed a loaf of bread and pushed it into his hand. Antonio promptly ignored her and wrapped his arm around her waist, prohibiting her from moving from where she was sitting on the bar.

“Didn’t you hear me? Antonio…Antonio!” She squealed in delight as he swept her up into his arms and carried her back in the living room, where he turned in the direction of the staircase leading to the second floor. As he continued to feast himself on her delectable flesh, he whispered, “The food can wait. I can’t.”
 
 
 
 

Two hours later, Gabi was on her way back from picking up the twins from the library. They had called complaining that they had only asked to be left for an hour. Gabi had been hesitant to admit that she and Antonio had…lost track of time, to put it delicately.

“Momma!” Annie was bursting with childish exuberance, as she always was. “Momma, guess what, I was at school today and, and Lisa told me…she told me that Bobby likes me and that he told Kenny he was gonna kiss me at the class party we get to have tomorrow ‘cause we were good when the principal stayed in our class all day last week and-“

“That’s wonderful, sweetie.” Gabi reached over to tuck a stray lock of glossy black hair that had escaped her ponytail behind Annie’s ear. “What about you, Gabe? Anything exciting happen to you today?”

“Nah…” Gabriel said, then turned to his sister, the older sibling by three minutes. “Why don’t you finish your story, Annie?” That was Gabriel all right, always putting everyone before him. He had inherited Antonio’s sensitivity and his caring, gracious attitude, as well as the warm chocolate eyes that both of the twins had.

“Well, we got the party ‘cause we were good when the principal visited, he stayed in our class all day long ‘cause he wanted to see how good a teacher our new teacher, Mrs. Lopez is. She’s real nice, and Mr. Himbry thought so too ‘cause he told her that we deserved a party for being the best first grade class with the best teacher in the whole school! And then…” Annie continued, always loving to talk, as Gabi let the words fade out, glancing back at her son as he sat in the backseat. Annie was up front, next to her, but Gabriel was slouched against the window, his head in his hands and a worried look on his face. Gabi made a note to herself to talk to him later, try and see what was bothering him. Unlike his sister, who was very open about things that angered her, Gabriel had a tendency to reign things in and bottle them up. “So, Momma, can you?”

”Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry…what did you say?” Gabi asked, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had been caught being inattentive.

“I asked if you could make your special cookies for the party tomorrow, Mrs. Lopez said we could bring stuff like that if we wanted to.” Annie repeated slowly, wanting to be sure that her mother caught her question this time.

“Of course I can, darling.” Gabi answered as they pulled into the driveway of their house. The kids both jumped out and ran in almost before Gabi had a chance to kill the engine. “Annie, Gabe- don’t run!” She shouted after them, but it was useless. They were both going full speed. Gabi walked into the house, where Antonio had already started dinner. She found him sitting at the table cradling a gurgling six-month-old in his arms and trying unsuccessfully to feed the baby girl.

“Gabi, how do you do this?” He answered, running his finger lightly over Alexis Gabrielle Torres’ stomach, a delighted smile crossing his face when she giggled at his touch. “She won’t eat! All she does is sit there and stare at me and look adorable – yeah, aren’t you adorable Lexi-wexi…yeah, you are!” Gabi almost laughed out loud at the sight of him cooing in baby talk to their daughter. “Where’d Gabe and Annie go?” He asked, glancing out the window, where they usually played.

“The Richards probably, you know how much they like to play with Trey and Cassie. Let me see her, you’re doing it all wrong!” Gabi scolded as she took Lexi from his arms and held her, rocking softly as she lifted the bottle up. Lexi accepted it readily and began to suck contentedly on the nurturing milk. “See?”

 “How do you do that?” Antonio questioned, disbelieving the ease at which she fed the infant with. He grinned his usual lopsided grin and shook his head, chalking it up to a mother’s prerogative.  “Never mind, I probably couldn’t even if you told me.”

 “Don’t say that, sweetie, you’re a wonderful father and you know it. Gabe, Annie, and Lexi adore you.” Gabi said as Lexi finished off the bottle relatively quickly. “She’s sleepy…you want to put her down for a nap while I finish dinner?” Gabi suggested, as Antonio wrapped his arms around her and their youngest child both. Gabi turned and handed off the dark haired baby girl to her Daddy.

 “I’d love to…look, Gab, she’s smiling!” Antonio said, his eyes alight with the happiness that can only come from a doting father looking at his child. Gabi watched the moment with tenderness. She felt a tug at her heart, seeing father and daughter. She got the urge to run for her camera and jumped up. “Stay just like that!” She ordered, and Antonio, knowing her recent fondness for mementos, did as she said. A moment later, Gab rushed back into the room holding her black Polaroid and snapped a few pictures of Lexi and Antonio. Moments after she had flashed them with the light, Annie and Gabriel rushed into the house. Gabi turned and caught them in the lens and took a quick picture before they could react. Annie started giggling as she jumped up and down, begging Gabi to take more, always loving the camera, being in the spotlight in general. Gabi saw that she had a whole roll left and decided to use it, for no other reason than she had such a beautiful family that she wanted to keep young and happy forever. Posing all different ways, all different combinations, they used up the 20 remaining photos in record time. Annie took the last shot, one of Gabi and Antonio kissing while Gabriel held Lexi. “Oh, dinner time!” Gabi shouted belatedly as the smell of overdone spaghetti floated in.

 “Um…what do you kids think of going out to eat tonight?” Antonio suggested, and Gabe and Annie slapped each other’s palms in a high five as Lexi, sensing the cheery mood, cooed along. They loved dining out, and with three children now they rarely got to do it.
 
 
 

 Half an hour later, the car-full of Torres’ tumbled out of their family minivan into the parking lot of the Shockwave to eat. Joan and Hank Cummings greeted them kindly and arranged for a babyseat to be added to the table for four. After showing off little Lexi for almost ten minutes and bragging about Gabe and Annie’s recent accomplishments, they sat down to order. Gabi was positively radiant with happiness. This night felt, for some reason, very special but also very…strange. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was an omen…but she quickly crossed that idea out of her mind. There was no such thing, and even if there were, how could happiness, of all things, pose as a forewarning of a threat? She laughed a little at her own foolish behavior and reached over to squeeze Antonio’s hand.  He glanced over at her and caught her eyes, smiling widely at her. She felt a rush of unconditional love for this amazing man. He loved her so completely, so fully…she didn’t ever want to lose these feelings.

 “Momma! Look-“ Annie interrupted her thoughts with an excited observation. “Aunt Maria and Uncle Ross are here! So are Benji and Natalie and Karen and Steph!” She pointed out the elegantly dressed family as they walked in the door of the Shockwave. Maria immediately noticed them and handed her own year old daughter over to her husband, and walked over to them. Karen, Maria and Ross’ four year old daughter, and their first child together, as well as Benji and Natalie, Ross’ daughter, followed. Carmen had once commented to Gabi that she  wanted many, many grandchildren and from the looks of Maria and Antonio’s families, as well as Ricardo’s new marriage to his high school sweetheart, Drina, her wish was coming true.

 “Antonio, Gabi! What a surprise to see you here!” Maria said, pushing aside a tendril of carefully styled hair. “We just got back from the party Liberty Corporation threw Ross for his new promotion. The food there was awful, and the kids begged us to stop here and get something real!” She laughed softly.

 “Yeah, someone,” Antonio threw Gabi a teasing look. “Let dinner burn, so we decided to eat out tonight.”

 “Oh-I think Ross is calling me. Come on kids, lets go eat. Talk to you later?” She asked her brother and sister in law, and they both nodded. Maria walked away, Benji, Natalie and Karen in tow. Gabi watched them leave, then turned to say something to Antonio. As she watched him reach over to fix Lexi’s chair, then whisper some joke to the older children, she realized she had forgotten what she had needed to tell him. For a few minutes, she watched without hearing Antonio and their children. The scene was so startlingly beautiful…her husband, her son, her daughters…she was almost in tears over the sight when Antonio caught her eye again.

 “Something wrong, beautiful?” Antonio asked, reaching up to wipe away a tear before it fell from her eye.

 “No…no, nothing’s wrong.” Gabi reassured him in a unusual voice. “Everything’s right…so right.” Antonio gave her a  strange look, then turned away as the waitress stepped up to take their order.
 
 
 
 

 That night, Gabi was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when Antonio stepped in. He wordlessly, a small smile dancing across his lips, as she washed her face and brushed her teeth. He knew this ritual of hers step by step, and when she was just about to brush her hair, he stepped forward and took the brush from her hand. This was something he did once in a while, brushing her hair. With gentle, sure strokes, he removed all the non-existent tangles from her glossy black hair with infinite care. Gabi smiled at the feeling, and leaned back into his chest. Setting the brush aside, Antonio pulled her close to him, kissing her temple, her cheek, her neck. “Come to bed.” He whispered in a deep voice, his arousal evident in his tone. She smiled deeply and turned to face him, letting him take her spiraling into passion with a heated embrace. Without a word, he led her to the bedroom.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 The next morning, Gabi woke up alone to her dismay. She groaned softly, followed it up with a yawn. “Um…’tonio…?” She called out, and got no answer. She stumbled out of bed and grabbed a robe from her closet. A quick glance at the clock told her that her kind husband had let her oversleep. It was Tuesday morning, so he must have taken Gabe and Annie to school. She walked down to the nursery, and saw that Lexi was gone too. Shaking the sleep that clouded her mind away, Gabi walked downstairs. The scent of breakfast still lingered, toast and eggs and bacon, inviting her down to see if they had left any over. She found a note on the table, similar to the one that had been there the previous afternoon.
 
 
 

Gabi,
     Morning, beautiful. Today’s my day off; I let you oversleep, hope you didn’t have any appointments or anything to keep. You just looked so adorable lying there in bed…I couldn’t wake you up.
    I’m taking the kids to school; Lexi was awake when I left, so I took her too. Didn’t want her to wake you up by crying or anything. I know you need your sleep. Mama called and asked me to stop in, she felt the urge to do a reading on the baby. I know, I know, you don’t like that, but she insisted. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s not doom and gloom.
     I’ll be back soon, I left a plate for you in the microwave, all you have to do it heat it up. Put on that sexy little nightie I like, we can have some fun when I get back…
      Love you,
           Antonio

Gabi set the slip of paper down and turned on the microwave, a soft smile gracing her face. Antonio Torres was such a special man…she was so lucky to have him. She removed the plate from the microwave and curled up on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the news. She gazed at the large clock on the wall, realizing that it was after nine, Antonio should be home any minute. She left around seven thirty to take the twins to school, and it didn’t take long. She reminded herself that Antonio had been going to Carmen’s, and that she shouldn’t worry.

A knock interrupted her warm daydreams of the ways she and Antonio would entertain themselves when he returned. She jumped slightly at the fist banging against the wooden door and cinched the belt of the robe before she stood to open the door. “Spence!” She said, recognizing two family friends. “And …Oscar…what…?”

They looked at each other, faces grim and serious. Spence began to speak, but stopped, overcome by something. Ruiz put a hand on his partner’s shoulder and stepped forward. ”Gabi…I’m so sorry…there’s been an accident…”

Gabi’s heart stopped. A cold dread filled her, she couldn’t think straight…no…this wasn’t happening…no! “I…I don’t…what kind of accident…what are you trying to tell me?”

“Gabi…Antonio…was in an accident.” He said as gently as he could, his own voice breaking. It had happened almost an hour ago. Only twenty minutes ago had they been able to identify the people involved.

“Oh…oh God…no…” She whispered, gripping the door frame with strength that surprised her. “My children…I have to go to them, Spence… Oscar…take me to my children, they’ll need me. I need them…”

The tears now spilled down Spencer’s face, his heart breaking at the thought of having to tell her this next thing. It was unthinkable, a horrible tragedy for this to happen to anyone. “Gabi…your children…they were in the car, too.”

Gabi looked up at him with disbelieving eyes. NO, her mind shouted. She could only manage to whisper the word. “No…no…no…” She chanted, her lips moving but hardly a sound coming out. She almost collapsed, Spence barely catching her in time. “All…Annie…Gabriel…Lexi…Antonio…all of them…gone?” She struggled to ask, tears almost drowning out the words.

“I’m so sorry, Gabi, we both are…” Ruiz confirmed with sentiments that could do nothing to weaken the unspeakable torrents of pain rushing through Gabi. She couldn’t take it…this wasn’t real…no. No. It couldn’t be. The world rushed into blackness all around her as she fell into a dismal pit of denial.
 
 
 
 

“Gabi…sweetheart? Gabi, wake up…come on, sweetie, you have to wake up…” Gabi’s vision swam as she struggled to open her eyes. She could hear familiar voices all around her, family, friends…Maria…Ricardo… Carmen …so sad…they all sounded so very sad...why was that? She wondered vaguely as she sat up. Antonio, she thought immediately, I need Antonio. Something was very wrong. She wanted her husband.

“Antonio…” She whispered painfully as she looked around. She was…at the hospital…why? “Antonio!” She called out in a stronger voice, waiting for him to rush to her side. Instead, a teary-eyed Maria gripped her hand.

“Oh, sweetie, thank God you woke up…are you all right?” Maria sobbed as her brother – Ricardo – gripped her shoulders. Ricardo’s wife was by his side, her eyes rimmed in red as she held his other hand, their golden rings shining together brightly.

“You scared us, Gab.” Ricardo remarked, his voice choked with barely reigned sobs. “Better not do that again, you hear?”

“What…why am I here…where’s Antonio?” She asked, and mere moments after the words left her mouth, she remembered. “Oh God. An accident.” She shook her head, denying it all once again. “Where are they, Ricardo?” She looked up at the man who still loved her with a part of him, if not all, as he shook his head. “I want my family…bring them to me, Ricardo…I want them. Antonio…Annie and Gabriel, my little angels, Lexi…my baby…my children, my husband…where are they? I want them!” Gabi broke down in uncontrollable sobs. Ricardo, unable to stop himself, let go of his new wife’s hand and knelt down beside his sister in law, taking her in his arms.

“Gab, I’m so sorry…they’re gone, baby, they’re gone…” Gabi buried her face in his strong chest as heartbroken tears soaked his shirt. “Listen to me, Gab, it’s gonna be okay? You hear me, we’ll make it. You have to be strong, for them.” Ricardo lifted her face by placing a finger under her chin. “Do you want to see your son, Gabi?”

“G…Gabe…he’s alive?” She looked up at her ex-lover. “Oh God Ricardo, why didn’t you tell me? I want to see him, now!” Gabi stood, still wearing the robe she had put on that morning. She clung to Ricardo’s hand, completely unaware of misery in his eyes. He knew that he shouldn’t have said that. The doctors had told them that seeing her son would only make her all the more unstable…since they had confirmed that he had less than an hour to live, that  there was nothing they could do to save him. Too much damage, internally. But…Ricardo thought she deserved to know. He brushed away a tear from his eye and, glanced over at Maria, who nodded her sad approval. Obviously, she shared the same opinion he did. Gabi had a right to say goodbye to her son.

Ricardo had been the one to view and ID the bodies. Gabi had been unconscious, and when she had come to, she had been hysterical and they had been forced to give her a sedative. He had also seen Gabriel, he knew what bad shape he was in.

“Oh…oh God my little boy…” Gabi cried as she ran to her son’s side. His head was covered in a bloody bandage, it seemed no matter how often they changed the white dressings, they still became soaked immediately. His arms, both legs were encased in casts, bones shattered possible beyond repair. He was hooked up to more machines, more IV’s than Gabi had ever seen…but he was alive. His right eye opened slightly, the left too swollen to be seen and he tried to call out, but a hoarse whimper was all that was audible. “It’s okay, sweetie, Mommy’s here…I’ve got you, darling.” She reached out to run her fingers over the baby soft skin on his cheek, what seemed to be the only place on his unmarred by scratches and cuts or bandages.

“Mo…m…ma…” He moaned, his tiny hand clenching and unclenching, wanting to feel the reassuring presence of his mother by his side.

“What is it, honey?” Gabi reached over to take his hand, careful not to move it, lest he be put in more pain that he so obviously already was. “Sweetheart, I’m here…”

“An…Annie…” He closed his eyes for a few moments, worn out by the task of speaking. Slowly, he tried again. “Annie…Momma…where’s Annie…”

Tears spilled down Gabi’s face as she heard his question.  How was she going to be able to tell that little boy that his best friend, his twin sister, was dead?

“Annie’s not here, is she Momma?” He asked in a wounded voice. Gabi looked at him, she had heard the stories about twins, that they had special connections…but…could he really know? She didn’t doubt it. Gabriel was a smart kid, and Annie was his twin. He opened his good eye and looked at Gabi, knowing he was right from the expression on her face.

“No, Gabe, she’s not.” Gabi leaned forward to kiss his cheek softly. “I love you, baby, and I don’t want you to worry. Everything’s gonna be okay. I promise.”

“I’m sleepy, Momma…” Gabriel said, the many sedatives he had been given to dull the pain kicking in.

“Go to sleep, angel,  it’s okay, just go to sleep. Momma will be here when you wake up.” Gabi vowed, brushing his face with her hand again.

“Momma…” His voice was fading, slipping away, but still insistent. “Momma…I wanna go with Annie…she wants me. It hurts now, Momma… Annie says it doesn’t hurt there…where she and…Daddy…are…”

“What?” Gabi looked back at Ricardo, who had been watching them with tears in his eyes. ”No, no, Gabe I need you with me, sweetheart…Annie has Daddy and Lexi, I need you. Please.” She was sobbing, and Gabriel used what little strength he had left to squeeze her fingers surprisingly tightly.

“No…Momma…Annie wants me…she’s tell me, can’t you hear her? I love you Momma…Annie does too…and…Daddy and…Lexi…we love you, Momma…” Then it happened. Gabi watched her only son die in front of her very eyes. She grasped his hand and held it close to her as she collapsed in sobs onto the child’s lifeless body as a shrill screeching erupted from the heart monitor above them. Ricardo pulled at her shoulders, lifting her up. She fell, a broken woman, into his arms and cried for the life and the death of the family she had known was too precious to last.
 
 
 
 
 

Things were not easy for any of them after that. Maria mourned for her brother and, in a way, for Gabi, whose life held no meaning after losing her world. Gabi, in a way, was the one to suffer the least, for she knew that there was no reason for her to continue on in this world after they were gone. For six months after their deaths, she wept in solitude letting no one in. She eventually buckled under the pressure of losing her loved ones, forgoing all pretenses of moving on and spending all of her time devoted to the task of keeping her family alive. She went about her daily ritual, cleaning the house, straightening toys that were no longer touched and washing clothes that weren’t worn. She made every bed, day after day, fixed meals for a family of four and one baby, never went to sleep at night without blowing kisses through the doorways of her three children.

Ricardo was the only one she allowed inside her ‘world’. To him only, she admitted her pain, as raw and deep as it went. It was he that she left the note to and also, ironically, he that found her lifeless body on the half year anniversary of her family’s death. The note was heartbreakingly sad, full of regret and pain. It first stated that she was sorry if her death caused additional pain to the Torres family, then went on to explain that she did not have it in her to give life another chance. The three children she had given birth to would be the only ones she would ever have…the one man that she had pledged her heart to…he would be the only one she would love. She didn’t even want to try and do it again. The short letter closed by saying that no one should mourn over her too much…she was where she belonged.
 

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