"Mmm…Antonio…" Gabi Torres muttered in her
sleep. Her husband turned over and began to ask what she needed when he
saw that she wasn't awake. He could just make out her familiar features
through the bathing moonlight that poured into the room from the window.
She was so beautiful. His heart filled with an unabashed love. This spectacular
woman had been through a life of such heartache and it made him happy to
know that he had given her something that she had needed and wanted. Almost
ten years now of love, of caring and devotion, of warm hugs and soft kisses,
of caresses and loving gazes
stolen in the morning. Of happiness. Laughter
and joy, of being there with her when she needed him and having her there
with him when he needed her. It hadn't all been easy, of course. No marriage
was. There had been fights, pain and hurt. Bumpy roads, as every couple
had, but they had been lucky. Throughout every skirmish, every heartache,
they had managed to keep each other first, to never forget that they were
not alone when they had their love. Through that first rocky pregnancy,
the horrible pain at losing their unborn child they had somehow kept hold
of each other. And, in the end, had been rewarded with two other healthy,
vibrant children. Through the initial hurt and shock that everyone had
gone through after they had decided that their love could be kept under
cover no longer. Sometimes, he looked back and wondered how they ever made
it past that first year. The odds had been greatly stacked against them.
No one, with the exception of a very few understanding people, had been
rooting for them. It had not been easy, but they had treasured their untouchable
emotions enough to look past it, enough to realize that the future would
be better – and it had been. After leaving behind Sunset Beach and all
of the old wounds there, they had flourished.
Antonio looked down at his peacefully
sleeping wife and leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. A small smile
broke out on her face and she wiggled closer to him, seeking out the warmth
and familiar comfort that only her husband could provide. Still lost in
the throes of nostalgic memories, and settled close to her and gazed into
the shut
eyes of his beloved. His mind traveled through
the years to their wedding. It had actually been an elopement. He had left
the priesthood without telling anyone, and Father O'Brian had married him
and Gabi the very next day. She had been so beautiful, young and bright
eyed in a simple but elegant white summer dress that had fallen just above
her knees. She had worn no veil, carried no bouquet, and had no train on
her dress but she had been the most beautiful bride that he had ever laid
eyes on. He had been dressed in a rather normal
black and white tux. They had recited their
vows and said their 'I do's' and in less that an hour had been on their
way to an impromptu honeymoon at a familiar little cabin in big bear. Almost
two weeks had passed before they announced their marriage. Enough time
for them to get on their feet, get an apartment ready and a stable enough
relationship to stand the rough times they had known even then that they
would be facing. It had been a shock to everyone that knew him or her or
Ricardo. Initially, they had planned on staying in Sunset Beach, but soon
it became clear that that was just not possible. So they had left. Packed
up and went to LA, where they had stayed until the miscarriage, only two
years into their marriage. Gabi had been so distraught after that that
Antonio had decided it would be best to move again. They had finally settled
in a small town by the sea, reminiscent of Sunset Beach in many ways, but
quite different for both of them. Gabi had immediately taken to the town,
and in less than a year they had been expecting again. This time the child
carried to term and they were blessed with a healthy baby boy. Gabriel
Anthony Torres, who was now six. He looked just like his father, but had
his mother's huge onyx eyes and her adorable way of pouting when he was
mad or annoyed. Almost three years after Gabriel's birth, they had a little
girl – Rosalia Marie Torres. Gabe and Rosie were wonderful children, spoiled
by their father and adored by their mother.
Gabi shifted slightly against Antonio,
bringing back from the past and into the present. He moved his arm slowly,
trying not to wake her but also trying to get into a more comfortable position.
When he was fully embracing her, she whimpered again and pulled him tightly.
A faint smile lingering on his lips, he let his thoughts once again wander
to days gone by. Their children were undoubtedly the lights of both their
lives, a product of their undying devotion and complete love for one another.
Proof that love did really conquer all. Often Gabi would comment to him
how perfect everything had turned out, how amazed she was that her life,
one comprised completely of anger and hatred and turmoil for almost he
first three decades could have turned out so wonderfully. And he would
lovingly remind her that he would make sure it kept on like that. Recently,
they had even been talking a little
about having another child. Antonio was overjoyed
by that idea. He had quickly found that he loved having a baby in the house,
and now that Rosie was only a year away from starting school, he was really
beginning to miss having a little one around. He didn't even mind the 3
AM feedings or the sleepless nights of rocking a child until it drifted
off. Gabi had been quick to lay down the rules that if she had to wake
up five times during the night then so did he. Not that he really minded.
Antonio glanced over at the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock beside the bed. They would have to get up soon, he would have to wake Gabi and the kids. Today was a very big day. They were going on a trip. A trip to see 'Uncle Ricardo' and 'Aunt Maria' and 'Abuela Carmen'. Sunset Beach was only a four-hour drive, so it would be a day trip. They would be home by sunset, hopefully. Visiting his family was not something Antonio did often. Not that he didn't like seeing his family, but it was always hard for Gabi. Probably harder for her than for him. While he had been forgiven for his sins, Gabi never had and she knew it. She could tell by the vengeful look in Carmen's eyes, by the regret and pain in Ricardo's and the distrust in Maria's. None of his family had ever gotten past what Gabi had done. They were civil to her because they knew that the only way to have Antonio back was to take Gabi, but none were very open. Antonio hated that. He wanted to take all of Gabi's pain away, that was what he had vowed to do, but he couldn't when his family hated her and constantly reminded her of it. That was why these trips were so rare, and often Gabi did not come. This time, though, she was. For Gabe and Rosie, she told him. He knew the loyalty she felt for their children, the same loyalty he felt for them and for her. The 'I'd give my life to keep them from pain' loyalty.
"Ohhh…'Tonio…?" Gabi muttered, but this time consciously, seeking out her husband.
"Yeah, Gabi?" He whispered back to her. Still a good half an hour before he would have to tell her it was time to go. He figured she would go back to sleep like she usually did.
"I love you." She whispered and his heart skipped a beat, as it still did after all these years hearing her say those three little words that had made his life. He kissed her softly on the temple and whispered back to her.
"I love you, too, sweetheart." He was
lucky; he knew it. For all of the pain they had been through, they were
one of the lucky couples. One of the special ones. Their love had lasted…they
would truly have a happily ever after ending.