You are the Love of my Life
And you are the reson I'm alive
and baby, baby, baby
When I think of how you saved me...I go crazy
"Antonio! I've been looking all over for you." Gabi grabbed his arm. It was early morning, and he was on his daily jog on the beach.
"Gabi, what are you doing here?" He was surprised. It had been two days since they had met in Big Bear. Both of them had been too busy to talk since then, and they's planned on meeting for lunch soon.
"I came here looking for you, silly." She reached up and ruffled his already adorably tousled hair."I missed you yesterday." She added in a soft voice.
"I missed you, too. Look, why don't we go somewhere private?" He said, then glanced around to see if anyone they knew was nearby before picking up her hand. She sqeezed his hand, glad for even the most basic of contact between them. She had been worried that he might have changed his mind, but she now that he hadn't. They walked along the beach, stopping at a cave tucked into the side of a cliff. "This looks good."
"So do you." She whispered, leaning up to kiss him on the mouth. He delved into the kiss, pulling her close to him. Neither one of them had recovered from the other night yet, but they both wanted to be close to each other, for now, and forever. A few minutes later, they parted, out of breath and full of love. Gabi sat down on the sand, and pulled him down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder, and she leaned back onto his chest."So, what are we going to do, Antonio?"
"Well." He answered."We have o tell him, of course. And Maria, and Mama. It's no one else's business."
"You're right. I'm really dreading telling Carmen. She's going to tell everyone that she told them so. And she did, really. She predicted all of this. That I had been unfaithul to Ricardo, that I was in love with someone else."Gabi looked at Antonio. "They were both right."
"Both?" Antonio asked her.
"Yes, Carmen and my sister. Paula told me that I would never get Ricardo, and even if I did, then I wouldn't keep him for long. She said I wouldn't be....happy...with someone like him. With someone good." She explained."Not that you're not good, though. In fact, you're the most kind person I know."
"Kind enough to steal my brother's wife." He said bitterly. "Kind enough to ruin his relationship with you."
"No, no." She turned to face him, looking into his sad eyes."You did NOT steal me away, Antonio. Stop telling yourself you did. I fell in love with you, we fell in love. Besides, if you really want to make it a negative thing" She said playfully running her figers over his chest, slipping her finger under the cloth of the black muscle shirt he was wearing "Then why don't you say that I seduced you...."
"Well...if you out it that way...then why don't you 'seduce me' again, Mrs. Torres?" He smiled wickedly as she leaned up to kiss him.
"If you insist, Father...." She kissed his bottom lip, tracing her tongue around his mouth and eliciting sensations from him that felt incredible. Moving on top of him, she sat in his lap, straddling him around the waist. Her arms would themselves around his back as she put her mouth full force against his, and his hands began thier own little scavenger hunt, slipping under her shirt and moving upwards. She had just began to pull off his shirt when they heard footsteps.
"Michael, are you in here?" Vanessa called out ,seconds before she walked in on Gabi and Antonio in a very compramising situation. "Mich- Gabi! And.....Father Antonio...." She realized then what she had walked in on. "Oh my God!! I'm so sorry...I'll just leave...."
She left, but Gabi jumped up and chased after her. "Vanessa! Wait, let me explain."
"You really don't have to...I mean, its none of my business what you and...." She let her voice fade out, unsure of what to say.
"It's not like it looks, Vanessa." Gabi struggled for words
"You and Antonio aren't having an affair?"
"No...I mean...in a way...well, yes, but I really love him! He's going to leave the preisthood, and we're going to tell Ricardo..."She smiled at Vanessa. "Everything is going to be so amazing."
"Gabi...are you serious? You're going to leave Ricardo, after everything you've been through? The ship, and his shooting, then his stroke? You were so in love, my God, Gabi, you're going to hurt him like that? Leave him for his brother?" Vanessa looked disgusted with her. For a moment, Gabi couldn't blame her. But then she saw Antonio step out of the cave, and she walked over to him. Taking his hand in hers, she knew that this was right.
"Vanessa, please be happy for me. For us." Vanessa just shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Gabi, Father Antonio, but I can't. It's just not right. Don't worry though. I won't tell anyone about the two of you." She walked away. When she was gone, Gabi pulled away from Antonio. She didn't look at him, and Antoni knew after a moment that she was crying. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to whisper into her ear.
"Gabi, don't let what Vanessa said upset you. What she thinks about our relationship doesn't matter as long as you know that I love you, and that I will be with you forever, or as long as you want me around." He pushed a lock of raven colored hair aside and kissed her softly on the neck. She turned around, and looked at him.
"I know that, Antonio, I really do, and I love you, too.....but Vanessa is...was one of my best friends. What if everyone has the same reaction to us that she did? Will we be able to stand it?" He held her close and reassured her.
"Gabi, they won't. Not everyone is as close minded as Vanessa. And if, by some chance they've all lost thier minds and do have the same reaction, then we'll just go somewhere new and make a fresh start." He told her.
"Would you really do that for me, Antonio? Could you leave your home anf your family? For me?" She couldn't believe that someone would love her, Gabi Martinez, that much. Antonio picked up her hand and brought it to his mouth.
"I would do anything for you, Gabi."
He kissed each of her fingers in turn with soft, feathery kisses that made
her feel warm inside.
I've never known love like this
And it fills me with a new tenderness
and I know, I know, I know
You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You're all I can't resist
"Antonio, why do you love me so much?" She asked him. They had left the cave and were on thier way home. Where that was now, they didn't know, though.
"I love you because you are the most amazing woman on earth. You're an extremely beautiful woman, you're smart, kind, caring, and generous. You would gladly give your life to protect the people you care about, and I love that about you, Gabi. I love everything about you. You are my best friend, my lover, and my soul mate. I could not live with you, or without knowing that you are happy." When he finished speaking, he leaned over and kissed her softly on the mouth.
She had tears in her eyes by the time he had finished. Those were the reasons she loved him, the exact traits that she had always cherished about him. She started to tell him this, but the look in his eyes told her he already knew, that no words were needed to explain how they were feeling at that moment.
And I need to tell you
The first time I held you
I knew...
You are the Love of my Life
They arrived at the loft a few minutes later, where Gabi was going to ask Ricardo to come to dinner that night with her and Antonio. They were planning on telling him then, at dinner, but when they got to the loft, it was empty.
"Well, I guess I'll wait around and keep you company." Antonio smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. "Wouldn't want you to get lonely."
"Well, that's a very kind offer...but don't you have somewhere else to be right now? Like...at the mission clearing some stuff up." She was surprised that he wasn't being more reserved until it was made official that he was no longer a priest.
"Actually....I already did that. Yesterday afternoon." It hadn't been as hard as he had thought it would be, really.
"You did? Oh...I wish you had told me! I would have come over last night..." She had a devilish gleam in her eye that Antonio found irresistable. He started to kiss her again, when she stepped away."Now, now, Antonio. You have to wait! I don't want someone walking in on us again. Especially Ricardo. That would be horrible!" Antonio had to agree, as much as he wanted her, they wouldn't risk Ricardo finding out too soon.
"If you insist...." He reluctantly forced himself away. "Well, I guess I should go then."
"Why? I thought you were going to wait for Ricardo with me?" She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout."I don't want you to leave me here all alone, Antonio.....please?"
"I would love to stay, you know that...but unless you want Ricardo to walk in on us, I'd better leave. I can't stand being this close to you and not taking you in my arms and showing you exactly how much I love you." She felt amazed at the depth of his feelings for her. They really were making up for lost times.
"I understand. I feel the same way. But I still wish you could stay. I don't want to be apart from you for even a few hours. I love you." She felt shy saying those words that she had been forced to ban from her vocabulary so openly. He took her in his arms and kissed her, quickly.
"Goodbye, my love." He whispered softly into her ear. The emotion behind those words, and the softness of his voice made her heart skip a beat.
"I love you. Please don't stay away long!" He smiled at her, then left. Gabi fetl like she was walking on air as she floated over to the couch and sat down. A dreamy smile crossed her face as she picked up the framed photograph of Antonio sitting on the cabinet. Her finger traced the outline of his face as she let out a happy sigh. She had never felt so purely happy in her life. She felt like nothing in the world could ever go wrong. Not when she had Antonio loving her.
I spent a lifetime waiting
Always hesitating until you
I was lost so deep inside my shell
'Til you came and saved me from myself
Now all I really know
is I need you
Antonio stopped just outside of the loft and looked into the window. He was drawn to Gabi. His eyes followed her closely as she walked across the room and sat down on the sofa, and reached over to pick up a picture. His heart warmed when he realized that it had to be the picture of him that Ricardo had sitting on the cabinet. She ran her finger over the photo, and smiled again. Antonio was amazed at how beautiful she was. Nothing could ever make him stop loving her.
She glanced up, and her smile widened when she caught him spying on her through the window. She blew him a kiss through the glass. Reaching up into the air, he pretended to catch it, then placed it softly against his chest. Then he returned the imaginary kiss, and she reached up and caught it, mimicking him. He left then, knowing that if he stayed even a few minutes longer, he wouldn't be able to leave.
And you are the love of my life
All the joy and tears that I cry
And baby, baby, baby
You don't have to say a word
I see it in your eyes
As we stand together
I promise forever
'Til the day that I die
You are the love of my life
Love of My Life (c) Sammy Kershaw