"Hey, T!" Ricardo slapped his brother on the shoulder as he walked up behind him. "You did a great job today."

 "Thanks Ricardo." Antonio said distractedly, searching the crowd of people gathered for the most recent wedding of Sunset Beach, Casey and Sara.

 "You okay, T? You look kind of…off." Ricardo said, sensing that Antonio was lost in memories of the last wedding SB had seen, and the good-byes that had followed. That had been almost five months ago, and while Ricardo had begun to heal, to move on, it was obvious that his brother hadn't. Luckily, only the people closest to Antonio, namely his family, had picked up on this.

 "I was just looking for Vanessa," He said, still straining to find her. Suddenly, the lavender bridesmaid dress caught his eye and he found the woman he was looking for. "I'll be right back, Ricardo, I need to ask Vanessa something."

 Antonio was lost in the crowd before Ricardo could say another word to him. "Vanessa!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her off to the side and whispered. "Have you heard from her?"

 "Yes." Vanessa reached into her purse and pulled out a small white envelope. "She wrote me…and she told me to give you this."

 Antonio's heart beat strongly at the sight of the plain envelope. He reached out with trembling fingers and took it from Vanessa. "Thank you."

 "No problem." Vanessa answered and left, knowing that Antonio would want to read whatever it was in private. He looked back at the gathering of people and knew that he would be able to escape for a few minutes without being missed. He made his way out of the chapel and into his office.

 Shedding the confining white robes, he changed into his regular attire then grabbed the letter again. With an unsteady hand he pulled the sheet of paper from it and read.

 Antonio,
 
I know I shouldn't be writing this, I promised myself I wouldn't but I just can't help it. There's so much that I wanted to tell you before I left Sunset Beach, but we had so little time to say good-bye… so I'll say them here, where I won't even have to be embarrassed!

I want you to know how much I really love you. Ricardo…he showed me how it felt to be loved by someone, with all their heart and soul, and he helped me so much. I'll always be grateful to him for that, and a part of me will always cherish what I had with him in the beginning. But you, Antonio…you showed me how to love someone. How to be so devoted to someone that you would forsake your happiness for what they wanted you to do, for what would make them happy. You showed me what real, true love was…being selfless and wanting nothing more than to see a happy look on your face. Thinking about it now, it still makes my stomach flutter. That adorable dimpled grin…the unbelieving smirk you wear sometimes…the way your eyes darken when something really gets you going. You are so passionate about the things you care about…I'm glad I'm one of those things.

Please, Antonio, go on with your life without me. You're a wonderful priest and a great brother. Your family needs you. Go on, just don't forget me…and that I love you, Antonio, and I always will. (Finally, my turn to say those words!) I'll miss you forever. There will never be anyone else.

      Gabi Martinez

  Antonio finished reading and set the sheet of paper down. He was speechless…literally. Gabi really had loved him. He couldn't believe it. He re-read it slowly. "Be so devoted to someone that you would forsake your happiness for what they wanted you to do".  Had Gabi stayed with Ricardo because she thought that was what he wanted her to do? Had she never really wanted to be Mrs. Ricardo Torres? Had all of her declarations of love been solely to make him feel better about staying a priest?

 He needed to see Gabi; he had to have straight answers…but he couldn't find her. She had asked him not to. She had even given Vanessa and Meg strict orders not to release her whereabouts to either Torres brother.

 "T?" Ricardo surprised him by announcing that he had been watching from the door for quite some time. Antonio jumped slightly and fumbled to hide the paper. "What's that you got, T? A letter?"

 "Umm…no…no, not a letter…just a…piece of paper…" Antonio mumbled as he shoved it back in the envelope.

 "Yeah…a piece of paper…with writing on it, from someone… usually called a letter, T." Ricardo reached for it, and Antonio barely managed to keep it away. "C'mon, T, lemme see it."

 "Ricardo, it's…" But Ricardo reached for it again, and Antonio wasn't fast enough. "Ricardo! Give that back!"

 "Hey…this looks like Gabi's hand…writing…it is, isn't it?" Ricardo said as Antonio looked away.

 "Ricardo…" Antonio said quietly but he knew Ricardo had already begun reading the letter. The silence in the room was almost unbearable as he waited for his brother to finish reading.

 Antonio's heart was pounding so hard he thought that Ricardo could surely hear it. Finally, the eternal wait was over and Ricardo wordlessly handed the paper back to Antonio. Ricardo regarded his little brother with an intense gaze for a moment then a small grin broke the palpable tension. "Well T…good luck."

 "What…what do you mean, good luck, Ricardo?" Antonio asked, still waiting for the explosion of temper that he was sure would come.

 "Aren't you going after her? I mean, after a letter like that, how could you not?" Ricardo said, calmly though the pain was obviously lurking close to the surface.

 "I…" Antonio had no idea what to say. "Should I…?"

 "Hell yeah, you should. You do love her, don't you?" Ricardo said bluntly.

 "I do…" Antonio answered softly.

 "You willing to give up this for her?" He gestured around, indicating the church and all that it meant for Antonio. Unable to speak, Antonio nodded. "I thought so…well, the only thing left to do is find her. So you two can be happy together…"

 "You…you don't mind?" Antonio said, a little incredulously.

 "She loves you, T. And…you love her. I know me and Gab could never be happy, not after what I did to her. But you and Gabi…you've got something good. I don't want to be the reason that chance is passed up. So…nah, I don't mind. You go find her, bring her home with you. Where she belongs." Ricardo said, though it was obviously hard for him to do.

 "Thank you, Ricardo." Antonio said, stepping towards the door as Ricardo patted him on the back and followed him out.

 
TWO WEEKS LATER

 Antonio stood nervously outside the small apartment. His hand was poised to knock on the door and his heart was racing in excitement. He had finally, after a week of begging and pleading, gotten Vanessa to tell him where Gabi was at and now he was on her doorstep, preparing to make his case to her. He had already begun the motion of leaving the priesthood, all that remained to do was have the official notification. He hoped it wouldn't take too long; Antonio wanted to be with Gabi as soon as possible.

 With a trembling hand, Antonio knocked his fist against he cold wood and waited. Seconds later, the door creaked open and he was left to face the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Gabi, standing there, a look of amazed shock on her face. Her soft, dark hair was down past her shoulders, pulled back with a clip that captured it, except for a few loose strands that framed her face. His eyes drank in the sight he had been so starved for- those big, onyx eyes open wide, that small button nose, the lush, soft lips that he remembered so vividly pressed against his.

 Her mouth opened slightly and a muted word escaped in wonderment. "Antonio…"

 "Hi." He said quietly, aware of her surprise. "I know you told me I shouldn't come after you…but after reading your letter, I just couldn't…I love you, Gabi."

 Gabi looked at him in a daze. Slowly, a smile made it's way onto her face as she reached up and grazed her fingers across the bare spot that his collar usually covered. She looked up at him in questioning. His hand moved up to cover her smaller one. "Not any more…" He answered her unasked question. "And never again, Gabi. Only you."

 "Oh, Antonio…" She stepped into his arms and pressed her face against his shirt, too happy to even shed tears. She had dreamt night after night that he would come after her…and here he was. Smiling widely, Gabi stepped away and held open the door to her apartment. "Come in, Antonio. We have a lot to talk about…"

THE END