Gabi Torres looked out the window of her two story house, enjoying the wonderful view it gave of the beach across the street. Her five year old daughter was happily playing with her dolls, sitting on the deck outside, where Gabi could keep an eye on her. While Gabi sat there reveling in the joy of her life, her husband walked up behind her and embraced her. Leaning her head against his chest, they stayed like that, melted together, for a while, just watching there daughter play and enjoying the moment of togetherness.
 "We should get going." Antonio whispered in her ear. She giggled at the tingling feeling his breath left on her neck.
 "Why can't we just stay here forever?" She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around him."Please?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in close.She felt the same overwhelming sensations that always accompanied him, and on impulse, pulled him down onto the bed next to her. She pressed her lips against his, felt the familiar contours of his mouth as the kiss deepened and passion bloomed. Before it got too unbearable, he pulled away.
 "We really need to go. Mama's expecting us soon."After 5 years, her kisses still had this effect on him,and it was nearly impossible to end it. All he wanted to do was stay in bed for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, they had other plans.
 "All right, if you insist." She got up off of the bed and straightned her clothes."I'll get Tia ready." She was halfway out of the room when she turned back to give him one more heart stopping kiss. "Just something to think about." She teasingly whispered as she walked away.
 "Now what I need is a cold shower." He mumbled to himself as he watched her receding figure go down the hall. Afetr a few minutes, he turned shaking his head, and looked out the window, where he could now see his wife alongside thier daughter. There dark heads were bent together as they picked up the dolls littering the porch. He felt a rush of love and pride at the two beutiful women in his life. Tia and Gabi were the most important things in the world to him. He didn't know what he would if he lost them, either of them. They were his entire world.
 

 A few hours later, they were seated around Carmen's dining room table. Sunday dinner had become a tradition after both Antonio and Maria had gotten families. Maria and Ben had resumed thier marrige after Meg ran off with Casy and now they had two children, Benji and Lili. Both were adorable and Lili was only a year younger than Tia, so they had fun playing together. Benji, on the other hand, was begging Gabi to have little boy. That didn't sound like such a bad idea to her. She desperately wanted to have Antonio's child, although it had become easier throughout the years to pretend that Tia was Antonio's daughter, instead of his niece. Ricardo, unlike Antonio and Gabi, had been unable to return to his normal life after the betrayel had been set out in the open. He hadn't had a steady girlfriend in the 5 years since it had happened, and even though he had forgiven them, he was not as close to either of them as he had once been. He was no longer as lighthearted and humourous as he'd been. He now walked around like he carried the weight of the world on his broad shoulders.
Gabi looked up from  her dinner and saw something that shocked her to the core. It wasn't really that surprising, she had seen it happen before, but it still came as a shock. Ricardo, who was sitting few seats down and across from her, was staring at Tia like he was just noticing her. The peculiar way he studied her was enough to raise suspicion in Gabi, although she knew it wasn't possible he knew the truth. It couldn't be. She was immensly releived when he looked away, but the worry returned when he looked away from Tia and caught Gabi's eye. For a second she held his gaze, then looked away, feigning interest in her food and hoping he'd remove his gaze. Fortunately, he did. She was so preoccupied with Ricardo that she missed Carmen's question.
 "Earth to Gabi?" Her husband tried to get her attention.
 "Oh, sorry. Daydreaming, I guess. What did you say?" She turned to her mother-in-law.
 "I asked when Tia's next game was?" The game she spoke of was Kiddie League soccer, the sport Tia had begged to play, although she was the youngest on the team.
 "In about a week, I think." She saw the little girl shake her head.
 "No, Mommy, I told you yesterday, Coach moved it to day after tomorrow." She corrected her mother, who was properly emberresed.
 "Well, mija, if your mother forgets, I will be there." Carmed spoke now to her granddaughter. He words elicited a stern look of disapproval from Antonio."Well, I will."
 "Don't worry, sweetheart, you know I'll be there. I've never missed a game, right?" She reassured her daughter."Antonio, I think its time to go." She stood and retrieved her purse.
 "You know, I think you're right. It's getting late and someone has to take a bath." He scooped up the girl, tickling her as he held above his head playfully.
 Everyone at the table stood, preparing to leave. They said thier goodbyes, making plans to get together through the week.
 When everyone was gone, Carmen was left alone. She sat at the table, holding her taro cards. She had been going to do a reading, but a sensation she hadn't had in a long time, 5 years to be exact, stopped her. It was Gabi. She had come to know the premonitions she recieved concerning Gabi, and this one was not good. In fact it felt very bad. The dread knotted itself in her stomach like a stone.Something very serious was going to take place, very soon, and her daughter-in-law was going to be a major part of it.
 

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The next day:
 "Mommy, I'm hungry!" Tia whined to Gabi, who took the pouty voice in stride.
 "Well, sweetie, if you can wait 15 minutes, I'll have dinner made." She told her."Do you know where Daddy is?" She hadn't seen him in a few hours, and she was curious.
 "Mmhmm." She nodded mischeviously, not offering any more information.
 "Can you tell me where he is?" She asked.
 "Unhuh." This time she shook her head, grinning wildly. Gabi had a feeling that she knew where Antonio was. When Tia started giggling like crazy, she knew for sure.
 "Then I guess I'll have to turn around and go look for him" She said slowly, playing along. Before she could turn, she was ambushed. Antonio's arms came around her waist and began tickling her. Laughing hysterically, she jokingly swatted at his hands, begging for mercy. He was relentless. Tia jumped up from her seat at the kitchen table and joined in the tickle fest. Before long all three of them collapsed on the couch, out of breath, but having the time of thier lives.
 "If you guys can behave, I'll go finish dinner. If you can't, then I'll have to send you both to your room without dinner." She shook her finger at the troublesome pair, and turned to walk into the kitchen. She could hear Antonio whispering something to Tia behind her back, something that elicited a short chirp of laughter out of her. She stood at the stove wearing a smile that spread across her face. Everything was so perfect. She wished she could freeze this happiness in time, and always keep it with her.
 "Whats for dinner. I'm hungry." Antonio walked up behind her, smelling the delicious aroma of a home cooked meal.
 "Oh, so thats where Tia gets that from." Gabi reported knowingly.
 "You know, I think she gets her best qualities from me. Her good looks, intelligence, generosity...."
 "Ego." She added her two cents."Although I have two agree with you on the looks." She turned toward him seductively.
 "Oh, really." He pulled her close."Thats always nice to hear." He moved closer, to where they could feel each other hearts racing in sync. God, she could turn him on just by looking at him that way, that special way she had on getting under his skin. It drove him crazy, but he craved it. It was one of the little things he adored about her. One of the things he loved about her. He hurried the meeting of thier mouths by leaning in.
Her thoughts were very similar to his. When his tongue met hers, she felt chills racing up and down her spine. All thoughts of the meal she had been preparing flew away.For all she knew, it could have been burning. The only thing that she consiously recognized was the amazing, breathtaking kiss she and her husband were engaged in. And what it could lead to. Unfortunately, they were jerked back into reality by their daughters very 5 year old comment.
 "EEEWWWWW!!" She had a disgusted look on her pixie face. "Benji told me you can get cooties like that!"
Still short of breath, Gabi did her best to answer.
 "Tia, don't listen to your cousin. Cooties aren't real and you can't get them by kissing." She forced her attention to the very well done chicken she had been preparing.
 "Maybe they are, Gabi.You never know. But if they are, then Mommy and me already have them." He spoke ina low voice.
 "Yeah. 'Cause you and Mommy are always kissing and stuff like that." She stated seriously. To her, cooties were a plague that she did not want to catch.
 "But remember, cooties aren't deadly. If they were, me and Mommy probably wouldn't be here." He said conspiratoriously.
 "Antonio, stop that. Now she thinks they're real." Honestly, sometimes she thought he was worse than Tia."Hope you guys like extra crispy." She laid the browned bird on the table in front of where her family sat.
 

After dinner was finished, they set about the horrible deed of trying to pry Tia away from the TV and into bed. It was a dirty job, full of promises, copramises, and tears. But they did it. As hard as it was to leave the little girl in tears, they were both anxious to continue what had been started earlier. Unfortunately, Tia was determined to stay up that night. When Antonio returned form saying his goodnights and tucking Tia in, he came into the bedroom to see Gabi already in in bed and fast asleep. Shaking his head in disappointment, he crawled in beside her. She turned in her sleep, seeking out the warmth his body provided for her. He could feel her slender frame curled up next to him, and he knew that he would have a ver difficult time sleeping that night.
 
 

*****************************************************************************Gabi stood in front of the mirror the next morning looking at the woman that stared back at her. The reflection was completely different from the woman she had been 5 years ago. The person she had become was loving, loved, happy, settled. But most of all she was happy. Her entire life had been one fight to make everyone around her miserable. Even before Paula, she had been bent on making people pay for the pain she had endured.Now, thankfully, she had finally recovered from all of that. Her hatred for her sister, what her father did to her, her awkward relationship with Ricardo, all of that was behind her. She had healed because of the love that Antonio and Tia gave her. That had made all the difference in the world.
 "Morning." A sleepy voice called from behind her.
 "Good morning sleepyhead." She called back to him. Today was his day off, so he had been granted the pleasure of sleeping in. She jumped, like a child, onto the bed where he lay."You decided to join the world of the living."
 "Well, with people like you living, how could I not?"He grinned at her. She noticed how adorable he was when he had just woken up. His soft hair was tousled and his expression murky from sleep that still gripped him. She leaned over to kiss him, a light peck on the lips before she started to get up.
 "Oh no you don't." He pulled her back down, close to him.Their lips met in sensual kiss that woke him up faster than anything else could.They lay down making out for akmost 15 minutes when she pulled away.
 "I have to go." Even though he knew she had to leave, he was still unable to give up his hold on her."Come on, Antonio, I have to get Tia to daycare, and I have to pick up Lili from Maria's before that." Grudgingly, he let her slip out of his embrace.
 "Hurry back!" He shouted after her, knowing it was useless. She would take as long as she needed. He would just have to wait.
 
 "Up, munchkin!" Gabi pulled a tired little girl out of bed."Come on, we have to pick up Lili and get to daycare. Don't you want to see Lili?" She chose an outfit from the closet and began to dress the half asleep child. When she had finished, Tia was awake enough to run out to the car, excited to see her best friend and cousin again, although she had only seen her yesterday. The had began the drive to the Evens' house when Tia spoke in a serious, albeit childlike, voice.
 "Mommy, can I ask you a question?" Tia was very curious. She was always choosing the most off the wall questions and demanding answers. Gabi assumed this was just another one of those.
 "Sure." She said.
 "Mommy, does Uncle Ricardo hate me?" That was definitely unexpected. Where had she come up with that?
 "Of course not, Tia. Why would you ask that?" She felt the worry begin to form. Had Ricardo said something to her, did he know?
 "'Cause I don't think he likes me. He's not mean or nothing, he just looks at me real serious sometimes and I thought maybe it was because he just didn't like me.Are you sure he doesn't?" Gabi didn't know what to say. Did Ricardo like Tia. Why was he staring at her?
 "Honey, he's your uncle. Of course he loves you. Why wouldn't he?" It was a rhetorical question, but she knew the answer.
 "Maybe cause he doesn't think I'm a good kid." Before Gabi could form a reply, they pulled up at Maia's place. She and Lili were waiting outside, probably becuase the detour Gabi had had with Antonio had caused her to run a little late. So that Gabi wouldn't have to get out and be even more late, Maria came up to the car door. Lili hopped inside and began chatting with Tia in their own special lanuage. Their discussions were centered around other kids and cartoons, which most oftenly cut Gabi out.
 "Hey Maria, sorry I'm late. I hope I didn't mess up your schedule." She said to her sister-in-law who shook her head.
 "Nah. I don't have much planned for today. Ben and I are going on a picnic together on the beach. He is so romantic!" The excitement shone in her eyes. After all she had gone through with Meg to be with Ben, she deserved to gloat about the relationship. Just like Gabi and Antonio. But both couples were lucky to have had the happily ever after endings.
 "Well, I 'd better get going." She waved bye and took off down the driveway.
 An hour later, she pulled into the driveway of her house. As she began to nlock the door, she found it already open, although the lights were all turned off.
 "Antonio?" She called out."Are you here?" Silence was the only reply she recieved.
 "He's out for his morning run." A voice answered after a moment. Ricardo stepped out of the shadows."We need to talk about something, Gabi."
 

***************************************************************************** "What..."She paused, clearing her throat " What do we need to talk about, Ricardo? Why are you here?" Her voice trembled as she spoke. How had he found out? She had been so careful.
 "Something I'm sure you wouldn't want your husband to find out." Her heart started pounding. She couldn't lose it all now!
 "What is it Ricardo. What can't he find out?" Gabi said nervously.
 "Well, its kind of a secret, so Antonio can't find out. Since his birthday's coming up and everything, Maria wanted to throw him a surprise party. Do you think you could help out?" She smiled, very relieved that he still knew nothing. She didn't even want to think about what he would do if he ever did find out.
 "Of course. Antonio's birthday. What do you want me to do?" she asked.
 "Just keep him occupied until time for the party the night its going to happen.You know, take him out for a romantic dinner or something." The way he said the word romantic did not go unnoticed by her.
 '' I'd love to. That sounds like a great idea.'' She chose to ignore his tone. ''Just let me know what time.''
 ''Okay. Thanks.'' They stood there, looking at each other for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I'd better go before Antonio gets back. Wouldn't want him to get suspicious." For a second, she thought that maybe there was a hidden meaning to that statement too, but she decided it was just her imagination.
 "Goodbye." She chose not to see him out. Ricardo had barely gotten out of the door when Antonio returned, letting himself in through the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. Glad to see that she had returned, he grinned that adorable, knee-weaking grin of his at her. After her close call with Ricardo, she was just glad to so him period. Walking over to him, she showed him just how glad she was to see him.
 "So, what are we going to do on your day off?" They rarely got to spend an entire day together. Most of the time, when they were not working, Tia was with them, and as much as Gabi loved having the family all together, she was eager to have Antonio to herself for a while.
 Left a bit speechless from her very warm welcome, Antonio took a minute before speaking. "WHatever you want, darling. I am yours for the next 6 hours."
 "Oh, I know just what to do. Lets go for a walk on the beach! Maybe I could even pack a picnic for us." She exclaimed.
 "That sounds perfect. Just you and me on the beach. Alone." The idea was very appealing. He was just as anxious as she was to be alone with his wife."Why don't you get the lunch packed while I go change and shower?" He placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose and charged up the steps. Watching him go, she felt another rush of immense relief that he was still oblivious, just like Ricardo. She busied herself fixing the picnic lunch, and imagining how wonderul the day was going to go.

Carmen sat at her table, staring at the taro cards before her. She was desperately trying to find out what was going to happen to her family. So far all she had discovered was that it would destroy one of her sons and give the other a second chance. A second chance at what? And which son? Once again, she was being blocked from finding out what would happen with her family. How was she supposed to warn them, protect them if she did not even know what to protect them from? She did know it had something todo with Gabi, so it had to be bad. Admittadly, she didn't hate Gabi as much as she had when she was with Ricardo, but she was still wary of her daughter in law.
Turning over another card, her eyes widened at the message she had been given. The symbol on the card was one of a child. Could her granddaughter be a part of this? Choosing another card, she picked it up. This one showed "the brothers". The next in line  had the liar. The brothers, the child, and the liar. She knew who that was. It didn't take a psychic to tell that the cards were talking about Antonio, Rocardo, Tia, and, of course the liar, Gabi. That girl had been bad for her family from the minute she had arrived in Sunset Beach, and this time, Carmen was not going to let her get away with hurting her children.
 

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The next day, while Antonio was working and Tia was in daycare, Gabi was left alone in the house. As a child, she had never imagined that she would be content as a housewife, but she had never imagined herself as happy as she was with Antonio, either.  Lately, though, since Tia had started day care, she had been thinking of going back to work at the police station. She still had a few friends there, and she knew that they were swamped.  Although it was a peaceful town, Sunset Beach was not immune to the dangers that any big city had, and lately there had been a lot of small crimes, break-ins and muggings mostly. One of her friends had informed her the other day that they were desperately in need of a secratery. The only reason she hesitated was that Ricardo was the Chief of Police. As hard as she tried, she could never be comfortable around him.
A knock on her door interrupted her train of thought. She was very surprised at who was there to greet her on the other side.
"Senora Carmen, hi. Um...Antonio isn't here, did you need to see him?" She could think of no other reason Carmen would be at her house. Unless......
"That's all right, Gabi. It isn't Antonio I needed to see. "She stepped, uninvited, into the house." It is you I have business with today."
"What kind of business do we have, Carmen?" She wasn't really worried. Carmen had probably just read something in her cards that she wanted to discuss.
"Gabi, the cards, they say that you have a secret." Seeing Gabi about to interupt, she held up a hand."Callado! I did not come here to start a fight with you, Gabi. I just came here to ask you if you were keeping something from my son , or if the cards were.....confused." She said calmly."I will believe what you say."
For some reason,  Gabi did not buy that. When had Carmen ever actually believed something Gabi told her? She couldn't recall a time that that had happened.
"Thank you for trusting me, Carmen. I am not...." She faltered for a second as a wave of de'ja vu swept over her. She had had this conversation before, many times over. Well, she thought, I am not going to let this turn out like before. "I am not hiding anything from Antonio. You cards must be confused." With a brisk nod, Carmen replied.
"If you say so, Gabi. I will believe you."
"You can believe me because I am telling the truth." Gabi said.
"That is what you said before, nuera." Before Gabi could say anything, Carmen finished." I am sorry, that was....uncalled for. I realize that you have changed. At least I hope you have. Now I must  be going. "She turned to leave. Gabi let her walk away without saying goodbye. When she was out of hearing range, she sat, her head falling in her hands.
"How does she do that? There is no way she could know about Tia. It's impossible. Those damn cards of hers are going to ruin me yet." She mumbled to herself. At least Carmen seemed to accept what Gabi told her this time. For the time being, anyway. Gabi's false answers wouldn't hold her for long. Gabi realized what she needed to do. Writing always helped her think clearly. Taking the steps two at a time, she pulled out a leather bound notebook from the hiding place she had discovered in the closet. She knew that what she wrote could destroy her if anyone ever found it she would be doomed, but she had kept one since she was a child, and old habits were hard to break. She hadn't had a problem yet, and she was extremely careful where and when she wrote.  She was positive no one would ever find it.

Outside, Carmen stood by the door, wondering what she should do next. She was sure that Gabi was lying. The deciet had been clear to see in her eyes. Gabi had a secret, another one, and Carmen was going to find out what it was before another of her sons could be hurt by that bruha. She just didn't know how to go about finding it out. She wanted to learn from the mistakes she had made last time. First of all, she knew that she could not tell Antonioher suspicions. That had been her first error with Ricardo. She had to gather proof first. She was not going to chance losing her Antonio. She had come to close the first time around to having both of her sons hate her. That wouldn't happen again. She wouldn't let it.

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Ricardo was in his small home, spending yet another day off by himself in front of the television. He rarely went out, and usually only with a few of his friends from the station. He had never given a thought to returning to the ladies man style of living he had had before Gabi had come into his life. He just didn't have to strength to put into a relationship what he had put into the one he'd had with Gabi. Especially when he knew it could end with him hurt. He wasn't sure he would survive another breakup with a woman he loved. As a defense, he had just decided not to even try. It just wasn't worth it. Falling in love could only lead to him getting his heart ripped out once again. In the middle of  the mind numbing show he was watching the phone rang. He contemplated not answering. He really wasn'ti n the mood to talk to anyone right now. In the end, he decided to answer it. Maybe it was the station with a job for him.
"Hello." he said.
"Ricardo? It's Gabi." A familiar voice said.
"Gabi? Is there something I can do for you?" He was puzzled. Why would Gabi be calling him?
"Yes. Sort of. I was wondering if you needed any help at the station. I'd like to go back to work there if you need someone." Gabi told him. Ricardo wasn't sure how to respond. They were in need od help at the station, but he sure as hell did not want to work with his...his sister in law. Seeing the face of the woman that he had never really stopped loving would drive him crazy. Yet, deep down a part of him wanted to say yes, just to be able to see her every day. Maybe he could make feel.....no, he cut that thought short. Gabi never had and never would love him. Just looking at Gabi and Antonio together let him know that. They were so in love, it made him sick.
"I'm not sure. I'll ask tomorrow. I'll let you know, okay?" He really wanted to get off of the phone. Even listening to her brought back memories that he would rather not revive.
"All right. I'll let you go now." she said.
"Okay." He started to hang up.
"Ricardo." Her voice stopped him.
"Yes?"
"Um...thanks." She hung up before he could respond.
 

Antonio returned home from work almost a few  hours early, hoping to surprise Gabi. He figured that they could get in a couple hours of.....private time before it was time to pick up Tia. To his surprise, he found the front door wide open, and Gabi no where to be seen.  After checking the kitchen, he started to go upstairs when he noticed a notebook lying open on the dining room table. A pen lay uncapped on top of it. He immediately recignized the writing to be Gabi's scrawly script.  Glancing around to make sure that she was not coming around the corner, he picked up the book. Of course, right around that time, his consence kicked in and he set it down. Reading her personal writing was not very respectful. But his curiosity was piqued. He wanted to know what she was writing. After an internal arguement, he left the notebook where it lay. He couldn't resist flipping it over to read what was written on the outside of the book, though. It read Personal Journal, Gabi Torres. So it is her diary, he thought. He was once again considering having a peek when he heard her call out from upstairs. Giving the book one last glance, he tiptoed into the kitchen, so as not to raise her suspicians as to what he had been about to do.

Gabi had just gotten off the phone with Ricardo when she heard the car go by. She had assumed that it was the neighbor and started downstairs when she glanced out a hall window only to find her husbands car parked outside. Since he wasn't in it, or in the yard, she knew he had to be inside. That meant he had convince his boss to let him off early. She was about to go down and greet him, when she realized something that brought her to an abrupt halt. She had left her journal wide open on the dining room table when she had went to call Ricardo about the possible job at the SBPD. Panic gripped her. What if Antonio had seen it? What if he read what she had written about Tia? What if he knew everything? She didn't want to find out. Bounding down the stairs, she called out his name.
Much to her relief, he answered her from the kitchen. She grabbed the dangerous book from the table and threw it the nearest place she could find, in  cabinet drawer, planning on plaing it back in its true hiding place the first chance she got.  Smiling shakily she made some comment to Antonio about being glad he was home early, to which he replied by sweeping her in his arms. Soon, the incredibly close call, much closer than Gabi realized, was forgotten. In fact, pretty much ever coherent thought was wiped from her mind as she reveled in one of the major perks of being married to such an amazing man.

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The persistant ringing of  the phone woke Gabi the next morining. Untangling herself from Antonio's ams, she rushed to answer it before the caller hung up. She barely made it.

"Hello" She answered in a sleepy voice.

"It's Ricardo. I didn't mean to wake you, sorry." He noticed her drowsy tone and apoligized.

"That's alright, I needed to get up anyway." she said.

"I'm calling about the job at the station." She had figured as much. Why else would he call to speak with her?

"Is there a postition open?" She asked eagerly.

Before he replied, he gave it one last thought, just to make sure this was what he really wanted. He had debated this decision all night. Did he want to work with her day after day? Was it worth the pain he would feel? Was he a strong enough man? In the end he had decided that he would have to be.

"Yes. When can you start?" he said in an unfeeling voice. He was already trying to detatch himself from the situation.

"How's today? I'll be a little late, but I can make it."  She said excitedly. Going back to work at the station would be great. It would even give her a chance to maybe win back Ricardo's friendship. Or at least try to. She was postitive that she could get over her uneasiness when he was near.

"Thats fine." Ricardo said.

"Well..." She had no idea what to say next."Goodbye."

"Wait!" Ricardo said just before she hung up.

"Is there something else?" She asked him.

"Yeah. It's about Antonio's surprise party. We've settled on a place and a date. We'll have it the 19th, this Saturday, at Ben and Maria's place. All you have to do is keep him occupied until about 8 that night, then bring him to the house. And make sure he doesn't suspect anything." He told her.

"Sure, no problem." That would be easy enough to do. She had already told him that she wanted to take him out somewhere special to celebrate. She could come up with some excuse to get him to Maria's after they went to dinner.

"All right. Goodbye." He hung up. Gabi ran to the bedroom, where Antonio had already awoken and had began to get dressed.

"Guess what?" She said happily.

"Well, good morning. What is it? You seen happy. Oh, I got Tia ready for daycare for you." He said as he pulled on a pair of jeans.

"I am going back to work at the police station. Today." She waited for his reaction, but he turned away from her, toward the closet, so she couldn't see.

"Back to work at the station? Was that what the phone call you just got was about?" He asked in a carefully guarded voice.

"Yes, that was Ricardo on the phone." She said, curious about how he was responding to her news. "Is something wrong, Antonio?"

"No, its great that you're going back to work." Actually, he didn't think it was all that great. He said his next remark in a casual tone. "So you'll be working with Ricardo?"

Suddenly, Gabi understood why he didn't like that she was going back to work. It wasn't that she was working, it was where she she was working, and who she would be working with. She walked over to where he stood and turned to where he would have to face her.

"Antonio, are you jealous?" She asked in a half scolding, half amused voice.

"No." He said in a voice much too defensive to be telling the truth.

"Yes, you are." She insisted. "And you have absolutely no reason to be."

He turned away from her again. It emberresed him to be feeling this jealous of his brother. He knew there was no reason. Gabi had made her decision a long time ago. Yet, somewhere deep inside of him, he couldn't help but think 'She fell in love with me when she was supposed to love Ricardo. Who's to say that couldn't happen again?' Of course, he didn't want to think like that. Gabi loved him, just him and no one else.

"Antonio?" She said softly when he didn't reply. "Antonio, I love you. You're my husband, and I love you. " Hearing her say that made him feel much better.

"I know." He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her softly." I know you do. I love you, too. I just can't help it. The thought of you working with all of those other men.....with him......it drives me crazy." He confessed.

"You have absolutely no reason to feel jealous. The only man I care about is you." The moment was so full of love, they just stood there in each others arms until their daughter came up behind them.

"Mommy, its time to go!" Tia reminded her.

"Your absolutely right, sweetie. We do need to leave." Giving Antonio one last lingering, soulful look, she let go of him.

"Bye, darling." He picked Tia up, giving her a sweet little peck before setting her down again.

"Bye-bye, Daddy." She said, grabbing Gabi's arm. "Come on, Mommy! Lets go now." She ordered. Reaching out to squeeze her husband's hand one more time, Gabi followed.

Watching them leave, Antonio finished getting dressed. When he was done he headed for the stairs.He was almost ready to leave for work when he decided to leave Gabi little note. He just wanted to let her know that he was really okay with her working with Ricardo, and that he loved her. He remenbered that she kept a notepad and a pen in the cabinet drawer in the dining room and he opened it up. The first thing he saw was Gabi's journal. This time unable to resist, he picked up the book and opened it up. The words jumped up from the page of the entry he turned to first.

"I love Antonio so much. He is the most romantic man alive. Tonight, he took me to dinner and them we went for a long walk on the beach." It read. He grinned and flipped to another passage, dated only a few days ago.

"I am so scared. And worried. I caught Ricardo staring at Tia  today, and then , today Tia asked if he hated her. How could a child so small pick up on something like that?" Antonio's grin began to fade. Why hadn't Gabi told him about his? And why was she so worried about Ricardo looking at Tia? He suddenly had a knot in his stomach. This wasn't right. He didn't want to read anymore. He wanted desprately to put the book down and never pick it up again, but he couldn't stop reading. His eyes were glued to the page. He turned to her latest entry.

"Carmen came by today. She says something is wrong. She thinks I'm hiding something from her son." Mama hasn't said anything to me, he thought, and kept reading. "Well, she is wrong about one thing. I'm not hiding something from her son. I'm hiding something from her sons. Both of them. If only she knew what."

Antonio was in shock, and desperately wanted to know what exactly Gabi was hiding from him. The writing stopped there, and left him hanging. He put the book back down in the drawer. The knot in his stomach had grown to the size of a small mountain. She couldn't be hiding something big. It was probably nothing. Maybe it was just.......he couldn't think of anything it could be. If it were something good, she would have told him. And his mother thought it was bad. His mother was usually right. Sitting down, he decided to wait for Gabi to get back. So what if he'd be a little late for work. It could wait. He just knew he had to find out what Gabi was hiding.

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She got home from taking Tia to daycare half an hour later. Antonio had called his boss and let him know he would be a little late, and had been waiting for Gabi since he read the incriminating passages in her diary. Since he found out that she was hiding something from him. From him and Ricardo, teh writing had said.

"Antonio!"She was surprised, and happy, to see that he hadn't gone to work yet when she got back.There were still some things she wanted to tell him that she hadn't gotten a chance to that morning. "What are you still doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you." He said to her. She sensed that what whatever it was was very serious. She just hoped that it wasn't.....

"Is there something wrong, Antonio?" she asked, worried. Anytime a conversation started out like this she got worried.

"Yes. Gabi...I." He paused and held up the notebook." I found this. And I read it." Her eyes widened as she recignized it. NO! She thought. This can't be happening. But there was no denying that that was her book.

"Oh, God. How....Antonio....I'm so sorry. I didn't mean.....Oh, God. Please tell me that you can forgive me, Antonio. Please?" She was crying now. He was heartbroken. He still didn't know exactly what she had done, but he knew it had to be bad now. She was asking for forgiveness. He didn't want to know. He wanted to tell her he forgave her without ever finding out what for and forget what he had read. But he couldn't and he knew it.

"How could you Gabi?" He was going to make her say it. He wanted to hear her tell him what she had done. He had to find out, and making her tell him was the only way, no matter how much it hurt them both.

"Antonio. I...I thought at first that she was yours. I swear. I...I wanted you to love her. And me.You wouldn't have married me unless I did it, but I didn't want to..." He didn't understand. What 'her'....no. No, he thought. She couldn't be talking about their daughter.

"Tia." He said, wanting to confirm it. Well, not wanting to, but needing to. It hurt so much to see Gabi crying in front of him. He wanted so badly to tell her he forgave her, but she did what he was thinking, then he wouldn't be able to.

"Yes. Oh, Antonio, I wanted to tell you....I wanted to let you know....I hated keeping it from you, but you loved her so much..you would have died if I had told you at first. I didn't want her to be Ricardo's. I wanted to have your baby, I did." It was true. What he had been thinking was right. He stood there, looking at Gabi, his wife, the love of his life, and he couldn't digest what she was telling him. She couldn't have decieved him like she so obviously had.

"I have to go." Suddenly he had to get away from her. He pushed his way past her and out of the door.
Antonio climbed into the car, and luckily Gabi had left the keys in. She must have been going to go to the station soon, he thought. To work with Ricardo. His brother. He hadn't even thought of what Gabi's 'secret' would mean to Ricardo. he would be gaining a daughter. And Antonio would be losing one. He still couldn't believe that the child he had raised, that he loved with all his heart, wasn't his flesh and blood. Well, he thought, maybe she is. She is my neice after all.

"How could Gabi do this to me?" He said to himself. How could she lie to him all these years. She had pretended that Tia was his from the very start. Since he proposed to her that day in front of the church. This was too much.

Mama was right, he realized. Mama has been right since the beginning. Gabi has broken mine and Ricardo's heart again and again. And they had both been blinded by their steady love for her. Though he had claimed not to, Antonio knew that Ricardo was still just as much in love with Gabi as he had been five years ago. Antonio wasn't. He was even more in love with Gabi than he had been. But now, he couldn't imagine a future with her, not after this. He didn't think he would ever be able to.
 
 

Carmen was in the middle of a coversation with Maria when it hit her. A strong feeling of pain and extreme hurt. Not physical pain, but immense emotional anguish.

"No!" She interrupted Maria.

"Mama? What's wrong?" She said immediately in a worried tone.

"Oh, hija, it's your brother! Antonio, my Antonio, he is hurt....his heart is in pain...beacuse of her...that bruha. Gobi.She has hurt him." She said angrily. Carmen had know nit would happen. Gabi had succeeded inbreaking Antonio's heart just like she had broken Ricardo's heart so many times before. Well, this time, Carmen would make that whore pay.
 

Gabi was still sobbing in the living room of the house that they lived in. She coudn't believe after all the close calls with Ricardo, after all of the run-ins with Carmen and her future telling taro cards, that her mistake had been the one to make the truth come out. And it had come out. He had read her journal and he had discovered that Tia wasn't his daughter. She could recall vividly the anguish and raw pain in his eyes. The exact look she had hoped to never see.

"I did it." She told herself when she had momenterily stopped crying." I destroyed the one person that I truly loved in the world. The one that I wanted to spend eternity with. The one that loved me." She had known the risks of what she had done, but she had never expected him to find out, with no warning at all. Like he just had. It was all her fault and Gabi knew it. The only thing she didn't know was how to fix it.
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After mulling over his pain for a few hours, Antonio desperately wanted something to do that would take his mind off Gabi and Tia. He decided that he should go to work,but after an hour of thinking of everything but his job, he was told to go home sick. He felt sick, but home was definitly not where he wanted to go. He finally decided that he would go talk to Maria. She would help him. When he got to her house, she was about to leave.

"Antonio! I was about to go see you." She said to him. She had been worried about what her mother had said on the phone, and she hadn't been able to ignore that fact that her mother was usually right abot things like this.

"Why were you about to come see me?" Did she know already? He was being paranoind, he knew that Gabi wouldn't have told anyone, but he couldn't help but wonder.

"Mama ssaid something about you on the phone. She had a premonition that you were hurt."Maria chose to tell him the truth. He would have heard it from Carmen later anyway. "Come in the house, Antonio, and you can tell me whats wrong."

He followed her into the house and sat down at the couch in the middle of the room. She took a seat  next to him. They were silent for a minute, he was hesitant to talk about what had happened. It was like if he told her, then it would be real, and he wouldn't be able to take it back. He would have to face facts, something he really didn't want to do. Maria gently touched his hand."What is it? What could have happened to hurt you so much?"

"Gabi....Gabi and I are over. " He said in a grave voice.

"What?" Maria was shocked. Gabi and Antonio were so in love, they couldn't have broken up."I...why?

"She lied to me. She's been lying to me for a long time." As he said the words, he felt like breaking down and crying. His wife had lied to him and it was killing him. His whole world was falling down. He had lost his baby girl, his precious Tia, and Gabi....well, he wasn't sure what to think about Gabi.

"What could she have lied about that would cause you to react like this? What did she do that would make you throw away your marrige. And what about Tia? Have you thought about what this will do to you daughter?" Maria was obviously upset by the news. Gabi had become her freind over the past few years, and Maria was worried about them both.

"She lied about Tia. She lied when she told me she was my daughter." Maria's eyes grew wide at the statement.

"Oh my god, Antonio, I'm so sorry. This must be killing you. Why would she have done that?" That was what Antonio wanted to know. Had Gabi been so insecure about their love that she had to lie about thei... about her baby.

"Tia isn't my daughter. She's...she's Ricardo's." Maria's hand flew to her mouth in surprise."Gabi let me think that Ricardo's child was his for 5 years."

"I...I don't know what to say Antonio....does he know?" Maria asked her brother.

"I don't think so. I don't think she would have told him." He knew that eventually, Ricardo would have to find out. He wasn't looking forward to telling him. "Should I tell him?"

"I think it would be best if he knew, Antonio. I know this will be hard for you, but he needs to know." Antonio knew she was right, but he desprately wished she hadn't said that.

"You're right." He stood up."I'm going to tell him now." Maria stood with him and reached over to
give him a long hug before he left.
 
 
 

Gabi didn't know what to do with herself. Antonio had left hours ago and he hadn't come back. She was worried about what he would do. She wanted to go after him, to try to find him, but she was probably the last person he would want to see right now.

Going to the station was most definitly out of the question. There was no way she would be able to face Ricardo after this. That brought about another thought she hadn't considered. What if Antonio went to tell Ricardo? She felt the blood drain out of her face. She hoped he hadn't. The last thing she wanted was to bring him into this now. She wanted to work things out with Antonio first. She wanted him to not hate her. She wanted him to say he forgave her. She wanted too much. What she had done was horrible, and she had hurt him terribly. If their places were reversed, she knew she wouldn't be able to forgive or forget. That didn't stop her from hoping her would be able to though.

She needed to get her daughter. Day care still had a few hours left, but she wanted to see her baby girl. She got in the car and drove to the small building that the daycare was held in. It didn't take her long to find Tia, but she didn't want to leave.

"Mommy, I was playing with Lili. I don't wanna go home yet." She whined in her high pitched, childish voice.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we have to go home." Tia seemed to understand that something was wrong, because she followed her mother silently to the car. Only when they were on the road again, did Tia speak.

"Is something wrong with Daddy?" She said. Gabi smiled sadly down at her perceptive child.

" Yes. I did something wrong, I lied about something, and now Daddy's mad at me." She wasn't going to go into deeper detail yet. It would be hard to explain the situation to her.

"Oh. Will he be mad very long?" Antonio didn't often get mad at either of them, and usually he forgave quickly. The preist in him made sure of that.

"I'm not sure, but I want you to know that its me he's mad at, not you,okay? You haven't done anything wrong." She was scared that he would take his anger out on Tia/ It wasn't her fault she had been concieved by the wrong brother. It was Gabi's, and Gabi would have to pay the price. She just hoped that losing Antonio wasn't the price.
*****************************************************************************
 

He had gotten to the station about five minutes ago, and he had just found Ricardo. Or, rather, Ricardo found him.

"Hey, T. What's up? Where's Gabi? She was supposed to come in to start work today." He remembered feeling jealous that morning. It seemed like  it had happened a lifetime ago, not mere hours.  He had been so....oblivious. Worrying about something like her going back to work, when she was really playing him for a fool. He knew how Ricardo must have felt finding out about them so many years ago. And his pain hadn't diminished yet. Antonio couldn't help but wonder if his would last as long.

"She...uh, she couldn't make it." For some reason, now that he was here, facing his brother, the father of  Gabi's child, he couldn't do it. He could not tell Ricardo about Tia.

"Oh. Thats too bad, Spence and the guys were looking forward to seeing her again." And so was I, Ricardo added mentally. As much as he hated her for betraying him, he wanted to have a common bond with Gabi.

"Yeah.....I." His throat constricted. He had to get out of there. Looking at Ricardo was too painful. It forced him to keep remembering Gabi's words.....'I didn't want her to be Ricardo's'.... She had been pleading with him to forgive her. He couldn't. Not now, maybe not ever.

"I have to go. " He turned, ignoring Ricardo's call to come back. He wasn't sure exactly where he wanted to go, but just like before, with Gabi, he knew he had to leave.
 
 
 

It was getting dark outside, and Gabi was worried. Antonio still hadn't come home. She knew he was upset, abgry, but he would have to come back, wouldn't he. Tia was starting to ask questions, too.

"Mommy, I want Daddy to put me to bed." She said. Gabi didn't know how to tell her he might not return. She didn't know what to tell herself.

"Daddy has something he needs to do, sweetie. He may not be back before you have to go to sleep. Is it okay if I just tuck you in tonight?" Tia studied her, and them relented.

"All right." The little girl yawned."I'm ready to go to bed now, Mommy. Come tuck me in."

"All right. You go on up and brush your teeth, and I'll be right behind you." Tia went upstairs, leaving Gabi alone. She walked over to the sliding glass doors in the kitchen and walked outside. The breeze that hit her was warm and salty, and the stars sprinkled over her head. Tears filled her eyes as memories of the countless nights she had spent out here with Antonio, watching the sun set, washed over her. She could remember the feel of the sand on her skin when they made love on the beach with these same stars watching them. Her shoulders trembled as the tears silently fell down her face as she recalled more times like those. Times that they had walked hand in hand down the beach, just staring into each others eyes, and times that they had taken Tia to play in the water. Suddenly, she heard something inside, turning, she ran back in.

"Antonio!" She was so glad. He had come back. More tears spilling down her face, she ran to hug him, but to her surprise, and pain, he shrugged her off.

"I just came for clothes. I'm staying with Momma." She backed away, hurt. The cold, hateful look in his eyes was almost more than she could handle. Before wither could say anything, Tia came bounding down the stairs.

"DADDY!" She called out, running to him. She wrapped her arms aound his legs, hugging him. Tears filled her eyes, much as they had Gabi's, when he pushed her back. "Daddy....I missed you." She said in a small, hurt voice. It was more than Antonio could bare. He bent over and picked the child up, kissing a tear soaked cheek.

"I know, honey, I missed you, too." Gabi was glad to see that he wasn't blaming Tia. She knew why he had intentionally pushed her back, but she had also know that he was too good of a person to hurt thier...her little girl.

"Daddy, will you come tuck me in?" She smiled up at him, tears already a lost memory.

"Sure." He began to carry her upstairs when she looked over his shoulder.

"You too, Mommy!" She cried out.

"I don't th-"

"Can't we-" Antonio and Gabi began to speak at the same time, and both stopped simutaniously.

"Please, Mommy?" Gabi couldn't say no to that adorable face. Without looking at Antonio, she followed them upstairs.

When they had finished tucking her in, and were about to leave, Tia called them back.

"Daddy, you're not still mad at Mommy, are you? She told me she did something bad and you got mad at her. I don't want you to fight. You always tell me I can't stay mad with people I love when I fight with Lili, don't you Daddy?" She said in that sad little voice. With all her tiny heartm she wanted whatever was making her Daddy mad to go away.

"I do." He admitted to her, looking everywhere but at Gabi.

"So you CAN'T stay mad at Mommy, right? 'Cause you love her, and she loves you." She had a strong case, he had to admit. But it went much deeper than Tia coul comprehend.

"I...." He didn't know how to reply. Gabi was still looking at him, awaiting an answer, as was Tia."Its not that easy, sweetheart. Your mommy did something very bad. Something that hurt me a lot. I don't know if I can forgive her that easy." He tried to make her understand.

"But she said she's sorry, didn't you Mommy?" She turned to her mother now.

"Yes, but thats not enough..."Tia began to cry again, seeing that she couldn't force her parents to make up. It always worked when they did it to her....

"Yes it is Mommy! YES IT IS!" She hated her parents like this. They had had little fights before, but she could tell this was serious. They wouldn't even look at each other. The five year old didn't know why. All she knew was that she hated it.

"Shhh, baby, don't cry." Gabi went over to her and wiped away a tear, near crying again herself. "Everything will be all right, I promise. You just go to bed, and it will be better when you wake up." Tia nodded boldly and Gabi turned off the lights.Antonio followed her out of the room. When they were out of hearing range, he spoke.

"Why did you lie to her? You told her it would be all right. It won't" That stung. She had just wanted Tia to stop crying.

"I just wanted her to sleep peacefully. I didn't mean to..."

"Well, you did." He realized how harsh his tone was and it softened a bit."I just don't want to get her hopes up about us."

"Is there really no reason to hope?" Gabi asked, fearful of the answer.

"Gabi...I....I can't do this now. Just let me get my stuff and leave." He started toward their room, and she followed.

"Antonio, you're leaving will destroy her. You know that, don't you?" And it will destroy me, she added mentally.

"I know....I'll be back in the morning to see her before she leaves." She was glad that he wasn't completely sutting her off from his life. She couldn't have taken that.

"Thank you." She turned to leave, then boldly voiced what she had been thinking."Antonio, is there really no hope for us?"

"I don't know, Gabi. I wish I did." He sounded so desolate, so alone, that she had to leave before she broke down. He finished his packing alone.
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Gabi was up early the next morning. Actally, she had hardly slept at all last night. It had been too hard to stay in the bed that she usually slept beside Antonio in alone. She made breakfast and did all of the things she did every day, but she was working on auto-pilot this morning. A few minutes before she would have gone to waken Tia up, Antonio arrived. Gabi was glad. Like this, it would seem that he had been here all night. To Tia, at least.

"Hi." She said quietly to him. He nodded in response. He didn't want to talk to her, but there was something she needed to know."Antonio, are you....have you told Ricardo?"

"No." He raised his eyes to meet hers for an all too breif moment."I almost did, but I...."

He didn't need to finish his sentance, she understood. He hadn't been able to tell his brother the truth. She was glad.

"Oh." She was about to say more to him, about to attempt a conversation, when she grabbed her stomach, leaning over and moaning."Ooohhh."

"Whats wrong?" Unable to stop himself, he ran over to her and held her, but after a moment, she pushed him away, making a mad dash for the bathroom. He followed, unsure of what was happening. After a moment, he could hear her getting sick. A few minutes later, she returned, pale faced. "Whats the matter, Gabi? Whats wrong?"

"I...." She had suspected this for a few weeks, but with everything that was happening now, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell him."I think I'm-"

"Daddy!" Tia was up. Giving Gabi a curious look, he turned and scooped Tia up in his arms. As angry as he was with her, Antonio couldn't stop himself from being worried, and, as much as he didn't want to admit it, from loving her. But that only made what she did worse.

"Hey, munchkin, did you get up all by yourself?" Usually she had to be pried out of bed.

"Uh-huh. I wanted to see you and Mommy." She noticed how pale her mother was looking."Are you sick, Mommy?"

"Just a little, Tia. I'll be okay. I- " She stopped adruptly, running back into the bathroom. Antonio took Tia downstairs to eat breakfast.

"Come on, lets eat, okay?" Gabi had fixed a meal for three, like always. For some reason, he hadn't expected her to.

"Okay, Daddy." She was silent for a few seconds, then she asked "Daddy, is Mommy okay? She doesn't look like she feels very good."

"I'm fine, Tia." Gabi came in, looking weak. Antonio resisted the urge to get up and help her.

"Are you gonna be here when I get home, Daddy?" He wasn't sure what to say. Would he be here? Gabi was looking at him for an answer, too.

"I guess I will." Tia grinned at him. She was happy now.

"Thats good, because I won't. Can you pick her up, too?" Gabi asked him. Before he could say anthing, Tia beat him to it.

"Where will you be, Mommy?" She asked.

"I have an errand to run." She didn't give any further explanation. She couldn't."Now,  Tia, we have to get you dressed and pick up Lili. As she stood, another wave of nasia washed over her, and she sat back down quickly.

"Why don't you let me get her ready, and you can lie back down?" Antonio offered. Gabi nodded weakly and went upstairs. Antonio couldn't help but wonder what exactly was wrong.
 
 
 

Hours later, he was outside of the daycare building waiting for Tia to run out with the rest of the children. A few moments later, she hopped out and ran to him. He smiled a sad smile.  Everything would be so different when she found out that he wasn't her 'Daddy'. God, he didn't want that to happen.

On the ride home they talked about everything that had happened during her day. All little stuff, someone swallowed play-dough, someone stole a doll, but he rteasured every second of it. Because it might not last much longer. He may never be able to pick her up from daycare, never see her eyes light up when he tickled her or hear her say Daddy in her sweet little voice. Just thinking about what could happen to his family brought tears to his eyes. More than anything, he wanted to go back and never pick up that damn book that had started this whole mess. No, he reminded himself. Gabi did this. Gabi lied to me and Gabi brought all of this about. But he couldn't hate her. Her resented her, he blamed her, but he didn't hate her. It didn't matter what she had done, he loved her, and he always would. Guess thats why they call it 'unconditional love' , Antonio thought.  Thats what he felt for Gabi. And it would never die. No matter how much pain she caused him.

When they pulled into the driveway, Gabi was already back from whatever errands she had had to run. Tia hopped out of the car and ran in. She wanted to see if her Mommy and Daddy were finished fighting yet.

"Hi. How did your errands go?" Antonio asked, trying to be civil to her, for Tia's sake.

"Actually, I need to talk to you, Antonio. Its important." The look in her eyes confirmed thee graveness of the situation, whatever it was.

"Sure. Tia,  why dom't you go up and play for a little while. I need to talk to Mommy." Tia gladly did so. If her parents wanted to be alone, then maybe they were going to make up. And they didn't need her standing there watching.

"What is it?" He wondered if this had anything to do with her getting sick earlier this morning. Maybe something was wrong with her healthwise.

"I...I don't know how to tell you this, Antonio. Especially with you finding out about Tia and everything." She looked so sad talking about it. He understood completely.

"Just say it, Gabi." He told her. Oh, this was so hard, he wanted to hold her and comfort her so badly. But he wouldn't let himself.

"Antonio....my errand was an appointment. A doctors appointment." His heart started pounding. Was she sick? Dying?

"Antonio, I'm pregnant."
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"No, mi hijo, no." Carmen looked down at the cards layed out on the table before her."Por favor, socorra. My cards, you are not helping me now. Tell me what I must do."

Yet the cards remaind silent in front of her. After many failed attempts, the answer came to her.

"Si, si. There is nothing I can do more now for my Antonio. Gobi has already done what needs to be done to ruin her. That bruha has slipped in her wicked plan, and Antonio will see her for what she is now." Madame Carmen predicted gravely. But the cards were not finished. As she began to pick them upm straighten them for her next reading, one slipped out and landed directly in front of her.

"No! No, this is not possible. Now mi hijo will not leave her. Not when she carries his child."
 
 
 
 

"You're pregnant?" Antonio repeated the words Gabi had just said to him. She nodded, unable to meet his eye.

"I'm sorry, I know this is the last thing you probably want to hear from me, but I am." She hopes beyond hope that this will make him forgive her. She needs him to.

"Well, is this one mine?" He asked, immediately regretting the words, and his accusing tone. She seemed to shrink away from him at the sound of his bitter words, and he hated to see that he could have this affect on her.

"Yes." By now, she was openly crying, but every time he started to feel sorry for her, to want to forgive her, he pictured the words leaping off the page at him 'I'm hiding something from her sons. From both of them' and her words....those horrible words 'I didn't want her to be Ricardo's'. That washed all sympathy from his heart.  Yes, she was sorry, but that didn't change a thing. She had still lied knowingly about his brother's daughter. And, to make it worse, she had lied because she hadn't had faith in thier love. The excuse she used was, in her exact words, was "You wouldn't have married me unless I did it." Had she really thought that he wouldn't love her unless she was having his child?  That hurt just as much, maybe even more, than finding out Tia wasn't his daughter. And now...now she had won. Even though he probably would never trust her with his heart again, she had found a way to keep him in her life for good.

"Antonio?" Gabi said, hesitantly, as if she could see the rage growing inside of him, eating away second by second.

"Did you plan this? Did you do this so I would have to stay?" He asked her furiously. He was outraged at her now, baby or not. Had she been doing the same thing she had toRicardo to him? Slowly but surely, setting him up for the worst fall of his life.

"NO, I didn't, I swear, I did not plan this, Antonio, you have to believe me....." HAD to believe her? Like had to believe her about Tia.

"I do not HAVE to believe anything you say to me, Gabi. You lost my trust completely when I found out Tia wasn't my child. You were never going to tell me about it, were you?" He had her there. As long as they were a family, she hadn't been going to tell him. Why risk everything? Then he had found out and everything that mattered to her shattered into a thousand irreplacible peices.

"I...Antonio, Tia isn't yours, but this child is...this is our child, Antonio. Please...." Didn't he see that she had lied so he would let her love him the way she wanted, as a wife. If she had told him Tia was Ricardo's, he would have insisted that she went to Ricardo, and let him raise his child. But she hadn't wanted to be mother of Ricardo's child. She had wanted to be mother to Antonio's child. And now she would be, but it didn't make her feel reassured. Looking at him now, all of that fury that she thought made him irresistable when directed at others was focused on her for the first time ever, and now she was having doubts as to if he would want to raise his child.

"Gabi, I don't-" He stopped, seeing Tia standing by the doorway, tears falling from her soft cheeks onto the floor. His heart stopped when he realized that she could have been listenng to thier entire conversation. Gabi turned to see Tia standing there crying, and went over to her. Wiping her own tears awaty as she went.

"Hey, sweetie, whats wrong?" She asked, worried. Tia was a very smart child, she could have easily picked up on what thier argument was about.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Tia asked, extremely concerned for her mother.

"I'm fine, baby, why are you aksing about me?" She wasn't feeling sick now, well, not physically, at least.

"I heard Daddy yelling at you. Daddy never yells, not even at me." Antonio didn't yell, hardly ever, but when he did, something was very wrong, and Tia knew that.

"Daddy's just still a little mad at me. Everythingll be fi- better." Antonio couldn't seem to look at her or Tia straight on. He felt horrible for upsetting Tia. She pulled herself out of Gabi's arms and walked over to him.

"Daddy, can you please stop yelling ay Mommy. You never yell at me when I'm sick, and Mommy is sick. You said that you were worried this morning when she was laying down." Gabi felt relief that he hadn't completly stopped caring about her.

"Yes, but Mommy is just fine. She's not sick. Now you go back to your room and play again." What struck Gabi was that while he was talkling to Tia, he seemed to be able to change back into the man that loved her,  but the minute Antonio's eyes touched her, that cold fury took them over. In the past two days, she had seen enough of that hate from him to last her forever. She wanted her husband back.

Tia hesitantly went back to her room, looking at her mother the entire way.

"I'll stay here tonight, for Tia, but I'll be in the guestroom." He went in and slammed the door behind him, leaving Gabi standing in the hallway wondering why God had chosen now to make her life a living hell.

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Gabi tried to sleep that night, for the baby. She didn't feel like sleeping, all she felt like doing was crying. Crying over the loss of her husband, her family, and the life that she loved. But she reminded herself that the baby needed rest, and the baby was the most important thing to her now. It was the child she had made with Antonio. She vowed not to let any harm come to this baby. It could quite possibly become all she was able to keep of Antonio.

As she lay in bed, unsucsessfully trying to let sleep overcome her, she placed a hand on her stomach and tried to imagine what life would be like if she had this baby and Antonio forgave her. They would be perfect. Ricardo, and everyone else, would never find out about Tia's true paternity, and they could be a happy little family, forgetting all of the secrets and lies between them. Everything negative could be hidden away and never recovered, and Antonio would love her and thier baby with all of his heart. It could be so amazing, Gabi thought to herself. But she knew that the chances of that happening were very slim. Even if by some miracle, Antonio forgave her and Ricardo didn't find out, then the secret that she had kept from him would always keep him from loving her fully, from trusting her completely. These thoughts were tearing her apart inside.

She lay there for hours before she fell into a hesitant slumber, imagining what was going through Antonio's mind as he lay in the next room, so close to her, yet so distant. But when she finally did fall asleep, it was no comfort. All through the night, her dreams were of what  her future would be without Antonio. Dreams of what Ricardo would do, of what would happen if she lost the baby, or something happened to Tia. Now that the threads had started to come unraveled, she couldn't help but wonder if there was some greater tragedy looming around the corner. She tossed and turned all through the night as the thoughts of her subconsious tortured her.
 
 
 

Antonio wasn't having much of an easier time finding sleep. He kept trying to figure it all out. He knew that Gabi, if anyone, had a reason to be insecure, after what had happened with her father and Ricardo, but he couldn't see what he had done to make her think that acting like she was having his child was the only way he would want to marry her. Admittadly, it had speeded up the process, but Antonio was positive, or at least he had been, that they would have found their way to each other eventually anyway. They were soul mates, they were meant to be. Or, he had thought so. Now he couldn't help but wonder if maybe she had arranged it to where Ricardo would watch that tape.

"She wouldn't do that." Antonio whispered into the darkness. Then again, he hadn't thought she would have passed someone else's child off for his own, but she had. He could rule nothing out now.

This insomnia was driving Antonio crazy. He was no where near sleep, but he couldn't get up. It might wake Tia, and then he would have to explain why he was staying in the guestroom instead of in his and Gabi's room. He wondered what she was doing. Was she dreaming, peacefully at rest, or was she awake, worrying, like him. Suddenly, he heard the answer to his unspoken question. The walls of the house were not too thick, it wasn't hard to hear through, and he could hear her now. She was crying out, like she was in horrible pain. The sound cut right through to the core of him.

Before he could even think of what he was doing, he was out the door, quietly slipping in to her room. He could make out her slender for by the moonlight that peirced the window by the bed. Curled up in fetal position, with the covers tossed about on the bed and floor like a hurricane had hit them, she looked so vulnerable. She was trembling slightly, as if somthing were frightening, and the need to protect her, to wake her up and tell her that everything was all right overwhelmed Antonio. He walked silently over to the edge of the bed and kneeled down to where he would have been able to look at her in the eye, if she had had hers open. But they were clenched shut, as where her hands that grasped the edge of the covers like they were a life preserver and she were a drowning woman.

"No, no, Antonio, please..." She called out, wrapped up in her dream, and he was shocked at the desperation in her voice when she whispered his name. She sounded so hurt, so very fragile. Once again unable to control what he was doing, he placed his arm around her shoulder, wanting to revive her from the nightmare she was so rapidly being pulled into. To his surprise, she grabbed onto the front of his shirt, burying her face into the warm material. In moments, the tears pouring from her eyes had all but soaked it. His breath caught as he moved to sit on the egde of the bed and hold her.

"Shhh." He whispered into her soft hair as he gentyl placed a kiss on the top of her head."Its okay, Gabi, shhh."

She made no movements suggesting that she had heard him, and she didn't wake up from the dream, but she moved into a more comfortable position, her tears begining to dry up. He felt his own eyes begin to tear up as he realized that if something wasn't worked out between them, he would never be able to comfort her, to hold her like this again. He loved her so much, he really didn't think he would be able to live without her.

The only problem was, he still felt betrayed. He couldn't even begin to work things out with her until he settled his own emotions about Tia. One thing he was certain of though, was that Tia had been his daughter, and always would, no matter who fathered her. He had raised her for all of her life, the past five years of his. Ricardo couldn't take that away.

There was still more to think about. Their new baby. His and Gabi's real child. Gabi, calmed by his presence, shifted around, resting her head on his chest. He took the change of postitions as an oppertunity and placeda hand on her stomach, where their baby was awaiting life. The tears  that had gethered in his eyes earlier spilled over as he imagined what that tiny being in her would be like when he or she joined them. Maybe it would be a boy, he thought. Mama would like that. A little boy to carry on the Torres name. Whatever it was, boy or girl, it would be beutiful, he knew. He lay there, holding his wife, treasuring every moment, taking it to imagine what life would be like if everything were different, just like Gabi  had been doing earlier.

Hours later, as the sun rose just beyond the shoreline that their house overlooked, Antonio untangled hismelf from her arms and slipped unknowingly out of the room. He wasn't going to let her know he had been here. He couldn't. That would mean to much of a step in the direction that he wasn't ready to head in right now. He looked back at her as he stood in the doorway. A small smile touched her face, and he wodered if she was dreaming of the same life he had been dreaming of.
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Gabi woke up at the same time she did every morning, and went in to fix breakfast. To her surprise, Antonio had already made the meal and was setting it out on the table.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to make breakfast. I hope you don't mind." He told her in the cold voice she still hadn't gotten used to. She didn't think she ever would.

"No, I don't. I'm glad you're up. There's something we need to talk about." She had tp get the subject of Ricardo cleared up.

"What would that be?" He said, still sounding inconcerned unconcerned as he set out the plates.

"Ricardo. Are you going to tell him about Tia?" He he looked up at her. She could see how much even the thought of telling Ricardo about his daughter pained him. She immediately regretted bringing up the subject, but what was done was done. And they did need to clear it up.

"Soon. I'll tell him soon. I just.....I can't...." She reached over and put a hand on his arm. To her relief, he didn't push it away.

"I understand, Antonio. I really do." He looked up at her and it broke her heart to see tears had formed in his eyes. He removed her hands roughly and turned his back on her.

"How can you possibly understand what I'm going through Gabi? I've lost my wife and my daughter. You can't understand what I'm feeling." He was so angry with her. Angry for turning every thing he had worked so hard at perfecting upside down.

"I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. I can't understand, but I can help you. If you'll let me, I  want to show you how sorry I am." She stood in front of his now, so close, he could fell her breath on his neck, her lips dangerously close to his. A chill ran through his body.  He could hardly stand the sensations running rampid through him. Without warning, he grabbed her and jammed thier mouths together. She was happy at first, he was kissing her, but when she tried to relax into the embrace, he only tightened his grip on her. He was hurting her. This was a passionate kiss, yes, but not a loving one. He was angry, and this was how he was releasing the anger. Throwing her against wall, he pressed her tiny body against his rougly grabbing her hair.

"Antonio!" She managed to get out his name in a frightened voice, but that didn't stop him. His hand was searching for the hem of her shirt, he wanted her so badly, but he was so angry, too. He wanted to have her, and to be able to punish her. Something inside of him screamed 'stop before you hurt her, you shouldn't be doing this to her' but he was too fargone to listen to his consience. All he could feel was that he wanted Gabi.

"Daddy, stop it!" Tia screamed, grabbing his leg. Antonio hadn't noticed her run up behind him, but he could hear the fear in her little voice now, and it was enough to tear him off of Gabi."Daddy, stop hurting Mommy! Stop it!"

Wild eyed, Antonio took a moment to catch his breath. Gabi chose then to bolt away. She couldn't believe this, what he had been about to do. Memories of her father doing teh same things, forcing himself on her, were set loose in her mind, and she had to get away. She took off, out of the room, out of the house, leaving Tia calling "Mommy" after her, and Antonio wondering what had happened.

"Daddy, whi were you hurting Mommy? Why did you make her cry." Tia couldn't stand this tension between her parents, or how differently her Daddy was acting. Right now he looked scary. She was almost afraid, but she knew her Daddy would never hurt her.

"I'm sorry, baby, I's so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt Mommy. Can you stay here and eat breakfast while I go find her?"

Tia nodded, wanting her parents to make up.
 
 

Antonio found Gabi sitting on the beach, cring softly into her hands. He came behind her and sat down. They sat there a minute, each waiting for the other to speak. Antonio finally broke the incomfortable silence between them.

"I'm sorry, Gabi. I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry." She turned to look up at him, tears making her big brown eyes glisten in the early morning sunlight."Can you ever forgive me?"

"I thought that was supposed to be my line." She asked wryly.

"We both did something horrible." Before he could change his mind, he charged ahead with what he had been planning on saying when he found her."Do you think we could both forgive each other?"

Gabi didn't know what to say. Last night, she had been dreaming of hearing those words. She had had the most amazing dream, in which he had come to her, and held her in the night. But she had woken up alone, and realize that a dream was all it had been.

"I want a chance to raise my baby. And Tia. I want us to start over fresh. With no lies." He wanted to reassure her that he did love her with all his heart, dispite the fact that he had come very close to hurting her in the worst possible way not long ago. He didn't want to be put in teh same catagory as her father, a man who had bitterly abused her. It would kill him to know she thought of him like that.

"No lies." She repeated, her tears returning."I would like that very much."

His eyes lit up with tears and he held her, feeling the moisture falling from his eyes mix with fresh tears of hers. This was all she's ever wanted. To be in Antonio's arms forever.

They finally moved from the sandy shorline, remembering that they had left a five year old alone in the house. When they returned, hand in hand, they found Maria and Lili waiting for them.

"Where have you be-" Maria stopped, seeing that Antonio and Gabi had walked in together."GIrls, why don't you go up to Tia's room and play?"

When the children were safely out of hearing range, Maria finished her first sentance.

"Where have you to been? Is everything....all right?" Gabi realized that Antonio must have told Maria about everything that had happened.

"Everything is fine, now." Antonio smiled down at Gabi, glad that it hadn't taken as long as he had expected to find forgiveness.

"What about....Ricardo?" Neither of them had even thought about him.

"We haven't talked about it yet. But would mind keeping this to yourself?" Antonio asked his sister, hoping she wouldn't press on the subject.

"Sure. I have to go, the girls need to get to daycare on time." Maria left then, with Lili and Tia, sensing that Gabi and Antonio needed time to talk about this. When they were gone, Antonio turned to his wife.

"Gabi.....would you mind if we....if we just...." He couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Didn't tell Ricardo?" She had been wanting to bring that up herself, but it was Antonio's place to decide, Ricardo was his brother.

"It would make verything so much simpler. Ricardo has worked hard to get his life back on track after he found out about us, and finding out he had a daughter would throw it back off. Mama would die, and probable go back to hating you, Tia wouldn't know who to call Daddy, and-"

"Antonio, you don't have to convince. I want Tia to grow up with you as her father, not Ricardo. I won't  let him find out if you want it that way." She was so glad that Antontio had forgiven her that she would have agreed to anything he asked of her. She reached up to hug him, wanting to keeo him close until the day that she died.
 
 
 

Months later, Gabi was sitting on a blanket at the beach, watching Antonio and Tia playing together in the water. One hand held the novel she was reading, and the other rested on her swollen stomach. Everything was wonderful now. It wasn't perfect, but it was as close as she could hope. Something important had been lost when Antonio had uncovered her secret, something that Gabi doubted they would ever recover. She missed whatever it was that had been lost, but her life was as good as she dared to wish for. Neither of them mentioned what had happened before, and they both tried thier hardest to forget. It was impossible to erase every memory of the hurt, but they did thier best to forgive.

"Hey. Good book?" Antonio sat down beside her, wrapping a soake arm around her shoulder.

"Antonio! You're all wet!!." She wriggled away, but he held on, not letting go. After a few seconds, she gave up, and setled into his arms. Being close to him won out over getting wet. Antonio bent down to kiss her stomach, where they're baby was kicking restlessly, ready to join the world. It would have to wait about a few weeks, though Gabi was just as ready to have the baby. This child was giving her a much harder time than Tia had. There were no major problems, she just felt more uncomfortable. Not that she minded very much. It was Antonio's baby, and she wouldn't give it up for anything.

"So, how is the mommy doing?" Antonio had been very protective of her throughout this preganacy. HE barely let her do anything, convinced that any hard work would but the baby at risk, despite Tyus' confirmation that it wouldn't.

"Just fine." She smiled as he leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

Antonio couldn't believe how happy he was. He might have lost some of his trust in Gabi, but the fact that they were still together just added more of his faith in thier love. Tia was still his child, even if not by blood, but he felt that this baby, his and Gabi's baby, would make everything right.

Their love could get through any obstacle that life could throw at them.
 

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