Gabriella and Cody layed in bed with each other. Gabriella pecked his lips, "Do you love me?" Cody smiled, "Of course I do.. you and Emily mean the world to me." Gabriella smiled cuddling into him. "I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow." she sighed, Cody tilted her chin, "hey, I'll be back in a few months, then you, me, and emily will have christmas together.." she smiled softly, "you promise?" he nodded, "Absoultey." he pecked her lips.
Gabriella smiled, "I'll write to you every day." Cody smiled, bringing her lips to his and pecking them gently. Suddenly a baby cried, they sighed, "I'll get her..." Gabriella smiled, watching as her boyfriend went to the corner of the studio apartment they occupied and picked up an 8 month old baby girl with bright green eyes.
"Hey Emily..." he cooed, cradling her back and forth, it's fine...I know you're gonna miss me...I'm gonna miss you too." Gabriella suddenly got an idea, crawling out of bed, she dug through the photo albums, picking out a picture of her and Emily. She pulled it out, "Hey baby," she walked over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist, showing him the picture, "how's this for a good luck charm? We're with you everyday you're over there." Cody smiled, "I'd love that," Cody smiled, taking the picture from her and giving Emily to her. He looked down at the picture, looking at Gabriella again, "I'll keep it...always."
It's been three weeks since his been gone, and he hasen't contacted Gabriella since then. she was starting to get worried. he wouldn't answer her letters or anything. she sighed and the phone rang, but what she didn't know, this phone call was gonna change her life forever.
she answered the phone, "hello.." "Miss Montez?" Gabriella nodded, "yes this is she." The man on the other line sighed, "I'm sorry to inform you that your boyfriend Cody Correl was killed." Gabriella's heart broke, and tears began to fall from her eyes, and she dropped the phone and began sobbing. she carried herself to the couch and cried and cried. she hated her life now so much, she lost the love of her life. she hated this so much. and now, she had to raise emily alone.
A month had passed and Gabriella had not got over the tragic death of her boyfriend. she sighed strapping in Emily in the carrier, "I'm sorry baby..I miss daddy too.." she carried the carrier, and her purse out and walked downstairs calling for a cabi. when the cabi pulled up she opened the back door and got in. the guy looked at her, he thought she was the most beautiful girl he ever laid his eyes on. she sighed, "can you take me to Jefferson lane?"
The guy, with his peircing blue eyes, stared at her through the rearview mirror. "Yeah...sure, uh...she strapped in?" Gabriella looked at Emily and nodded, she looked so much like her father it wasn't even funny. She sighed, nodding. The guy smirked, looking back out the windsheild and slowly pulled away from the curb. Traffic wasn't the lightest, it was congested on the interstate. The driver sighed, bored, "hey uh mind if I turn on the radio or something?" Gabriella shrugged, "yeah...go for it..." honestly, she didn't care. The radio turned on, the station was 87.7-mozart. Gabriella looked at him, "I thought most cab drivers listened to rap music?" he smirked, looking at her through the rearview, "ehh I guess I'm a weird one then eh?"
Gabriella smiled, "Different is good I guess." he smiled at her and kept driving, he looked back at the sleeping infant, "what's her name?" Gabriella sighed, "Emily Renee Correl." Troy smiled and looked at the infant then at Gabriella, "She's beautiful..like you." Gabriella blushed, "Thanks..I think she mostly looks like her father." Gabriella said holding back her tears. god she missed him so much. Troy noticed this, "Is something wrong?" she shook her head, "It's just...I lost my boyfriend...her father..in Iraq..he got killed out there, and I'm not really over it.."
Troy frowned, "well hey, I'm sorry to hear that...but hey got to look on the bright side right?" Gabriella looked at him, her eyebrows knitting together, her eyes narrowing in cnfusion. "Bright side? Can't I just pollish the dull side?" Troy chuckled, "yeah I guess...but focus on the positive." Gabriella looked at him, "what's that?" He sighed, turning in his seat; screw the fact that traffic started moving.
"the fact that you have a beautiful daughter...and she needs you now more than ever." Gabriella sighed, rubbing her temples, "that's positive?" Troy chuckled, "in a way, I just have a big family...lots of sisters and brothers...I know what you feel to take care of kids. I'm the oldest." "how old are you?" "26." Gabriella nodded, biting her lip, "25." Troy nodded earnestly, "ah, anyway, I should get moving, traffic looks angry." Gabriella turned in her seat, seeing the bunch of angry drivers behind them. For some reason, she blushed. Troy thought red looked good on her, "so...Jefferson Lane?" she nodded, Troy gripped the steering wheel tightly, "I'll get you there in half the time- I got my second job to get to." He stepped on the gas and pedaled down the street. "Uhm I'm Gabriella...by the way." He looked in the rearview mirror, smirking, "Troy."
TGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTG
The next day Gabriella woke up and turned to her side. she sighed, she knew cody wasen't coming back. she slipped out of bed and went into the kitchen, to find nothing to eat. she sighed as she walked into Emily's room and picked up the infant, "come on baby..we need to go to walmart." Gabriella got herself and emily dressed quickly, and rushed to walmart.
As Gabriella pushed her buggy around walmart grabbing some food off the shelfs. then going into the toy isle. Emily began fussing and reaching her arms out to the big stuffed lion king simba. Gabriella smiled, "You want the lion?" Emily kept reaching out for it. Gabriella giggled jumping up on her tippy toes trying to reach for it, but couldn't make it. she sighed and looked over and saw a worker around her age and walked over to him and tapped on his shoulder, "excuse me-" then she gasped, "Troy..what are you doing here? are you stalking me?"
He smirked, "uhm no...I work here. Second job." Gabriella looked around, "so you're not just a cab driver?" Troy chuckled, and turned back to stacking stuffed pink and blue bears on the shelf. They toppled and shifted, Troy sighed as he watched them fall on the floor. "Damn it...third time that happened..." he bent over to pick them up, Gabriella sighed bending down and helping him. "Thanks but you don't have to do this..." "Yeah i know...I want to and uh I think Emily wants a bear." Troy looked up at little girl in the cart, she was holding a stuffed bear with it's paw in her mouth. He chuckled, "all hers."
Gabriella smiled, "Thanks..I think she'll appreciate that.." Troy smiled, for some odd reason, when their eyes connected, they couldn't help but have sparks shoot up them. Troy smiled, "umm do you need help with anything?' he asked scratching behind his neck. she sighed, "hmm, well now that I remember, Emily was wanting that simba up there, But it seems like I'm to short to reach it.." Gabriella giggled.
Troy smiled lifting up and grabbing it gently and giving it to Gabriella. Gabriella smiled, looking into his eyes, "Thank you.." she said, god she loved his eyes.
Troy smiled, "yeah well...anytime.." their eyes connected once more. It seemed like the whole world blurred, it was just them; they seemed to have been in a trance with each other's eyes because when Troy's phone went off, they both jumped. Troy cleared his throat answering it, "Hey Sel, what's up?" Gabriella jumped when she heard the screeching voice of what sounded like a 17 year old. Troy winced, "just make dinner for them...they calm down with food-Sel, I'm working..."
Selena sighed, "Please come here and calm them down, there driving me nuts! I'm about to have a panic melt down and it will be your fault if I get put into a syco ward!" Troy sighed, "Selena, I can't take off work..you'll be fine, Mom & Dad should be home soon, so chill out..bye.." he hung up and Gabriella laughed, "she doesn't like babysitting I assume.." Troy nodded smiling, "could you figure?" she nodded laughing, "how many sibilings do you have?" he smiled, "well there's me, selena I was on the phone with, and we have 6 other sibilings...Nick and Frankie, the 5 year old twins, Alexis and Maree who are 10 and 12, and Lenna who will be 11 and Joey who will be 13, Selena is 17, and me the oldest, is 26." Gabriella smiled, "Wow, I'm glad my mom only had two kids."
Troy smiled, "It's nerve wrecking at times, but I learn to handle it.." she smiled about to speak then Emily began crying. Gabriella turned to her little girl. "sweetie what's wrong?" Emily pointed to her tummy which assumes that she was hungry. Gabriella smiled, "you hungry?" Emily nodded with a smiled and pointed at Troy, showing that she wanted him to come with. smart baby. gabriella smiled at Troy, "I think she likes you.."
Troy smiled, "Well I feel special," he teased, Gabriella giggled; picking up Emily and grabbing a bottle from her purse. Troy sighed, "uhm I should uh get back to work...so..." Gabriella looked up at him, biting her lip. In some ways he reminded her of Cody, Troy cleared his throat, pointing a thumb over his finger, "uhm...so I should-" "would you like to have lunch with me and Emily?" Troy looked at her, his face speechless, Gabriella bit her lip and chewed her inner cheek. Great, he probably thinks I'm crazy, she thought.
Troy smiled biting his lower lip, "umm.. could you wait 15 more minutes?" he asked scratching the back of his neck nervously. Gabriella looked at emily, "what do you say em, can you wait 15 more minutes.." The little girl just smiled at Gabriella. Gabriella looked at Troy, "looks like an yes to me." Troy smiled, "well I'll meet you around front in fifteen minutes when I get off." Gabriella nodded, "alrighty."
As Gabriella checked out, and lifted Emily out of the buggy and sat on the bench. Gabriella wanted to get emily to walk so bad so she wouldn't always carry her anymore, which she's not complaining but she wants emily to be able to walk pretty soon. Gabriella attempted her to try walking, "come on em..you can do it.." emily tried to walk a few steps but failed and landed on her butt. Gabriella sighed picking up emily and Troy walked over smirking, "Trying to teach her to walk.." Gabriella sighed, "attempted but failed.." she smiled, "you off now?" Troy nodded, "you ready to eat.." Gabriella nodded, "yes.. are we gonna be taking your cabby, or do you have a car of your own?" she smirked.
Troy laughed, "funny, actually I borrowed my dad's personal ride and by that I mean if he finds out that I took it out he'll kill me-hey don't look at me like that, apartments are spendy so I live with mom and dad." Gabriella giggled, picking Emily up and following Troy. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the red and black Harley parked in the staff parking lot, she blubbered and stuttered, "uhmm wow...a motorcycle." Troy chuckled, "yeah...why? Never been on one before?" Gabriella sighed and looked at Emily, "once...with Cody...and Emily was still in me at the time."
Troy sighed, "It's safe, I swear.. I'm a good driver." he said going over to it and picking up the helmet. Gabriella looked at Emily and put her in the carrier on the motorcycle. Troy handed her the helmet. she straped it under her chin, Troy smiled, she narrowed her eyes, "what's so funny?" he chuckled, "Your cute with that helmet on." she blushed, "shut up." he smiled and he put his legs over the bike with Gabriella holding her arms around his waist. "are you sure this is safe?" Troy nodded, "Your safe with me." she blushed as they took off to the restruant.
