A Moment of Breath
Troy and Gabriella are both 21 they have a daughter Noël, who is 2 years and 9 months old. Gabriella is 6 months pregnant, but they don't know the sex, they want it to be a surprise until the baby is born. They got married at the age of 19, so they have been married for 2 years. Troy is in the army and he has to go to war. Even though all he wants is to stay with his family. He only had 2 months left in the army, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to war.
"Baby don't cry I'm coming back in 2 months, or maybe less."
"But Troy I want you here with me and Noël, and what if you aren't here when the baby comes"
He kissed her forehead. "I will be"
"But I want you here now" she looked in to his eyes, with tears storming out.
"Baby I'll come back to you again I promise" he kissed her passionately and touched her belly. "You have to stay in there until daddy comes home again." Gabriella cried harder, just like Noël.
"Daddy don't leave me" Troy got down on his knees, so he could face Noël.
"Princess I'll come back to you, I promise you that" he kissed her, and gave her a hug, as he felt his jacket beginning to get wet from her tears.
"Baby you have to let go."
"No." she cried harder.
"Noël look at me" she looked up and met his eyes.
"I love you, but you have to let me go" she nodded and gave him a kiss. "I love you too"
Troy stood up and looked at both of them, before he walked out. Knowing this could actually be the last time he ever saw them. He wiped away his tears before he gave the house one last glance.
2 weeks later
"Mommy?"
"Yes Hunnie?" Gabriella said looking down at her 2 year old daughter.
"Is daddy coming back again?"
Gabriella looked down, not wanting to answer this question, but knew she had to. "Yes he is" she said knowing it might be a lie. The phone rang and Gabriella rushed over to it.
"Hello"
"Hey baby, you miss me?" Gabriella's face lightened up as she heard Troy's voice.
"Of course I miss you, I wish you were home now"
"Me too, but hey I'm fine, and nothing happened to me"
"Daddy?" Noël said as she could here Troy's voice on the phone.
"Brie give Noël the phone" Gabriella did as Troy said and handed the phone to Noël.
"DADDY!" she screamed.
"Hey angel."
"Daddy when are you coming home?" she said in a sad tone, with her little soft voice. That made Troy get tears in his eyes.
"Soon, I miss you so much."
"Miss you too"
"You being a good girl to mommy?"
"Uh Huh"
"Good that's my girl, baby I love you." he kissed in to the phone and Noël did the same. "I love daddy too."
God how Troy missed her, he just wished he could be there for his little girl. "Baby can you give mommy the phone?"
"Bye daddy" Noël said handing the phone to Gabriella.
"You know she really misses you and so do I"
"And I miss both of you too, but just keep waiting for me I promise I'll come home again. Sorry Babe I have to go. Love you. Bye" He hung up before Gabriella could say another word.
Noël looked at Gabriella with a sad face. "Mommy I want daddy"
"Me too bunny, me too" she walked over and hugged her little girl who cried in to her arms.
A month later with Troy
"Hey what's your name?" Troy asked one of the other soldiers. He knew he probably wasn't going back in about 2 weeks, so why not get to know some of the others.
"Jim, what's yours?"
"Troy, you think we'll come home in 2 weeks?"
"To be honest no, it looks really bad here"
"Yeah I know what you mean, you have kids?"
"Not yet, but my wife is pregnant"
"How far?"
"5 months you have any children?"
"Yes a daughter. She is almost 3 years old and my wife is almost 8 months pregnant"
"Wow, you afraid you won't be there when the baby comes?"
"Totally! I'm afraid we are stuck here for a long time, I'm afraid that I won't see my second child get born, and be there for my daughters 3 year old birthday."
"Wow, it must be hard to be away from them."
"It is and especially from my daughter, 'cause she don't know why I'm gone all the time, and we can't tell her that I may not come back. And it's hard for my wife to put on a good face for her, when she knows she may not see me again."
"What are their names?"
"My wife's Gabriella and my daughter's Noël"
"That is beautiful names, my wife's Haley."
"Bolton, Davis over here" somebody called for them. Troy rushed up, but dropped a picture, which Jim picked up.
"Hey you coming." Troy asked looking back at Jim.
"Is this them?" Jim asked looking at the picture. "It felt out of your pocket." he handed the picture to Troy.
"Yeah it's them" he said looking at them with a sad face.
"They are beautiful."
"Thank you"
A week later
Gabriella kept thinking that Troy probably was coming home in a week, but didn't want to get her hopes up, if he wasn't. And she hadn't said anything to Noël knowing if she did and he didn't show up, it would break her heart.
Noël touched Gabriella's stomach. "Baby" "Yep sweetie baby is in there" she took her hands and placed all four hands on her stomach, as Noël was sitting on her lap.
"Oh" Noël said as she felt the baby kicking. "Well Hunnie it's your brother or sister who is kicking pretty bad in there. You want a sister or brother."
"I don't know, what do you want?"
"I don't know baby"
"What does daddy want?"
"I don't know, I don't think he minds whether it's a boy or a girl."
"Then I don't mind" Gabriella smiled at her, she really looked up to her dad.
"When baby born?"
"I don't know, maybe in a week, maybe a month"
"Big sister" Noël said smiling that cute smile of hers, which she had definitely gotten from Troy.
"Yep sweetie you're going to be a big sister" she kissed her forehead. "I love you"
"Love you too" she kissed her mother's cheek and ran in to her room.
Gabriella looked out the window and saw a police car outside. Thinking this isn't good. There was a knocking on the door and Gabriella opened it.
"Mrs. Bolton?"
"Yes that's me"
"Well I have some sad news for you"
"No" Gabriella burst out in tears. "No I don't wanna hear it."
"I'm sorry they were on their way home, when their plane crashed down. Some of them died and some of them are missing. We don't know if your husband is alive or not yet, but if he is, he won't be for long, alone out there is really dangerous." Gabriella cried harder. "I'm sorry." he walked out leaving a crying Gabriella on the doorstep.
"Mommy, mommy" Noël yelled as she ran out to Gabriella.
"Mommy why you crying?" Gabriella hugged her not wanting to let her go.
"Mommy don't cry I'm here" Gabriella couldn't say anything all she did was cry.
This wasn't true, Troy wasn't dead. He wasn't. He was alive, she knew it. And he would come back to her. Gabriella felt her clothes get wet under her and knew it was time. No not now it's too soon. This can't be happening. Gabriella got upstairs holding Noël's hand and changed clothes. She packed a bag for her, Noël and the baby. She had to do this, with or without Troy. Even though she kept telling herself it was too early. She wasn't even 8 months pregnant. It was 5 weeks too early. 5 weeks. The baby wasn't supposed to get out now. But she had to get to the hospital soon. She helped Noël in the car and got in to the driver's seat and drove off.
At the hospital
"Can I help you?" a lady at the desk asked.
"Yes, my water broke. And I'm going to have my baby really soon"
"Oh" She called for someone, and a nurse with a wheelchair came.
"Hi I'm Alyson"
"Gabriella" she said in pain.
"Well take a seat" and Gabriella sat down in the wheelchair and picked Noël up on her lap. They were driving down the hall when..
"Troy"
"Troy?" Gabriella looked backwards hopefully. But to her disappointment it was another girl which had a boyfriend called Troy. She wiped away a tear as she thought of him.
In the room
"Mommy you okay?" she asked nervous as she looked at Gabriella.
"Sweetie, mommy is going to give birth to your sister or brother soon." she said smiling.
"Baby?"
"Yeah you are going to see the baby really soon"
Gabriella picked up her phone and dialed her mum. She had to get someone to take care of Noël. And 5 minutes later her mom came in the room.
"Oh Hunnie you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine"
"What about Troy, shouldn't he be home by now?"
"Daddy home now?" Noël asked looking up.
"Nice work mom." she said sarcastic.
"What did I do?"
"Just take Noël with you out of here; I don't want her to see me like this"
She nodded in understanding. "Sweetie come here." Noël walked over to her grandma, but looked up at Gabriella. "Mommy I don't wanna leave you."
"Come here." she walked over to the bed and Gabriella gave her a hug and kissed her.
"Sweetie I'll be fine, I'm okay. And when you see me again, baby will be here too"
"Baby?"
"Yes baby will be here too, but you have to go with Grandma now." she nodded in understanding and walked out.
"Gabriella come on push."
"No I can't" she said crying.
"Yes you can, do it for me" Troy smiled at her.
"Troy I can't, I need you"
"Baby I'll come back to you, but you have to do this. For me"
"But.."
"Baby you can do this" he faded away.
"Troy?"
"Yes it's a boy, Gabriella you got a boy"
"A boy?"
"Yes" the doctor handed him to Gabriella. And Gabriella started crying tears of happiness. "My little boy" but she couldn't stop looking at the spot where Troy had been only a few seconds ago. Was it really just something she imagined, or was he really with her somehow?
"Gabriella's mum and Noël walked in."
"Baby." Noël said and crawled up in the bed to Gabriella.
"Yes sweetie it's baby, it's your little brother"
"A boy?" her mum asked.
"Yes mum it's a boy" she said smiling.
"Have you got a name for him?"
"Well we never thought of anything, so I don't know"
"Hmm, well I'll let you be alone with them."
"Thanks mum."
The door closed and Gabriella looked down at both of her children, now all she wanted was Troy. Noël kissed his cheek.
"He's cute" Gabriella smiled at her. "Yeah he's cute like you."
"What do you think we should name him?"
"I don't know" she looked at Gabriella.
"Hmm, what about Alexander Troy Bolton"
"Daddy?"
"Sweetie, daddy's name is Troy Alexander Bolton"
"Okay" Gabriella knew she couldn't tell the difference, but Gabriella wanted to give him all of Troy's name, in case he wasn't ever coming back.
The nurse walked in. "Well Gabriella I have to get his weight and height , I don't think you should worry even though it's over a month too early, 'cause he looks healthy"
"Good" Gabriella handed him to the nurse.
"Well he's 19 inches and he weights 5,5 pounds. In a week or so, he'll begin to get his normal weight"
"Good." he began crying. "Well I guess he wants his mommy," she handed him to Gabriella and he stopped crying. "Well I guess so."
A month later
Still no sight of Troy. Gabriella thought the worse thing had happened, but in her heart, she could still feel him. Like if he wasn't gone.