Troy pulled into the drive way of his Albuquerque house, and got out of his car. He hadn't been here for seven years. He looked around his neighborhood wondering who did and did not still live there. Then he saw a familiar face, three doors down, he spotted his best friend, Chad Danforth.
"Troy?!" Chad yelled from his front lawn, and when he realized it was him, he ran over. "Troy! It is you! Long time no see, man!"
"Hey Chad!" Troy couldn't help, but laugh at his old friend…he hadn't changed a bit. "God, I've missed this place."
"And this place has missed you!" Chad said. They walked on the front porch and sat down on the banister that surrounded the porch. "And the people in this place have missed you."
"So, are you and Taylor still together?" Troy asked. So much must have happened in seven years, and he missed it all.
"Yeah! We're still together…getting married next summer." Chad explained.
"Congrats man!" Troy exclaimed. The questions went back and forth for the next hour. Then a thought hit Troy.
"Does Gabriella still live here?" he needed to know. Gabby had been the love of his life, and he let her just walk away…forever.
"Yeah, same house." Chad answered as if the question had no importance at all.
"I have to see her." Troy jumped off the banister and was ready to walk to Gabby's house, but Chad stopped him.
"Troy, I don't think that's such a good idea. Not after what happened at Graduation." Chad took his friend back onto the porch. Troy sat on the banister and thought.
FLASHBACK:
It was June. They had just graduated. They were finally free. Troy looked over at his girlfriend since sophomore year Gabriella. She was gorgeous.
"Gabby, come take a walk with me." Troy took her hand, she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. They walked to the park where they spent most of their time together, just talking. Talking about school, them, and their future together.
"Why are we here Troy?" Gabby asked. It wasn't that she minded being here, she loved this place, but there was something odd about the way Troy had been acting.
"Gabby, I have to tell you something." he said slowly and seriously.
"What is it?" Gabby asked, she was starting to get worried.
"Ok, so I got a call today, but it wasn't one of my collages. It was the coach of the New York Knicks." he took a deep breath before he said the next part. "They want me to play for them." Gabby had stopped walking, but Troy still held both of her hands.
"Play for them? In New York?" the words hadn't sunk in yet, but then she suddenly realized what was happening. Her chocolate brown eyes filled with tears. "You're moving."
"Yes, Gabby, I'm moving." Troy hated to see her cry. He tried to comfort her, but she let go of his hands. Gabby couldn't think of anything else, so she ran. She ran and didn't look back.
END OF FLASHBACK.
"I have to see her, Chad. I love her so much. I couldn't stand being without her." Troy explained helplessly. Remembering what happened that night had almost made him cry.
"Troy, I'm not going to stop you, but I'm just saying she might not want to see you." Chad said. "I have to get back to my house. I suggest going to see her now."
"Ok. I'm going to." Troy said, and he watched Chad walk off the porch and down the street to his house. He got in his car, and drove to Gabriella's house. He parked in front of the house, and looked at it. It was exactly how he remembered it.
He went up to the front down, and knocked. After a minute or so, the door opened, and a little girl with big blue eyes and curly dark brown hair stood looking up at him.
"Hi!" the girl said excitedly.
"Hi. Is your mommy home?" Troy asked the little girl.
"Yes. Hold on." she said to him, and then went to the bottom of the steps and yelled, "MOMMY! SOMEONE IS AT THE DOOR FOR YOU!"
"Who is----?" Gabriella came down the steps a minute later, and stopped in her tracks at the bottom. "Troy?"
"Yes…it's me." He said to her. He still stood on the front porch.
"Sweetie, could you please go upstairs and play in your room?" she asked the blue eyed girl.
"Sure, Mommy!" she answered, and ran up the stairs. Gabby stood still until she heard the door slam.
"What are you doing here, Troy?" she motioned for him to come in. They walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down.
"I'm back in town, and I…I…I needed to see you." Troy said to her. "She's beautiful by the way. How old is she?"
"She's six." Gabby answered.
"What's her name?" Troy asked.
"Emma. Emma Claire." Gabby's eyes met with his.
FLASHBACK:
Gabby and Troy lay under the stars on a blanket in the park.
"I like the name Grace." Gabby said. They were talking about the future. Their future.
"Hmm…It's ok. I like the name Emma. Emma Claire." Troy suggested.
"I love it." Gabby rolled over onto her side and kissed Troy.
"Emma Claire Bolton. I like it." Troy said and kissed her again. Gabby giggled.
END OF FLASHBACK.
"Who's the dad? Do I know him?" Troy asked.
"You know him better than you think." Gabby said to him.
"What are you talking about?" Troy asked, clueless.
"You're her dad, Troy." she told him.
"When? How?" Troy stumbled for words.
"April fourteenth. My birthday. Seven years ago." Gabby was very serious right now.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Troy whispered.
"I wanted to tell you Troy! I was going to, when we were in the park, but then you said you were moving…" Gabby's voice became shaky remembering that night. "You said you were moving, going to play basketball for the Knicks. I couldn't ruin your dream by telling you I was pregnant with your baby! So, I ran, and you didn't come back." Gabby's eyes were filled with tears; just like they were the night he left. Troy wanted to wrap his arms around her to comfort her, but he didn't. He was the one that hurt her.
"Gabby, if you would have told me, I would have stayed." he took her hand, and he noticed one thing…she was still wearing his ring.
"But Troy, I didn't want you to throw away your dreams for me! You deserved better than that!" Gabby cried.
"You raised her all by yourself?" Troy asked her. Gabby was capable of raising Emma by herself, but Troy would have never imaged she would have to.
"My mom stayed and helped me the first two years, but then she left to live with my aunt. I've been raising her ever since. My mom wanted me to go with her, but I couldn't leave; I had to stay." Gabby explained with tears streaming down her face.
"Why did you stay, Gabby?" Troy asked. He didn't understand why she wouldn't have wanted to get away from the place where her one true love had broken her heart.
"I stayed because I…I…I was hoping, praying that you would come back some day." Gabby whispered quietly.
"Gabby, a day didn't go by that I didn't think about you, that I didn't not dream of coming back." Troy said to her. "Does Emma know who I am?"
"Yes. Of course she knows who you are! I've told her stories about you, showed her pictures, and she has watched every game you have ever played." Gabby wiped her tears away. "And on March 16th, her birthday, do you know what she wishes for?"
"What?" he asked curiously.
"She wishes that you'd come back. That you would come back and find her. Every year her wish doesn't come true, but she has never given up hope." Gabby said to Troy.
"I'm not leaving again, Gabby. I'm not letting you walk out of my life…not again." Troy said with sincerity, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. "I love you, Gabriella. I never stopped." His baby blue eyes met with hers. I soft smile appeared on her face.
"I love you too, Troy." she said to him. She couldn't help, but smile right now.
"Can I meet her?" Troy asked her, referring to Emma.
"Yes…let me get her." she stood up and went to the bottom of the steps. "Emma. Emma, sweetie. Come down stairs, someone wants to meet you." They heard the pitter-patter of little feet from upstairs, and Emma came running down the steps. She jumped into Gabby's arms and laughed.
"Is it really Daddy?" Emma whispered in Gabby's ear.
"Yes, sweet heart, it is." Gabby whispered back. Emma's smile got even bigger. They walked into the living room, where Troy stood. Gabby put Emma down. She stood there for a minute, deciding what to do, and then she ran towards Troy. She wrapped her arms around his legs. Troy picked her up, and held her in his arms.
"I love you, Daddy." she said to him. Troy kissed her forehead.
"I love you too, Emma." Troy whispered to her. They went and sat down on the couch. Gabby sat down, too. Emma sat in between Troy and Gabriella. "Gabby, there is something I have wanted to do for a long time…" he leaned over and kissed her…and she kissed him back. Troy got up off the couch, and Gabby put Emma on her lap. "Also, there is something else."
"What is it?" Gabby asked curiously. Troy pulled out a black box and got down on one knee.
"Gabriella, I have loved you since the minute I met you. You are the love of my life. While I was gone, All I did was think about you. I can't live without you, Gabby. Will you marry me?" Troy asked Gabby, whose eyes were filled with tears again.
"YES! Yes Troy!" she cried and they kissed once more. He got back on the couch and held Emma. The sat there together, Troy, Gabby, and Emma. After seven years, they were finally together. Finally a family.