As the weeks went by, a few more children began to come to the Foundling Home. Gabriella and the children welcomed them all with opened arms. All the children took turns with chores. Gabriella never showed any favoritism to any children, everyone took turns with different chores. Gabriella, herself, worked all over the house herself. Children came in and went sometimes when they met a family who wanted to adopt them into their own. It was always sad to see them go but Gabriella knew that it was the best as they were going to a new permanent home with loving parents. Stuart came by every night and helped get all the children to bed. Most nights he would stay and have a late night cup of tea with Gabriella.
Right now, Gabriella and her mother were getting ready to chaperone their church's youth group gathering. Belle-Anne and Karen were in the group but their brothers were not quite old enough so they were spending the day with Stuart riding bikes and fishing. Almost all the women eight and over were considered chaperones for the youth group and were all putting the finishing touches on the gathering place.
"Make sure you keep those boys safe, Stuart McGrady." Gabriella told the man.
"Yes, Ma'am." Stuart agreed tipping his hat to her. "Will you be up for a gentleman caller this evening?"
"I'll have a cup of tea waiting for you."
Minutes later, the gathering had started in the gathering place. David and Alicia were members of the youth group and were socializing with their friends and having a good time. Gabriella and her mother served the punch. Betty was walking around the group ensuring that there was adequate space between a boy and a girl. Margaret was helping keep score for the ping pong tournament.
"How are things going between you and Stuart, Dear?" Carmen asked Gabriella.
"They are going fine, Mother." Gabriella answered. "We are taking things nice and slow."
"Will your father and I be expecting to start planning a wedding anytime soon?"
"Mother, please. Why can't you understand that I am not ready to move on completely from Troy yet." Gabriella explained.
"How does Stuart feel about this? You do know that he might not wait around forever."
"Stuart is being very patient with me; he understands that I am moving on from unimaginable heartbreak. Please stop trying to push me to go at a faster pace with him."
"I'm sorry, but I only want you to be happy and you are with Stuart, I don't want you to get hurt if he decides he's tired of waiting for you to get over Troy."
"Mother, Stuart and I have talked about this and he told me that he was not going anywhere so it is going to be alright." Gabriella said as she kissed her mother's cheek. "Thank you for watching out for me though."
"I think that would be an excellent idea for Dominion Day." Margaret stated to another chaperone getting their attention.
"What would be a great idea?" Carmen asked as she and Gabriella joined her.
"Marjorie was just telling me that we should have canoeing at the Dominion Day picnic for the youth." Margaret said as Betty caught the conversation.
"Canoes for the youth?" she asked in shock as Gabriella went back to serving the punch to a line that had now formed at the table. "No that is absolutely unacceptable. That is only an excuse for a boy and a girl to be alone with each other in inappropriate closeness."
"Well, I think it's a great idea as well." Carmen agreed as the youth group was also stating their agreement. "It's something new and it will allow them to be away from the younger children for awhile."
"I don't agree with it either." Rachel Scott, an elderly town resident stated. "I say we take a vote to see whether we have it or not."
"I agree." Betty replied. "All those against having canoes at the picnic raise your hand."
Ten women raised their hands. Betty and Carmen began to count the hands. Most of the women with their hands in the air were the older women who believed in the traditional way of life that male and female should have one chaperone with them at all time when they were alone.
"All those in favor?" Carmen asked.
Ten more women raised their hands. This group was mainly made up of the moderate to younger generation of the women of town. Carmen and Betty counted once again. They looked at each other trying to figure out what they should do since they were split right down the middle. Suddenly, they heard someone's feet shuffling as they tried to make their way through the gathered crowd.
"Excuse me." Gabriella said as she pushed her way though and raised her hand.
"Eleven." Carmen announced happily.
"Do we even have a canoe?" David asked his mother.
"It's up in the barn; we'll have your father get it down this weekend." Carmen answered.
That evening, Gabriella got the tea ready as Stuart was putting the children to bed. While she had time to herself, Gabriella walked over to a drawer and pulled it open. She took out a picture. It was of Troy. He had it specifically taken just for her when he started being away for long periods of times so she could look at him when he was away from her.
"I don't know what to do, Troy." Gabriella whispered sadly.
"Gabriella?" Margaret asked knocking on the back door.
"Aunt Meg, what are you doing here?" Gabriella asked putting the picture back in the drawer. "What are you doing here?"
"You left your gloves at the gathering place and your mother asked me to stop by and give them to you. Are you alright, dear?"
"I'm just so confused about everything with Troy and Stuart. My head tells me that it's alright to move on and be with Stuart but my heart is saying no that I can't be with anyone but Troy."
"Ella, sometimes you have to do things you think you could never do. Troy is gone and we do have to accept that now. Stuart is a good man and Troy would be happy to know that someone loves you and cares for you just as he did." Margaret explained.
"But why is it so difficult?"
"It's just the way life is for us sometime."
"Mother thinks that I need to move on or else I am going to lose Stuart."
"Well, it is your life, not your mother's. We all may have different viewpoints of what we want you to do but we all agree that we only want you to be happy."
"What about you?"
"I think that you should move on and at the pace you are most comfortable with and not move faster or slower when someone else tells you to, it's your life not theirs."
"Who wants me to move slower? Everyone I know wants me move quicker than I am now."
"Betty wants you to move even slower, you know how close she was to Troy. I think it is heartbreak for her to see you with someone else, especially since you both do not have that chance for closure with seeing Troy being buried." Margaret explained. "But whatever you do decide, you have all of my support."
"Thank you, Aunt Margaret." Gabriella said as she hugged her tightly, grateful for all the things she said.
"I have to get going, I will see you tomorrow."
"Alright, thank you for stopping by and returning my gloves."
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow sometime."
"Goodnight."
Once her aunt was gone, Gabriella began to make the tea for her and Stuart. The words of her aunt echoed inside her head. She truly did love Troy and she was beginning to see that people were right; he would not want her wasting away pining for him when he could no longer be there for her and would truly be happy that she had met someone who would take care of her as he would. Gabriella looked down at the ring on her finger and slowly began to take it off her finger and then placing it into the drawer with Troy's picture.
"Goodbye, Troy." she whispered tearfully as she closed the drawer.
"Is the tea ready?" Stuart asked coming into the kitchen.
"Almost." Gabriella said as she cleared her throat.
"Is everything alright?" Stuart asked seeing the tears pooling in Gabriella's eyes.
"I'm fine; I just got something in my eyes."
"Ok."
The next weekend was Dominion Day. The whole town was at the picnic and having a good time. Gabriella arrived with Stuart and the Martin children shortly after everything had started. She was instantly welcomed by her family as was the children and Stuart. Everyone began to get in line for the food before going back to their designated picnic area. When everyone was finishing eating the games began. Stuart and Joshua and Alex and Michael were getting ready for the three legged race. Gabriella and Carmen were at the finish line waiting for them. After that, Stuart and Alex were going head to head to head against one another at the horseshoe toss with Stuart narrowing winning. When the games were done, the canoes were being put into the water. Stuart helped Gabriella get into theirs before pushing off from the dock. The two enjoyed having a brief break from their duties and spending a few moments together.
That evening, the town was settling down for the fireworks display. Gabriella and Stuart and sat in their carriage as they watched the colorful display in the sky. The children and her family were watching a few feet in front of them. Gabriella turned and looked at the man sitting next to her. No one would ever be able to replace Troy in her heart as her soul mate but she knew that she still had to move on if she had any hope for a future for herself and finally decided to take that next step.
"Stuart?" she asked, slightly nervous. "Do you still have that ring?"
Stuart turned his head to her in shock. He wasn't sure if he heard correctly. Gabriella smiled gently at him showing that she did just say what he thought she did. Stuart quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed the ring he always carried around in case Gabriella changed her mind and asked about it. He then got down on one knee in the carriage and opened the ring box.
"Will you marry me?" he asked.
"Yes." Gabriella agreed with a smile.
Stuart smiled and gently placed the ring on her finger. The two kissed one another softly before Stuart jumped up. Gabriella smiled happily at his excitement.
"She said yes!" Stuart shouted happily.
Everyone seemed to know what he was talking about and began to cheer. Alex and Carmen rushed over to hug their daughter. Carmen was bawling with happiness as she hugged her daughter tightly. Alex was more subdued as he approached Gabriella.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her quietly.
"Yes." Gabriella answered without any hesitation.
The whole town was thrilled for the couple except for one person. Betty was happy about the fact that Gabriella was happy but she was saddened by the fact that she was not happy with Troy Bolton. Betty always had a soft spot for Troy as he was her biggest challenge when it came to teaching. When they first met, Troy did not know how to read or write or do simple math. He claimed he had no need if he was going to be gutting fish for his living. Betty quickly got that idea out of his head insisting that everyone needed to learn to read and write. She quickly began tutoring him every free chance the two had. A bond formed between the two of them as she was the first one he told about his feelings for Gabriella but feared she was too good for him. When Betty insisted that Gabriella did not feel he was inferior to her, Troy plucked up the courage to finally ask Gabriella if he could court her. So to see her niece with another man set to be married tugged at her heartstrings and she now knew that Troy Bolton was truly dead and would not be coming back. But Betty couldn't lie that she was slightly angry that town was congratulating Gabriella on her engagement to Stuart McGrady when they all knew it was not really what she wanted for she knew deep down, Gabriella would ever truly be in love with anyone else but Troy Bolton.
"Aunt Betty?" Gabriella asked quietly from beside her.
"Yes, Gabriella?" Betty replied gently.
"Please don't hate me for this." Gabriella begged.
"I could never hate you, my child." Betty answered as she hugged Gabriella tightly. "You are only doing what you feel is right and I commend you for that."
"Your support means so much to me. Aunt Betty. Besides me, you were the one Troy was the closes to, he always told me that he felt that you much more than a teacher to him, you were like a mother to him."
"And I feel the same way about him, I felt like I lost my own son when we got word of his ship going down." Betty explained. "And I know that the part of my heart that went broke when he died, will never mend."
"I feel the same way. Troy will always hold a large part of my heart, a part that I could never replace with Stuart." Gabriella stated. "But I finally realized that Troy would not want me to live in the past and he would not want you to either. He would want us both to move on."
"And we will. I promise you that we will together."
"I know that I will never be able to forget him entirely but I do love Stuart and I do want to marry him."
"I know you do, you wouldn't have accepted his proposal if you didn't." Betty stated. "I believe that nobody in this town will ever be able to forget Troy Bolton. He worked hard for our respect; it wasn't just handed to him because of money or influence. He earned it."
"Yes he did."
When the fireworks ended, Gabriella and the children were talking to her parents. Stuart was getting the carriage ready to take the children back to the Foundling Home. Betty came up to her.
"You better take good care of her, Stuart McGrady." Betty stated firmly. "You have very large shoes to fill."
"I do plan to take very great care of Gabriella. But she has moved on from Troy Bolton and you should too. Troy Bolton is dead and I'm here to stay."
"Troy Bolton may be dead in body, but his legacy will forever be remembered here in our town and that's something you can never replace." Betty stated firmly as she huffed away.
Gabriella tucked the children into bed while Stuart made the tea for their ritual that evening. He couldn't get what Betty said to him earlier out of his head. What was the legacy she was speaking of? He was the better man for Gabriella. He had heard that Troy barely had a name let alone money to give Gabriella the life she deserved. Yes, Gabriella was better off with him than a sailor.
"Stuart, the tea is ready." Gabriella stated as she came into the kitchen and saw the kettle whistling and he not making an attempt to get it.
"Oh, sorry." Stuart said as he grabbed the kettle. "I was lost in thought. I do not think your aunt likes me very much."
"It take awhile for Aunt Betty to warm up to anyone she doesn't know very well." Gabriella answered as she got their tea cups and saucers. "She will once she gets to know you better."
"How come she seemed so much closer to him than the rest of your family?"
"Aunt Betty considered Troy to be the son she never had. She tutored him when he was unable to read or write and they grew to be really close to one another. Troy considered her to be the mother he had always wanted."
"Will she ever consider me to family?"
"Of course she will, but to be honest, no one will ever replace Troy in her heart."
"Alright, now onto more important items, when should the wedding take place?"
"I'd like the wedding to take place next spring. It's always been my favorite time of the year."
"Next spring it is. Now where should it be taken place?"
"The church and the reception in the meadow next to it."
"I see you've thought about this wedding."
"What girl doesn't dream of her dream wedding?"
"Very true."
"Do you want to start making the guest list now or wait awhile?"
"I'd like to at least send invitations to everyone in town since they've known me since I was born and my cousin Sharpay Evans. She lives in France, studying art so we would have to have plenty of time to send her invitation." Gabriella explained. "Is there anyone that you wish to make sure we invite?"
"There isn't anyone. Both of my parents are dead, I have no family and all my friends are in this town."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, that's why I have taken such a liking to this town, I finally feel like I belong somewhere." Stuart stated.
"Well, I'm happy that you finally feel that way."
"And I am happy that my persistence has finally paid off." Stuart said as he placed a kiss on Gabriella's left hand."
"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting for so long."
"Don't be, I only wanted you to move at a pace that made you happy.
Gabriella smiled at her fiancé. Together they settled down to start the basic planning of their wedding. Throughout the year, the town and they prepared for their upcoming nuptials. Stuart was thrilled that he was finally marrying the women of his dreams. Gabriella found herself happy about the idea of marrying Stuart that was until she received one phone call that would eventually change everything between her and Stuart.