I'm finally happy now that I've posted this chapter, and hopefully Chapter 11 won't take as long. Please enjoy and review!

Chapter 10: Baby Steps

Troy

My legs were beginning to grow tired as I raced towards the entrance to Gabriella's apartment. Beads of sweat rolled down my temple, my heart thumped painfully in my chest with every labored breath I took.

I didn't exactly know why I was running, but something told me that I had to get there as quickly as possible. Just as I was about to sit down to a delicious lobster dinner at home, Gabriella had called me in tears, telling me that she needed me.

She didn't tell me why she was crying or why she was upset, but once the line clicked off I was already sprinting towards my car.

How was it possible that such a cheerful, optimistic person like Gabriella to be happy one minute, and then completely devastated the next? I had to find out what--or who--could've caused her so much pain. Whoever it was, they'd certainly regret hurting her.

Right below the building, I'd come across the strangest sight. Piles of clothing, shoes, and a broken cell phone lay scattered all over the pavement. But that wasn't important. My only concern was Gabriella. I only worried about her.

On my way towards the reception desk, I had a brief run-in with a man who'd stormed out from the elevators. He was an African-American male who looked to be about my age. And he was furious. As our shoulders collided I immediately noticed the dark mark that had been left on his cheek. "Watch where the fuck you goin', homey!" he barked before pushing past me.

Once I asked the receptionist for directions to Gabriella's room, he shot me an outlandish stare and briefly glanced behind my back, where the irate man was busy collecting the random articles of clothing.

"Sure, just take the elevator to the 25th floor and on your far right should be Mrs. Richmond's room, which is number 214," he informed me.

"Alright, thanks a lot, sir." I didn't bother to take the elevator, and opted to take the stairs instead. The place looked more like a Marriott resort than a condominium. I easily skipped up the stairway to the 25th floor until I came across a long, carpeted corridor.

"Room 214..." I spoke to myself while approaching the front door. I could hear Gabriella's painful sobs from the other side. Before I could raise my fist to knock on the door, the edge of my shoe caught a small, solid object beneath its sole: a wedding band. Figuring someone had dropped it while strolling past, I plucked up the ring and walked through the door to investigate.

Right in the middle of the foyer, I found Gabriella sitting on the floor with her back to the wall; holding her knees to her chest and looking as broken as ever. She was crying into her hands, and her curls spilled over her shoulders, nearly sweeping across the floor as they hung over her face. Almost all of the lights were out, except for the dim streak of light that stretched along the hallway.

I quickly knelt before her, gently tilting her chin upwards so that our eyes met. "Brie? Are you okay?"

To my surprise, she launched herself into my chest and wound her arms around my neck. Following on instinct, I automatically embraced her, burrowing my nose into her sweet-smelling hair. "Troy... I'm so glad you came," she hiccupped against my body. "Were you busy or anything? Because I-I'm so sorry if I disrupted something important--"

"No, no, it's fine. No need to apologize. Now tell me Gabriella, what happened? Why are you crying?"

Gabriella drew in a calm, shaky breath, only to break down again. "You have his ring. He threw it at the door after he left," she sniffled. It was unclear to me.

"What?"

"I found out that my husband... he was cheating on me. For 21 months, Troy. And I didn't figure it out until tonight."

Her short hiccups grew to incessant sobs once again, and I hugged her even tighter. That heartless bastard, I thought furiously. How could he? Hurting Gabriella when she's never done a thing to him. She couldn't see my clenched fist behind her back.

It broke my heart to watch her fall to pieces in my arms like that. Strands of hair stuck to her flushed, tear-streaked face, and the usual sparkle had vanished from her darkened emerald orbs. But she was still the most beautiful woman in my eyes.

"Don't leave me, Troy," I heard her whimper. Her fingers tightly clung to my T-shirt as she wept.

"Shh, you're okay, Brie. I'm not going anywhere," I reassured her, letting my palm slowly massage her back.

"How could I not see it coming? I mean, it was perfectly clear that he never loved me," she muttered dejectedly, while sliding the wedding from her finger and tossing it away. The ring banged harshly against the hardwood floor before spiraling in place.

I knew she was scared. Scared of having to raise her kids on her own, suffering from financial troubles later on; breaking the news to her family. Everything came crashing down all at once and she would be left to pick up the pieces.

Unless, I could be there to lend a hand.

"Look, I may not know exactly how you're feeling right now, but what I do know is that you're not going to let this break you. You shouldn't give that jerk the satisfaction of watching you fall short. As brave and strong as you are, nothing can stand in your way. I know that you're going to make it; your kids will make it... I have full faith in you, Gabriella."

My hand found hers, and I gave her a gentle squeeze of encouragement once we exchanged glances.

When I'd finally gotten a grin out of Gabriella, she pulled me into another tight hug. "Oh, thank you so much, Troy. You're such a great friend," she murmured into the crook of my neck.

My heart sank a little at the acknowledgement. "Yeah... friend."

I wanted to be more than just a friend to Gabriella. I wanted to know her in ways even a friend couldn't. I wanted to know all of her hopes and dreams. I wanted her to be a part of my life. I wanted a... relationship.

Her cheeks grew to the most adorable shade of ruby as I used the pad of my thumb to wipe away a stray tear. Then, to my shock, she quickly leant in and pecked me on the cheek. My face was as equally scarlet as hers once she realized what she had done.

"Sorry," she apologized, casting her gaze to the floor.

Now was the time. I had to tell her how I felt. If this were high school, surely it be cliché, but someone once told me, "when life gives you wings, jump... and hope to God you'll fly".

"You never deserved him anyway, Brie. I mean, look at you--you're intelligent, beautiful, and not to mention absolutely perfect..."

"Perfect? I am the farthest thing from perfect. I can't even keep track of my kids without losing one of them!" she exclaimed jovially, laughing aloud.

"Alright, so you tend to lose count once in awhile... That probably may not make you the most perfect person, but lots of parents do too. Oh, well. I guess that just makes you an imperfect angel."

Gabriella turned and faced me, and the room seemed to brighten when her face broke into a smile. "Oh, Troy, you're so sweet. I can't thank you enough for coming over here and comforting me."

"Hey, well; it was no problem. You deserve someone who cares about you and lets you know how much you matter to him. You deserve... someone else," I said, partially disappointed that I didn't mention that the "someone" was meant to be me. It was too soon. I knew she wasn't ready to start over just yet, and she needed to let herself heal before diving into another relationship.

My fingers were combing through her hair by now, and we remained seated on the floor; her body locked in my arms. I was so close. My eyes kept drifting down to her pursed lips. I could smell the lingering scent of perfume. My heart thumped so wildly, I thought it would explode from my chest. Gabriella probably could've felt it beating against the side of her head.

I thought I would burst if I didn't get this off my chest. But I knew I wasn't quite ready.

That was when I remembered I still had her husband's wedding ring in my hand. I didn't know what she was going to do with it, but I had an indication. "Here," I replied while placing the ring in her open palm. "Maybe you can melt it and make a pair of earrings out of it."

"Thanks... that's exactly what I plan to do," she laughed.

As I finally helped Gabriella to her feet, I embraced her one more time before reluctantly heading towards the front door. "So, are we still on for Wednesday afternoon?"

"Sure, I can't wait."

"Alright, Brie... I guess I'll see you then. But call me anytime if you're not feeling well."

She gave me a soft grin, biting her bottom lip cutely as she leant against the doorframe. "I will."

In the back of my mind, I wish I could've stayed longer, but Gabriella needed her space. I spun on my heels to head throught the door, when I felt a gentle hand grasp my forearm.

"H-hey, Troy?"

"Yeah, Brie?"

I turned around once again face her, only to recieve the biggest shock of my life.

She leaned up on her toes to capture my lips in a gentle kiss. Sparks began to rush through my whole body once I'd begun to deepen the kiss, and I held her in my arms as she stumbled forward. Her lips felt soft against mine, and the scent of that intoxicating perfume hazed my thoughts. It finally happened. The moment I'd been hoping to share with Gabriella since that night we danced together at that night club. I never imagined it would feel this magical.

To my dismay, she quickly broke the kiss, and stared up at me with a coy smile.

"Just so you know... I want you to be that someone."

I stood there, left stunned and silent; my lips still tingling from the spontaneous kiss.

"Bye, Troy," she bid shyly, and with that, the door closed shut. A smile rose on my lips as I placed my fingers against them. "Bye, Brie," I said to myself.

If the couple strolling down the corridor had not beeen walking past me, I would've leapt into the air and tapped the soles of my shoes together.

Well, at least I'd made some progress. Gabriella would need serious support from her family and me to get through this; and have some time to get back into the swing of things. Although, in the meantime, our relationship would be taking baby steps.

Gabriella

I couldn't help but frown at Troy's back as I watched him disappear into the elevators. I didn't want him to leave. He was so kind and understanding; I was glad that I could confide in him, rather than someone else.

That was because I knew even my mother wouldn't understand. She'd say things like, "I told you so", or "This is why you should have never married him in the first place."

Once in a while I just wished to get away from the hustle and bustle drama of my family. They were always there to lend tons of support, but sometimes it feels like they can't understand what I'm going through. On the other hand, I couldn't deny that she was right. For years she had been trying to convince me to divorce Dre. Well, now I'd be more than happy to tell her that she'd be getting her wish... At long last.

Thank goodness I had my divorce attorney on speed-dial. Even before Dre and I began having problems, and I decided to call the law office to hire an attorney, just in case. I never told him, of course. Never did I think I'd ever have to set up an actual appointment.

Knowing that Aurelía would be here with my children at any minute, I spent the few remaining moments to myself eating my dinner, and thinking about Troy. I knew it probably would've been too soon to start dating again, but something told me that it would be worth taking the risk. Troy would be worth it in the end.

He was not just any other average, run-of-the-mill guy. He was special. So many feelings came rushing at once, I didn't know what to feel. I didn't want to rush into a relationship with him as soon as possible because I needed time to heal. It's like once you've been hurt, you're so scared to get attached. You have this fear that every person you fall for is going to break your heart again.

No one said that emotional scars healed overnight, and I knew the process would involve time and most of all, patience. I wanted to put on a brave face and take the reins for the sake of my children. But underneath, I felt vulnerable and scared. I'd never been so hurt in my life. In the meantime, Troy could be there to mend my wounds. Only then would I know we'd be making some progress.

He seemed so gentle and compassionate while he was comforting me. He wrapped his arms around me, wiped my tears; stroked my hair. It felt so natural and real, being with Troy. I couldn't help it. I kissed him on the cheek, then on the lips. It was sort of a thanks for cheering me up, but mostly because I'd been wanting to kiss him for quite sometime after we'd met.

My cheeks burned as hot as ever, but deep down, I knew he'd appreciated the sudden kiss. My only hope was that he knew I had feelings for him. At least that proved to be somewhat encouraging. We'd be taking baby steps together from now on.

All I knew was that I wasn't going to let Andre win this battle. He could not break me or get the better of me. From now on I would finally take what's mine and show him that I was the force to be reckoned with.

He thought he had me fooled. I scoffed to myself. He had me like a dog hanging on a leesh, letting me think that he really loved me. Well now... it was payback time.

When I'd gotten to the best part of my dinner: dessert, my lips curled into a satisfied grin once I popped the sweet, red cherry into my mouth. Oreo cookies and cream sundae was the perfect remedy for a night gone wrong.

"Hello, Mami? Are you there? Tengo una sopresa para ti," I suddenly heard my sister's voice call from the opposite side of the door, followed by the loud clamors of my children. A giggle burst from my lips as I set my ice cream onto the coffee table and leapt from the couch.

"Hmm, I wonder what my surprise could be..." I played along while sauntering towards the foyer. Once the door swung open, my daughters rushed up to me and threw their arms around my waist, nearly knocking me to the floor. They all spoke at once, thrusting their newly created drawings under my nose.

"Mamá, mamá, ¿te gusta mi foto? Isn't it pretty? Mine is the best!"

Aurelía and Raquél slowly filed through the door, holding my two sleeping babies in their arms. "Ohh, I hope they weren't too much trouble, honey," I replied, taking André from her arms.

My sister shook her head slightly as she placed a distracted palm on her swollen belly. "Nah, chica, it was no problem. They ate their food and took their naps, so the baby wasn't too disturbed."

"Oh-no, don't tell me they upset the baby! He'll become as rambunctious as one of mine before he could make it out of the womb," I chuckled, gliding my palm along her stomach. I gasped in surprise when I felt a small kick against my hand.

"Believe me, I'll have my own to blame. But in the meantime, you're going to have to do something for me."

"Oh, really? What is it?"

Just then, my youngest cousin, Nayna appeared in the doorway, wearing a wide grin on her face. "Nayna!" I exclaimed, immediately pulling her into my arms.

She let out a soft groan, nearly choking as my arms wound tightly around her waist.

"Ugh! Gabi, you're acting like you haven't seen me in ten years. You did the same thing at the family reunion two years ago."

"Oh, just shut up and hug me," I said, making her giggle. "Let me see you."

When I finally let go of Nayna, she took a step back so that I could observe how much she had grown. "Look how much you've grown in two years, baby. My God, you're taller than me. And you've gotten so beautiful, just like your Mama. How is auntie Tina doing, by the way?"

"Oh, she's fine. She and Daddy went to San Juan for their anniversary, so they sent me to stay with you."

"Wow, you came from Boston all by yourself? I'm surprised you weren't scared to come by yourself."

"Actually, when I was leaving Boston I wasn't, but once I heard about these crazy New Yorkers that was when I started to worry."

"Alright, well come in and Raquél's going to show you to her room. You don't mind sharing a bed with your cousin, do you Chiquita?" I asked my daughter.

"Of course not, Mama. You know I love my cousin," Raquél said, grinning as she locked Nayna into a tight embrace.

The house grew loud and chaotic once my children began to bounce off the walls and chase each other through the family room. Once Nayna had mentioned her parents going away for their anniversary, my sadness returned. I needed to get away from all the noise and talk to someone.

As my sister sunk onto the couch in the family room, she couldn't rest for long once I called her. "Oye, ¿puedo hablar a usted por un minuto (hey, can I talk to you for a minute)?" I asked her as she'd begun to kick off her shoes. She must've noticed the distress in my eyes. "What's wrong, baby?"

"That's why I need to talk to you alone. Come on, let's go in the bedroom so we can have some privacy."

Aurelía followed me through the hallway that led to the master bedroom, and I pushed the door shut once she took a seat on my bed. Her expression changed from anticipative to concerned once my tears returned. "Why are you crying, Gabi? Tell me," she said. Acting on maternal instinct, she wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulders, and pulled my head into the crook of her neck.

I was in no mood to think back on the overwhelming events of my evening. As I began to convulse with sobs, she made a reach for the tissue box beside my bed and dabbed away my tears. Troy was enough to give me encouragement and keep my spirits lifted, but with my sister I could get really deep and personal. Aurelía was like a second mother to me when it came to offering me guidance and advice whenever I was trapped in a difficult situation.

By that time, we lay beside each other on my bed; our gazes fixated on the ceiling once I'd mustered up the the courage to let out my feelings. But I was hiccupping than speaking as my tears never seemed to stop. "W-well, earlier when Dre came home I wasn't feeling well, but of course he had to be so fricking insensitive and ignore me. So we started arguing and he went and locked himself in the bedroom," I finally replied.

Aurelía didn't think that it was such a big deal to be crying over. She knew Dre and I fought all the time, but that was because she didn't hear the full story.

"So what? You two always fight. Did siomething else happen this time?"

I brought the thick wad of tissue paper to my wet cheeks and sniffled. "Yeah, something did happen. His cell phone started to ring so I checked it to see who was calling. And when I read the text message... it was another woman. I think you can imagine what happened next."

Almost immediately, she regretted what she had said, and pulled me into another hug. "Oh-no, I'm so sorry, Gabi. I-I didn't know," she apologized, but that was when her pregnancy hormones began to rage.

"Wait a minute... Andre was cheating on you? What? For how long? Ugh, where is that jerk? Voy a matarle (I'm going to kill him)!"

"For twenty-one months... way before baby André was born. And now the girl he's with us pregnant. How could I let myself be blind to this for such a long time? I feel so stupid."

"Twenty-one months? And she's pregnent?" she exclaimed angrily. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

I flinched at her furious tone. Sometimes, my sister's outrage would almost scare me. My eyes drifted from left to right as I watched her pace back and forth. I didn't want her to get so worked up over something that was my problem, also because I knew how disturbed the baby would become if this went on long enough.

"Lia... Lia, please calm down. I don't want you to trouble the baby," I said, though my plead fell on deaf ears.

"How the can I be calm if that... Pendejo hurt my sister? If he thought he got an earful from you, he'd better clean his ears out 'cause he'll sure as hell get an earful from me! Where's that phone?"

Aurelía had almost leapt to the other side of the room to retrieve the phone, when I grabbed her by the wrist. "No! Don't call him."

"Why not?"

"Well, number one: because I don't even want to speak to that jerk right now, and two... You can't because I threw it out the window, plus all of his clothes," I said with a slight chuckle.

"Oh my God. You threw his stuff out the window? Oh, well I guess it serves him right. He's just wasted the rest of his life, because he's going to miss out on such an amazing and beautiful girl. Any guy who steals your heart will be the luckiest man in Manhattan."

By then, I was feeling slightly better, and when we were locked in each other's arms once again, a grin crept onto my lips as I thought of Troy.

"Speaking of a guy, I met someone. His name is Troy Bolton, and... he's just perfect. He's sweet, caring, understanding. Oh, I just can't get my mind off of him," I sighed while falling backwards onto the bed.

"Oh?" my sister questioned with a playful grin. "Is he cute?"

"Of course he's not cute, Lia. He's absolutely hot, and I've been falling for him since that day we met in the park..."

I could just feel my face growing scarlet as I began to reminisce that fateful day. I was chasing after my daughter Aquilína through the park, when Troy left in the middle of a basketball scrimmage and scooped her off the ground before she could run into the street. He had saved her from getting hurt in the middle of traffic.

"Wait, when was this?"

"A couple weeks ago when Iesha and James had just came back from their honeymoon. We sitting by the fountain and talking, and Lína just jumped out of the water and ran off. I was chasing her for awhile, and she was heading near traffic. But when she ran past Troy, he just grabbed her and brought her back to me," I explained, and this time, tears of joy began to stream down my cheeks.

"Ohh, Angel, what's with the tears? Are you happy?" she asked, equally in tears.

"I am happy, because he makes me happy. I wasn't sure about my feelings right until I'd found out about the affair. But now... I'm just dying to know if this friendship will blossom into a full-blown relationship. I like him, Lia... a lot."

"Oh my God, this is so exciting! Does Iesha know? Do the girls know?"

"No, not yet. I don't want to bring any heartache to them by telling them about the upcoming divorce and telling them that I've met someone else. And you know how badly Raquél is going to take this. She's not going to be happy at all. But Troy, he was telling me that he wanted to meet them."

"So, he likes kids, huh? Is my sister going to become Mrs. Troy Bolton in the near future?" she teased, nudging me in the ribs.

"Aurelía! Ugh, you're so embarassing sometimes. I'm not in love with Troy," I moaned, hiding my blushing face.

She pried my palms from my face and looked down at me, her eyes sparkling with jest. "At least not yet."

That phrase seemed to be following me around for most of the evening. "Oh my God," I muttered to myself.

"So, when are you planning on telling the family?"

"Well, I--" Before I could utter a reply, my sister and I both glanced toward the doorway once a faint squeak interrupted our conversation.

"Telling us what?"

In the doorway stood Raqu l and Nayna, who watched us suspiciously.

"Raquél, Nayna... How much did you hear?" I asked.

"Not much; we were just walking by and I heard you talking about telling us something."

I blew out a sigh once the pair walked into the room and sat on my bed. They sent me expectant gazes, waiting for me to reply.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching your siblings?" I started, hoping to veer her away from the subject. But it didn't work, of course.

"That's not important right now. What's going on, Mama?"

"Raquél..."

"¡Dime, Mamá (tell me, Mom)!" she demanded, almost angrily.

"Okay--alright, I'll tell you. But please, please promise me that you won't freak out because of this."

"I won't," she replied with a vague shrug, but I knew that she wouldn't keep her poised self under control for long.

I took my daughter by the hands, and looked her right in the eye. "Your father... he's been cheating on me with another woman. For twenty-one months. But I swear, I had no idea about it until--"

"What?" Raquél exclaimed, letting go of my hands. Before I could stand up to pull her into a hug, she backed away from me.

"No, don't touch me! Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I was planning on telling you, but I didn't find out about this until earlier. I never knew

"Exactly when were you planning on telling me, Mom? I know how you like to keep things a secret, and when you do tell me, I'm the one who ends up with a broken heart."

"Don't you think my heart is broken too? I'm extremely upset and humiliated about this, but it wasn't my fault. You're not the only one who's angry, so don't you try to pit this against me," I argued.

"What else is there, Mom? I just want to know how you couldn't have seen this coming, because I did. Dad is a selfish jerk who cares for nobody else but himself. The girl's probably going to end up pregnant and he's going to be the same deadbeat father like he was to us."

I let out a scoff at her speculation, and she knew right away that there was something more.

"Oh my God, don't tell me..."

"Yes, she is pregnant. I guess now I don't need to tell you that we're getting a divorce."

The room fell silent, and Raquél and I stood on opposite sides of the room staring at each other.

"Just when I thought this family was going to keep it together... another promise--and my heart--gets broken once again. When you see that jerk in court, tell him I said 'thanks alot'."

Aurelía and Nayna glanced awkwardly between us, and began to rise from their seats to leave the room. "I think we'd better go, Nayna..."

"No, don't leave. Allow me," my daughter retorted coldly, before storming out of the room.

"Raquél, don't run. Come back," I pleaded as I began to chase after her.

She made a beeline through the hallway and towards her bedroom, but before she could slam the door in my face, I placed my foot in front of the moving door.

"Baby, wait. Just... please let me explain."

She ignored me, and threw herself onto her bed. "I don't want to talk to you. Go away!"

"I know this is a little much to take in all at once, but if you would just let me explain..."

My daughter hid her face in a pillow, her tiny body shaking as she sobbed. I sat beside her on the bed, and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"Please don't shut me out... I can't bear to see you upset like this," I spoke into her hair, tears of my own spilling from my eyes.

I couldn't help but feel that this was partially my fault. I remembered the promise I'd made to her a few months ago when I told her that I would end my marriage with Dre. She seemed so happy, but it hurt me the way she felt about not seeing her father again. It's understandable that she didn't like him, but to keep him out of her life was taking it way too far. I knew that since I was going to file for divorce Dre and I would have shared custody of the children, so she couldn't completely avoid her father.

Finally, Raquél turned around in my arms to face me, and looking me right in the eyes, she said, "Promise me that you'll tell me everything. Don't leave anything out. And promise me that you'll be there for me after this divorce. I love you so much, and I don't know what I'd do if I were to lose you too."

"I promise, Angel. And this time, I'm not going to break it. I love you too, and don't worry... you're never going to lose me. I'm going to be here for you no matter what."

She managed a weak smile once I brushed my thumb beneath her eyes, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"So... should I start by telling you how I tossed your father's clothes out the window, or how my date with Troy went?"

"Tell me about Troy, duh!" my daughter giggled.

"Oh, then we have plenty of time, because I can go on about him all night."

Raquél and I curled up to each other on her bed, giggling the night away as I told her about the amazing date I'd had with Troy. I believed that I would recover from this divorce, even if I'd face adversity sometimes. I knew that with the help of my family, and Troy, everything would take a turn for the best.

Thank you all for being so patient with me and I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Please Read and Review!