I've probably rewritten this chapter like four times before settling on this. I hope you guys like! -M
Their wedding sounded like a scene straight out of a movie, and it made Kelsi's romantic heart swoon. From the proposal, all the way up to the vows they made up on the spot – it seemed absolutely wonderful. The cherry topper would be if they got married during the golden hour, but hey – that only happened in movies, right? The youngest sister looked over at the couple dreamily. She hoped to be that in love some day and marry the man of her dreams. Maybe that man would be Ryan Evans, but she didn't want to push her luck. Ryan usually only dated the stars of the theatre. What he was doing with a behind the scenes person like Kelsi always mystified her. One day he's going to wake up and realize he should be with someone more like him, but for now, Kelsi was enjoying his attention.
Like every little girl, Kelsi always pictured her wedding; from the decorations to the dress, she had every minute detail. The only thing missing was the groom. She never thought about eloping, and if she was being frank, it freaked her out a bit. The last thing she ever wanted to do was regret it. But from the looks on the faces of her brother and his wife, they obviously didn't regret a single moment of it.
"These are beautiful Gabriella," Lucille said as she swiped through Gabi and Troy's wedding photos – courtesy of Zeke Baylor, the man of many talents. She secretly emailed herself the ones that she loved to put on the Bolton wall of fame.
The raven-haired beauty blushed. "Thank you." She watched as Lucille handed the phone to Kelsi so she could look through the photos as well.
"What did you guys do after the ceremony?" Kelsi asked as she swiped through the album.
Gabriella felt herself turn red hot. "Well Taylor and Zeke took Grandpa John to the Griffith Observatory so we can um… spend some time together."
"And then we all had dinner at one of Zeke's restaurants," Troy added.
Sharpay gasped. "Please tell me it wasn't at Bleu! I heard that place is to die for."
Troy smirked as Gabriella answered, "It's amazing… easily one of my favorite places in LA." Sharpay groaned. She needed to get out to Los Angeles ASAP.
"How often did you guys see Grandpa John?" Mary asked. Was she the only one who remembered the lawyer mentioning Gabriella's name this morning? Jason has been married to Martha for years, and he didn't get any special shout out.
Gabriella and Troy looked at each other as if they were trying to actually calculate the number of times they saw him. "A few times a year?" Troy said.
"I'm not sure… I kind of lost track. Sometimes he'll just pop in for a long weekend. Other times I'll be on a business trip and I'd add a few extra days for Grandpa to join us," Gabi elaborated.
"Wait, so all the random trips to like Europe and Asia – that was all you?" Andrew asked.
Gabriella brushed a hair out of her face. "Well, I wouldn't say it was all me… we promised Grandpa we'd see him more." Troy gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hand lightly.
It was as if the pieces to a puzzle suddenly made sense. The last-minute flights Grandpa John seemed to book last minute, his picture-perfect moments. They all thought Grandpa joined some kind of senior citizen traveling group. Who would've thought that he was with Troy this whole time?
Troy scratched his forehead with his thumb. "Yeah… but man, if I –we – had known about his heart condition-"
"Don't do that to yourself Troy," Jack interrupted, ""It was always dad's dream to see the world… but he got older and then mom died… but you made his dream come true. Even for a little while."
"Yeah, I guess." Troy took a sip of his wine.
"Who's ready for dessert?" Lucille asked as she got up from the table. Kelsi, Sharpay and Gabriella stepped up as well and helped clear the table.
Troy cleared his throat. "So how about those Lakers?"
In the kitchen Gabriella washed the dishes as Kelsi dried them. "Gabriella, you don't have to do that," Lucille said from her seat at the kitchen island.
"Mrs. Bolton it is no trouble at all. Honestly, it was my favorite chore as child and I secretly miss it," Gabi said and handed a glass to Kelsi. "Troy throws everything into the dishwasher."
The blonde girl rolled her eyes as she retrieved a white box from the fridge. "I'd rather throw them in the dishwasher than ruin my manicure," she said, making Gabi and Kelsi giggle. Sharpay placed the dessert box on the island and turned around to make the coffee.
Lucille took a sip of wine and turned to the girls at the sink, "Priorities… and please Gabi call me Lucy."
Gabriella flushed, but continued the task at hand. "So Gabs I have to know… when did you know Troy was 'the one'?" Kelsi asked.
Gabriella pursed her lips in thought as she scrubbed a plate and rinse it off. "I don't know," she admitted and handed the plate to Kelsi. She grabbed another one and started washing it, "It wasn't so much of a when, but more of a how."
Two and a half years ago…
Gabriella sighed as she pushed her chair away from the desk and leaned back as far as she could. What a freaking disaster of a day she had. One of her top engineers just up and quit. They were set to test a prototype next week and were a bit behind schedule. From what she was told, there was an argument amongst the team and 3D models were thrown around. To make matters worse, the guy took the schematics with him when he was escorted off the premises. That was highly against company policy and now legal was involved.
She promised her mother and the board that it was being dealt with, but honestly, she had no idea what else she could do that wasn't already being handled.
Gabriella spun around in her chair and looked out into the San Francisco night. She glanced at her watch. It was nearing 10pm. She should probably head home, but couldn't bring herself to pack up and go. She suddenly missed the days of being an engineer and building things from the ground up. Nowadays, she'd be lucky to find the time to pick up a solder or brainstorm a new app. Gabi decided right then and there that she was going to make more of an effort to make time for her own projects.
A light knock on the glass door made her spin around. Her face softened at the sight of Troy leaning in the doorway. "I got Chinese," he said holding up the takeout bag.
Gabriella's eyes sparkled. "General Tso chicken?"
"With the pork fried rice and dumplings."
Gabriella squealed and practically jumped out of her chair. She walked around the desk and gave Troy a hug. They let go and Troy placed the food on the coffee table. Gabriella tossed him a pillow and kicked off her heels. They sat on the floor as Troy took the food out. She didn't even wait to break the box into a plate like she usually does and picked the chicken straight from the carton with a pair of chopsticks. Gabi moaned with delight. She skipped out on lunch and was basically starving.
Troy chuckled with a shake of his head as he dived into his dinner of boneless spareribs and vegetable fried rice. "How was your day?"
Gabriella grunted with an eyeroll and poked at her dinner. "Terrible… I don't want to talk about it." Troy raised a brow but didn't push. "What about you?"
"It was okay… nothing special," he answered. Even though he wasn't having the best day either. His partner on the project didn't file the permits on time, delaying their work for a good two days. Not to mention the guy kept pushing the limits of their budget. Troy felt like choking the guy.
Troy unlocked his phone and played some relaxing R&B on Spotify to fill the silence as they ate. He couldn't stop the smile that graced his lips as he watched the girl before him eat. She was in her own little world, unbeknownst to her effect on him. Just seeing her instantly made him relax. She was so innocent, yet incredibly sexy. Even sitting there on the floor with her legs crossed at the ankles, stirred up his desire. She dressed simply in dress pants and a silk blouse, but goodness gracious she looked incredible.
She made him want to strive to be a better person. She was always introducing him to new food and hobbies. If you told Troy five years ago that he'd like indoor rock climbing or Thai food, he would've thought you lost your mind. She challenged him intellectually with books and topics that left him thinking for hours. Troy has never met a person like Gabriella, and it scared him shitless.
"Troy?"
"I love you," he blurted out.
They both froze and stared at each other. Troy inwardly cursed himself. That was so not cool. But this is what she does to him.
Gabriella put her food on the coffee table. Her face softened and she smiled shyly. "Really?" She asked. Maybe she heard him wrong.
It was out there now, and there was no use in denying it. "Yeah," Troy said with a scratch of his head, "but don't- don't feel obligated to say it back if you don't feel the same way-"
"Troy-"
"-because I understand if you don't. 'Cause, you know, we've barely been dating long enough. But how-how long is long enough? Ya know? Like three months? Six? A year? But anyways, I love you. That's just how I feel, and I couldn't keep it to myself anymore… and oh my god you're not saying anything so I should probably just shut up now."
Gabriella leaned over and placed a hand on his thigh. "Good… because I love you too."
Troy's face broke out into a smile. He placed his food down and leaned in to kiss her. Their lips moved in that familiar dance, as he slowly lowered her on her back. He kissed down her neck until they reached the collar of her blouse. Troy sat up and ripped it open, buttons flying across the room.
"Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed with a laugh, "that was my favorite shirt."
Troy shrugged his shoulders with an "oops?" He kissed her once more before kissing down her gorgeous body. He reached the top of her pants and looked up at her. "I love you."
"I love you," Gabriella replied as Troy slipped off her pants.
Obviously, Gabriella left out the part where they were about to have sex on the floor of her office. She still couldn't even believe that she did that. It took her days to stop blushing every time she looked up from her desk.
"Who knew Troy was such a romantic," Sharpay teased.
Gabi giggled as she dried her hands. "I mean… Troy's always been that way. He'll send me flowers just because. He'd bring me dinner if I was working late… pick me up in the morning with coffee. I could call him in the middle of the night because I can't sleep, and he'll come over with some tea."
The ladies in the kitchen "awed" in unison, making Gabriella redden even more than she already was.
"Hey where's the dessert at?" Troy asked as he entered the kitchen.
The Bolton ladies sent Troy a knowing smirk but didn't say anything. They grabbed the dessert and coffee and stepped back outside. Troy sauntered over to his wife and clasped his hands around her small waist. Her hands rested on the back of his neck.
"And what were you ladies talking about?"
Gabi smiled. "You."
Troy looked around and pulled her closer to him. "Is that so?" He questioned huskily.
"Mmhmmmm."
"Well, I hope they didn't say anything embarrassing."
"And how do you know I didn't?"
"Because you're not as cheesy as I am."
Gabriella laughed and gave Troy a peck on the lips. "I don't know Bolton… you're kinda growing on me."
He chuckled and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Babe, okay?"
She smiled against his chest. "Babe's okay…"
Gabriella felt him kiss the top of her head and let her go. "Alright let's go before they think we're boning on the kitchen island."
Gabi laughed again with a shake of her head. "Boning?"
He raised his eyebrows suggestively, making her giggle. Then he entwined their hands and led her out of the kitchen back to his family.
If Gabriella had to rate her first lunch with the Boltons, she would call it a success – to some degree. She got along famously with Kelsi and Sharpay. Lucille thought she was the sweetest thing ever. Gabi scored major points with Jack and Andrew over sports. They booed her teams - the Golden Gate Warriors and the LA Rams - but they respected her choice of Clemson for college sports.
Martha seemed rather neutral. She wasn't fawning over Gabriella, but she didn't hate her either. Jason was barely present at all. At some point during the meal, he got a phone call and disappeared for a while.
The only one who seemed a bit intense was Mary. It was as if she was trying to find something wrong with the girl. But Gabriella seemed to pass every little vibe check.
"I've never been in a treehouse before," Gabriella said as she climbed the last rungs of the ladder.
With Troy's help, she made it to the top and awed at the sight. It was huge, and she was surprised at her ability to stand comfortably. There were bean bag chairs in the corners and a makeshift table between them. Twinkling lights hung from the ceiling like stars glittering the sky. There were small toys lining a shelf and underneath it sat a small trunk with stuffed animals on top. Drawings and pictures from when the Boltons were little decorated the walls. Gabriella smiled at an old worn photo of Troy with Sharpay and Kelsi. He didn't look any older than twelve. His arm hung around Sharpay's neck in a light headlock, while his other held little Kelsi close to his side.
"Aww how cute," she said, touching the photo lightly.
Troy smiled. "Martha took that photo." He held his hand out to her, and she took it happily. He carefully led her under a tree branch to sit by the treehouse edge. They crouched down and let their legs dangle over the side.
Gabriella's legs swung back and forth as she looked around some more. "This is amazing… are you sure we're safe up here?"
Troy chuckled and looked down below. "Oh yeah… dad replaces the wood every couple of years. He hopes to fill it up with grandkids someday."
Gabriella blushed at the thought. Having Troy's babies sounded wonderful. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it; a little blue-eyed, dark haired boy or girl. Their kid would be smart, talented, and courageous. Beautiful in every way. When they see a baby on the street or a cute, well-behaved little kid in the store, they would coo about it. But they never talked about when they would start trying or how many kids they would have.
"Hey…" Troy called softly, "you okay?" Her mind was churning, but she managed to nod her head. "I hope I didn't freak you out with the whole kid thing."
"No, no… you didn't. It just occurred to me that we never really talked about… it."
Troy took her hand and sighed. "Gabi, you're my best friend and I love you. But if I'm gonna be honest… I'm not ready to have kids. Someday, but not right now."
Gabriella let out a huge breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Oh thank God… because I feel the same way."
He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head lovingly. "Oh! I almost forgot…" he dug into his pockets and pulled out the little red leather box from this morning.
He watched her as she carefully opened it and gawked at the ring nestled inside. "Oh Troy…"
"It was my grandmother's… and it would be an honor to me and Grandpa John if you'd wear it."
Her eyes peeled away from the gorgeous ring to his deep blue eyes. Breathlessly she nodded and his face broke out into a smile. He slipped the ring from its confines and slid it over her wedding band. It fit perfectly and it complimented the wedding ring well. They shared a kiss and he held her close as they looked out into the late afternoon sky.
Down below, Mary couldn't help but watch the doting couple with narrowed eyes. The smiling and laughing - who is really that in love and happy?
"Green is not your color," Andrew said and took a seat next to her.
Mary brushed it off. "I am not jealous of them." She sighed. "Don't you think she's a little phony? Like she's so nice and perfect and sweet - it's a little suspicious."
Andrew shrugged and looked up at the young couple. "You just don't like her for the reasons you mentioned. Face it - you're jealous."
Mary glared at him lightly. "I am not… there's just something about her that seems... off. I don't know. I just feel like they rushed into it. They're not gonna last. She's young, Drew… she hasn't even lived yet," The oldest Bolton sibling shook his head, "One day she's going to wake up and realize what a mistake she's made. And we'll be here to pick up the pieces of his broken heart."
Again, Andrew shook his head and got up. "Whatever Mare… just give her a chance. I'll be back later - I got a date."
Mary crossed her arms over her chest a little peeved as Andrew left. Kelsi had a boyfriend. She's quite sure Sharpay is seeing someone but can't confirm that. Troy and Martha are married. Even notorious bachelor Andrew is dating. She began to wonder if there was something seriously wrong with her. Every relationship Mary had ended badly. They either turned out to be incompetent or married. She's tried the apps and the set ups from friends, but lately it's been nothing but a bunch of weirdos and stale guys.
"Do you need me to show you where it is?" Troy's voice broke her thoughts.
She watched as Troy helped his wife down and the pair cross the backyard.
"I'm sure I can find it," Gabriella said and placed a kiss on his cheek before skipping ahead inside.
Troy watched as she disappeared out of sight. Granted, she was going the wrong way, but she'll find the bathroom eventually. Troy looked around the yard and spotted Mary sitting on the loveseat. He grinned and made a beeline for her. "Hey."
"Hey," she greeted softly.
"Where is everybody?" Troy asked and sat down.
"Well… Andrew and Sharpay both had dates. Kelsi's on the phone with Ryan. Martha and Jason went to pick up their son from his mom's… and mom and dad are inside somewhere."
Troy gave a curt nod, distracted by a basketball lying on the ground lifeless. He picked it up, his fingers feeling the groves underneath them.
"Do you still play?" She asked.
"Nah… well, I mean… not as much as I want to." Mary nodded understandingly. Like Troy, she was the basketball star of the girls' varsity team in high school. She used her skills for a full ride to Texas Southern University and basically never left Houston. "What about you?"
Mary tilted her head side to side. "Same… some of my old teammates are still in Houston, so we try to play a couple times a month. But it's getting harder and harder to meet up these days."
Troy stood up and gave the ball a nice squeeze. He dribbled it a bit and tossed it between his hands. He was satisfied with how the ball felt and cocked it between his arm and his hip. "First to twenty-one? I'll go easy on ya."
Mary looked down at her jean shorts and button up top. At least she's wearing sneakers. She smirked and smacked the ball out of her younger brother's hands. She was quick to grab it and started heading towards the small court. Troy ran after her until he caught up. She took a shot from the free throw line and they watched as it sunk in flawlessly.
"First to twenty-one buys the wine?" Mary wagered.
Troy sighed as he jogged towards the ball. "You're on," he said and checked her the ball.
Gabriella watched from the patio doors as Troy tried to block his sister, only for the older sibling to be quick and toss a nice layup into the hoop. Troy said something as he passed his sister that made the blonde twin laugh. He picked up the ball and checked it to her again.
Gabriella was a bit relieved to see Troy with Mary. She was starting to get a vibe that the Bolton twin wasn't a big fan of hers and kind of took it out on Troy. The woman hardly said a word to either one of them the whole meal. She couldn't figure out why. Did Gabriella say anything that offended her? Everyone else seemed to be warming up to her – more or less. Even Martha was nice to Gabi before she left to pick up her son.
Gabriella sighed as she continued to watch the siblings play ball. Maybe she's just a very guarded person, Gabi thought.
"Hey." Gabi turned around to see Kelsi jog past her and to the fridge. Her eyes searched for something before pulling out a can of ginger ale. "You want one?"
"No thank you… but I will have some of that leftover broccoli that your mom made."
Gabi looked back and watched for a moment as Troy made a shot. Mary grabbed the ball and the two of them argued before she chest passed him the ball hard. The brunette peeled her eyes from the scene and made her way over to the kitchen island where Kelsi started fixing her a plate. "You want anything else?"
"Aww thanks Kels… and no, just the broccoli." It had pieces of bacon and cheese mixed in. Why would she want anything else?
She watched as the petite girl put it in the microwave to warm it up. "Where's Troy?"
"Playing ball with Mary."
Kelsi chuckled. "Of course… those two could play ball for hours. When we were younger, mom would hide the basketball so they could eat or do homework."
The dark-haired beauty smiled fondly at the mentioned memory. Troy spoke affectionately about his old basketball days. He'd talk about the championships he's won and how hard he'd train. He spoke about sharing his passion for basketball with his sister, but Gabriella couldn't remember which one. It was nice to put a face to the name.
The microwave beeped and Kelsi took it out. She paused as she got a whiff of the plate and set it down carefully on the counter.
"Kelsi?" Gabriella called, but Kelsi was too busy trying to compose herself. Gabi slowly approached the girl who started to look a little pale. "Are you okay?"
The mousy girl swallowed thickly but that didn't help. She dashed out of the kitchen to the half bath in the hall. She made it just in time to let the contents of her stomach out into the toilet bowl.
"Kelsi…" Gabriella said softly and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Kelsi retched again until nothing else came up. She reached up and flushed the toilet. She collapsed against the wall with a heavy sigh. Gabriella grabbed the tissue box and handed a few to the young girl. Kelsi muttered a 'thanks' before wiping her mouth and taking deep breaths.
"I'm sorry."
Gabriella frowned and crouched down before her. "No, don't be… are you okay? Was it something you ate?"
Kelsi looked into the girl's deep brown eyes filled with concern. Her lip quivered and as much as she tried not to, she began to sob. Alarmed, Gabriella sat down and pulled Kelsi into a half hug. She let the youngest Bolton cry it out and rub her arm comfortingly. The petite woman sniffled and blew her nose. Gabriella let the girl go and offered her the box of tissues. She took a few, dabbing her eyes and blowing her nose once again.
"I thought I could handle it, but clearly I was wrong," Kelsi mumbled, but Gabriella heard her loud and clear.
"Handle what?" Gabi questioned.
"The smells… everything…"
It took Gabriella a minute to understand. She tried to keep a neutral face as she asked, "Kelsi… are you-"
"Pregnant?" the youngest Bolton laughed drily, "I am… and no, no one knows yet… well, I guess you do now."
Gabriella let out a heavy breath. She didn't know what to say. "How far along are you?"
Kelsi chewed on her bottom lip as she thought. "I don't know… four, maybe five, weeks?"
"Have you seen a doctor?" The girl shook her head. "But you've taken a test, right?"
"All seven."
Shit. "What are you going to do? Are you going to keep it?"
Kelsi's eyes watered and shrugged her small shoulders. "I don't know…"
Gabriella frowned and grabbed Kelsi's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll make some calls and set you up with an appointment. Then we'll go from there."
"Thanks Gabi…" The girls got off the floor and fixed their appearance in the mirror. "Promise me you won't tell anyone… not until I've told Ryan."
Gabriella looked into her big green, slightly puffy eyes. The girl looked stressed out and scared. What was she supposed to say, no? "I promise."