13 - New Beginnings
Ricardo and Annie stared at Maria a little bewildered. She didn't even say hi to them!
Nurse Stacey glared at Ricardo and Annie. "She doesn't want you okay!' she snapped as she wheeled Maria off.
"I hate her," said Annie of Nurse Stacey.
:So do I," said Ricardo.
In Eric's room Maria sat in her wheelchair holding his hand. He was unconscious. Maria looked at his life support tearfully.
"You have to wake up, Eric, you *have* to," she said.
Suddenly Nancy came in the door.
"Nancy" said Maria not too happily.
"Hi, Maria," she said returning the tone. She looked at Eric. "Stupid fool," she said. "If he had only said yes, he wouldn't be here now."
"If he had only said 'yes' to what?" Maria asked.
"To going on the cruise with me. Even though it was delayed, he still would have been at the pier with me, instead of *here*."
"Why didn't he say yes?" Maria asked.
"Because of *you*. He said that although he was giving you some time alone, that he was not giving up on you -and that he wasn't interested in me."
"He said that," said Maria with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yeah, go figure," said Nancy.
"You know, Nancy," said Maria turning back towards her. "You're rather rude. You don't care about Eric. You only care about yourself!"
Furious, Nancy stormed out of the hospital room.
"Please wake up, Eric," said Maria.
Slowly his eyes opened. "Maria," he whispered.
"Shh.. it's your turn to just rest" she said.
Over the next two days, the police had found and arrested a man. It turned out the Muchcash had hired him to start a slow gas leak on opening day and a fire that would kill Maria so that he could purchase the building from her family.
Muchcash was found trying to flee to Mexico and arrested.
Olivia and Gregory were rumored to be in Europe.
Gabi and Antonio announced a wedding date.
Annie and Ricardo started to date.
The insurance would cover everything that happened to the Gallery and it was set to reopen in two months.
As for Maria and Eric, after those two days, they were both released from the hospital
They sat in a field under the moonlight holding hands.
"I still can't believe that you refused to go with Nancy," Maria said.
"I told you I would wait, and that I would never give up," said Eric.
"Eric, I shouldn't have shut you out. It's true I was hurting but that was no reason to treat you the way I did."
"Don't think about that any more, Maria," he said stroking her hair.
"All I want to do is concentrate on *now*, and not live in the past ever again," she whispered.
Eric leaned over and they kissed. Somehow in that moment both knew that this new beginning would never end.
THE END
Ricardo and Annie stared at Maria a little bewildered. She didn't even say hi to them!
Nurse Stacey glared at Ricardo and Annie. "She doesn't want you okay!' she snapped as she wheeled Maria off.
"I hate her," said Annie of Nurse Stacey.
:So do I," said Ricardo.
In Eric's room Maria sat in her wheelchair holding his hand. He was unconscious. Maria looked at his life support tearfully.
"You have to wake up, Eric, you *have* to," she said.
Suddenly Nancy came in the door.
"Nancy" said Maria not too happily.
"Hi, Maria," she said returning the tone. She looked at Eric. "Stupid fool," she said. "If he had only said yes, he wouldn't be here now."
"If he had only said 'yes' to what?" Maria asked.
"To going on the cruise with me. Even though it was delayed, he still would have been at the pier with me, instead of *here*."
"Why didn't he say yes?" Maria asked.
"Because of *you*. He said that although he was giving you some time alone, that he was not giving up on you -and that he wasn't interested in me."
"He said that," said Maria with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yeah, go figure," said Nancy.
"You know, Nancy," said Maria turning back towards her. "You're rather rude. You don't care about Eric. You only care about yourself!"
Furious, Nancy stormed out of the hospital room.
"Please wake up, Eric," said Maria.
Slowly his eyes opened. "Maria," he whispered.
"Shh.. it's your turn to just rest" she said.
Over the next two days, the police had found and arrested a man. It turned out the Muchcash had hired him to start a slow gas leak on opening day and a fire that would kill Maria so that he could purchase the building from her family.
Muchcash was found trying to flee to Mexico and arrested.
Olivia and Gregory were rumored to be in Europe.
Gabi and Antonio announced a wedding date.
Annie and Ricardo started to date.
The insurance would cover everything that happened to the Gallery and it was set to reopen in two months.
As for Maria and Eric, after those two days, they were both released from the hospital
They sat in a field under the moonlight holding hands.
"I still can't believe that you refused to go with Nancy," Maria said.
"I told you I would wait, and that I would never give up," said Eric.
"Eric, I shouldn't have shut you out. It's true I was hurting but that was no reason to treat you the way I did."
"Don't think about that any more, Maria," he said stroking her hair.
"All I want to do is concentrate on *now*, and not live in the past ever again," she whispered.
Eric leaned over and they kissed. Somehow in that moment both knew that this new beginning would never end.
THE END