Chapter 2

Echoes of the past

Still Three and half weeks Till Christmas

Oliver and Jordan landed in New York. Oliver was happy to know that with his angel, Jordan, and that was somewhat good, Jordan knew how to find Gabriella. When they reached Gabriella's apartment. Oliver was about to knock on the door when Jordan stopped him and told him,

" Patience is a virtue, Oliver. She is not here. We must wait for her."

" Then why, Jordon, take us here when you she somewhere else."

" Because Oliver, the lord has someone else in mind to lead her here to us."

Jordan decides to sit down at Gabriella doorstep to waiting for and urges Oliver

Oliver didn't question Jordan nor the lord in their plans. So Oliver sat along with Jordan to wait for Gabriella

Gabriella waited for friend Peter Meade to come to pick her up from the Queens cemetery. She sat on a bench, shriving from the cold. Gabriella closes her to think of warm memories to keep her comfy as she waited for Peter.

Ten years ago Queens NYC,

Miss Clara announces to her second-grade class,

My friends, we have a new friend joining our class. His name is Peter Meade.

Miss Clara put it upon herself to give Gabriella a new friend since she has much and sat alone in sat class, so she told Peter,

Why don't you sit next to Gabriella? She is the one with pretty blue eyes and a white daisy pin on her hair.

A girl, please don't make sit next to a girl

Peter said out loud in front of the whole who laugh and started at Gabriella, who embarrassed but missed Clara stop it immediately and told the class and Peter,

My friends, I suggest that you think about your first day of school and how hard for all of to make friend Gabriella and Peter it should if you are a boy and girl if you talk and see you might have something in joint and realize later that nothing wrong in being who are. I understand,

The class nodded their heads in agreement as miss Clara lead Peter to his seat next to Gabriella. As Peter looked at Gabriella and sighed

I like your daisy pin, my mom, she likes daisies too

Gabriella smiles and tells Peter

Thanks, my mom and I love daisy they are cute and pretty um I am sorry you have to sit next to me.

It is okay, Gabriella, sorry for embarrassing you. I am just….

Scared

Yeah, I am scared now kids are going to make of me Pete the new kid he smells like feet

Gabriella giggle as Peter asked

What is funny, Gabriella?

Sorry, Pete, but I don't think you smell, but it's pretty catchy don't you think

Yeah, nice rhyming, by the way, Gabriella

Thanks, Peter likes to write poems

Me too,

Yeah, but I hated when kids when would tease too and say, Gabriella,

Peter and Gabriella shared laughs and fun times ever since that day. It was nice to have that warm memory come back to her while waiting for Peter. But it wasn't long when Gabriella felt something warm and soft cuddling her.

Gabriella moaned as she waked to find Peter standing in front of her. Peter helps her up on her feet as his leather is snuggled around her.

Gabriella tells Peter

" Thanks for coming, Peter. I can always count on you."

Peter tries his best not to argue that his friend, his dear friend Gabriella, deserved better to be left alone in the cold. If Peter had his way, he would be Gabriella's knight and shining armor white horse whisk off into the sunset to live happily ever after. All she had to do was ask him. But for Peter was being the loyal friend and told her,

" You are welcome; that's is I do for you, my dear friend, come. Let's get you warm before you catch a cold."

Peter cuddle Gabriella tight to keep her warm. They walked together to Peter's truck, and during the car card ride home, she is praying for someone to get away from the life she is living now. And have some loyal and caring as Peter to save. Unknowingly to Gabriella, the answer to prayer is waiting for her at the doorstep. All she has to now is accept it.

Shane was getting ready to go to Rita and Norman's for poker night. She was happy to have friends like Norman and Rita in her life. Oliver was right. She had a family with them, and she was going to embrace and cherish this Christmas. But before she left, she just wants to call Oliver first. Shane dialed Oliver's phone number, as it rang.

Across the country, from Denver, Colorado to Queens, New York. Shane's call rang on Oliver's new cell phone. Jordan surprised to see the Oliver O'Toole has a cell phone in possession

" Well, Oliver O'Toole conforming to electronic age I see, with your dear Shane calling,"

Oliver defends himself to Jordan in conformity,

" I didn't conform; I comprise Jordan, for my dear Shane, since I am away and she is nearly planning a Christmas wedding all on her own. I promise to have his phone with me so he can reach me, so I know when she calls that she misses and loves me."

" With that, I stand corrected. My apologies for the hold up from such a call; go ahead answer it. We got some time before Gabriella arrives."

Oliver didn't waste a moment to go back alley of Gabriella's apartment and answer Shane's call.

" Hello, my dear share, sorry for not calling once we landed Jordan, and I just got on Dear Santa assignments."

" It's alright, Oliver, just happy to hear your voice; I miss you."

" As do I, Shane, so how is the wedding planning coming along? Are Rita and Norman helping you?" Oliver asks.

Oliver pacing back and forth, hating the fact is not there to help her with the wedding plans but assured in knowing that she wasn't alone and they good friends to help her.

" Yes, plans are going well for now. Going over to Rita and Norman's to plan and um to teach me as they taught you." Shane replied, teasing, hoping that she would be better at poker than him, but she didn't want to rub it, but she surprised by Oliver asking her

" Is Ramon going to be there?"

" Not sure, maybe might with planning and catering but not sure have to find out when I get there, why do I ask? Oliver?"

Oliver didn't know why but worried Ramon's Latin poker charm would woo his dear share from the idea of marrying but then again, maybe he was concerned he said to take all her because he was sure good in bluffing. So he responded with one truth,

" Well, be careful. Ramon sure knows how to bluff his way was getting the winning handing poker."

Shane knew Oliver too well to he was more than worried Ramon's bluffing talents but his charm to woo her, but wasn't going to happen to she assured of him that,

" Oliver, I perfectly capable of handling what Ramon may throw at me. But no charm will woo me away from for the only charming man I want to be and marry on Christmas day, so please trust me and know that I love you and nothing is going to stop me from marrying you."

Oliver is loving how his future wife, Shane, has known him to cast out his worries and doubts about them being married no matter what the obstacle. Oliver was already to confess his undying love to his dear Shane when something stops him from doing so.

Oliver feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to see Gabriella in front of him and asks him,

" What and what are you doing here?"

Shane heard the girls voice on the other end and demanded to know,

" Oliver, who's voice did I just heard? What's going on?"

" Sorry, Dear Shane, will explain later, Dear Santa business, got to go, love you."

Before Shane could take the chance to say I love you to her fiancée Oliver had already hanged up, leaving her puzzled about what on earth Oliver was doing with Jordan. Why hadn't Oliver giving the full story? Why didn't he tell the truth of Jordan's plan if he knew it already? The little seeds of doubt and worries plague her mind. During her walk to Rita's and Norman's house to play poker, she prayed following out loud,

Dear Lord

Please, I pray for Oliver that whatever situation he is in right now. That you keep him safe and he is the will to be truthful and tell me what the problem is. I pray for our upcoming wedding and marriage to one another, and I pray that Oliver makes it's safely back in time for Christmas to share in our love as your birth of Jesus Christ. Thank you for blessing me with this family, like Norman and Rita supporting me and being there for me during times of need. Thanks are unto you in your right name, amen.

After that prayer, she drove to Rita and Norman's to plan for the wedding and fun some old poker fun as well.

During the drive home with Peter, Gabriella didn't say much. She knew if she talked about what happened, Diego, leaving there to walk alone. Peter would go all noble and give her a 10-minute lecture on how she should leave Diego, but she couldn't leave him. Gabriella felt of she left Diego, she would be gone if nothing. She could not risk having anything in her life. So Gabriella decided to silent say nothing of what is in her heart that she wanted to be free and happy, But her mind and guilt felt this is where she was supposed to be with Diego to be close to her mother. In the house, she left to her when she died, sadly, she could afford to keep on her own.

Then she met rich and charming Diego Martinez during the last girls' night out. After about six months of dating, he moved in helped pay mortgage payments. So the house was technically his, and she was his too because of it. But after moving with him was his way or highway no longer charming but possessive. Gabriella had no choice but to bore it, for the only thing she had had of her mother was the house. Gabriella wasn't going to leave behind one of her mothers, not the way she left her behind with her father, who killed made her suffer. Gabriella owes it to her mother to keep her family home alive no matter the cost.

Peter Meade couldn't stand the silence. Peter's truth for his love for Gabriella couldn't be held at bay any longer. Peter about five blocks from Gabriella's place. Peter pulled his truck over to the park they use to play when they were kids.

As he asked,

" Let's go for a swing, Gabriella."

" What for, Peter, are you alright? You seem nervous something,"

Peter gets out of the truck rushes to Gabriella side door to pulls out as rush off-hand and hand together to swings,

" Come on, Gabriella, let's swing more the happy to push you, just like when we kid."

Gabriella didn't know what was going with Peter. The smile and happiness in their voice made her happy and want to join in the fun, so she plopped herself on the swing as she said Peter saying on the swings when they kids

" Take to the moon and back, Peter."

" My Hands guarding your back" as Peter responded

Peter is swinging Gabriella high up in the air. Gabriella smile squealing for joy as she felt as if she was flying. Peter then decides to make his move as he catches the swing. Gabriella catches her breath to see Peter facing her as he tells her,

"I love you, Gabriella."

Gabriella didn't get the chance to respond as Peter kisses softy on the lips. Once parting, Peter lingering telling her,

"I should have told you sooner, but I can't let you the best thing in life slip away. You need to know I am a good human-made for God puts together."

He kisses them again. After the second kiss, which sweet than the first, slowly Gabriella's guilt and fear pushes Peter away and gets off the swing as she yells at him.

" Why now, Peter, after all this time is my friend, you love and want to be with me."

" Because Gabriella, you deserve to be happy and loved in the way God intended for you."

Gabriella is trying not to cry over that fact she could be happy with it, Peter, but God had nothing to do with this. Gabriella still blamed God for not answering her prayers but instead pulling her away from her mother and living with her grandparents in Colorado. Gabriella was writing letters to her mother every day till she was 18. Til the last note was from a lawyer stating that her mother and father died in murder/suicide that she was the sole owner of her parents' house. Yes, she blames God and herself for not trying hard enough to get her happy to be happy, so she felt that she didn't deserve to be satisfied.

Tears filled her as she told Peter,

" That is the problem, thinking God can make this all right all the better if I love you and be with you. It doesn't happen like Peter, and it just doesn't."

Peter sighed not what does change her, but he could say was this,

" I love you, Gabriella, I always have, and I am sorry you blame God for your pain. But please don't think that God or you believe you deserve to be punished for leaving your mother behind because she didn't lead you to be safe and happy."

Peter coming closer to Gabriella to take her hands into his and the tears leaving Gabriella unable to speak what was in her head or heart at the moment, but it didn't stop Peter from telling her,

" Please, Gabriella, if you were not ready to love me, I understand, and I will always be there for you, but please don't back to Diego. You don't love him, and he doesn't love you. Just please fight for what you need to be happy. Don't let Diego ruin you because you think you deserve it. You don't deserve to be mistreated, but you deserve to be loved. All you have to do is accept it. Once you do, I will be here, Swinging you to the moon back with my hands your back."

Gabriella kisses Peter on the cheek, and she leans in to whisper in his ear,

" Thank you."

As pulled away from Peter's hands need to think to walk and process all that was said, but more was waiting for at home the answers to her prayers from God.