Chapter 16 – Disagreement

Sunday, July 21st, 2024 – 3:30 AM

Kansas City, MO

I snuck out of the bedroom and down the hall into Logan's room. I reached for the black case that sat on her bedside table. I had been doing this twice a night for two weeks now. I had figured out a system to do it without turning on a light, I figured out how to do it without waking Logan up, I figured out how to do it to ease my mind to let me sleep in-between the midnight and three thirty blood sugar checks.

We were trying to find a groove with the illness but Logan was fighting us every step of the way. The happy, sad, couple that was in the hospital was also no longer. Troy didn't like that I got up twice a night to do this. He didn't like that I had no trust but I felt my chest ache if I just let it happen. I took a big breath as I drew the blood carefully from her finger and it sucked up the strip. It started to count down from five and when it flashed back at 150, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I tossed the strip in the trashcan by her bed when she rolled over and tucked her hand away. I eased out of the room quietly and I shut her door. Skip crawled by my feet and I ran my fingers through his fur as he then padded into Logan's bedroom. I went back to my bedroom as Troy looked over at me as he was sitting up, his eyes were adjusting to the low light in our room. "Gabi,"

"150, I like her sitting at 150 because I feel like she will be safe until I get up at seven," he groaned, "Gabi, you need to stop,"

"I can't stop, I need to make sure she is safe. I have to keep her safe." Troy glanced over at me, "So not sleeping is keeping her safe?"

"Troy, just go back to bed,"

"No, you keep waking her up!"

"I am not! She rolls back over and falls right back asleep and then I can actually sleep. Don't you get it, I need to make sure,"

"Gabi, you are freaking out."

"Yes, my daughter could just die in the middle of the night because I was being too lazy to check her blood sugar. Just go back to bed Troy,"

"I am wide awake now,"

"Maybe you should just sleep through it,"

"Fuck, Gabi, why are you being this way?"

"Why are you being this way?"

He rolled onto his side and I rolled my eyes, I was so tired of this bullshit that we had been fighting over for two weeks now. I licked my lower lip and I crawled underneath the blanket. My eyes were starting to shut again but I was interrupted by my concerns racing through my head. I thought of how Logan was sleeping peacefully but her body was fighting. I struggled to fall back asleep again so I tossed onto my other side.

"Why are you tossing and turning,"

"I'm thinking,"

"About what?" Troy was frustrated with me and I was frustrated with him. "Wondering about Logan and what else I can do,"

"Gabi, you can't do anything else. Just let her be a kid,"

"What do you want?" I asked him, he groaned, "Please,"

"Why are we even fighting about this? I think this is correct,"

"Fuck that,"

I rolled onto my side to face him and I then got up, "I think I am going to go do something,"

"Fuck, Gabi, I need you to fucking sleep for you drive me insane."

My eyes filled his and I was tired, I hadn't slept for longer than four hours in more than two and half weeks. Troy got up, "Just lay the hell down and sleep, Logan is going to be fine,"

"What if she isn't going to be fine?" I countered, Troy's eyes were dark and he let out a long breath, "You know what, I don't even care," Troy got up and left the room as I laid back into the bed. My eyes stared at the ceiling fan because I wanted everything to go back to normal after we got back to the hospital. Yet, Troy and I had different opinions on what the new normal was. He wanted things to return to how they previously were and diabetes wasn't even apart of our lives except when needed.

I wanted to remain as tight as control as possible.

The fighting started again and it was the worse this time around.

I wish I knew what to do.

I wish.

I measured Logan's cereal out into a measuring cup and then poured her a cup of milk into it as we had just taken our shot minutes ago, the tears were subsiding and I looked at her, "Are we okay?" she nodded her head and I kissed the top of head as she started to eat. I pushed a bowl of strawberries nearby when Troy came into the room. He tickled Logan's side and he looked up at me, "Why isn't Logan packed yet?" he asked me, I glanced up at him, "She is going to stay with my dad,"

"Why?" Troy asked confused, "Because, I am not ready to expose her to the effects of travel,"

"What? That is insane, Gabi, she needs to live her life like she normally does. Going on the road with us,"

I cut him off, "Troy, I did not ask for this attitude or choice."

"You didn't even ask me. I am her father,"

Logan glanced up between us, she pushed her half empty cereal away, "Logan, no, you have to finish." She shook her head, "No,"

Troy looked at the bowl and he sighed, "Logi, you need to eat more of that," she shook her head and I leaned forward, "Baby girl, you need to eat your breakfast okay? For mommy, I don't want you to feel funny later." She hesitated while her eyes lowered to the bowl of cereal, tears welled in her eyes and she shook her head. I went to the fridge and I found a box of juice, "Then you need to drink this," I said softly, she nodded as I wiped away her tears.

We stuck the straw into the drink and she quickly swallowed it down. My fingers ran through her hair and I looked at Troy again, "I don't think it is okay for us to be deciding things about her by ourselves. You would be livid if I did that,"

I shrugged, "I just made the choice. I didn't think about it I just did, she will be safe here and my dad knows everything. We still need to train Alyssa and hell, maybe she should just stay home the rest,"

"No, Gabi,"

"Troy,"

"I'm not kidding Gabi, she needs to live a normal life. Just because we have to do some extra things doesn't mean we just let her stop living her life!" Troy was visibly upset and I took a deep breath because I didn't want to yell with Logan in the house, I didn't want to cause Logan to become upset. "Troy, I know what you think and I know what I think so how about we let her sit this road trip out. School is getting ready to start anyways,"

"Pre-school," Troy said quietly, "I know, and that will be her normal staying back."

Troy rubbed his face, "Gabi, isn't she safer with us?"

"Not when I can't be with her."

Troy frowned, "This is the only road trip she sits,"

"Besides school,"

"Gabi, please,"

I looked at Troy and I nodded, "Fine,"

"Her world just changed dramatically and maybe we shouldn't change it so much."

He walked away and I took a deep breath, "Don't forget to check her blood sugar, I am going to go see Ellie." I grabbed my things and Troy didn't speak another word as I went out to my car.

"Ellie, I don't understand, we were doing so well in the hospital and now here we are again."

"He is right you know," I looked up, "Alyssa doesn't know anything yet and it just isn't time,"

"Okay, maybe you are right that she shouldn't go on this road trip but you have to keep her life as normal as possible. She did just have a life changing event and you really need make sure she feels like everything is going to be okay."

I sighed as my fingers ran down a spine of the book, "I just want her to be safe and I can't be with her so I would want my dad or Troy's family to watch her. I feel like that is where she is the safest." Ellie sighed, "You will not be able to protect her forever,"

"But I can do my damn hardest now,"

"I think you and Troy need to lock yourselves in a room and just yell at each other until you feel better. I mean Gabi this isn't you guys. This isn't Troy and Gabi and maybe they are long gone and we may never see them again but you have got to stop doing this."

I looked at Ellie, "He cares for you and you care for him but you guys are so fucking pissed at each other for so many reasons. They are starting to build on top of each other and the main reason is getting buried underneath so much grief and pain." I shook my head, "Ellie, you don't get it,"

"I don't get it because I talk to my husband, I tell him when I am having an issue with him, you and Troy dance around each other. You are afraid of each other or breaking each other because you are so in tune with each other and maybe you have hit a rut. You have hit a rut and you need to work your way out but I want you to think about the day you met Troy Bolton,"

This wasn't hard because the memory was cut into my brain, "I remember," I told her, she nodded, "What did you think that day?" I looked down, "I remember his blue eyes and his smile, and I thought he was cute but we barely spoke. He apologized for running into me and then walked out." Ellie nodded, "And when he asked you out?"

"I was so happy," I said quietly, "I don't understand what this has to do with anything though?"

"Gabi, what I am trying to say is you and Troy are changing and something happened. The miscarriage, the tommy john surgery, or just plain getting frustrated with each other but what does it matter because you won't talk to each other. You made promises to each other and are you keeping those promises?"

I blinked and I turned around from Ellie, "I don't know,"

"That is the problem Gabi, you and Troy love each other and the hospital stay proved that because Troy didn't want to see you fall apart and now that you did fall apart, he doesn't want to see his beautiful daughter fall apart because her mom is keeping her so close."

I frowned at Ellie and I shook my head, "You know what, I think I made a mistake coming here,"

"Gabi," she protested, I turned around to look at her, "What?"

"I'm sorry that hearing the truth hurts so much and I am sorry that you are going through so much shit but I do not want to see you lose the person you love the most because of stupid mistakes. I don't want to see you fall apart even more because Troy pulls away and you lose everything that you have ever loved."

I blinked away tears, "Ellie, you don't,"

"Fine, I don't know but I want you to take a step back and think about it."

I shook my head as I stormed out of the room and I knew of only one other place to go – my dad.

I pushed through the door and I must have startled somebody because something hit the floor. I went into the kitchen to see my mom doing dishes, "Hi sweetie, I thought you weren't coming over till later?" I was on the brick of tears, "Where is dad?"

"Out with Cam and Lilly," I pressed my fingers into my eyes and I took a deep breath, "Sweetie, what is wrong?" I laughed as I fell into a seat at the bar, "Everything is wrong mom. My marriage is literally falling apart. Troy and I are literally disagreeing on everything, my poor baby girl is struggling because we have to take so many shots everyday and I don't want to leave her but I also really want to get back to work." I took a deep breath and my mom rubbed my back, "I don't know what to do anymore,"

"Oh Gabi,"

"I need help mom and I don't know what to do, Ellie told me that I just need to take a step back and look at everything."

"Maybe you do." She said quietly, "Maybe it is time to take a breather and figure out what you need in life, what Logan needs in life, and what Troy needs in life. You have to work as a team,"

"Why is all of this happening now?"

"A lot has happened in the past few months. Two miscarriages, Troy had tommy john surgery, and Logan," I wiped my tears away and my mom sighed, "There are some things that never came out between your dad and I and that you don't even really know," I looked at her and she played with her hands, "After one of my miscarriages, early on, I got fed up and just left. Your dad got pissed just like Troy did and we didn't speak for a while. You were little and you stayed with my mom and dad for that week where I just lost it. It wasn't my first or my last but I didn't understand why at this point."

"We fought for a long time Gabi, your dad and I." I seemed a little shocked, "But we too took a step back. We met in high school just like you and Troy and after a while you grow a rut and you forget that you are still growing Gabi, you have to keep growing but you and Troy need to remember why you guys got together in the first place." I wiped my eyes from the tears and I latched my mom into a hug. "Mom, who said that you sucked at parent talks?" my mom laughed aloud, "I wish I knew sweetie,"

Friday, July 26th, 2024

Chicago, Illinois

"Troy you are not understanding!"

"Understanding what Gabriella? That I am spending my birthday away from the only person I really want to spend my birthday with because you banned her from coming on road trips," I frowned deeply as Troy was changing his clothes to go do some PT. "You could have trained Alyssa all damn week,"

"And you would have yelled at me all week for being overprotective, I am taking a step back! I am giving my parents a chance and then slowly I will let somebody else take care of my baby, the one and only baby that I have," Troy rolled his eyes, "I think you are being ridiculous over this whole thing. Yes, this is scary. Yes, things could go wrong, but if we just take care of her and give her insulin and check her blood sugar she will be okay! Why are we making this such a big deal?"

"Because it is a big deal Troy! I don't want her to lose her feet because we didn't take enough care of her!"

Troy looked at me and he tilted his head back, "You know what, I think we need a break," the words caused my heart to crash, "What?" he looked up at me, "A break Gabi, something that people do when all they can do is fucking argue! That is all we do is argue and I am tired of it, I am tired of arguing with you and my birthday, my 30th birthday is in two days and this…this is not how I want it to go." I bit down onto my lip because his 30th birthday was in just a couple of days and I felt horrible.

"Troy, I'm sorry okay, I just…" I let out a frustrated sigh, "I just want my life to return to normal because for your 30th birthday I would have loved to actually leave Logan back in KC so we could celebrate, I would have taken you out to dinner and we would have had a great night full of laughter but I don't know where that couple is and you just want to take a break?" Troy ran his fingers through his hair, his hat discarded across the room.

"Yea, I want a break,"

My stomach sank, "Troy, I don't want a break."

"Well…I guess that is just one more thing to argue over." He picked something up and I shook my head, "No, we are not throwing everything down the drain Troy, we are not coming this far in this relationship to throw it away,"

"Throw what away Gabi?" his eyes were dead and my stomach clutched and I nodded my head as the tears started, "You know, if you want your fucking break," I picked up his clothes and I tossed them into a suitcase, I then shoved it across the room to him. "Get the fuck out then!" Troy looked at me and he tested me, I took a big breath and I looked at him, to say, dare me.

He picked his shit up and he walked out of the room. My knees gave out from underneath of me and I crumbled onto the floor. I couldn't fucking do this anymore. I picked up my cell phone and I thought about calling my dad but I didn't want him yelling at Troy and battling this for me, I thought about my mom but she would just tell my dad who would then go back to Troy. I could call Ellie but we haven't spoken since the day I walked out of her bookshop. I haven't seen or heard from Mallory in two weeks because I haven't made an effort. Becca would tell Cody.

If I begged Cody he would listen and not react.

I called his number and it rang twice and then he answered, "Gabs,"

"Hi,"

"You sound destroyed,"

I laughed as I wiped tears away, "Yea, I kind of am."

He went quiet, "Troy is on the other line," he said softly, I laughed again because I should have known better. Troy would call his best friend, the guy he basically called a brother, "Of course, I'm sorry, I'll go," I hung up without him saying another word and I laid my head down in front of me as tears fell out of my eyes. I was so confused, I was so alone, and I was broken in more ways than one.

Friday, August 2nd, 2024

New York City, New York

Troy's POV

I slid the keycard in the room and I walked in as I let my body fall onto the empty bed. The empty room.

I massaged my forehead as Gabi and I had barely said a word to each other in a week and I wasn't sure if we were ever going to recover from this. I wasn't sure there was an upside to this anymore. On the night of my 30th birthday, she wished me a happy birthday and she had flown Logan up with her dad and Alyssa. I then spent the entire day with my four-year-old while in Chicago. I then spent the evening in the bars with my teammates in Minneapolis.

It was a birthday that I wanted to put with my 19th birthday. I rolled onto my stomach as I pulled up my phone; Logan was staying in Alyssa's room for this series because we didn't want her to know that Gabi and I weren't sharing a room. I closed my eyes because I wasn't sure what happened, there was so much hope after the hospital stay and then she became so obsessive over everything and it was even worse now with us on the road.

Was I concerned and I cared? Of course. I just wasn't sure I could watch her be like this with Logan. I wasn't sure if I could do any of this anymore. My mind flashed back to the moment I told her I think we should have a break. It was like an alarm went off in her head, all of the walls came crashing down and she just shut off. She didn't say anything nice after that and she hadn't even tried. Her walls built up and she road a different bus than me and completely isolated herself.

My phone rang and I picked it up, "Hello?"

"Troy,"

Lance.

"What?"

"Cody told me you are having marriage problems?"

"Does he tell you all of my business?"

Lance laughed, "Most of the time. Are you okay?"

"Dandy,"

"Logan?"

"No idea."

"Gabi?"

"If I am having marriage problems why would I know how my wife is feeling?"

"Troy,"

"What?"

He didn't say anything back to me for a long moment, "Do you remember when Gabi schooled your guys ass on the baseball field?" I frowned at the mention of a good, distant memory, "Yes, I do," I was short with my reply hoping he would get the hint but he didn't. "I have never seen you more relaxed and happy and you guys weren't even dating yet. Troy, you guys have a connection that can not be ignored and even if you guys are so stupidly pissed at each other, you need to talk it out and just breathe for a minute and remember why you guys are doing this all. Why you fell in love."

"Lance, I wish this was your area,"

"Troy, I know you, and a lot of horrible, horrible, things have happened in the past year. You guys have been put through the twister and back and you are still breathing but you have to rescue your marriage. Things will look up but you can't be on this rocky path right now, you can't or horrible things are going to happen."

"Thanks for the advice Lance,"

"Troy, don't just shut down and not do anything to help this."

"I need to go,"

"Troy,"

"No, I need to go."

Friday, August 9th, 2024

Kansas City, Missouri

Gabi's POV

"What in the hell is this?" My voice rose above a level that I thought it could go as I slid my phone across the bar to Troy. He looked down at a picture of him and a girl, he shrugged, "I don't know, she was at the bar last night."

"You didn't come home last night!" I yelled at him, my heart was beating rapidly in my chest because this, this right here was my worst fear coming true. Troy looked up at me and laughed, "I fucking went to Josh's place to crash,"

"And have sex with some random fan?"

"What? No!"

"You are pretty defensive and well we obviously haven't been having sex," Troy groaned, "Gabi, I didn't have sex with her."

"So you kissed her?"

Troy looked up at me, "Fuck, no Gabi, I didn't do anything with her. She simple came up to me and talked to me,"

"Oh yea," I laughed, "I wonder why I even fucking asked you. Not like you are going to tell me the truth but who cares because we are on a break," Troy frowned as he looked at me, "You need to fucking get a grip on life Gabi that pictures don't print everything,"

I pulled my phone back to in front of me, "Are Gabi Bolton and Troy Bolton heading for the courtroom? He seemed pretty cozy with a blonde at the bar…" I looked up at him as tears threatened to spill and my chest ached from the pain of holding them in. He went to say something but I ignored them as I read the next tweet. "Troy Bolton danced rather closely with somebody who wasn't his wife…" I looked up at him and I shook my head.

"Fuck you." I spat, "Fuck you too!" Troy yelled, "You won't even listen to me talk for five fucking minutes without you freaking out and crying!" I looked at him and I shook my head, "You are unbelievable Troy, fucking unbelievable."

Troy shook his head, "Why are you the one trying to start shit?"

"I am not starting anything! If you remember correctly, you went to the bar last night and got cozy with a blonde!"

Troy ran his fingers through his hair and then tugged it upward to rip it out. "You know what, how about you just go back to where you came from Troy. Go back to Josh's or downstairs to one of those rooms because I do not want to see you. Maybe you are right, this marriage is over."

I blinked, surprised, and I turned and went upstairs into our room as I shut the door, my chest went up and down rapidly, causing my heart to beat in a rapid response. I buried my face into my knees and I screamed loudly into them but the noise was muffled out and then my sobs flowed from my mouth. I wrapped my arms around myself because I wanted one person to hold me and that was Troy…but the Troy who would come after me instead of stalking out of the house.

Friday, August 16th, 2024

Detroit, Michigan

I walked into the clubhouse because I had a job to do.

That is what I kept telling myself. I just had to do this one, one interview and then I could run upstairs. I walked quickly, quietly, over to his locker and I stood there as he was sitting down, his back to me. "Troy,"

He turned around to face me, the first time in weeks I had said his voice in a calm tone instead of one wanting to strangle him. He still gave no explanation for the girl and he still slept in a bed downstairs while I continued my twice a night checks on Logan. She was finally getting used to me poking her finger twice a night and getting shots during the day to eat.

Everything in that aspect was getting better.

"What?"

I swallowed, "I need to ask you a couple of questions," he turned around, "Have Joel or Casey do it." I bit on my lip and I nodded expecting this, "Well, it was assigned to me and our personal life is not supposed to get in the way of our work life so if you could answer a few questions,"

He turned around to face me, "You know, maybe I can finally take that no-trade clause out of my contract because I can go wherever the hell I want now. I can do whatever the hell I want now because our marriage is hanging on by a thread and I can do whatever the hell I want now,"

I flinched from his comment, "Troy, please," I begged quietly, we were getting attention from people around the clubhouse and he shook his head, "No, I don't want to deal with you right now." He grabbed his headphones and his water as he disappeared to a place that was closed off for broadcasters. I looked at Troy's locker to see his clothes hanging there and his bag. I took a step back when I stumbled into somebody.

"Hey, Gabs, are you okay?" I looked at Josh and I shrugged, "I don't know,"

"You don't know?"

My body was numb from the lack of interest, "I don't know," I answered again, Josh frowned, "Okay, well, if you need somebody to talk to…"

I vaguely nodded my head before I disappeared only to run into Troy, I bounced off of him and I looked at him, his eyes were stone again. "Get the fuck out of my way,"

"Troy, I didn't mean to, God, do you take everything personal? Do you take me stepping backwards personal? Do you take my hair down personal? Jesus Troy! Grow up; I am trying to get out of the clubhouse you humiliated me in! I am trying to get away from you and give you the thing you want which is space which is not fair for me because I am just, just trying to do my job and you want to say fuck me? Go ahead."

Troy forced his jaw around before moving along, I looked down at my wedding ring and I let a small hiccup leave my mouth.

How much longer was this going to continue before I couldn't take another step?

Friday, August 23rd, 2024

Kansas City, Missouri

Troy's POV

I stumbled through the door, a little more drunk than I expected to get tonight. I held on tightly as I went into the house, "Daddy?" I stopped frozen in my tracks while I looked up at Logan who was standing with Alyssa.

"Hi, I uhm," I hesitated because I was drunk. I skipped Kauffman stadium today and opted for a bar instead. I couldn't handle the scrutiny, I couldn't handle breathing her air, I couldn't handle it because we lived in the same house and I was suffocating.

I was suffocating with the girl who made me love something other than baseball.

"Logan, how about we go to your room and get ready for bed?" she looked at me and then looked at Alyssa, then nodded as she went running up the stairs. I stumbled down the stairs and I crashed into a bed and I closed my eyes. After another long week, I wondered where everything was going. I wondered if anything was going to fix itself because Gabi and I were only getting worse. The fights were longer and drawn out.

It had been a month and I couldn't do this anymore.

She was breaking down.

Logan was noticing.

Everything was turning into a pile of shit.

"You came back to the house drunk?" my eyes opened and I looked up to see Gabi staring at me, her eyes were fire and her hands were firmly planted on her hips. I went to say something but nothing came to my mind. I was still drunk.

"Yes," I finally managed, the word slurred off my tongue and Gabi was pissed. "Jesus Troy! We have a four-year old daughter still! We still have to show her that it isn't okay to go out and get drunk! She is living in a nightmare right now and you walk in drunk! Drunk! You don't come to the stadium and I am of course blamed. I am blamed because I just can't keep a smile on my face and I can't keep up with this anymore!"

I stood up onto my feet and I looked at her, "What are we doing Gabi?"

She looked at me and I looked at her back, "I wish I knew Troy, I wish I knew why you felt like going to get drunk was a better idea than coming home to at least spend the evening with your daughter." Gabi pulled away and started for the door. "You know if you are so unhappy Troy that you need to get drunk, let's just do it." I was afraid I was hearing her wrong, I wanted her to say it, "Do what Gabi?"

She couldn't face me because I knew she was crying she didn't want this to be over.

Maybe I didn't want this to be over.

I just didn't know what was the best option.

"A divorce," the word was bitter in the air and she gasped after it came off her lips and she bolted from the doorway. Her legs moving up the stairs and I sank down into the bed again. I rung the back of my neck with my hands and I tried to remember how to breath. I tried to remember everything that got me to this point.

I tried to remember why this was even happening.

I tried to remember happiness.

Saturday, August 24th, 2024

Gabi's POV

Troy, Logan, and I sat at a table as we all ate breakfast and it was dead silent. Logan looked between Troy and I and I looked at Troy. Troy kept his head down and Logan finally spoke up, "Daddy, where did you sleep last night? I cuddled with mommy,"

Troy choked on his cereal because to her, our marriage was intact and okay. Maybe we were fighting a bit more but we were okay. I didn't utter the D word last night. I didn't have a panic attack and had to have Ellie and Mallory come over to calm me down. I didn't lay awake half the night thinking of what Troy could possibly be thinking.

"I didn't feel good last night so I slept downstairs," Troy finally managed to spit out, I looked at him and then I got up from the table. "Logi, can you run upstairs and finish getting ready?" she nodded and went running up the stairs and Troy sat at the table quietly, "I'm not ready for that yet Gabi,"

I looked up at him, relived, "That would be throwing away so many perfect years with you too quickly. Let's give it time to play out and if things are still bad in the coming months then we can talk about it but I am not ready…are you?" I shook my head no as I looked down in the sick because tears blurred my eyes, tears were running down my cheeks because he wasn't ready giving me hope that our relationship wasn't over.

"How about marriage counseling?"

"No." and then he were off to do something else, because the thought of getting help for our marriage just wasn't enough yet.

The Royals had an off day so I was taking the opportunity to clean out my closet. Logan was playing with Troy this afternoon so I was taking the quiet with stride with a little music in the background. I reached up for a shoebox on the top level and I pulled it down only for it to leave my hands and hit the floor.

I expected shoes to come flying out.

No shoes came flying out.

Papers and papers came falling out. Stubs and notes.

I sank onto the floor and I realized this was the box I kept everything that Troy and I ever did with each other with. I put stuff in it over the years and I slowly forgot that I had it. I gasped quietly as I reached down for the Arizona Diamondback ticket stubs. Twelve years ago.

I placed it back into the top of the box and I went through a couple of other things. I then grabbed a piece of paper I didn't remember. I slid it open and I gasped quietly, the words on the page screaming back at me and tears started to roll down my cheeks.

I vow to keep you happy and for you to smile all the time.

Our vows.

My heart crushed as I read them again and again. Word for word and I wondered…what happened.

After going through the rest of the box, I went down to my little room and I opened the door, the line of baseballs lining the walls. My stomach ached as I went to the last one that we had put up a couple of months ago.

Celebrating our last anniversary.

That was too long ago.

I tilted my head back as I went to find our wedding day one and I looked at it, my eyes staring at it until my tears blurred my vision to the point that I couldn't see anymore. I can't give this up. I can't give up because I know that Troy is somewhere inside of him and that Gabi is somewhere inside of me.

I just had to convince Troy that it was time to repair our marriage.

Ouch. Rough chapter.

Thanks for hanging in there guys! I promise things WILL turn up!

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