A/N: I've decided to turn this into a two-shot just to finish this off and put this story to an end. If you prefer to watch this with a video and music the link is below.
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Please review
Gabriella's Point of View
Christmas is the season of love and family. It's also the right time to forgive someone. I had come to that conclusion a week before said date. And it took me three days to fester up the courage to do what needed to be done.
They had told me he was in therapy and he was sober. He had been that way for a year and a month, every since I had left, carrying our child in my womb. Not that he knew it at the time. If he did, he would have surely been knocking down Taylor's door an hour later. It worked out better this way, him not knowing until it was too late.
It was hard enough to hide it from the Press, let alone him. After our breakup, paparazzi had had a field day. During the whole time, I only made one public appearance to Oprah, explaining everything that happened; finally unleashing the true story onto the world. They had painted him as a monster, which wasn't the case. He was just misguided, and he needed to find his way. Without me.
During the interview, I had also admitted to my pregnancy. He was smart enough not to try and contact me. Not until we were both ready.
And that's how I found myself with a cordless phone in my hand, staring down at our six month old baby girl, Esperanza. Aptly named Hope in Spanish.
I had the decency to give her Troy's last name, even if he has yet to see her. I haven't allowed any pictures of her yet, it wouldn't be fair to him.
Esperanza stirred in her sleep and sighed lightly. Smiling, I dialed the number that had been in the back of head for the past six months.
Listening to the dial tone was pure torture, but hearing his voice again after so long nearly had me in tears. I still loved him, after all of this. I couldn't believe I still loved him.
"Hello?" he asked. His voice was groggy, seeing as it was 3 am and I most likely had woken him from his sleep.
"Hello?" he repeated after I didn't say anything.
"I…It's me, Gabriella." I stuttered. It's like my mind had drawn a blank as to what to say to him, despite the fact that I had been going over my dialogue for the past six months.
"Is that really you?" he asked hopefully. His voice lifted, I could hear how drastic the change in his mood was.
"Yes. How are you?" I asked, my voice slightly shaking.
"I'm… better. More important is how you and the baby are." he said. I could hear the guilt permeating from his voice.
"We're both fine. I called to possibly ask you over for Christmas. I know its last minute, but you haven't seen Esperenza yet." I said, stating the obvious.
"I'll be there. Thank you so much, Gabriella. You two are the only things I've thought of in the past year." he said, his voice shaking.
"You're welcome, Troy. I'll see you 3pm on Christmas Day.", I confirmed.
"Gabriella, I'm sorry. For everything." he said his tone low again.
"I'm past it Troy. I'm ready to move on, I have to for her. I'll see you." I said ending the phone conversation I had started. I sighed happily.
That had gone much better than usual. A year ago, he would've yelled at me for calling at 3 am. He would've sworn at me for taking away his daughter- even for taking control and setting the time for our meeting.
I could finally get some sleep now.
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Troy's Point of View
Christmas Day…
2:59
It was like the world had stopped spinning because it has been 2:59 for the past five minutes.
I was anxiously watching the clock, waiting for its digital red to shift into the next number. I wanted to be right on time, not early or late. A testament to how much I've changed over the past year. Last year, I wouldn't have cared to even check the time. If I was early or late, it put me in control of every situation.
But I realized the control belongs to Gabriella. It had dawned on me after she had walked out my life. She controls whether I am happy or not. This past year has been the most miserable, yet eye-opening year of my life.
I couldn't believe some of the things I had done, the way I had made the one I love more life itself feel. I cried during her Oprah interview. I actually cried. I bawled when she announced she was pregnant. I nearly committed suicide when I received the divorce papers.
When she had left, I had thought 'I still have basketball and now I'm not attached (not that that had stopped me before)'. A month later, I realized Spalding could not keep me warm at night, and those gold digging groupies were intransigent.
I could no longer stay in our loft- not when she wasn't there.
My hotel bills were through the roof. The second that had officially turned me around was when I had been searching for a lost shoe underneath my bed and stumbled across the T necklace I had given her in our junior year. The chain was broken.
The flashback of me ripping it off of her after coming home drunk slammed into me like a brick wall. I remembered her sobs later on as she had searched for it to no avail. I had grown tired of her crying, so I left and went to a party.
Now, here I stand outside her quant home, the t-necklace tucked away in a small box in my pocket. I glanced back at my wristwatch, and nearly cavorted around her lawn when it finally turned to 3:00.
Then the nerves hit me. Sighing, I walked up her short drive and onto the front porch. There was a makeshift snowman on her lawn and a few Christmas decorations. I could see the Christmas tree from her living room window.
Gathering up every ounce of courage I possessed, I rang the doorbell.
After a few seconds, the door creeped open to reveal the most beautiful woman in my world. Seeing her again was like taking a breath of fresh air after being buried in the darkness for a year.
She smiled a timid smile, and opened the screen door for me.
"Hi.", she said softly. I could tell she was nervous, I could always tell.
"Hi.", I said as I hugged her. Her house was all her, from the colors of the walls- to the symmetrical way the paintings were hung. Everything was tidy and in order, except for the random toys thrown everywhere.
"Hello, Troy", her mother had said from a couch. She eyed me suspiciously.
"Hello, Mrs. Montez. How are you?" I greeted politely.
"I was fine, before it got crowded. Gabriella, dear, I'm going to go check on Esperenza. I'll be right back. Call if you need me.", she said while still staring at me in suspicion.
"I told her to come later on…but she was worried." Gabriella said timidly.
"It's understandable. She only wants to make sure you are safe." I said. I'd be suspicious too, leaving my daughter alone in a room with her past abuser.
Gabriella eyed the gifts in my hand.
"You can put those underneath the tree if you'd like. We all decided to open our presents together. Taylor, Chad, Sharpay, and Ryan are all stopping by." she said as she gestured to the big tree lighting up the room.
Next to the tree was her fire place, with various pictures on its shelf. I avoided looking at them, wanting to see my child in the flesh for the first time.
"Look whose up.", her mother said from the living room. I could hear a whining baby.
"She's probably just hungry. But she looks so pretty in her new dress." Gabriella cooed. She took the baby from her mother and my insides went numb.
Looking at me over her shoulder, she smiled softly as she carried the baby towards me.
"This is your daddy, Esperenza. He's going to hold you while I go and make your bottle." Gabriella whispered softly in the baby's ear. The baby's dark curls were pushed back into two bows. Gabriella held my daughter out to me, and I timidly took her.
My own bright blue eyes were shining up at me. I instantly fell in love. I vowed nothing would ever happen to her. No one would ever hurt her, including me.
Gabriella watched me timidly, her mother standing behind her with her hand on her shoulder.
My eyes began wetting.
"She's perfect." I stated as I grinned down at her. Gabriella smiled. "Am I holding her right?" I asked worriedly, looking up at them for confirmation.
"You are holding her just fine, dear." Gabriella's mother said.
Grinning, I slipped the necklace from out of my pocket. Its chain was made for infants, and next to the T, was now an E for Esperenza and G for Gabriella.
"Can you help me? Put this on her?" I asked as I held it up. Gabriella instantly recognized it.
"Oh! Of course!" she said happily as we clasped the chain around the Esperenza's neck. "Does it say 'GET'?"
"What? No! Well, I didn't think about that. It's supposed to be our initials. I guess it does", I laughed as I peered at the necklace. Gabriella giggled.
"This is the best Christmas gift, I've ever had." I thought out loud, not realizing I had voiced it.
"I think so, too." Gabriella said as she stared at the both us.
Despite all of my flaws, and my past wrongdoings- I could see I was granted a second chance. And I wasn't going to ruin it. I would never let myself ruin the happiness I was given.
"Thank You." I said as I kissed Gabriella on the cheek.
At the same exact moment, a camera flash erupted.
"Mom!" Gabriella yelled.
"I'm sorry, but it was such a Kodak moment." her mother grinned.
We both shook our heads and laughed.
Even if it was only Christmas, it felt like a new year for me.