Chapter 9

Troy woke to the sound of music blaring, from the living room it sounded like. Hm, thought Troy, "why and who would play music at"—he looked over at his alarm clock by his bedside to see that the time read 9:30 in the morning.—"9:30?" he asked, placing his pillow atop his face. Then, suddenly he shot up as heard another sound that reached his ears, singing, a girl singing. The memories of last night rushed back to him—his daughter, Angie.

Groaning tiredly, he threw the blankets off himself, thrust his legs lazily over the side of the bed and stood up and let the bed groan as he pushed himself off the soft mattress. He opened the door to his room and staggered into the hall, there the music was louder, as was the singing. But, the voice wasn't bad, in fact, he suspected—if it was Angie—that her voice was very pleasant. He listened carefully to the music as he made his way to the source.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Fa la la la, la la la la

Tis the season to be jolly

Fa la la la, la la la la

Christmas music? He never listened to that….well, he hadn't ever since Gabriella had—he stopped that thought in place before he could reopen that wound and dump a batch of salt into it and feel the sting, he's done that enough already. A lot.

Angie sang along to the carols she played on her iPod as she hung tinsel on the lamppost and the Corinthian column that rested between the overstuffed double-stuffed couch and the entrance to the foyer.

Honestly, she didn't know why her dad had no decorations up, but she thought that she would help him out; maybe he was going to do it, but he forgot, she thought, sounds plausible. Troy made his way to the living room; he got to the entry way and froze. His mouth gaped at what he saw—

Tinsel! Gold, silver, and red, and green! It was….shiny. The music changed songs as the current one bring played slowed and stopped. Troy cleared his throat, causing the tinsel-covered girl to halt and just stare up at him with the same big, blue eyes that seemed a brighter blue. Maybe it was the silver tinsel that lay askew in her hair, which seemed darker and blacker than it was. "what are you doing?" he asked, the music was still playing.

Hark! How the bells

Sweet silver bells

All seem to say

Throw cares away

Too young and old

Meek and the bold, oh.

Gailey! They ring

While people sing

Songs of good cheer

Christmas is here…

"Um…", said Angie, "I was just—"

"Defacing my house?" Troy asked, his tone was clearly joking, but he held his face in the perfect poker face. Troy remembered when he still had to look away to hide his smile that broke into fits of rambunctious laughter.

"No, decorating." She smiled brightly as she pulled the tinsel out of her hair, "I just thought that—"

"Angie, chill, I was kidding." He said, "I figured you were decorating when I saw the tinsel all over the place, which, by the way, how'd you find it?"

"Find it?" she asked, "I'm confused, what do you mean?"

"Well, my fiancé, she doesn't really like a lot of tinsel, so I hid it. How'd you find it?"

"Well, I got u—hold up, did you say she doesn't like tinsel?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, I'm having a talk with her, where is she?"

"Not here, now don't avoid the question."

"Oh right, well, I got up early and I wanted to sur—"

"Surprise me?"

"W-well, yeah, I did." She blushed as she played with the end of an old Christmas blanket. It was really soft, and it smelled like peppermint and melted cinnamon candle wax.

Troy was shocked, the only other person that surprised him with his house being decorated like Santa's workshop was Gabriella. She had gotten to his house early and surprised him when he had gotten at 9:50 to find his house had been invaded by the 12 days of Christmas, and Gabriella was the partridge in the freaking pair tree. She went all out, tinsel, lights, and fake snow.

With Gabriella at her dad's

"Dad, I'm sorry if this thing with Angie is adding more stress—" Gabriella said, wrapping tinsel around the stair's banister. She was still miffed about Angelina getting in the wrong car, thinking it was hers, didn't she check the license plate?

"Mi angelita, don't about it." Said the elder Montez, "She's smart and she's tough, both qualities she got from both you and her father, she can and will be fine." He had tried his best to sound and look surprised and worried when they went back to the beach after ice cream and found Angie gone, but it was almost cruel and crime to NOT laugh. Or at least tell Gabriella—his angelita—that she's all right, and where she is.

"Dad, I don't know how this could've happened, I promise you it won't happen again." Said Gabriella, having finished the tinsel, she was playing with and bending her fingers; it was her nervous habit.

"Mija, I told you, don't worry; it was only a matter of time before she—"

"You planned this didn't you?" her eyes narrowed, and she had pursed her lips. Her mind had thought back to before she and Angelina had left for the airport back in New York, she said she had wanted to get something so she could bring it on the trip, she didn't tell Gabriella, what if….

"No mija, just stating an obvious fact."

She didn't respond right away, she was still thinking. Finally she said, "I'll make some coffee", while walking to the kitchen.

That was a close one, Mr. Montez thought, I'll have to be careful nest time. True, it was a deceitful lie, but his heart and intentions are in the right place. He planned this, he and Angie. That granddaughter of his wanted to meet her dad, he couldn't resist her when she pulled out that puppy face and said, "It's the only thing I want for Christmas, grandpa."

So, he had agreed to help.

End of Gabriella

"I hope you're not mad at me for decorating, I just felt like that I should help out—I kind of came to the conclusion that you forgot—and before you put your hand over my mouth again, please let me finish!" Angie said, breathless.

Troy put his hand back at his side, she rambled just like Gabriella. "Okay," he said. Waiting expectantly for her story.

Angie breathed deeply, "I just wanted to help, and your house is plain and, like, anti-Christmas, so…yeah." She said.

"Oh," Troy said, "Well, thanks for trying—and wanting—to help but—"he was interrupted by the sound of a bell. A timer? That's what it sounded like. "What the—"he couldn't ask his full question because he was interrupted by Angie when she jumped up and ran into the kitchen. "My cookies!" she screamed, for fear that they burned.

Dear diary,

Today was….well, put it this way…my first day with my daughter.

She decorated my house and made cookies, just like Gabriella,

Well, except the cookies. I wonder why Gabriella

Never told me about her. Why she left.

-Troy.