Chapter 12

The next morning when Angie woke up she still felt nauseous, but better than she had yesterday. The brightness of the sun glistening off the tinsel hurt her eyes a bit, but it wasn't bad enough for her to lie down on the couch all day. no use laying here, she thought as she pushed herself upright so she was at least sitting up, today is the day to get the tree.

"Good morning, self," she mumbled as she pushed herself off the couch to get ready. She groped her head when a wave of vertigo hit, still dizzy, she thought, just take it slow.

With Gabriella

The fake snow that lay disheveled and kicked up in mini- snowdrifts smelled of nearly melted plastic that wafted up Gabriella's nose as she and her dad made their way on to the Christmas tree lot. Today they were going to get a Christmas tree, something that Angie always looked forward to, and she loved doing it. Angie always picked out the tree. "Dad," Gabriella said, "Should we just go get Angie from-"

"Mija, I have to tell something." said senor Montez, his face remaining solemn.

"What?" Gabriella's nose scrunched, her brows furrowed, and confusion masked her face and voice. The two Montez's stopped in their tracks and the elder turned to his daughter, and started to speak: "Mija, you should know, that all these years I've been in contact with Troy-"

"What?" her eyes widened as she felt her legs turn almost to jelly, her turned palms sweaty, her voice hitched as she spoke.

"Please, let me finish mija." he begged. His withered old eyes wide and shining. Gabriella took a deep breath and her brow furrowed deeper-it looked like it might set permanently if it kept furrowing. "Continue." she said plainly, crossing her arms over her chest.

It was the elder Montez's turn to take a deep breath, although his face was the picture of serenity; he continued: "the day after you and Angie got here, and when you were getting dressed Angie came to me and told me what she wanted for Christmas, she told me what she wanted with all the passion in 'the deep fathoms of her heart' as she put it…" his voice trailed off as he remembered the confrontation.

"Dad," her voice rose, "she's 11, she doesn't know what she wants!"

"Gabi; she knows, believe me, she knows," he said, he took something out of his thick jacket pocket and put it in her hand. "That's what she gave me to give to you on Christmas Eve, and in return, I gave her her birth certificate and a picture of her father." he walked away, leaving Gabriella there, dumbfounded.

Dear Diary,

Is it true? Am I…do I …..

Undermine Angelina? *sigh*

Xoxo-

Gabriella

Gabriella looked down at what was in her hand, she couldn't hardly keep her breath when she saw the locket Troy had given her, but instead of a T it had an A, G, and T in small, cursive letters; very plain looking, but very beautiful. Did Angie do this? she asked herself. She flipped the locket over in her hand, and a small inscription caught her eye. She read it:

"A gift redone, A love retouched; I love you mom and dad, very much"-Angie