Chapter Three: Digging Up the Old Family History

"What was I supposed to say?" Gabriela recounted the entire story to her friend Gwen. "He was so sweet with me, and has been since he's been here. I'm so close to telling him everything because I can't take it anymore."

"Don't. It will hurt him."

"I know but-"

"Did it mean anything … you and the guy?"

"No." Gabriela answered truthfully. "It was just reckless and fun."

"Then there's nothing to talk about. Unless, you want to hurt him by making yourself feel better … think about it Gabi, if you were really so concerned about Troy's feelings, you would've dropped that boy off in my room." She joked.

"So you two could play scrabble together?" Gabriela joked back, knowing that behind her vixen façade was a girl that was as innocent as could be.

"I could've made a really good friend, but you were selfish … having to have two men at your beck and call."

"Gwen, that dude was not at my beck and call. He probably wouldn't recognize me if he saw me again and since I don't even know where he's from, it's unlikely that we'll ever meet again."

"Which is why there's no reason to tell."

"You're right."

"Hey babe. Your mom is looking for you."

"Gotta go." Gabriela hung up the phone. "What does she want?" She asked, smiling at Troy brightly and hoping that he didn't notice that something was a little off.

"She's trying to make space for me in the attic … I guess maybe I should've told her that I'd be here early." He explained as Gabriela walked past him towards the attic, wondering if she should've stopped to give him a quick kiss or not.

"Are you really going to make him stay in the attic mom? It's creepy up here." Gabriela whined as soon as she made it up the steps. "And dusty."

"I know, which is why you're going to help. I'll work on this side and you work on the left." She explained.

"You want me to go through all those boxes?"

"No!" Ms. Montez yelled suddenly causing her daughter to give her a strange look. "It's not necessary. Just move them further into the corner, pile them up a little, and do some sweeping. We don't have time to look through all of them." She covered, but Ms. Montez's initial reaction sparked Gabriela's curiosity. That, and she didn't want to risk telling Troy that she'd slept with someone else, multiple times in one night.

Gabi took off her engagement ring, tucking it into her back jean pocket, before opening the first box. Naturally, it was dusty, and hadn't been touched for years. She searched through the contents, wondering if her mother had some sacred heirloom or if there was huge family secret to be found.

All she found were a bunch of papers about some guy named Jacob Black. Apparently, he was an amazing athlete, set to go to the pros for football, but then there was nothing else in the box. It was like he disappeared or something.

Pushing the first box aside, Gabi opened the next, certain that there would nothing of interest. And she was right. It wasn't until she'd opened the fourth box, labeled "Gabi's Baby Box," that she started to find items from her past.

A cute onesie, old baby clothing, the … baby blanket they wrapped her in after pulling her from mom's body. Gross. Then, wrapped inside a thicker, more masculine cloth, she found a copy of her birth certificate.

That's a weird place to keep it, Gabriela thought, glancing over it out of routine more than interest. She already knew that her mother was Saundra Montez and her father's name was Jorge Montez only … the name under 'father' was very different here.

Gabi looked at the issue date. It had to be the original … and the name on the certificate said Jacob Black.

Her head started spinning as Gabi tried to remember what she'd found in the two previous boxes. There were Jerseys, more memorabilia … she decided to open the last two in hopes that she would find a picture of him, Jacob Black, her father.

When you find out that your whole world has been a lie, you start to question everything in it and everything that you've been told. The truth about her father, why she'd grown up without one, was still out there and it wasn't the story Ms. Montez had repeated to her over and over again.

Her dad hadn't died in being a hero in the military. It didn't even sound like he was Filipino like her mother had said. Black … Gabriela promised herself that she'd search the origin of the name and try to connect the dots and find this man. And meet him.

"I thought you'd gotten lost up there." Ms. Montez noted with a smile as Gabriela looked at her with accusing eyes. "We'll have your bed done by tomorrow Troy." Ms. Montez promised, giving a wink to her new son-in-law. The two of them looked so cheery, like they were perfect and everything was perfect. But everything was all wrong.

"You lied." Her daughter accused immediately.

"Gabi … what is this about?"

"I saw the newspapers, the blankets, the notes that you'd both written to each other … I saw the birth certificate." She finally spat out as Troy watched in horror at Gabi's pain. "Is he still alive?"

"Gabi…"

"I want to meet him." She demanded. "And his family. I have a right to know who I really am."

"Honey, you don't understand. Your father…" Ms. Montez's voice trailed off. How could she tell this to her daughter without dishonoring the memory of her father?

"Save it mom. Either you give me the phone number, or the address, or whatever … or I'll do it myself. I'll go out there and find them and I won't be back."

Ms. Montez sighed. "I love you honey and if this is what you want …" She retreated briefly to her room and then returned with a letter postmarked from 1997. "I'm sure I can … get him on the phone."

"I want you to do better than that mom. Fly him here. Him, and his children, and anyone else to come. Bring them here." Gabi whined in between tears and Troy finally stepped him to console her. Ms. Montez agreed, knowing that Gabi wouldn't get the response she was looking for. Her father was … oh well, Gabi would have to learn the truth eventually.

(A/N: There's a twist to this story but I'm still working through that. Next chapter something cool happens to Gabriela—I know how spells it but since she's supposed to be Latina, I leave out one L—and then in chapter 5 there's another Gabi-hot boy encounter. Oh no! I've said too much. Luv and I want to know your reactions to this story, so review for more. Luv. –NL)

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