Mrs. Maria Montez
1. Maria Velasco had known Daniel Montez since she was four and he was six and they were the best of friends since their first meeting. For the next twelve years, that was all they were and they were both happy the way things were between them. And then Daniel left for college to become a man and Maria blossomed into a beautiful young lady during the time he was away. It was when he came back did she notice how much he had changed.
2. Daniel was more masculine than the last time she had seen him. His once shaggy long hair was cut short and he looked handsome. His beautiful brown eyes, now no longer covered by his hair, twinkled as he ran to hug her and Maria noticed, for the first time, that she fitted perfectly into his arms.
3. They only started dating when Maria turned 20. It took them 4 years to get together and by the time they finally had the courage to confess their attraction towards one another, their families were breathing sighs of exasperation and relief at the long wait for the start of their relationship.
4. They got married a year later in June and had their baby girl the next year in December. Maria fell in love with Gabriella the moment she set her eyes on her. Gabriella had her father's brown eyes that Maria loved so much. When Daniel passed away a decade later, it was those same eyes which caused a pang of sadness in her heart and the same eyes she could not look at for the next three months.
When her husband was diagnosed with brain tumor, Gabriella was 8, she was 30 and Daniel was 32. She spent the next two years going to and from the hospital for Daniel's treatments. In the most depressing of times, the one thing that Maria had felt absolutely blessed about, however, was the relationship between Daniel and Gabriella. No matter how sick or unwell Daniel was, he always made it a point to dance with their little girl whenever she was in need of a little laughter.
5. When Daniel passed away, she had turned down every bit of help that had been offered from her family. She had no job (having quit her previous one to attend to her husband), no money and a daughter to raise on her own. But she made it through anyway with the help of little notes and photos Daniel had made sure to leave her before he died.
6. She had felt guilty of depriving Gabriella of a normal childhood, what with moving every summer and her constant absence from her daughter's life because of her hectic work schedule. And then her company transferred her to Albuquerque. She found herself promising her daughter that it would be the last move until the end of high school without even confirming the truth behind her words. Gabriella's squeal of happiness and the big hug she gave Maria made the mother determined to make the transfer permanent. For a little while, Gabriella was the same kid she was when Daniel was still alive with her twinkling eyes and beautiful smile.
7. She had loved Troy the moment she met him at the door. The boy was polite, able to accept his mistakes and he made her Gabriella happy. Troy reminded Maria so much of Daniel she just had to accept him into hers and Gabriella's small family.
8. She'd always been proud of how smart Gabriella was. So, when her daughter suggested not going to Stanford, she had had a little panic attack before calming herself down. When she learnt that Troy had persuaded Gabriella to go for the early orientation, she had immediately known that Troy was the one and only for Gabriella. After all, the boy cared for her daughter and her future almost as much as her.
9. She'd given Gabriella away on her wedding day and it was one of the hardest things she had had to do in her life. She became a grandmother a year later and when Troyella named their first child after Daniel, she had hugged and planted kisses on both her daughter and son-in-law with stray tears down her cheeks.
10. She was a proud mother and grandmother. She doted on her grandchildren and told them stories of the adventures she and Daniel had when they were little and of the adventures Troy and Gabriella had. She was a grandmother her grandchildren loved unconditionally. So, when she passed away at the age of 81, she was missed most by them. What they remembered her by was a candid picture of a young Gabriella dancing in her father's arm and Maria stood at the porch, a smile of genuine happiness on her young face.
A/N: Please review! I'm thinking of making oneshots next... In fact, I've already started... So, do you guys want it? Let me know in your review! :)