Here's another chapter for you, my dear readers! One thing I'd like to say before I release you to your reading...
To the "Guest" reviewer who told me that the mention of God was "unnecessary":
Let it be known that I am a Christian and I find God to be VERY "necessary". I make the attempt to include God in most of my writings. He is an important factor in my life and will be in the lives of my characters as well. Last time I checked, I was the author of this story and not you. If you don't like that God and Christianity is included in my stories, then- please, by all means- don't read them.
Thank you and may everyone have a blessed day! Enjoy the latest chapter of "What the Future Holds"!
Chapter 25: Tales of an Airport Confession
The two enjoyed the night that Troy had planned for them- the candlelight, the pizza, the wine, the chocolate covered strawberries, the soft music... As great as it all was, there was the miniature elephant that stood on the middle of their blanket and even though they both knew it needed to be addressed, neither of them wanted to bring up the topic, as they knew it was going to need to be handled in a very delicate fashion. Gabriella was the first to bring up the topic as she laid on the blanket with her head resting in Troy's lap as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"So...?" Gabriella began tentatively, hoping Troy would catch her drift of where she was going.
"So...?" he repeated. He had an idea he knew where her train of thought was headed, but he decided to let her finish.
Since applying to the universities of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and South Carolina, he added one more to his list earlier that week and had put his application in the mail that same day. He had stumbled upon a list in Gabriella's room when putting a stack of freshly folded laundry on her bed, which led to his latest addition. As he turned to leave, he saw a note- it looked like a list of some sort- taped to the mirror of her vanity table. Upon taking a closer look, he saw it to be a list of schools under the heading of "Law Schools Applied To". This list contained the schools of Duke, Emory, Boston College, and Wake Forest. Three of her four top choices were very near a few of his as well, and that gave him a small ray of hope.
"Which one of us is going to bring it up?" she asked as she tilted her head so it rested on her shoulder and pursed her lips in a small pout as she looked up at him.
"Bring what up?" he replied with a smirk.
"Troy!" she said, as she straightened. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," she told him, reaching for a nearby napkin and tossing it up in his direction which he successfully dodged as they both started laughing.
"Well, technically," he started when they calmed down "you're the one who initially brought it up, so why don't you just go ahead and ask the question that I just know you're dying to know?" he asked as he leaned down to place a kiss to her forehead.
"Have you decided on a school for your Masters yet?" she blurted out.
"Who says I'm going to graduate school?" he teased. When Gabriella's eyes grew wide and she leveled her gaze on him, he relented. "I'm kidding! Of course I'm going to graduate school. I can't go into childhood psychology without a Master's."
"Okay, silly! Time to be serious! This discussion could really determine our future and where we end up this summer!"
"Baby, I know. Okay. I'll be serious. How about we tell each other our top choices before we tell final decisions?"
"Okay, my top choices are Boston College, Emory, Duke, and Wake Forest Universities. Yours?"
"No Harvard or Yale?"
Gabriella shook her head. "Nah. I think I've had enough of the prestigious Ivy League types. I'm ready to be a normal student."
"You? Normal?" Troy scoffed, this time unable to avoid the incoming napkin in time before it hit him in the middle of the chest. "Hey!" he exclaimed, rubbing the napkin's target.
"My choices are Boston, Emory, Duke and Wake Forest," she told him again. "What are your choices?"
"Okay, sorry. Mine are the Universities of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It sounds like three of mine are not far from three of yours." He watched as Gabriella visibly thought hard about the three schools he was referencing.
"Okay, based on the list you just rattled off, two of your choices are near three of mine. How do you figure that we're three for three?"
"I just today added one more to my list that I haven't told you about yet."
Gabriella sat up from her spot in his lap and studied him intently. "I'm confused. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I guess I was going to gauge my addition based on your list."
"Care to share?" she asked him.
"Georgia. After I went there for the tournament, I fell in love with it. Beautiful campus, nice area, not far from Atlanta..." he trailed off, waiting on her to realize the point he was trying to make.
"Emory is in Atlanta!" she exclaimed in excitement.
"I know. And Duke and Wake Forest are both about an hour from University of North Carolina."
"Have you heard from Georgia yet?" she questioned.
"No. I just sent in my application the other day. It could take a few weeks before I hear from them and can make my definite decision."
"So that makes you to have three schools on your top choice list to be not far from three of mine on my top choice list..." she lead in.
"Which in essence means that no matter where we go next year, we'll still be somewhat near each other," he finished for her. The two looked at each other and a smile slowly found its way onto Gabriella's face.
"I guess I can go ahead and scratch Boston College off my list," she said softly.
"And I can scratch New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma off mine," he said, matching her tone.
"Well, now wait a minute. I'm scratching off Boston because after seven years in warm atmospheres and desert like temperatures- San Diego, Albuquerque, and San Francisco- I'm not ready to adjust to their winters. I'm not looking forward to having three feet plus of snow every week for almost six months in a row. If New Mexico, Colorado, or Oklahoma have a better psychology graduate department over South Carolina, North Carolina, or Georgia, then you need to go there. I love you, but don't feel like you have to go somewhere just because I'll be nearby. You and I can make this work wherever we go."
"I understand what you're saying, but I need you to understand something, too," he began gently.
"What's that?" she asked quietly.
"I'm not you. School is not my life. Important, yes, but not my life. The graduate program of where I go isn't important to me. Well, it is important, but it's not the most important thing to me. None of these schools wouldn't be on my list if I hadn't researched them. Intently. I've visited all of these schools-" Gabriella gave him a look that silently asked when he visited, so he went on to answer her unasked question. "During basketball season. These are all schools that we played in an away game at some point. I contacted them and set up a meeting with their graduate schools before going out there and visiting each of them. I know what I'm getting into at each of these schools. I can be- I will be- happy at any of these schools. For that reason, my absolute happiness at any of them is dependent upon how close you will be. Wherever you go, my decision will be based on that."
Gabriella tilted her head and gave him a soft smile before leaning in a giving him a kiss. When she pulled back, she picked up her wine glass and took a sip. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she finally broke it. "I think I may want to take a trip east..." she mused.
"For what?" he asked, squinting his eyebrows in confusion.
"To visit the University of Georgia for myself. It is ranked number thirty-four in the nation for law schools."
"Only you would know that without your computer handy to look it up," he said teasingly, causing her to wink at him knowingly and he smiled at her in return.
"I'll try and set that trip up for us for early next month. We can spend some time in Atlanta as a vacation while we're out there."
"That's sounds great!"
TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF
The next day, Maria was due home from her business trip. So on that bright, warm Thursday afternoon, Gabriella made the solo trip to the airport. As she picked her purse up from the spot on the couch where it was resting, she spotted Troy in the kitchen leaning against the counter and turned to face him.
"Are you sure you don't want company?" he asked. "I know how much you hate airport traffic."
"Um, no..." she started, scratching the back of her head- a nervous habit she picked up from spending so much time with Troy over the years. "I'll be okay."
"Why are you so nervous?" he asked, as he pushed himself off the counter and took the few steps in her direction so that he was standing in front of her. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her to him, placing a kiss to her forehead.
"I honestly don't know. I mean, Mom's been your cheerleader for several years now, so I know she'll be ecstatic for us to be back together. I guess it's more the 'I told you so' that I'm not looking forward to."
"Yeah, you've never been very good at admitting when you're wrong," he teased. "Ow! Hey!" he exclaimed when she reached up to his bare chest and twisted his nipple causing him to rub it to sooth the area. He chuckled. "I never imagined you to be so violent..." he mused.
"I've got to go!" Gabriella told him in between loving pecks as she struggled to set herself free from his grasp. Finally Troy gave up the fight and let her go... but only because he had to get in the shower before his shift at the restaurant.
"We're not through, Montez!" he hollered down the hall over his shoulder.
"Keep telling yourself that, Bolton!" she yelled back, followed by a giggle, as she walked out the door.
Forty-five minutes later, Gabriella stood at the baggage claim carousel that matched her mom's flight number. She was anxiously pacing, feeling the nerves full force now that the moment of truth was upon her, and she wasn't sure why.
"Okay, Gabriella... This is silly. Why are you nervous to tell your mom that you were wrong- Oh, yeah. That's why."
"Talking to yourself again, Sweetheart?"
Gabriella jumped at the sound of her mother's voice behind her.
"Mom!" Her eyes widened in surprise as she took in her mother's tired and ragged appearance from flying. "Your flight got in late," she pointed out.
"Um, no it didn't. I've been standing here for five minutes watching you pace back and forth. Why are you pacing, Mija?"
"I... um... I kind of have... Coffee?" Gabriella stammered.
"You have coffee?" Maria raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"No! No, that's not what I meant. Mom, let's go get some coffee. I know how tired you get when you travel."
"Can I get a welcome home hug first?" Maria joked, holding her arms out to her daughter, who gladly accepted them and almost knocked her mother over with the force of the hug.
"I've missed you, Mom!" Gabriella exclaimed.
"I've missed you, too, Sweetheart."
"Now... coffee!" Gabriella declared, pulling back from the hug and leading the way to the Starbucks that was located inside the airport, causing her mom to furrow her eyebrows in confusion, pick up her own bag and follow suit. She was indeed curious about Gabriella's odd behavior, but decided against asking her about it... for now.
After the two ladies had their drinks and were seated at a table near the window, Maria spoke first.
"Do you want to share?" she asked her daughter.
"Share what?" Gabriella responded, playing dumb.
"Briella, you're a very smart, very brilliant young lady. Playing dumb is not a good look on you. You're hiding something. What happened while I was gone?"
"Um... well, Mom... while you were gone this past week, I- kind of- well, I had a realization," Gabriella started, as she lowered her eyes to look at the top of her cup.
"Of what sort?" Maria tilted her head to try and meet her daughter's gaze, getting the feeling that this piece of news was something serious.
"I um... I realized that I was wrong about something."
"And what's that?" Maria prompted.
"Troy," Gabriella said softly. She looked up just in time to spy Maria trying hard to not look smug. "What?"
"What, what?"
"What's that look for?"
"Nothing. I'm just trying hard to not say-"
"-that you told me so?" Gabriella interrupted. "Go ahead and say it, Mom. I know you're just dying to."
"No. No, I'm not going to say that I told you so. It was something that you had come to realize on your own and I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not glad, because I am over the moon! But I will ask what prompted you to come to this realization?"
Gabriella sighed as she pondered her mom's question and the right way to answer. "You know, Mom, if I have to be honest, I'd have to say that I really don't know. It was like one day I wanted to date other guys and see what was out there and the next I just... I wasn't happy. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at first, but the afternoon of Troy's graduation, Jack and Lucille came by the apartment and they both talked to Troy and I separately. I guess it was just something that they both said in their own way that just kinda hit me and made me realize that the reason why I wasn't happy was because I was wandering around blind, so to speak. The next day, I talked to Troy and told him that I knew what I wanted and we just kinda... well, got back together. I don't know how else to say that to make it sound grown up, but that's what happened."
"What exactly did Jack and Lucille say to you?"
"Well, nothing and everything, I guess. Pretty much the same thing that you've been saying, but in a different way," Gabriella confessed.
"Sometimes it just takes saying the same thing with a different perspective to make you realize what everyone else had been saying," Maria pointed out in a knowing manner.
"And that's exactly what happened, Mom," she admitted. "I guess I owe you an apology, too."
"For what?" Maria asked as she reached across the table to grasp her daughter's hand in her own.
"Well, for not listening. For thinking that I know everything there is to know. For putting you in the middle of everything between me and Troy. There's so much!" Gabriella lowered her eyes in shame once more to study the paper cup she held in her hands.
"Honey, look at me. Please?" Maria waited until Gabriella reluctantly raised her eyes and met hers before she continued. "Life is full of choices and lessons that must be learned as a result of said choices. I love you more than anything in this world and it's for that reason that I can say what I'm about to say: this particular choice was probably one of the dumbest you've ever made and the lesson you learned is one of the most valuable. As long as you're happy when it's all said and done, I think I can forgive you for not listening, for being a know-it-all, and for making me a human ping-pong ball."
"You want to know something that just really made me realize that I was doing the right thing in going back to him and made me realize how stupid I was in doubting him to begin with?" Gabriella asked.
"What's that?" Maria sat back in her seat and enjoyed seeing the light radiating in her daughter's eyes once more. It had been a long month and a half and she was elated to see her animated daughter come back to life.
"When we were talking that night on the couch, he got up and went into his room and came back with a box in his hand."
Maria felt her breath catch in her throat. A box? she asked herself. Surely he didn't... "A box?" She attempted to clear the lump in her throat with discretion.
"It was a ring box, Mama!" Gabriella continued in an excited whisper. "He's had a ring all this time! He told me he's not telling me when or how, but that he does have a plan." Gabriella watched Maria's face and was surprised when she noticed the knowing smirk that was staring back at her. "You knew?!" she squealed, only to cover her mouth and duck her head while her cheeks burned red when she noticed several people surrounding them turning to stare.
Maria slowly nodded. "He came to me about... let's see..." she paused to do fast mental math. "...maybe about four or five months ago? Not long after Christmas. Anyway, he came to me and asked for my blessing. 'Since Mr. Montez is not here, I come to you in his memory to ask for your blessing...' It was the sweetest thing he had ever said to me..." Maria allowed her voice to trail off as the memory of the lunch Troy treated her to overtook her mind. "I remember thinking that he's so incredibly lucky to have never met Gabriel."
"Daddy would have tortured him...!" Gabriella said with a sneaky grin.
"But yet loved him at the same time," Maria said.
"One of those behind the scenes kind of love, but when you're out in the open...?"
"I can see your daddy as having been... oh, how can I describe him? Very gruff and tough on the exterior whenever Troy is around- the silent intimidator, if you will- but a great big teddy bear when it would be just the two of us- always talking about how much he loved the way Troy loves you and how thrilled he is that you found someone who worships the ground you walk on."
"He probably wouldn't have moved from that tacky Lazy Boy with his newspaper in front of his face whenever Troy came around."
The two women laughed as they reminisced about the late Gabriel Montez, and then quickly became silent for a moment out of respect.
"What do you say we go back to the apartment and I can properly welcome Troy back into our lives? Besides, I want us all to go out tonight for dinner, so let's go make sure everyone is ready to go," Maria suggested after a moment.
"That sounds good!" Gabriella agreed. The two women stood from their spots and together gathered Maria's bags. As they were exiting the Starbucks, Gabriella stopped in her tracks and turned to give her mom a proper hug.
"I'm so glad you're home, Mom. I've missed you. I'm sorry for the past few weeks and I love you."
"I love you, too, Mija. And as for the past few weeks, they're in the past, okay? How about we don't talk about that period of time anymore?" Maria said as she reached a hand up to cup Gabriella's right cheek and placed a kiss to her left.
"I'll drink to that!" Gabriella told her and giggled at Maria's typical motherly response of "just don't drink too much to that". Neither woman could wipe the smiles off their faces as they headed toward their car and back to a man they both loved dearly.