That night, when everyone was sleeping, Gabriella woke up and got out of bed. She walked downstairs and went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Gabriella put her hand on her bump and rubbed it in soothing circles and closed her eyes. Her back was killing her. She couldn't find a good position to fall asleep in. Gabriella heard footsteps coming down the stairs and knew she was going to be in trouble. As the footsteps got closer, she saw Natalie walking into the living room with her blanket and her teddy bear.
"Hey sweetheart, what are you doing up this late?" Gabriella asked.
Natalie walked over to the couch and sat next to her mother.
"I can't sleep anymore" Natalie said innocently.
Gabriella smiled and kissed her daughter's head softly.
"Do you want me to take you back to bed?" Gabriella asked.
Natalie nodded.
"Okay, come on" Gabriella said as she carefully picked Natalie up and set her on her hip.
Gabriella carefully walked upstairs and went into Natalie's room. She put Natalie down and helped her get into bed. Gabriella kissed Natalie's head softly.
"I love you honey. Get some sleep" Gabriella said.
Gabriella watched Natalie's eyes close and walked out of the room. She walked downstairs again and went into the kitchen. Gabriella started cleaning the kitchen. Twenty minutes into cleaning, Gabriella heard footsteps coming down the stairs again. She looked at the kitchen doorway and saw Troy walking into the room.
"What are you doing up this late? Is your head hurting?" Troy asked.
"No. My back hurts and I just needed to get out of bed for a little bit. I know I'm not supposed to be up but, it was only going to bother me more" Gabriella said.
Troy sighed.
"Well cleaning the kitchen isn't going to solve your back pain. Come on" Troy said as he took the cleaning utensils out of Gabriella's hand.
Troy took Gabriella's hand and walked into the living room. The couple sat down on the couch.
"You should have woken me up" Troy said.
"I know but you have working so hard. You are taking care of everything" Gabriella said.
"It doesn't matter how I feel babe. I want to make sure that you are okay before I think about myself" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Nat came down here a couple minutes before you did" Gabriella said.
"Why?" Troy asked.
"She said she couldn't sleep" Gabriella said.
Troy smiled.
"Is she asleep?" Troy asked.
"Yeah I carried her upstairs and put her to bed" Gabriella said.
"You shouldn't be lifting her Brie" Troy said.
"I know that, but I haven't held her in five months" Gabriella said.
Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly and put his arm around her.
"How's your back feeling?" Troy asked.
"It still hurts" Gabriella leaning her head against Troy's shoulder.
"I will go get the heating pad and let's see if that works" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded. Troy got up and walked into the kitchen and opened a cabinet and pulled out the heating pad. He placed the pad into the microwave for thirty seconds and waited for the timer to go off. Once the timer went off, Troy took the heating pad out of the microwave and walked out of the kitchen and went into the living room. He sat on the couch and placed the pad on Gabriella's back.
"How does that feel?" Troy asked.
"It feels good" Gabriella said.
Troy smiled.
"Good. Do you feel less pain?" Troy asked.
Gabriella nodded and closed her eyes. She leaned her head against Troy's shoulder. Troy kissed Gabriella's head softly. He put his hand on Gabriella's stomach and rubbed her expanding bump in soothing circles.
"Baby girl, you need to let your mommy rest" Troy said.
Gabriella smiled with her eyes closed. A couple minutes later, Troy looked at Gabriella and smiled when he saw her eyes open.
"How are you feeling?" Troy asked.
"Sleepy" Gabriella said putting her hand on her bump.
"Do you want to go back to bed?" Troy asked.
Gabriella nodded tiredly.
"Is the pain gone?" Troy asked.
Gabriella nodded.
"Alright honey, let's get you in bed" Troy said.
Troy and Gabriella walked upstairs and went into their bedroom and got into bed. Gabriella snuggled into Troy's chest.
"Good night baby, I love you" Troy said.
"Night, I love you too" Gabriella said.
The couple fell asleep. The next morning, Troy woke up and saw Gabriella still sleeping. He got up carefully and walked out of the bedroom and went downstairs. Troy picked up the phone and dialed his mother's number and waited for her to answer.
"Hello?" Lucille answered.
"Hi mom" Troy said.
"Hi Troy, how are you?" Lucille asked.
"I'm okay. How are you?" Troy asked.
"I'm fine. How's Gabi and Nat doing?" Lucille asked.
"Nat is perfect as usual. Gabi is alright. Her doctor wants to induce her when she hits eight months" Troy said.
"Oh no, how are you both dealing with that?" Lucille asked.
"Brie is upset but she wants the baby to be safe and will do anything to keep it that way" Troy said.
"How are you dealing with it?" Lucille asked.
"I'm upset but I don't want to show that I'm upset because I need to be strong for her" Troy said.
"You are a good man, Troy" Lucille said.
Troy smiled when he saw Natalie come into the living room. Natalie walked over to the couch that Troy was sitting on and sat next to him.
"Thanks mom. Hey, I have to go. Nat just got up" Troy said.
"Alright honey. Tell Gabi and Nat that I love them" Lucille said.
"I will" Troy said.
Troy hung up the phone and looked at his daughter.
"Hi bug, how did you sleep?" Troy asked.
"Good" Natalie said.
"Let's go see if mommy is still sleeping" Troy said picking Natalie up and placing her on his hip.
Troy walked upstairs and went into the master bedroom and saw Gabriella open her eyes.
"Good morning" Troy said.
Gabriella smiled. Troy put Natalie on the bed and watched her crawl over to Gabriella.
"Good morning" Gabriella said.
"How's your back feeling?" Troy asked.
"Better" Gabriella said.
"That's good babe" Troy said.
"Mommy" Natalie said.
Gabriella looked at Natalie and smiled.
"Yes baby?" Gabriella asked.
"I love you" Natalie said.
Gabriella started to cry and Natalie looked at Troy.
"Baby, it's okay. Mommy loves you too. The baby makes mommy a little sad sometimes" Troy said.
Gabriella wiped her tears away and looked at Troy and Natalie.
"I'm sorry. It was a mood swing" Gabriella said.
Troy smiled.
"See she's okay sweetie" Troy said looking at Natalie.
Natalie looked at her mother. Gabriella kissed Natalie's head softly.
"I love you too baby" Gabriella said taking Natalie into her arms.
"When will the baby be here mommy?" Natalie asked.
Gabriella smiled and kissed Natalie's cheek.
"Soon. Do you want to feel her kick?" Gabriella asked.
Natalie nodded.
"Okay, let me put your hand on my tummy" Gabriella said taking her daughter's hand.
Gabriella put Natalie's hand on her bump. They waited for a minute and Natalie squealed in delight.
"She kicked me mommy!" Natalie said happily.
Gabriella giggled.
"Yeah, that's your sister Nat. Are you going to be a good big sister?" Gabriella asked.
"Yeah" Natalie said.
Gabriella smiled.
"I told my mom that you were going to be induced" Troy said.
"What did she say? I have to call my mom and tell her also" Gabriella said.
"She's concerned but she knows everything is going to be okay" Troy said.
Gabriella put her hand on her bump.
"I hope everything will be okay. I wanted everything to be easier this time" Gabriella said.
"I know you did babe. I thought it was going to be easier too, but I think we are doing just fine, don't you?" Troy asked.
"I think we are doing well" Gabriella said.
"Then there is nothing to worry about" Troy said kissing Gabriella's head.
Gabriella sighed.
"I'm so stressed" Gabriella said leaning her head back against the wall and covered her eyes.
"Baby" Troy started.
Gabriella started to cry. Troy wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her head.
"Look at me babe" Troy said.
Gabriella looked up at Troy.
"Everything is going to be fine, honey. Don't worry" Troy said.
"How do you know?" Gabriella asked.
"I know because you are a strong woman and so is our baby" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded. Troy leaned in and kissed Gabriella's lips.
"I love you" Troy said.
"I love you too" Gabriella said.
Gabriella sighed. The rest of the day, the Bolton's relaxed around the house. A couple weeks later, Gabriella was six and a half months pregnant. Troy had bought all the baby furniture and placed it into the baby's room. Gabriella couldn't wait until the baby was born. She was uncomfortable and just wanted to be able to get out of bed. One day, Troy walked into the bedroom and saw Gabriella sleeping. He placed a kiss on his wife's head and saw her eyes open.
"How are you feeling baby?" Troy asked.
"Fine. She is kicking non-stop but I don't mind" Gabriella said putting her hand on her bump.
"Any headaches?" Troy asked.
"No, what's Natalie doing?" Gabriella asked.
"She's taking a nap. Your mom called" Troy said.
"What did she want?" Gabriella asked.
"She wanted to know how you were doing" Troy said.
"Oh" Gabriella said as she sat up in bed.
"Have you talked to her recently?" Troy asked.
"No, I have just had a lot going on and I haven't found a good time to call her" Gabriella said.
"Are you avoiding her for some reason honey?" Troy asked.
"No" Gabriella said.
"You know if something there is something that is going on with the two of you, you can always talk to me about it right?" Troy asked.
"I know" Gabriella said.
Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek. There was a moment of silence until Gabriella looked at Troy.
"She will bring up my dad and I don't want to talk about him" Gabriella finally said.
Troy looked at Gabriella and saw the pain in her eyes. Gabriella's father had died a year ago, due to stage four cancer. Troy sat on the edge of the bed and took Gabriella's hand in his.
"That's what's bothering you?" Troy asked.
Gabriella nodded. Troy put his arm around Gabriella and kissed her cheek.
"Baby, I need you to listen to me okay?" Troy said.
"Okay" Gabriella said.
"Your dad was a strong man and he loved you very much honey. He fought for his life" Troy said.
Gabriella sniffled and wiped tears that were streaming down her face.
"Why does it still hurt so badly?" Gabriella asked.
"I can't answer that sweetheart. Over time, it will get better" Troy said putting his hand on Gabriella's stomach.
"He won't get to meet his granddaughter" Gabriella said.
"I know babe and I know that hurts you" Troy said.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore" Gabriella said.
Troy sighed.
"Don't shut me out, Brie" Troy said.
"I can't talk about this anymore" Gabriella said.
"Baby, talk to me" Troy said.
Gabriella broke down. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella and rubbed her back soothingly. He let her cry so that she could release all of the emotion she had built up. Gabriella gripped Troy's shirt and balled it up in her fists.
"Stay with me" Gabriella said.
"I'm right here baby" Troy said rubbing her back soothingly.
"It hurts so bad" Gabriella said.
"I know sweetheart" Troy said.
"Every time I think about my mother I always remember the day he died and when she told me" Gabriella said.
Troy kissed Gabriella's cheek softly.
"I wish I could make this easier for you" Troy said putting his hand through Gabriella's hair.
Gabriella looked at Troy.
"You are making it easier. You are here with me and that's all I want" Gabriella said.
Gabriella leaned in and kissed Troy's lips.
"I love you Troy" Gabriella said.
"I love you too Brie" Troy said.
Gabriella sighed and put her hand on her bump.
"I can't wait for the baby to be here" Gabriella said.
"I know. I can't wait either" Troy said.
"She's probably going to have to stay in the hospital for a while" Gabriella said.
"Yeah, if it's safer for her to be in the hospital then she should stay there. We need to start looking for a surgeon" Troy said.
"Why do we need to look for a surgeon?" Gabriella asked.
"So the drain can be put into the baby's head when it's born. We need to start figuring all of that out" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Maybe we can ask Dr. Green if she knows of any?" Troy suggested.
"Yeah" Gabriella said.
Troy heard a faint call from down the hall and walked to Natalie's room and saw her sitting up in her bed.
"Hi Nat, did you have a nice nap?" Troy asked.
"Yeah, where's mommy?" Natalie asked.
"Mommy is in bed. Do you want to go see her?" Troy asked.
Natalie nodded.
"Okay, let's go" Troy said picking his daughter up.
Troy walked down the hall and went into the master bedroom.
"Look who woke up from her nap" Troy said.
Gabriella looked at Troy and Natalie and smiled.
"Hi Nat" Gabriella said.
Troy set Natalie down and watched her crawl over to Gabriella. Gabriella kissed Natalie's cheek softly. The rest of the day, the Bolton's relaxed around the house. The next morning, Gabriella woke up and turned over and saw nobody next to her. She sighed.
"Troy?" Gabriella called.
Troy walked into the master bedroom and looked at his wife.
"Good morning babe. How are you feeling?" Troy asked.
"Fine" Gabriella said as Troy kissed her lips.
"I have to tell you something but you can't get mad okay?" Troy started.
Gabriella looked at Troy confused.
"What's going on?" Gabriella asked.
"I called your mom last night after you went to bed and told her to come over today" Troy said.
Gabriella looked at Troy blankly.
"Why would you do that?" Gabriella asked.
"Baby, I don't want to see you upset about your mom. We can work everything out" Troy said.
Gabriella put her hands on top of her eyes and groaned.
"Don't be mad Brie. I am only trying to help" Troy said.
Gabriella sighed.
"Can you leave me alone please?" Gabriella asked.
Troy sighed.
"Sure" Troy said.
Troy walked out of the bedroom and walked downstairs. An hour later, the doorbell rang. Troy walked over to the front door and opened it.
"Hi Troy" Maria said.
"Hi Maria, how's everything going?" Troy asked.
"Everything is fine. What's going on?" Maria asked as she walked into the house.
"Gabriella is kind of upset. She said that every time the two of you talk to each other that the conversation always ends being about Gabriella's dad. That is why she doesn't really talk to you. I called you over here so the three of us could sort all of this out. Do you want to sort all of this out?" Troy asked.
Maria looked at Troy.
"Troy, of course I want to sort everything out with Gabriella. I never meant to upset her when I would talk about her dad. It's just he's the father of my child. I know that she is probably still mourning and I want to help her get through this as much as you do" Maria said.
Troy nodded.
"Alright, I just wanted to make it clear of what was going on" Troy said.
"I understand" Maria said.
"Let's go upstairs" Troy said.
Troy and Maria walked upstairs and went into the master bedroom.
"Honey, your mom is here" Troy said.
Gabriella looked at Troy and then looked over and saw her mother.
"Hi Gabi" Maria said.
"Hi mom" Gabriella said.
Troy motioned Maria to sit down next to the bed.
"Okay, I will mediate and let you both tell your side of the story" Troy said.
"Gabi, I never meant to upset you when I would talk about your dad. I know that it's hard for you to come to terms with" Maria said.
"You never meant to upset me? I tell you every single time you bring him up. You never listen to me!" Gabriella said as her voice rose.
"Babe, relax" Troy said.
Gabriella sighed.
"I lost my husband Gabi. Yes he was your father, but he was also my husband. It hurts me too" Maria said.
"You don't understand how I feel" Gabriella said.
"Yes I do-" Maria started but Gabriella interrupted.
"No you don't. I was with him every single day in the hospital. Every single day. I had to watch my father die in front of me. Do you know how scarring that is? I don't need to be reminded about how he died because I was there. I witnessed it" Gabriella cried.
Troy put his hand on Gabriella's shoulder.
"I know it was hard for you" Maria said.
"You don't think that it's going to hurt to tell my children what happened to their grandfather?" Gabriella asked.
Maria sighed.
"Okay, everyone stop. We need to come to an understanding so we can solve this" Troy said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Maria, can you agree to not talk about Gabriella's father anymore since it hurts her to talk about him?" Troy asked.
"I will try. It won't be easy, but I will try not to" Maria said.
"Alright. Baby, is that agreement okay with you?" Troy asked looking at Gabriella.
Gabriella nodded.
"Okay, then it's settled. We are not going to talk about this anymore" Troy said.
"I need to get going. I have some errands to run. Bye Gabi, I love you" Maria said.
"Bye mom, I love you too" Gabriella said.
Maria hugged and kissed her daughter and left the house. The rest of the day, Gabriella and Troy relaxed around the house with Natalie. They all couldn't wait for the baby to come.