The voice caused us all to turn, and I instantly realized my day could get better. Troy stood there with a goofy yet charming grin, and his hands shoved in his pockets. My insides flipped as my brown eyes locked with his baby blues. Time seemed to come to a standstill, and we were the only two people on the planet.

There was a hint of something in those baby-blue eyes. I was sure of it. Maybe it was lust. No, that couldn't be it. Why would he have lust in his eyes?

Desire maybe.

I shook my head. That made less sense than lust. Why would he desire me? He didn't even remember me.

I saw another flash of something in his eyes. This time, it looked like jealousy. But why? Why would he be jealous? What did he have to be jealous of?

I paused for a second, realizing he did have reason to be jealous. At least in his book, he did. Suddenly, it dawned on me that if Troy was jealous, it could only mean he liked me. The thought made my heart flutter, and I wanted to do an internal fist bump. It felt like I'd won the lottery, knowing I was still making an honest impression on Troy even if he didn't remember me.

Then, a thought occurred to me that crushed my spirits. Maybe he got his memory back, and he did remember me. I quickly shook the thought away, remembering his comment moments earlier.

Stopping my internal debate, I approached him. "Sharon told me your family probably wouldn't come today. I thought for sure you wouldn't be coming by either."

He gave me an embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, my parents said things didn't end well the last time my family came over. So, they thought maybe it wouldn't be so great to come by again. Part of me did wonder if I should come too."

My brow raised, studying him for a moment. "And you decided to come by even after your parents warning. That's might brave of you. Am I gonna wanna know why?"

He shrugged. "I don't remember the first war, so I figured why not make up for it now," He joked, earning a snicker from all of us.

"Nice," I praised with a nod between my chuckles. "But before you declare war, you need to know we had some misunderstandings last time I invited you and your family over for lunch to meet Melody."

"Misunderstandings," Troy repeated with uncertainty in his voice. "So, we didn't have a basketball challenge or a huge argument?"

I shook my head. "No, we did. But they happened because you and your family thought I was engaged to Javy and trying to keep Melody from you."

Troy's brows narrowed together as he processed what I told him. "And you weren't trying to keep Melody from me?"

I shook my head. "No. That never crossed my mind."

Chad shot me a look. "Then why didn't you tell us about Melody?"

Taylor nodded, agreeing with Chad. "And why did you ghost us for three years?"

I couldn't believe it. I was sure that shock was evident on my face as I looked at my friends. Zeke and Jason were the only ones who'd ever stop to ask me why. Even when Ryan, Sharpay, and I did end up talking again, they never did ask. Sure, the looks I was getting were full of doubt and skepticism. But they were asking and not yelling. It was a hopeful start.

I closed my eyes as I took in a breath and slowly let it out. This was it, the moment of truth.

Slowly, I opened my eyes again and started in a shaky voice. "I honestly had no idea I was pregnant when Troy and I were together. I had no real symptoms or signs that pointed to pregnancy, so it never crossed my mind when I started having heart arrhythmia and occasional shortness of breath."

I could tell my friends were confused, but also what I said really piqued their interest. "Why would you suddenly have trouble catching your breath?"

"Because I have a rare congenital heart defect known as Truncus Arteriosus-also known as TA or Arterial Trunk. It basically means I have one giant blood vessel that leads out of my heart instead of the usual two. This affects my oxygen levels and how hard my heart needs to work just to maintain normal blood flow. No, there is no cure. But surgery is usually needed, and for the most part, life could be pretty normal after, aside from the meds and annual cardiologist checks," I finally stopped talking, trying to remember if I'd forgotten anything. It had been literally years since I'd told anyone. It felt kind of weird yet satisfying at the same time to talk about my TA again. "Oh, it is hereditary. No, I didn't get it from my family; I was just that lucky. Yes, any kids I have could end up with T.A."

The response was as I had expected. No one knew what to say or do. Every time they opened their mouth to say something, it immediately snapped shut again—no doubt they were processing the news, which could end up really bad or good.

The wait for them to say or do something was filled with a nervous silence. The longer they were silent, the more I felt like they would leave. I kept telling myself it wasn't a big deal if they decided to leave. It spares me from revealing more about myself, and I had a final answer, even if it wasn't the one I liked.


I had all but given up any hope when Jason asked, "Are you OK now?"

I could feel a smile slowly spreading across my face as I nodded. "I'm being monitored much closer because I'm pregnant, and something more may need to be done in the future, but as of this moment, the increase in my meds along with the increased check-ups is working."

"And you don't know if your baby will have T.A.," Taylor asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing is 100% until Britton is born and tests are run."

Troy raised a brow at me, sensing there was more. "But," He prompted me.

I sighed, knowing I had to admit it at some point, even if it was only to myself. "The chances are higher because my ex-fiance family has it. His father passed from it, and Luna-his sister-nearly passed from it. And, of course, I have it."

There was another round of silence. I had a feeling if they were asking about Britton, then Melody wasn't far from their minds. They just need to find the courage.

Chad finally broke the silence, asking me what they all dread to. Probably because, in their hearts, they already had an answer. "Melody has T.A., doesn't she?" That's why the accident happened at Golden Gate Park and why you're so protective-only trusting a small handful of people with her."

I gave the tiniest nod. "She was diagnosed with it when she was a day old. My family knew the possibility had always been there, but it was still a shock that changed everything for my family. She's on meds and is followed by a cardiologist. She obviously has good and bad days. Yes, she's had surgery to correct the problem, but no, it's not a permanent fix. Most likely, she'll need surgery again; the question is when. But for now, at this moment, she's good, so I try as hard as I can to focus on that and the moments I have with her."

"Wait, if Britton's chances are higher for T.A. because of it being on both sides of the family, then Javy can't be her dad," Zeke concluded, remembering that Javier and I have different heart defects. "Right?"

Sharpay raised her brow. "Why not?"

Zeke turned to her. "Because Javy has E.A. or Ebstein Anomaly. Not T.A."

Ryan's face pinched together as he tried to follow. "What's that?"

Zeke bit his lip, obviously trying to recall what Javier had told him. "An abnormality with the heart valve and flaps. It causes blood to leak backward and heart failure in the long run. If I remember what Javy told me correctly."

I nodded, impressed that Zeke remembered any of what Javier mentioned. "Impressive. That's definitely part of it. More specifically, the blood leaks back through the valve, causing the right atrium to enlarge, resulting in heart failure. And yes, like T.A., E.A. is genetic, so there's no cure, and it's hereditary."

"Is that why you're so close to him," Troy asked with obvious fear in his voice. "Because he understands what you're going through being in and out of the hospital as a patient?"

"No," I shook my head furiously. I was about to continue but snapped my mouth shut again when it dawned on me that it wasn't entirely false. The fact that we both had heart defects and understood what that entailed was partly why we connected so well. "OK, it's not a hard no because there is some truth to it. But the main reason we love each other so much and are so close is that he's my brother. Yes, I'm close to everyone in my family. But Javy and I've always been extra close from the very second he first saw me in the ICU, and I smiled right at him as I squeezed his finger. Maybe it's because we understand each other better since we both have heart defects or the fact that we have the same birthday. Maybe it's both. Honestly, we've never thought about it or tried to figure it out. We just enjoy it. Just like how I enjoy how close I am to my family."

Kelsie chewed on her lip, trying to figure me out. "OK, I get the whole siblings being close thing, but why didn't you just tell us? Why the whole secret?"

I shut my eyes, mentally preparing myself for the fireworks. This could either send them over the edge or start a whole new wave. I only hope I'm prepared for either.

"I have three older brothers….."

"Three," Sharpay interrupted with a squeal, "I thought one was bad."

"Hey," Ryan cried, playfully shoving her.

I chuckled, watching their interaction. It was goofy siblings at its best. "Anyway, my Dad has his own special nickname for each of them. And none of my brothers will ever let anyone else call them these names. My older brother is A.J., Beast is my middle brother, and Javy's nickname is Buddy."

I have it a moment, letting it sink in for them. Not all of them would get it. But I knew that Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Jason would. They knew basketball players as well as they knew the game. There was no way this would be last on them.

The seconds ticked off like molasses, waiting for them to connect the dots. "What does….." Sharpay started.

I held up a finger, stopping her. "Give it a second."

No sooner had I finished those words did a chorus of gasps sound around us. "You're Alejandro Montez's daughter," Four voices chorused at once.

"That's why you could so easily walk up and talk to him," Ryan stated, remembering two weeks ago.

All heads up whipped in my direction, and I nodded. "Now you know why I don't talk about my family."

Taylor squealed, causing me to jump. "Girl, your Dad is famous, and your brother is just as amazing; you shouldn't be ashamed. You should be so proud."

I opened my mouth and closed it. This was not going to be so easy. "I'm not ashamed. I'm extremely proud of who they are and honored to say they're my family."

"Then why hide it, and why not let people know how amazingly talented your siblings and Dad are," Kelsie reasoned, realizing who my sisters are. "You should be celebrating and announcing it."

I rubbed my temples, trying to ease my oncoming headache. How could I make them understand? And if they were this excited, did that mean they wanted to be my friend because of who my family is?

"Being proud of who I am and where I'm from doesn't mean I have to let the entire world know," I tried explaining. "I'm proud but also want to be treated normally."

"That makes no sense," Chad commented. "If it were me, I'd want everyone to know."

A chorus of yeah circled our group, giving me a sinking feeling. They started talking about the concerts, games, and red-carpet events. It seemed that was all they cared about. Ryan and Sharpay were the only ones who weren't getting excited by their own fantasies.

This was what I was afraid of. They didn't understand how I felt. All they saw was fame and fortune. This was my worst nightmare.

"Guys," I shouted over them. "Is this really now you all see me?"

Jason stared at me with a confused look. "What do you mean? You're famous. You can get concert tickets or go to the NBA Games anytime."

Zeke added his thoughts. "Your family is loaded, plus you get the latest everything, and who knows what else."

Taylor squealed again, and I actually winced. "Girl, come on, see the light. You have it made. Even Sharpay and Ryan don't have anything against you, and that's saying something. There is literally nothing bad about your life, and you should be celebrating, not hiding."

Ryan and Sharpay's expressions fell. I noticed the hurt that appeared in their eyes. They struggled to hold their relaxed composure. Sharpay's chin wobbled slightly as she blinked away the glisten of a threatening tear. I was sure I was mirroring Sharpay's look.

I blinked away my own threatening tears. "Maybe you all should leave," I whispered, avoiding their gaze.

Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Jason, Kelsie, and Troy glanced around at each other, trying to understand what they did.

Zeke shrugged. "OK, um, maybe we'll come back later."

I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to tell them to never come back. Tears stung in the back of my eyes as I watched them leave. My best day had definitely just turned into my worst.


It was a good thing none of them looked back because I couldn't imagine their reaction if they saw Dad come out to make sure I was OK.

Dad stopped next to me, nodding towards my friends. "Those your friends from East High you mentioned?"

I nodded, wiping a tear that slipped free. "They were," I whispered.

I felt a tightness in my chest as the words left my mouth.

Dad frowned, a confused look on his face. "Were, "He asked.

I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat but failed. "Yeah," I confirmed, nodding.

Dad's expression went from confusion to concern. "Why, what happened?"

My voice cracked. "I made the mistake of trusting them and inviting them over. Now I'm apparently more made than Ryan and Sharpay."

That was all I needed to say for Dad to understand. He sighed, pulling me into a hug. I squeezed my Dad hard, feeling like I was going to break down. Then, the tears I was so desperately holding back came flowing out without warning.

"I'm sorry, Princess," He apologized in a whisper.

I knew Dad felt guilty, feeling like he was the cause. Not that I would ever blame him. Fame and fortune were just part of our family, and I wouldn't know any different.

I was admittedly born into the spotlight, but our family wasn't always so famous. Before Dad became an NBA star, our family was honestly no different from any other family you'd meet. We had our good and bad days. We did things and went to places other families did.

The whole fame and fortune thing quickly followed when Dad made a name for himself in the NBA. By the time I came around, whether they were basketball fanatics or not, people worldwide had heard of my Dad. The pay he was getting to play in the NBA was more than enough for our family to live a very comfortable life, too.

But none of us liked being in the public's eyes, and Dad knew it. It made everything so much more challenging; even the simplest things, like going to the store, became a hassle.

The one thing my siblings and I hated most was not knowing who we could trust as our friends. Lucky for all of us, we all had our little group of friends we met before the whole popularity hit, and we could depend on.

Around the time Cruz was born, Dad had suggested maybe he should call it quits. He had hoped that if he stepped back, our lives could return to normal. Or at least we wouldn't be living in the public's eyes. We had loved the idea at first, but we couldn't ask Dad to quit. Being in the NBA was something he loved, and it wasn't fair for us to stop supporting him because of something we knew would happen. Even if it was a choice we agreed on as a family, I knew Dad still felt guilty.

I pulled away from him, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. Sniffling, I told him. "It's not your fault, Dad. We made the choice as a family. I just thought they were different."

Dad gave me a sympathetic smile. "Well, it's too bad they couldn't see past the superficial stuff because they missed on knowing an amazingly strong young woman."

"Oh, Dad," I pulled into another much-needed hug. Dad always gave the most comforting hugs when I needed them the most. "You know that's true, but thanks for thinking so. I love you."

Dad kissed me on the head. "Anytime. Now come the youngest ones just got up. How about a family movie? Javy picked your favorite snack."

I chuckled with a shake of my head. "Your team lost again."

Dad sighed. "Maybe we can talk your Mom into switching some teams?"

I scrunched my face, pretending to think. "But I like winning," I gave him a puppy dog pout.

Dad giggled, pulling me into a side hug. "You are definitely a mini version of your Mom."

We both laughed and headed back inside. I couldn't wait to spend time with my entire family. After today, I really need it. I pushed the sadness I felt in my heart and focused on the positives. When I got to my Dad on my list, I gave him another squeeze. I knew I didn't have the perfect life, but people I do have in my life I was lucky to have-especially my Dad.