They walked to her car together, the tension between them palpable. Bode couldn't help but steal glances at her as they drove, her profile illuminated by the soft afternoon sun. She looked so much like the Gabriella he had fallen in love with, yet so much had changed.
After a few minutes of silence, Gabriella finally broke the tension. "So, you've met someone?"
Bode glanced at her, surprised by the question. "I have. Audrey. We have a ton in common. She was at a con camp too. Paroled last year. We've been spending a lot of time together. She's really helped me find some perspective, since..."
Gabriella interjected, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "She seems nice. I'm glad you've found someone."
Bode didn't respond right away, unsure of how to interpret her tone. There was a part of him that still yearned for her, that wondered if she was truly happy with Diego. The silence stretched on until Bode couldn't hold back his question any longer.
"So... you're pregnant?"
Gabriella glanced at him, startled by the bluntness of the question. She shook her head, her expression softening. "No, not yet. But Diego and I are trying. He wants to start a family as soon as possible."
Bode swallowed hard, forcing a nod. "That's... that's great. I'm happy for you."
Gabriella smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thanks. Diego wants me to quit Cal Fire as soon as I am. He thinks it's too dangerous, and that I should focus on our family."
Bode's chest tightened at the thought of Gabriella leaving the job she loved, the job that had brought them together in the first place. But he knew it wasn't his place to say anything. She had made her choice.
"I hope it works out for you," he said quietly.
Gabriella glanced at him again, her eyes searching his piercing blues ones for something she couldn't quite find. "Thanks, Bode."
The rest of the drive passed in silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. When they finally arrived in Trinidad, Gabriella pulled up in front of Bode's basement suite. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to her, offering a small smile.
"Thanks for the ride, Gabriella."
"Take care of yourself, Bode," she replied, her voice soft.
"You too," he said, then got out of the car and watched as she drove away, the weight of their conversation still heavy on his shoulders.
As he walked up to his apartment, Bode couldn't shake the feeling that things were far from over between them. No matter how much he tried to move on, Gabriella would always be a part of his life, a part of his heart that he couldn't quite let go no matter how much it hurt.