by Anne Stone
Angelina reached for his hands. “Alejandro…”
“I went through some pretty dark days. My family came up to support me, but I just couldn’t handle it. Gabby stayed with me for a while. She helped me pack their things and donate them to charity. She’d wanted me to talk about it, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t face the fact that I’d lost everything that meant anything to me. I’d loved her with all of my heart and she was gone. I’d never see her smiling face again… I’d never see Michael grow up… I couldn’t face the fact that I wasn’t there for her. I’d promised to protect her always and I wasn’t able to do that. She died on my watch. I should have been there to save her. I shouldn’t have let her drive that day. I shouldn’t have—” He stood abruptly and walked to the window. He just stared out at the rain.
She didn’t know what to do or say. She was in shock. She stood and walked towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned and she pulled him into her arms.
“I didn’t protect my family… It was my fault…”
“It was no one’s fault, Alejandro. It was their time to go. You need to look at it as though there was another plan for them. You need to stop blaming yourself.”
He burrowed his head into her shoulder. “Angelina, when Gabby called and asked me to go looking for you, I almost said no. These storms have had me on edge remembering all that happened. Then, I thought about how I wasn’t there for Tammy, but maybe I could be there for you. When I saw your car stalled at the bottom of the hill, my heart went into my throat. I thought, ‘not again.’”
He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “I couldn’t get to you fast enough. I knew that I was going to do all that I could to save you. I couldn’t believe the current when I reached your car. I knew that in a matter of minutes your car was going to be swept away. I knew I needed to get to my angel… to save and protect you.”
“What did you call me?”
“My angel. Even though you might not realize it, you’ve led me down a path to face my past. You’ve pointed me in the right direction. I had to deal with my feelings. Before I moved here, I’d swept them under the rug. Tammy and Michael didn’t exist in my heart any longer. I just couldn’t face the fact that I’d never see them again. I knew I needed to relocate. I knew I needed to face their death. I was afraid that if I accepted their deaths, though, that I would move on and forget them. And that’s something I never want to do.”
“Come on, let’s sit down,” she said. They both moved back to the couch.
“This move was the best thing for me. After their deaths, I made a promise to myself that I would never marry and have children again. But after I met you, I was starting to doubt my pledge to myself. You were starting to make me feel again—have feelings that I never thought would be possible after losing Tammy. I knew I had to deal with them before I could commit to you, but I couldn’t deal with my memories. We’ve been apart for almost two months because I couldn’t face my fears. I was afraid to make a commitment. A commitment that could… I wanted to be your boyfriend without my baggage.”
“Alejandro, they were your family. They were a part of you. You should never forget them.”
“I know. It’s just that I didn’t feel that I could move on until I dealt with their deaths. Tonight, you’ve been here for me. You’ve helped me deal with my past.”
“I’m glad I could be here for you.”
“Angelina,” he said as he placed his hand on her cheek. “I know I have a long way to go, but with you by my side I know I can face my past—overcome it and move ahead. I can’t promise you anything, but will you stay by my side and help me through this?”
“Of course I will. Did you even have to ask?”
He pulled her towards him. Their lips met briefly in a soft kiss. Pulling away, he said, “Thank you.” He pulled her into his arms and held her there for hours. They just sat there. No words were needed. He was dealing with his past and she was there supporting him. He’d get through this, she knew it in her heart. They’d survive and move on to a future of their own.
Chapter Fourteen
Angelina sat in his arms until the rain subsided. It was almost nine o’clock when she called her parents to let them know what had happened. They were at a school function when Angelina called them. “Alejandro came by and pulled me from my car. What? Oh, yeah. Gabriella had sent him out to look for me… I was on my way over to her house and she got worried when I didn’t show up and she couldn’t reach me. I lost cell service during the storm… I’m at his house right now. I didn’t want to go home by myself.” She reached for his hand and smiled at him. “What? Yes, my car was towed to the house. Alejandro is going to take me home soon. Yes, I’ll be fine. See you later.”
Alejandro squeezed her hand and smiled at her. “My parents won’t be home until later. They’re playing it safe with the rain.”
“When do you want to go home?”
“I don’t care. I am content right where I am.” She looked away from him and didn’t know if she should confront him with her questions.
He sensed that something was on her mind, “What’s wrong?”
“Ah, nothing…”
“Come on, Angelina. I know you pretty well and I know when something’s bothering you.”
“It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“Where does this leave us?”
“I’m not sure. I know that I still have an awful lot to work through and I know you’re a special person in my life. I’d like a relationship with you, but I’m not sure that I’m ready for that. And I don’t think it’s fair to you if I can’t give you one hundred percent.”
“Alejandro, I understand and I’d like to help you. I don’t expect for you to be able to commit yourself to anyone until you resolve your feelings about your family. Let’s just see where this goes. I’m also nowhere near ready to commit to a relationship. The only thing I ask is that we be up front with our families. I can’t lie to my parents and Gabriella any longer.”
“I understand. Why don’t we approach it like this: we experienced this life altering situation with the flash flooding, we’ve decided we mean a lot to one another, and we’re exploring a possible relationship. Angelina, we have pasts that we have to deal with before we can move forward. We both know that.”
“Pasts? I don’t have a past relationship that I need to deal with.”
“Maybe not, but you do have to deal with your infertility problem.” He saw her swallowing her fears. “I don’t think you’ve really addressed that. But I know I can help you, and you can help me deal with Tammy and Michael.”
Nodding her head she said, “Okay. But Gabriella…”
“I’ll deal with her. I’ll just tell her what I told you. She can believe what she wants to believe. We’ll act like nothing was going on between us before tonight. Agreed?”
“Sure.”
Alejandro drove her home and waited until her parents arrived. The flash flooding had dissipated and the rain had almost stopped. They were sitting closely on the couch when her parents walked through the door. Her mother rushed to her and pulled her into her arms. “Angelina, I’m so glad that you’re alright. Alejandro, thank you for saving our daughter.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m just thankful Gabriella was concerned enough to contact me. I’m glad I got there before something really happened to Angelina.” As Alejandro spoke, she turned back to him with a broad smile on her face. They talked for a period of time before Alejandro indicated that he needed to leave. Angelina walked him to the door. Hugging him, she asked if he’d call her later. Reaching for her hand, he told her he’d call, but he needed to run by Gabriella’s first.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s something I have to do.”
“Okay,” she said as she pulled him closer. “I’m looking forward to your call.”
Alejandro hugged her and headed for his car. She walked out onto the front porch and waved goodbye. She hoped that he
would be okay talking to Gabriella. She decided that maybe she should go with him. She rushed to his car before he pulled from the driveway. “Alejandro?”
He heard her voice before he saw her standing next to his car. He slowed the car and put it in park. “My God, Angelina. You scared me to death. What’s wrong?” he asked as he jumped out of the car.
“Nothing.” She was regretting running to his car.
“Angelina?”
“Can I go with you?” She looked into his eyes with a pleading look on her face and reached for his hand. “Please?”
Alejandro thought for a moment. “Are you sure? Gabby can be quite a handful…”
Softly, she spoke, “I don’t want you going through this by yourself. I’d like to be there with you. I care about you too much and just…”
He didn’t even ponder his next comment. “Go tell your parents that you’re running out with me for a bit.” Smiling at her, he released her hand and pushed her towards the door. She looked back at him then threw herself into his arms. “Go on, go. I want to get going.”
Angelina turned towards the door, paused, and smiled at him. Then, she rushed through the door to tell her parents that she was leaving.
Alejandro was waiting for her and opened her door as she neared. She slid into the seat and slapped his hand away as he tried to put her seatbelt on. “Mother’s looking and I don’t want her to get any ideas that we may be dating before we’re ready to tell her. She’ll start asking questions and won’t stop. You know how she can be.”
Alejandro laughed at her statement remembering all of the questions she asked him at Christmas. “Fine,” he said as he closed the door and noticed the drapes moving back in place. He slid into his seat and, shaking his head, said, “Your mother… She’s quite the matchmaker.”
“She thinks she is. I don’t want her getting involved with us too soon. Don’t get me wrong, I love her to death, but she can be quite overbearing at times. I don’t want to have to worry about her right now. I just want to see where this may lead. I want to do this with just us walking down this path and her not pushing us.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. “I know what you mean. But with Gabby, we’re going to have to be up front with her or she’ll continue to meddle. I’ll be straight with her and tell her that we need to figure this out ourselves.” He released her hand as they drove over to Gabriella’s.
They pulled up in front of Gabriella’s house. The lights were still on. Alejandro turned off the ignition and turned towards Angelina. “Let’s do this. Let me do the talking and everything will be fine. Gabby is just going to have to understand that we’re going to take this slowly and we don’t want her interfering. You mean a lot to me, Angelina. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
She met him in front of the car and they walked hand-in-hand to Gabriella’s door. Alejandro rang the bell. They saw Gabriella look out the window before she opened the door. “So, to what do I owe this visit?”
Alejandro motioned for Angelina to precede him into her house. “Just thought we’d come over for a bit.”
“Would you care for anything to drink?”
Alejandro indicated he’d take a beer if she had one. Angelina also requested one. Alejandro seated himself on the sofa right next to Angelina and patted her knee. When Gabriella appeared in the doorway, he winked at her and smiled. “It’s okay,” he whispered as Gabriella approached with their drinks.
She handed them their drinks and said, “You two look pretty chummy.”
Alejandro looked at Angelina; then glanced up at Gabriella. “Well, we’ve been through something tonight.”
“I know. Angelina, it sounded so scary.”
“It was.”
She said nothing more as Gabriella looked to Alejandro. He took a swig of his beer and looked down at the floor. He leaned over his knees, rubbing his hands back and forth in front of him. He took a deep breath and looked up at his sister. “It brought back an awful lot of bad memories, too.”
Gabriella looked at her brother. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was thinking about that God-awful night. Alejandro looked over at Angelina and then said, “Gabby, tonight I told Angelina about Tammy and Michael.”
She looked at him in shock. “You did?”
“Yes, I did,” He reached for Angelina’s hand. He needed her strength. “I thought it was time.” Swallowing with difficulty, he continued, “Gabby, I need to start dealing with my past. If I am going to begin to have a future, free of misgivings, I have to face it.”
Angelina squeezed his hand for she wanted him to know that she was with him through his pain.
“Saving Angelina made me finally start to confront that night. I have to face my fears head on. I have to deal with the fact that there was nothing I could’ve done to prevent Tammy’s accident.”
He looked at his hand entwined with Angelina’s and smiled at her. “Gabby, I don’t want to offend you with my next comment, but I have to say this. Angelina and I have become quite close as of late.”
Gabriella started to comment, but he put up his hand to stop her. “Please, listen and let me finish before you say something.”
She nodded.
“As I said, Angelina and I have become close lately. I can’t dive into a relationship until I deal with Tammy and Michael’s deaths, though. This evening, Angelina and I talked about them. She’s helping me cope with their deaths. We’ve decided that we have a special bond, one that we’d like to explore without any family interference.”
Gabriella’s eyes widened, but kept her mouth shut.
“I realize you have our best interests at heart; however, if we’re to have a chance at a relationship, we need to figure it out on our own. No meddling from you and no meddling from her parents. I can’t say where this is going, but we want to take it slowly. I have issues to deal with, as does Angelina. Together, we’re going to deal with them. Do you get my drift?”
Gabriella smiled and said, “Yeah. I know I was interfering by harassing you, Angelina. I’m sorry. I promise I won’t ask any questions. I’ll wait for you both to let me know where this is going. But first, I want to say that I am happy for you two. I know that you’ll both get through this together, and I look forward to seeing you in a relationship. I know I’ll get overexcited at times, but I’ve known for a long time that you both should be together. I hope and pray that you get through this time together as a couple. You’re meant to be together.” She stood and gave both of them a hug. “I love you both.”
They continued talking, but when Angelina stifled a yawn, Alejandro patted her knee and indicated that he should take her home. Gabriella thanked them both for coming by and told Angelina she’d see her at school the next day. Angelina proceeded out the door. Gabriella stopped Alejandro with a hand on his arm. She gave her brother a big hug. “I’m so happy you’ve finally decided to share your feelings with someone.” She patted him on the cheek. “Don’t be a stranger,” she called as he walked down the sidewalk.
“I’ll try not to. Talk to you soon.” With that, he helped Angelina into the car and drove off down the street.
Gabriella was so excited that her brother was finally opening up to someone about the family he’d so tragically lost. She just hoped that he continued to share his feelings with Angelina. They’d make a great couple. Hopefully they would be able to make it through the difficult and trying days ahead.
Chapter Fifteen
They both made it through the next several weeks with no interference from either of their families. Angelina went to school and continued to tutor Lauren. Alejandro experienced a few difficult cases. He had to deal with a small child going through a transplant. Unfortunately, the child lost its life. It dealt Alejandro a serious blow. They’d been scheduled to attend a function the evening of the child’s death.
Alejandro called and left a message for Angelina. “It’s me. I hate leaving this message but I thought it best since we had plans for this
evening.” Dejectedly, he continued, “I need to cancel. Something’s come up and I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
When she listened to the message, she knew something was wrong. She was scheduled to begin spring break, and she was looking forward to spending time together. She dialed his cell so she could leave him a personal message. Surprisingly, he answered.
“Hey, there. Did you get my message?”
“Yeah. I thought this was a special dinner with your colleagues?”
“It is. I just have to cancel.”
“You sure it’s just that?”
A moment passed before he answered, “Yes. I just need to handle something that can’t wait. I’ll talk to you later.”
Something just wasn’t right. She decided she’d pretend her night was still happening. Her parents knew she was going out for dinner, so she dressed and left her house, deciding she’d head over to his place.
She wasn’t sure whether he’d be home but decided to try. She pulled up in front of his home and noticed most of the lights were on. Generally, that meant that he was home. She rang the doorbell and waited. There was no answer. She rang it again and when no one came to the door, she decided to leave. Just as her feet hit the driveway, he opened the door. “Angelina,” he sighed.
She turned around. He looked awful. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She turned and headed back towards the door. He ushered her in and walked silently into the family room. He’d been drinking—there was a half-bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table.
“You okay?”
“Honestly?”
She nodded.
“No,” he said. He sat down on the couch and put his hands over his eyes. “Sorry about tonight. I just couldn’t go out and face my colleagues. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, and I’m definitely in no mood to celebrate.”
Instead of sitting beside him on the couch, she sat in the chair across from him. “Alejandro. What’s wrong? What happened? You were looking forward to tonight to celebrate the grant that the department received.”