Chapter 27 Sensible and Sensibility

Gabriella was right down in the dumps when she got home (she took the bus as Brandon was tied up with work). She had lost the only job she had managed to hang on to for so long. What was she to do now? Scrambling for work was not easy. She'd have to work part-time to pay the bills, rent… She shut her eyes. She had forgotten to check the state of her apartment! Living with Brandon had become so natural that it completely slipped out of her mind. But she knew that eventually, she'd have to go back; the question is, how would she go back if she couldn't afford it?

She walked outside the house, wrapping her shrug more securely against the wind. She came to the back of the house where there was a wide patio with long woven lounge chairs decked in the garden. She sat down on one and pulled out her phone. She called up the manager of her building to ask if the wiring was fixed – but there was no answer. She could simply go back and check her apartment later… Maybe she could go with Brandon. She sighed, feeling low thinking about her job; she wanted to talk to him, hearing his voice would cheer her up even though she couldn't tell him about work yet. That could wait till he got home. She dialed his number and he picked up immediately.

"Angel, did you get home alright?" He asked anxiously. Gabriella smiled, touched by his concern.

"Of course, Brandon, the bus is very reliable."

"Phew, good. I should be home soon. I just stopped by the market to pick up some groceries."

"You're shopping without me? Barry." There was a trace of petulance in her voice. Brandon grinned.

"The fridge was bare and I needed to have some good ingredients to cook up for you."

"Okay. But next time, I want to come along."

"Promise." Brandon made kissy noises and hung up, leaving Gabriella in a happier state of mind. So what if she lost her job? She'd get another one soon! There was no shame in being unemployed for a little while. That's what she kept telling herself until her phone rang – she looked down and saw that Sassie was calling. Surprised, Gabriella picked up.

"Hello, Sass?"

"Gabby! Where the heck are you? Please tell me you're not on the streets somewhere!"

"Sassie, calm down, I'm at Brandon's place." Gabriella heard her friend sigh loudly.

"Thank goodness! I was worried when you never called back and then I saw the news and Archer and I didn't get a spare minute to call what with Teddy and measles—"

"Sass, breathe." Gabriella heard her going off into a breathless rant.

"You're right, you're right. I've been so stressed out lately, I've been close to a breakdown."

"How's Teddy feeling?"

"Teddy's fine, except at night. We had to put baby mittens on him to stop him from scratching, I can't take my eyes off him otherwise!"

"I'm glad he's feeling better. But Sass, you sound like you could use a break."

"I wish! What I'd like most in the world right now is a pina colada, pineapple pizza, and a date with Phil. That reminds me – how are things with Brandon?"

"We're fine, we made up and he's been taking good care of me." Gabriella's mouth perked up at the thought of Brandon.

"I sure hope he is, after the talking to I gave him," Sassie huffed. "Did you know I called him that day? I didn't want you stranded on the streets and knew he had to be there with you." Gabriella laughed.

"Thanks for that, by the way."

"Glad to see that boy is finally setting things right. I saw what he did with Archer on the news. He's over, isn't he?"

"Yes, Brandon made sure of that."

"Well, good riddance to bad rubbish! Last you'll ever have to see that loser." A child's voice blared in the background.

"Is that Teddy?" Gabriella asked. Sassie sighed.

"Yes, he probably wants another snack, measles makes him hungrier than a raccoon. I'm coming, Teddy! I gotta go, I'll call you soon, okay? I still want us to have a double date with you and Brandon."

"Alright Sass, bye, take care!" Gabriella hung up. Feeling a lot better than when she walked out of her office an hour ago, she gazed up at the sky, painted pink and gold with the sunset. Things would work out, they always did. And with Brandon by her side, she felt stronger.

She got up and went inside, debating whether to cook up a little something for Brandon when he got home – when she heard the intercom beep.

"Brandon must be home," she said to herself, and eagerly went to greet him at the door. It suddenly opened.

"Brandon, you're ho—" she stopped, startled to see not Brandon, but his formidable aunt, Rebecca. And from the look on her face, she was stunned, displeased, and extremely furious to see Gabriella standing on the threshold of her nephew's house. Gabriella swallowed, knowing this was going to be a hard spot to get out of.

"You!" Aunt Rebecca blared out at Gabriella. Gabriella stared at her helplessly. What was she to say?

"What are you doing here?" Aunt Rebecca demanded. "And where is my nephew?"

"H-he's out, but he should be home soon," Gabriella stammered nervously. Aunt Rebecca's nostrils flared.

"Home?! What's that supposed to mean? Don't tell me – you're living with him?!"

"Er, I can explain…" Gabriella tried to pacify her without making the situation go from bad to worse but knew she was failing miserably.

"No need for that." The door was pushed open and Brandon appeared behind them, shopping bags in hand, his blue eyes glinting. His eyes narrowed at his aunt as he dropped the bags on the floor.

"Aunt Rebecca, it's bad manners to drop by unannounced and I would appreciate it if you treated my girlfriend better." Aunt Rebecca scoffed.

"Don't talk back to me, young man, I'll be asking the questions around here!" She seated herself on the couch and turned a pointed gaze to Gabriella. Brandon came and stood in front of her, shielding her from his aunt's view.

"Gabriella, I need to talk to my aunt alone for a few minutes, do you mind giving us some privacy?" He whispered urgently to her.

"Oh no you don't, she stays right here until I say so!" His aunt snapped at once. "Sit down young lady, I want some answers!" Trapped by the situation and unwilling to anger Brandon's aunt even further, Gabriella sat down opposite her. Fuming, Brandon took his seat beside her.

"Now, what's this about you two living together? Do your parents know about it? Why, if I were around, I'd never allow such a thing to happen!" Brandon's fingers curled into fists at his aunt's words but he said nothing.

"And don't think I haven't been keeping up with everything going on in the news. With all the disgrace you brought on yourself concerning this girl, it's truly insensible that you would be living with her!"

"That's enough, aunt!" Brandon cut her off, his patience snapping. Gabriella desperately wished she could turn invisible or run away but Brandon anticipated it and grasped her hand tight.

"I'm not finished!" His aunt rejoined. She turned to Gabriella with blazing eyes.

"How long have you two been staying together?" She asked icily. Brandon started to speak but his aunt cut him off, saying, "I asked her." With a quivering lip, Gabriella replied, "A week."

"And where do you work?"

"I was working at Diana Cosmetics until recently." Gabriella's voice shook as she answered. Brandon turned to her in surprise.

"Gabriella, what do you mean until 'recently'?" Gabriella didn't meet his eye but kept her gaze fixed on his aunt. She felt it was better to be truthful, even if it meant getting ripped up for it. As expected, his aunt gave a shrill cry of anger.

"So you're unemployed and you thought you could leech off of my nephew?! You thought you could charm your way into his life and live off of him?!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, AUNT!" Brandon lost his temper and stood up, fury burning in his eyes. His aunt turned to him.

"You're fooling yourself, boy! She's not even from our sphere of life! She'll never fit into our set! Can't you see she's nothing but an opportunist?! You'll ruin yourself acting like a fool all for a woman like her! She's made herself a spectacle with the tabloids and is dragging you down with her! She's disgracing your name! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if she instigated all that publicity just to buy your sympathy!" Gabriella sat there, listening in silence while her heart wrenched with all the cruel words Brandon's aunt spewed out. Tears of pain and humiliation filled her eyes. She didn't want to hear such vile accusations anymore, she'd heard enough of those already. She stood up, intending to leave the room, but Brandon caught her hands and held them in his own. Gabriella looked up at him, swallowing the sobs that rose in her throat. He faced his aunt as he spoke in a low, clear, firm voice.

"You are wrong, aunt. You're wrong about her and you're wrong about me. Gabriella is a treasure worth far more than all the wealth in the world. And if loving her means being a fool, then I'll be a fool in love for the rest of my life and I'll do it gladly." The tears spilled out of Gabriella's eyes; the way Brandon spoke about her, with such love and earnestness it went straight to her heart. She knew Brandon loved her but hearing him speak like that made her realize just how much he did.

His aunt made choking noises and tried to speak but no words came out. She could only stare speechlessly at both of them.

"You're making a big mistake, boy." She finally gritted out.

Brandon calmly replied, "No, aunt. And there's nothing you can say to change my mind. My only mistake was letting you try to control my life and who I date. But what I found with Gabriella is something you'll never understand because it's something you've never known. And I choose her," Brandon turned his gaze to Gabriella's with warmth in his eyes, "for the rest of my life." Confounded with rage, Aunt Rebecca got up with a huff and walked out of the house without another word. As soon as she was out, Brandon shut the door after her and turned to Gabriella. She had sunk back onto the couch, an expressionless look on her face.

"Angel?" Brandon called gently. Everything his aunt said was mean and hurtful and he hoped it didn't get to Gabriella.

"Did you really mean everything you said?" She asked him quietly. Brandon nodded.

"Every word, Angel." He came beside her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Even though you might have offended her?" Gabriella looked stricken as she spoke.

"Angel, none of what she said was true! Of course, I would defend you, even if it means her hearing something she doesn't want to. I've put up with her for a long time, letting her think she can plan out my life the way she thinks is right. This was long overdue with her. I only needed one reason to break free and now… I do." Brandon pulled her close to his chest. Gabriella clung tightly to him, drawing comfort from him.

"You're the reason I want to love, Gabriella," Brandon went on, "you're the one I've been waiting for my whole life. And you're the one I want to spend all my days with, if you'll have me."

"Oh Brandon, you know I will," Gabriella replied with tears pouring from her eyes. "I've never met someone as amazing as you, I didn't even think you existed! The way you've come to my rescue every single time, it still bewilders me how much you care. And I want nothing more than to love you and stay with you for the rest of my life." Brandon had been watching her as she spoke, but now his eyes focused on her lips and slowly he leaned in and soon they were tangled in each other on the couch, lips fusing with each other's while the rest of the world lay forgotten. Nothing, not the cruel words nor the hurdles that life kept throwing at them, could dampen the love they bore for each other at that moment and soon Gabriella found herself sinking into Brandon's inebriating embrace. Brandon continued to lavish her with delicate kisses until they were both out of breath. When they slowed down at last, he spoke.

"I don't want you to remember anything but how much I love you, Gabriella." Gabriella gazed up at him, her knuckles grazing against the light stubble dusting his jaw, her eyes were full of wonder fixed on him.

"With you, I do tend to forget everything else," she said with a little smile. "Only sometimes…"

"What, Angel?" Brandon ran his fingers through her hair as he waited for her to speak.

"I do wonder, with every obstacle that seems to come between us, were we ever meant to be together? It feels like the world is trying to keep us apart." A trace of sorrow filled Gabriella's eyes.

"You know, I see it another way," Brandon said with a sparkle in his eye, "the more things stand in our way, the more I'm convinced we're meant for each other. Because the best things in life don't come easy and are worth fighting for. And you're the best thing that ever happened to me, Gabriella." Looking into his clear blue irises, Gabriella felt all her doubts melt away. Brandon was right, the best things in life were worth fighting for and she wasn't going to give up just because things got hard. If Brandon was willing to fight for her, she would be strong, for him.

"Angel, there is something I wanted to ask you – what did you mean about your job? You said you were working at Diana Cosmetics?"

"Mmm, that. The company let go of a lot of staff today and – I'm no longer employed."

"Oh," Brandon digested this for a minute. "Why didn't you tell me about it earlier?"

"Honestly, I was having a hard time accepting it myself," Gabriella admitted with some reserve. "I was living in my boyfriend's house and now without employment…" Brandon got a sense of her dilemma and cupped her face in his hands.

"Angel, you don't ever have to feel bad that way!" Brandon insisted. "Just because you don't have a job now doesn't mean you won't always have one. You're the most amazing and assertive woman I know, you're smart, dedicated, hard-working… any company would be foolish not to hire you. But, do you mind if I ask you something? What do you really want to do in life?" Gabriella blinked at him, his question taking her by surprise.

"What do I want to do?" She repeated. Truthfully, she wasn't sure. She always thought simply making ends meet would be her goal; she never thought she'd have the luxury of having a choice in her career. She still didn't think she did and voiced her thoughts to Brandon. He looked thoughtful.

"Well, it might have been that way in the past, but now with the settlement money in your account, it might help you invest in right about anything you want." Gabriella had forgotten about the settlement money; she had been so worried about her job and paying bills it had completely slipped from her mind.

"So? What do you think?" Brandon asked expectantly. Gabriella smiled at him.

"Brandon, even with a lot of money like that, I wouldn't know what to do with it."

"Hmm… I remember you once mentioned your castle in the sky was to become a caterer. Or a wedding planner. As a businessman myself, might I suggest investing in your own company? I could help you plan it and you can run it yourself. It doesn't have to be a castle in the sky anymore, it can become real."

"You still remember that?"

"Of course. You made my dream come true, Angel," Brandon's voice softened, "I was looking for love and I found you. Now I want you to live out your dream too. What do you say?" Gabriella thought about it for a long minute. It did seem like a worthwhile idea; doing what she wanted while earning a living from it. She squeezed Brandon's hand.

"If you think it's a good idea, then I'm all for it." Brandon smiled at her.

"We'll do it together, every step of the way. Now, if there's nothing else to deal with," Brandon's tone became playful and he stood up, "how about a lovely candlelit dinner for two? I bought ingredients for homemade focaccia and minestrone soup, if my lady is interested." Gabriella laughed, all her cares vanishing at the sight of Brandon's familiar dazzling smile.

"I'd like nothing better, Barry."