Chapter 44

GABRIELA

I don't really know what really happened to Alex, I don't know why he felt that way, well, actually I did know, but I think he was exaggerating. As soon as I saw he was starting to get sad and moved away from me, I went after him and of course, as I saw he was still determined to continue blaming himself, I decided it was better to intervene and try to convince him this wasn't true, no matter how true it was, I didn't like seeing him this bad. 

When he calmed down a little and we separated we started walking again. For a few minutes we did it in silence. I could tell he was thinking about something and I'm sure whatever I told him, he wasn't going to listen, he was very focused on his thoughts. At that moment my phone starts ringing, and I didn't want to answer, but it was too insistent so I answered. 

"Yeah?" I responded without looking away from Alex, which led me to not knowing who the person was calling me. "Gabriela, you answer." My mother said, which made me frown, because she didn't call when I was in college. 

"Sorry for the delay mom, what's wrong to at this hour?" I asked, looking at the time, thinking the time could have passed so quickly. "It's your grandmother." 

"What's wrong with Grandma? Is she okay?" I asked, getting worried quickly and which made Alex come out of his thoughts and turn to me, continuing to observe me carefully. "She's in hospital." my mother admitted and now I was on the verge of hysteria "WHAT? HOW IS HE IN HOSPITAL? WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?" 

"She had an accident with the car." My mother said and I turned around to start walking towards the car. "I'm going to the hospital right now." I responded and was going to hang up if I didn't hear my mother say something else, "No Gabriela, you have to take your siblings and Marcos home." 

"I can leave the keys with Marcos to take you home." I assured, because I know he would do it if I told him what was happening. "And how are you supposed to come then?" she asks "I don't know, I'll find a way to go, but I'm going to go and let's not talk about it again." I assured, because nothing would stop me from going to see her. "What do you say mom?" I was listening carefully to what my grandma was saying, but I couldn't really hear what and that is what interested me the most. 

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, upset at not knowing what grandma was saying, but even more upset at not being able to be with my grandma. "Your grandma wants to talk to you; I'll give it to you." 

I waited patiently to listen to my grandmother, I wanted to know how she was doing because she was the most important thing right now. "Gabriela, are you there?" Grandma asked, which made me sigh, because at least she didn't sound as bad as what was going through my mind. 

"Grandma, thank goodness I heard you, what happened? "How are you?" I bombarded her with questions "I'm fine, don't worry, but you're not coming here." she assured and I frowned "Why I'm going to do it." I responded "No, you're not going to do it. I'm fine, I'll be discharged soon." 

"I don't care about that grandma; I want to be with you." I affirmed and I'm completely sure she was denying "You come home later, but don't come to the hospital, please." She asked and I took a deep breath. "I'll listen to you just this once you know, but where is Grandpa?" 

"Your grandfather is fine, don't worry, I was alone." she admitted, and even though it didn't improve the situation, at least it hadn't been the two of them in the car when the accident happened. "What happened to you?" I asked, although I could have a faint idea of what had happened. 

"It gave me like a tremor in my arm and the steering wheel went away." she answered and I took a deep breath. "What did the doctors say about that? Is it because of the illness?" I asked, even though I knew it was most likely. I had noticed in the last couple of weeks, her tremors were a little more constant and more often. 

"I don't know, they don't think that's why." She said, but I didn't believe it at all, honestly, "Pass me to mom, please." I asked her, "I'll pass it on to you, but she won't tell you anything different from what I've told you that you know." 

"Maybe, but pass it on to me." I asked "See you later Gabriela, see you at home." I know she said to emphasize I should go see her when it was necessary, and this time I would listen to her, but if something like that happened to her again and she had to go to the hospital, I would go no matter how much she insisted not go. I also noticed how Alex came closer to me and put an arm over my shoulders, making me leave my head on his chest. It comforted me he was here at this moment, it helped me not feel worse than I would if I were alone or with anyone else. 

"Gabriela, are you still there?" my mother asked, which I nodded, "You already heard what she told you, listen to her." she asks her me even though I didn't like it, I was going to listen this time. "I'll do it, but what did the doctors tell grandma?" I asked "She told you the truth right now, that's what the doctor said." 

"I will confirm myself when I see you her" I assured, "You'll see, but now you have to go get your siblings, they must be about to go out." She responded and I looked at the time to make sure it was "Yes, I will, don't worry, I won't leave them here." 

"Well, I'll let you know when we go home." She answered and I nodded, "Okay." I said "Bye Gabriela, and don't worry anymore." She asked and I rolled my eyes, because nothing was going to stop me from worrying. "If you didn't want me to worry, don't call me to tell me." 

"But you had to know, you would be angry if you found out." I nodded, because that would be true, but something I wasn't going to get into right now. "That's true, but I'm leaving now, bye mom." I said goodbye and hung up. 

Thousands of possibilities were going through my mind as to why the accident occurred, but the most logical one seemed to me to be grandma illness progressed a little further. I just hoped it wouldn't progress any further than we thought, because it was true that now her tremors were a little more noticeable, it was a bad sign I didn't want to happen. The pills had slowed the disease a little, but it wasn't enough, not for me. 

"Don't worry my queen, I'm sure everything will be fine." I don't know when I started crying, but there was Alex, comforting me like he always did. He hugged me and I didn't hesitate to hug him and then I buried my face in his chest until I relaxed from everything and stopped crying. 

"What happened to your grandmother?" She asked with a worried tone. "She had an accident and she's in the hospital." I said and worry completely invaded him. "Is she okay?" he inquired and I shrugged, because I don't have the slightest idea. "She says she is, but I'm not so sure." 

"If she says it, it's true." He tried to console me, but I denied it, because she was probably saying it to not worry me. "You don't know my grandmother. She would say whatever it took so no one would worry about her." I said "Look who was going to talk, you do the same or worse than her." He responded with a small smile on her face, which automatically made one appear on mine and after a while longer hugging, he put his arm around my shoulders, and we started walking towards to college again. 

"Maybe, but you do have to worry about her, I'm healthy and she's not." I admitted and that made him frown. "What is it about her?" he asked with curiosity, but at the same time with concern. "I'll tell you another time, I don't want to start crying again." 

"Whatever you want, tell me whenever you want." It didn't take us long to get to the campus and as soon as we arrived, we sat on some benches, but I couldn't sit still, I couldn't allow myself to because otherwise my head wouldn't stop spinning about what happened to grandma. 

"Hey beautiful, you need to relax. "I don't think you want your siblings to think something's wrong." He said softly. "No, I don't want that." I admitted "Well, then relax. Besides, it doesn't do you any good to be like this." Alex replied "I know, but I can't help it." 

"Then tell me how I can help you." He said, "Can you give me a hug?" I asked and a small smile appeared on his face "Of course my queen, whatever you want." she assured, taking no time to surround me with his arms. 

The truth is in his arms I was a little more relaxed and I didn't think so much about what had happened to my grandmother, more than anything because her perfume occupied a large part of my mind. I had always loved the smell of her perfume and she always would. 

I don't know exactly how long we were hugging, but as soon as I heard people starting to leave college, I moved away from him a little to see. "You should leave before my siblings arrive." I whisper, "If that's what you want, I'll do it, but will you be okay?" He asked and I nodded, because one way or another, I would be. "Yes, don't worry, I will be." 

"Ok." He replied, "Do me a favor and don't look back when you leave." I asked and he frowned "Why?" He asked, confused. "Because my siblings are getting closer and I don't want them to see you." 

"Ok, I won't do it. Let's talk later?" He asked and I nodded "Perfect, then see you tomorrow." He said, giving me a kiss on the temple. "See you tomorrow." I said goodbye, returning the kiss on his cheek. 

Before he leaves, he puts his hands on either side of my face and I put mine on top of his. We stare for a few seconds and then he kisses me on the forehead, which makes my whole being a little flustered. 

"I love you, my queen." He said with a big smile on his face, which automatically made mine expand on mine. "I love you too." I admitted and to which he stayed looking at me for a few more seconds, with a glow that I loved and I saw in him the first time I told him I loved him and he left. 

The thoughts didn't take long at all came flooding back into my mind again, all the questions I had about the possibility of my grandmother's disease progressing, which despite the fact it was what I least wanted, we were clear it would happen. 

My brothers approached me and stayed to look at me with the expression of asking thousands of questions I would not answer and of course Marcos's face is the one that says I will tell him everything later and without holding back a single detail. 

"Who's that guy?" my sister asked. "You don't mind, but we don't have to go, now." I said, starting to walk towards the car. "What's the rush?" both Mario and María asked, "We have to go and that's it, don't ask so much and go to the car." 

Without another word they left. They noticed I wasn't in a good mood, and just like they did, so did Marcos, who soon approached me as soon as my siblings left. 

"What's wrong Gabriela? Everything is alright?" Marcos asked, with a worried tone. "It's not Marcos." I answered honestly, because that's how I felt at this moment. "What exactly is wrong?" He asked confused for a moment. "Everything Marcos, life is unfair." 

"What if you explain it to me so I can understand?" He asked calmly, I guess so as not to stress me out more than I already am. "Grandma had an accident, Marcos, that's what happens." I said after a few seconds.