Chapter 27

GABRIELA

During lunch we talked about everything but especially about Ana's classes. Apparently, she loved her new school, it's closer to our college, it's only about a ten-minute walk so it's good if she gets sick.

When we finished, we went to the living room and I started to finish the drawing I had to hand in tomorrow while Ana looked at the rest I have in the folder.

"You draw very well Gabriela; can you teach me?" She asked, "Ana, don't bother her, she has to finish the drawing." Carlos protested, but I denied, because I didn't care at all. "It's nothing, and of course I'll teach you. What would you like to draw?" I asked "Things like you do."

"First, let's start with something simpler. What do you think if you go look for a drawing on the computer, have one of your brothers print it out for you, and then I'll show you how to draw" I asked "Ok." She responded and ran out of the room to go get the computer, leaving me and Marcos alone, since Carlos left to help her choose a drawing, sometimes she could be very indecisive.

"You know, my sister is right." Marcos said "In what?" I asked, trying to understand what's true "You're very good at drawing and everything that has to do with art, I think you'll become famous or something." He stated and I laughed "I don't think so Marcos, I'm just good at it. Remember when I was little, I hated it."

"Yeah, I remember it very well, sometimes I even helped you." He laughed. "Or my mother made them for me, don't forget that." I added "True, and now there's no need for her to do them, you do them yourself." He stated and I nodded, because all of that is true "Yes, that's why I said it. But now answer me one thing."

"Sure, what's up?" He asked, "Didn't you also have a paper due tomorrow?" I questioned and it didn't take long for him to frown "What? What are you taking about?" He asked, his nerves beginning to increase. "I remember a couple of days ago you told me you had to hand in a paper on the tenth of this month."

"Yes, and what about that?" He asked, "Tomorrow is the tenth." I stated "What? This is a disaster; it can't be tomorrow." He said, starting to pace back and forth, his fingers running through his hair. "Tomorrow is the tenth, I'm serious."

"Shit, I'll get to that now, thanks for reminding me." He thanked me and I laughed, denying, "What would you do without me." I said "Nothing, I'm sure I would have repeated some course in between because I didn't remember when to hand in most of the work."

"I don't think so, but scares if you had taken it." I assured myself, "I'm going to get the job done before I forget again." At the moment Marcos ran up the stairs to go do work, Carlos and Ana come down, of course they look at Marcos, but it doesn't take them long to come over to me.

"What happened to Marcos to go up the stairs like that?" He asked, looking in the direction his brother had gone. "He forgot he had a paper due tomorrow" I laughed. "This guy is a disaster." He assured, denying, "Look who's going to talk. May I remind you I had to remind you many times when you had to hand in work?"

"Ok, maybe that happened, but you remember it and we don't. That's the problem basically." We started laughing and Ana sat next to me on the floor with a couple of pencils in her hand.

"I want to draw this picture." Ana said, pointing at it. "Ok, give me a few seconds and I'll help you draw it, ok?" I asked and she nodded. It didn't take me too long to finish the drawing, I didn't have much left, so as soon as I finished, I started helping her draw. After an hour, she got tired of drawing and wanted to go for a walk so I got up to accompany her.

"Go get the jacket, I'll wait for you here." I said "Ok, I'll come now." She responded, running up the stairs to get her jacket, leaving me and Carlos alone. "Can I ask you a question Gabriela?" He questioned and I nodded. "Do you think Alex would agree to talk to me?"

"I'm sure he does, but what do you want to talk to him about?" I asked, frowning. "I would like to apologize." He said after a few seconds "You don't need to do it; he doesn't hold a grudge against you." I assured, because I knew it's the case. He told me thousands of times, "Maybe, but I broke his nose, I would like to talk to him."

"I'll tell him if it keeps you calm" I responded "It will." He nodded. "I'll tell you when he tells me." I assured "And couldn't it be today?" He asked and that actually surprised me. "You just got home from the hospital and you already want to do too many things, don't you think you should rest?"

"What I did is too much." He assured and I'm not going to deny, but there's no need to blame himself more for that. "We forgive you for everything." I insisted, "I know, but I would still like to talk to you."

"Well, I'll call him." I answered and he thanked me. At that moment Ana and Marcos come down the stairs, he with his coat in his arm, I guess it's because he's going out with us. "Ana already told me you were going out for a walk; can I go with you?" He asked, "I think it's better if you stay with Carlos, in case something happens to him."

"I plan to go with you." Carlos said, which makes me quickly turn in his direction, denying, because he shouldn't be continually straining himself. "You could catch a cold; your defenses are low. Plus, you just got out of the hospital, you could catch a cold."

"I'm wearing more clothing, and the doctor told me I should go out and get some fresh air." He replied, "That's true, Gabriela. Don't worry about him, nothing will happen to him, let's go." He assured, "It's fine, but if you feel unwell, we'll come back home." I stated "Perfect then, shall we go?"

We went out the door and waited for Marcos to close the door. We had been walking for a couple of minutes when suddenly Ana stops and turns towards us. "Hey Gabriela, when will you be Carlos' girlfriend?"

At those words the three of us stopped and looked at her. I didn't know what that question was about "Are you trying to find me a girlfriend?" She asked, laughing, even though I'm completely sure it would have been something he would have liked. "It could be, but I know you love Gabriela, she's a good person to be with."

"Well, that won't be possible." Carlos answered, "Why not?" She asked with a frown. "She has a boyfriend." He informed her and it didn't take her long to turn in my direction. "Is that true?" Ana asked and at that moment I don't know what to do. For me, I would go under a rock and not come out until no one could see me. Sometimes I didn't understand Ana's curiosity.

"Yeah" I finally admitted "And is he good?" She asked and I nodded with a smile forming on my face just thinking about my boyfriend "The best." I confirmed "I want to meet him." The little girl said "You will, don't worry about it." I assured her, "Will it be soon?"

"Do you want to meet him that much?" Carlos asked, laughing, "Well, yeah, if she fell in love with him must be a great person. But I wish it had been Carlos."

"Well Ana, don't bother Gabriela anymore, let's go to the park." Marcos said, "Can you go ahead with Ana?" Their brother asked her, "Sure, let's go, Ana." Marcos said, stretching out his hand in his sister direction "But I want to go with Gabriela." She protested, "I'm going now princess, go with Marcos."

Ana looked at us for a while and left with Marcos. I know what Carlos is going to talk to me about, and there's nothing to forgive, but I had to listen to what he's going to tell me, if that helped him get better.

"Look at the idea my sister came out with now." Carlos laughed, trying to see the humorous side, but I knew it isn't for him. "I didn't expect it, honestly." I answered, "Neither did I, and as much as I would have loved that idea, it's not possible."

"I love you, even if it's not that way, I love you as if you're my older brother." I said once again "I know, and ask you to forgive me for how I reacted to you and the hit I gave to Alex, you must have felt terrible about that."

"I'm not going to lie to you I hate it, you didn't even let me defend myself, but your way of acting wasn't the same, something was wrong with you. I didn't even want to talk to you when you left Alex's house, really. At that moment I was more worried about Alex than I was about you, I must admit." I said sincerely, "I know and I understand you felt that way."

"I'm sorry, but then when you didn't show up for so long, I got too worried. I worried everyone, even Alex." I admitted "He loves you, right?" He asked and I nodded. "He does, I might say more than before." I assured, "You look happier, you were never the same Gabriela as before he broke up with you."

"I don't know, at first, it's clear I felt terrible, I didn't want to talk to anyone or be with anyone, no matter how much your brother and Carlota clung to me, I didn't want them around, and it could be I never got over it, I don't know. In fact. At some point I got him out of my head and I kind of didn't feel so bad." I replied, because that's what had been going through my head at least.

"I supposed, but you always lacked that sparkle you have in your eyes now." He said with a small smile planted on his face "I don't know, I already told you and it's the truth." I insisted "I don't doubt what you tell me, when it comes to feelings and showing them, you were always the worst of all, even when you were little."

"Maybe, I wouldn't know what to tell you." I shrugged, "but we know." He stated, "Hey, everything will stay the same between us, right?" I asked, because if there is one thing I didn't want, it's for our relationship to change. Maybe I would be weird at first, but I don't want to lose Carlos, he's like my older brother. "Yes, you will continue to be my little sister."

"At some point will I stop being your little sister?" I asked, a big smile taking over my face. "I don't think so." He admitted and I rolled my eyes. "Ana is smaller." I blurted out but that never seemed to matter. "I know, but it's not the same." He assured, laughing, "Why not?"

"I couldn't explain it, but you'll always be my little sister, you won't be able to avoid it He stated, "We'll see about that, but do you really want Alex to come today?" I asked to make sure "Yes, no problem, really" he replied "You don't need to talk to him, I'm serious. Everything is fine with him."

"Yes, I know, but I would also like to try to fix our friendship since he's your boyfriend and I will have to see him often." He said "You don't have to; I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." I responded and he laughed "Me? And miss that sparkle in your eyes when you talk about him or see you that happy? I won't miss that even if I die."

"Are you sure it won't bother you?" I insisted "No, besides, I'm more or less clear you wouldn't be my girlfriend from the beginning. Alex would always be between the two of us, you never stopped loving him." He assured, "True. As much as I refused at first, I love him too much." I admitted with a small smile on my face "You look like it, and I'm happy to see you this happy, really."

"Me too, but you'll see you will find someone better than me and who will make you happy." I assured, because I knew there's someone more suitable for him than me. "I hope so." He said, "I assure you." I confirmed "I believe you; I will leave you to call Alex."

"Don't worry, I sent him a message to come, I don't want your sister to come looking for us." I laughed, because when Ana wanted something, she tended to get it when she wanted, and if we took a while to get there, she would go for whatever it is "With how much she adores you, I don't know how Marcos is stopping her until now."

"I adore her too." I said sincerely, "And there's no place for me in that worship?" He asked and I couldn't help but laugh "Of course there is, you're my big brother after all, right?" We hug and stayed like that for a couple of minutes until we decided it's better to go to the park to meet Marcos and Ana. I also sent a message to Alex to which he replied that he would be coming. I just hope it didn't make Carlos uncomfortable, I would be aware of any signs of discomfort he had, I'm not going to give him a bad time.