Chapter 62

SERGIO

Luckily for me, today I wasn't tired like I was these days, mostly because today at work wasn't about doing too much force or anything, and for once in a long time I'm calm, or at least as calm as I could be with all of Gabriela's problem.

The truth is that I don't understand how she's with that guy if you can call him that after everything, he did to her, he doesn't deserve my daughter at all and I'm not going to let anyone hurt my daughter, much less after everything she had to suffer as a child.

When I got home, I could see there's a car I never seen before, but I didn't really care, I guess it belongs to one of Gabriela's friends or the twins. I parked the car and headed towards the house where my in-laws must also be.

Just as I'm heading into the house, I notice the people in the yard sitting on the mat and get angry when I see him at home. What the hell was he doing here? And no less important, had no one realized he's here? I put my things down to say a few words to that asshole until someone grabs my arm.

"Don't go Sergio, do me and our daughter a favor." Lara asked, which makes me turn in her direction. "You knew he was home and you didn't kick him out?" I asked, surprised and annoyed, "Do you think Gabriela would allow it?" My wife asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't care what she says, Lara, that guy doesn't do her any good."

"Believe me, he does her better than we want to admit." She responded, denying, "Are you also going to believe the story about the twins?" I asked, not being able to believe she's also believing that guy's game. "These are not stories about the twins, they're the truth. That guy gives him everything that we cannot, Sergio. He's always there when our daughter needs him."

"Now don't we give her everything she needs? Since when have we not given it to them? What does she need? I'll buy it for her or whatever." I said seriously, "Sergio, what she wants is not anything that can be bought, in fact, she needs him. Do you know the anxiety attacks came back?" She asked and I stood in my spot trying to understand what she had just said "What? Why? Is it because of that guy?"

"It's quite the opposite, you know that Paula has turned her life around and it's her fault both María and Mario ended up in the hospital, now we add to that Clara and Sara are Paula's family and they hate Gabriela." She said and now I'm really not understanding anything. "And what does he have to do with all this?" I asked, confused. "Because he's the only one who in all these years has managed to calm her down without the need for pills."

I couldn't believe it, whenever she had an anxiety attack no one could help her relax, she always had to carry the pills with her because of that, and now they are telling me all she needs is that guy? That's what I don't understand, that he was capable of doing that when no one could do anything at that time.

"See what I mean? We must give him a chance; he has really changed." My wife responded without further ado, "I don't trust him." I snorted "And I know, but if Gabriela trusts him, we should do the same. She's no longer the little girl that everyone messed with Sergio, now she's the opposite, no one dares to mess with her, especially if she does what she taught the twins this afternoon."

"What did she teach them?" I asked curiously "She was teaching you self-defense, she's too good I would say. That's why she disappeared with Carlota." Lara responded, denying "Why did she never tell us that you got into self-defense?" I questioned even more confused, "I don't know, but if she wants, she could hurt whoever messes with her."

"That's what I find hard to believe." I responded, focusing my gaze on our daughter and that guy, "Well, she can do it. You have to stop thinking she's the defenseless Gabriela from years ago because she's no longer that way, and you have to let her explain to you about Alex, she will help you understand it."

"I just can't believe after everything that happened between them, she's with him." I murmured more to myself than to Lara. "We don't know anything about what happened between them, and much less do we know to what level that affected her at the time."

"We can get an idea, and of course we know, everyone says it." I protested, "And are you going to trust what everyone says? Honey, people make up anything to distract themselves." my wife snorted. "Maybe, but something they say must be true, right?"

"I don't think so, the only ones who can answer what happened between them are Gabriela and Alex. Marcos, Carlota and Carlos can also do it, but they won't tell us anything and we know it." Lara said without further ado, "And she won't tell anything about what happened between them."

"Well, he better keep it up, look at how calm she looks with him. You can even see that smile we hadn't seen in years. She truly loves him, and I can assure you he loves her too." my wife said and I started to look at them with my arms crossed over my chest. "I still don't trust him, and as much as Gabriela loves him, I don't want him to be in my house, not with so little time together."

"They haven't been seeing each other for a short time, from what Carlota told me they've been couple for three months." She said, and that makes me focus my gaze on her again. "Already?" I asked in disbelief and she just nodded, "Well, I don't care, I don't want him at home, that's it."

"Don't do something you're going to regret, Sergio, Gabriela will be angry." She assured, "I'm going to tell him how things are, and if what worries you is I'm going to hit that stupid guy, you can stop worrying, I'll control myself and tell him that manners are maintained in this house."

"What are you talking about?" She asked with confusion. "They are going to do the same thing that I had to do for you, and even more so, he will have to earn my trust if he wants to be with Gabriela." I assured "Things are not like before Sergio." my wife protested, "And I know, if it had been another boy, I wouldn't have had a problem, but since he is the guy who broke our daughter heart, he's going to have to go through that."

"If that keeps you from doing something to him and not making Gabriela angry, everything is fine. But know that doesn't mean they haven't done anything already." she simply said "What are you talking about?" I asked, "You know what I'm talking about." Lara responded, "They better not have done anything, because then I'll kill him."

"You won't do it because you won't hurt Gabriela, you know it and I know it. Also, as I told you before, she's no longer our little girl who's scared by a storm or had a bad time at school, Gabriela has changed and has to make her life apart from ours, she's old enough to make her own decisions." That was something that's difficult for me to assimilate, that our children had grown up, but above all it's more difficult for me to assimilate Gabriela did it. I guess it's because of everything that happened at school or something. Plus, she's the one who usually cheers us up or helps any of us when we need it.

"I'll talk to her." I said, convinced, "Well, don't go with that angry face, because even though you're going to tell her something about Alex, she'll get angry." my wife assured. "No one says that I'm not going to tell her anything about him, but she doesn't have to be angry, I still get angry, but if she's happy…"

"I knew you would eventually understand." she said with a small smile on her face. "Yes, I didn't do it because I understood it, but if this way she's happy, I will have control myself." I answered honestly and shrugged my shoulders, because it's true, if that guy makes Gabriela happy, then I would have no choice but to adapt.

With that I walked towards where they are and when I was close enough, I could hear her laugh, but really laugh like she hadn't done in years and that made me happy, what bothered me is she's laughing like that with him. None of us achieved it in this time. "Gabriela." It didn't take long for her to turn around and sort of start analyzing me, I think I can say she even tensed up and grabbed the hand of that guy she has as a partner.

"Dad! You are early today." She said, not surprised, "Yes, and I was in a good mood until I got home." I said without being able to stop the words before they came out of my mouth "Don't start dad, I'm not in the mood." said my daughter, rolling her eyes. "It's weird you're in a good mood lately, I don't know what the bad mood is about."

"Anything you want except what you're thinking about." She assured, "Well, that's what I really think." I admitted, why lie to her? "Well, stop doing it because I already told you my bad mood is not due to him." She assured again, "It's hard not to think about it after everything he's done to you."

"That's our thing, Dad, not yours. And I'm serious when I tell you I don't want to get angry, but that's what you're getting at." Gabriela said, controlling her tone. "I just wanted to talk to you about something." I responded, "Well, whatever you're thinking, you can forget about it." She snorted. "Beautiful, talk to your father." said her stupid boyfriend

"I will not leave you alone." My daughter responded, focusing her gaze on him. "You know I don't care about that, but you have to talk to your father, and I also have to call my grandmother to tell her we go to have dinner with her."

"But…" she started "I'm going to be fine, don't worry about me." The guy assured, "Ok, but don't go." She asked and he nodded. "I'll be close." He kissed her on the forehead, left and as soon as I lost sight of him, I turned to see Gabriela, who could be said to be angry about something, I imagine it was with me.

"You're going to listen to me carefully, Dad, because I'm not going to repeat it to you one more time." Apparently, my intentions of talking to her calmly weren't going to be possible, but I'm not going to lie it was something I expected, especially considering it's from Alex. Just her way of reacting showed me that he's important to her and I'm going to have to put up with him no matter how much I didn't like him.