Chapter 69

GABRIELA

The months went by, and I got going back to college, after two months at home taking care of Ana. I had asked for them to send me the notes and the assignments to do, but I ended up having to go pick them up every week. Everyone at home thought I was going to quit my degree, I don't know why, it didn't make sense for me to do it, not after everything it cost me to get here.

I had also been working on the exhibition, I had it almost finished, there were only a few details left, so these months I was a bit busy. With Alex things were going great. Even though I didn't get go on a date with him or see him as much as what happened before Jack, he said he understood I needed my space, especially considering what I experienced, sometimes I thought I don't deserve him.

Regarding Jack, I preferred not to talk about it with anyone, I didn't want to remember that I only talked to Ana and what she felt. Oh, and I forgot, thanks to what Ana remembered about the threat her mother had made to me, I had a police officer with me practically all the time, and even though at first I didn't like the idea at all, I ended up accepting because everyone would be calm, especially Ana who sometimes had problems controlling stress, all because she had seen how her mother had murdered her father, but I could help her with that and it never amounted to much, so with that I was quieter.

Right now, I'm going to go have breakfast and then go to college. Ana and her siblings had stayed at our house and as soon as I woke up, I could see Marcos and his sister asleep and since it was a little early, I decided I wasn't going to wake them up yet, so I got dressed and went down to have breakfast.

My parents were already having breakfast downstairs, so I joined them. "Hello Gabriela, you get up early today." my mother pointed out. "I always get up more or less at the same time" I responded, shrugging my shoulders. "Yes, but isn't it time for Marcos to get up?"

"In a little bit." I replied, "So you are going to college today?" my father asked, looking in my direction, "Yes, dad, I'm not going to give up my degree. Don't you know that?" I asked, a little annoyed they thought I'm going to leave my degree as if nothing had happened. "You spent 2 months at home without doing anything related to college, as far as I know you were with Ana and little else."

"Well, for your information, dad, I was doing more things than taking care of Ana and college things." I responded sharply, "And I don't deny it, but I think you should live your life a little longer." He says this and snorts under his breath "And I'm doing it."

"No, you're not, you hardly hang out with Alex and talk to him from where I know either." He responded, and if it weren't for the fact I had more things to do, I would be arguing with him because he doesn't like me spending time with Alex and now he's saying I don't spend much time with my boyfriend. "But those are mine and Alex's problem, dad."

"I know and I respect it, I only worry about you Gabriela." He said, "Well, it's not necessary, now if you'll excuse me if I'm going to go get Marcos up and give Santi a coffee." With that I headed upstairs to wake up Marcos and as soon as I did, I went down and went outside to give the coffee to Santi, the police officer who's practically my shadow. He's a few years older than me, and he's really nice, I got along well with him, that's one of the reasons why I had agreed to always have a police officer behind me.

"Thank you for the coffee, Gabriela." He said with a big smile on his face "You're welcome, it's the least I can do, after all, you're taking care of me, so nothing happens to me, right?" I asked, leaning on the wall next to him, "That has nothing to do with, of all the people I had to be with day and night without separating from them, they don't bother about us, you're one of the only people who has cared about me."

"It's the least I can do, besides, I don't feel like being at home right now, to be told what I have to do or not." I responded, shrugging my shoulders. "And you don't think they might be right?" He asked, "Are you also going to be like my parents?"

"No, I'm just telling you that since I've been here, and it's been a month, you don't go out except to go to your representative and take a walk with Ana." He responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Sometimes I go out with my friends, too."

"But for someone your age, it's weird you go out so little. I think you have too many responsibilities on your shoulders." He answered, "There aren't that many." I said "Of course, at your age I was getting drunk with my friends, and you're taking care of a girl, finishing your degree and preparing the exhibition. I wouldn't even be able to do that now."

"It's no big deal, I'll have to do something with my life." I answered sincerely "And I'm not telling you not to do it, but there's also time to enjoy. You should find the balance between all that, taking care of Ana, working, studying and having fun, going out with your friends and your boyfriend."

"What's happening to you is you must be bored and that's why you want me to go out." I responded laughing, because that would explain why he protest so much. "It's not that I'm bored, it's the first time I'm so calm doing a job, it's just I know from people close to me that, if you don't enjoy your life now, you won't either do later. You are at an age to enjoy life. You should enjoy it more."

"Ok, I'll try to do that, but it's not easy." Just at that moment I get a call from my representative, Rose, and it didn't take me long to answer. It must have been something important for her to be calling me at this hour. "Hello Gabriela, I have good news." Rose said excitedly. "What news?" I asked, a little confused. "Your presentation will be on Friday. You need to finish that painting you have left. We must send the invitations to the people you want to be there; we have a lot to do."

"So, it's Friday?" I asked, stress beginning to invade me. "Yes, although from the way you speak, I don't know if it's the best or not. Is it good for you for Friday?" She asked and I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "Yes, it's just in two days."

"That's why you have to finish the painting." responded "That's not the problem Rose, the problem is that it's Friday." I said, emphasizing the word Friday, "Yes, but don't panic. You're one step away from breaking through into the art world, it isn't so easy to do so, especially at your age."

"I know, I just expected it in a few weeks, nothing more." I said sincerely, "The sooner you get it over with, the better it will be for you. I'll leave you, try to finish that painting you have left and tomorrow we'll meet to organize everything for Friday, do you think?" Rose asked, "Yes, but it has to be after college."

"That's not a problem." She assured, "By the way, is it going to be in the morning or at night?" I asked with some curiosity, "At night so you can go to college and your family can come. Call me after you finish classes to tell me who you want to send the invitations to."

"I'll call you during the break, before if I have time." I responded, "Ok, we'll talk to you later, and stay calm, you'll see you'll get it right." She replied happily "As you wish Rose, see you later." I said goodbye, "See you later."

With that we hung up and I leaned against the wall of the house next to Santi who looks at me with a smile on his face. "So, it's this Friday?" He asked and I nodded, "Yes, and I have to finish the painting I have left." I sighed as I finished saying "But you will finish that soon, you have almost nothing left to finish it."

"I have the complicated part left, Santi, that's what I have left, so yes, I have too much left to finish." I assured, "Well, I still think you have low self-esteem, now you'll have to tell your parents the exhibition is on Friday." He said with a big smile on his face "I have to tell my parents everything." I murmured, "Haven't you told them you're preparing an exhibition?"

"It slipped my mind." I responded, shrugging my shoulders. "That's not something that can be passed off that easily Gabriela, you should have told her from the beginning." He protested, "Let's see, I was going to tell them, but they told me the day before Paula showed up. Carlos disappears and when we find him, he hits Alex, breaking his nose. It turns out that my best friend has a tumor that is spreading. They must remove it. After things calmed down a little, I was distracted and when I remembered I had to tell t hem, my siblings get beaten up, you must know by now, because I doubt you didn't investigate me.

"You're not wrong, I had to find out what I have to face, but despite all that, you should have told them." He said kindly and I nodded, because I already knew that. "I know, but I'll tell you now and in part they won't make me so dizzy about the subject of the exhibition."

"They will be happy; I would be for my son." She answered with a smile on her face "I'm sure, but now tell me since when you haven't seen your family." I asked, "Well, basically since I've been here." He responded, "You should spend more time with them and not with me, nothing is going to happen to me."

"I have to do my job; my family understands that." He assured and I denied, because that had nothing to do with it. "But not me, I want you to be with your son and your wife." I informed him, "Gabriela, they understand it better than you do, sometimes I swear I can't understand you."

"I understand a seven-year-old child must spend time with his father, it's my way of seeing it and the way I was raised, and I feel I'm taking away your time from seeing how your son is growing, that is what bother me. I wouldn't forgive him in life." I assured, "Ok, let's do something, one day I'll ask a colleague to replace me so I can spend time with my family."

"I don't trust you, better why don't you go this weekend, after the exhibition?" I asked, focusing my gaze on him. "That would be nice, but I remind you that you have to take care of Ana."

"I should feel offended or something you're calling me a bad mother, but I'm more than sure little Lucas would like to have a new friend." I replied with a smile taking over my face. "I don't doubt that."

"Well, that's it, so I won't be a bad mother and you can spend time with your family." I said with a big smile "Ok, but you know I'm doing it, so you don't get angry, you're unbearable when you're sulking." He responded, laughing, "I know, but it's the only way they'll leave me alone."

"Except Alex, from what I understand he doesn't leave you alone." He replied, "No, and I get grumpier because of it." I assured, "I suppose, you don't like to be contradicted much." He responded, nodding, "I don't care about that, I just don't want to be a bitch, I can be when I'm angry or sulking. But leaving that aside, do you want to come in?"

"There's no need." He said, "Come on Santi, there's trust." I responded, "Ok, so I can make sure you tell your parents you have an exhibition this Friday." He answered seriously, "It seems that it excites you more than it does me."

"You draw well, it's something you should teach everyone; besides, my wife sometimes forces me to go to art exhibitions, and I can assure you I like your paintings better than the ones we went to see." He assured and I looked at him for a few seconds. "Does your wife like to go to exhibitions?" I asked curiously. "Yes, he likes to stare at pictures."

"Well then, bring her on Friday." I said, "I don't want to bother." He responded and I denied, "It's not bothering, you can bring little Lucas along." I replied, "I'll think about it." He said, "You will bring them because your wife will force you, you'll see."

"You don't even know where I live." He replied, rolling his eyes. "We drove past your house once." I informed him "Why do you say that? I haven't told you anything." He replied, "I know, but from the way you kept looking at it and the smile you had when you saw a boy and a woman in the garden, I can't be fooled easily." I said, laughing once I saw the face he had.

"You would be a great researcher, sometimes I'm impressed with your intelligence." He said, denying, "It's not too much, believe me, it's just paying attention to people a little." I assured, because that's the way to discover a lot of things about a person. "But you don't know the address."

"No, but I know where it is, it doesn't cost me anything to go over, ring and give it there or it in the mailbox, your wife arrives before work than you, you won't have time to take it out of the mailbox." I said, knowing I'm right. "Ok, you win, we'll go."

"You see? It wasn't that complicated, but let's get into it, Marcos must be up." He took the cup of coffee where the coffee is a couple of minutes ago and we entered the house. When I told them about the exhibition, they were all downstairs and they were excited, especially my parents who ended up calling my grandparents and because of what they said they were going to call my uncles and cousins so they would know. When it was time to leave for college, I said goodbye to Ana, kissing her on the forehead and telling her we would see each other at noon, and we left for college.