Chapter 90

GABRIELA

 Every second that passed during the ceremony made me more nervous and I have no idea why. The students had started to go up and soon it would be my turn and I'm not sure I could last so calmly, because I couldn't do it without him now with Alex by my side.

When my name was called, Alex gave me a kiss and I got up. Once I took my rightful place on the improvised stage, I looked in the direction of my smiling family, and as soon as I looked at Kevin, I could read on his lips he called me a sexual predator in Dutch, which made me smile, but as soon as I looked in Alex's direction, my smile widened.

As more students passed by, I didn't take my eyes off Alex, until it was his turn to go up, which I think is the first time I've applauded so much in my life. After that it seemed to me that the ceremony took too long to finish, we all went down to our seats, because apparently the director had not finished giving her speech.

"Well, before giving way to the last speech of one of the students, I must say I'm proud of all of you and everything continues as well as it has gone for you at college. Now Alex, you can come up and give your speech." At that moment, I turned in the direction of Alex who had gotten up from his seat to go to the stage, but first he extended a hand to me. I'm not understanding anything, my nerves had been triggered more than they already were of by themselves.

"Can you come with me beautiful?" I didn't say anything, I just noticed Carlota's elbow stuck in my side and when I looked at her, she told me with her look to go with him, which I ended up doing.

As soon as we got on stage, Alex walked up to the microphone and I'm still holding on to his hand. I noticed everyone's gaze on us and that made me even more nervous, especially noticing grandma, Alex's grandmother, my mother and Carlota were holding back tears.

"Well, first of all, thank the director for allowing me to enter college this year. I know it's not easy to admit someone at that point, but I can't say I'm sorry you admitted me harshly. Thanks to you, I fixed my life by being with the girl I love most in the world. On the other hand, I must also thank Gabriela's family, Carlos, Marcos and Carlota for having forgiven me for everything I did to Gabriela, I cannot find the words to thank you for this new opportunity you're giving me. I know more than anything it's because you want to see her happy, and apparently that happiness is with me, I can only promise you I will do everything in my power to make her happy. She's the most important thing in my life and I won't allow anything to happen to her. And lastly and most importantly, Gabriela." At that moment he turns in my direction and looks at me with a big smile on his face, and I don't know why, I became more nervous, which he must have noticed because he intertwined our fingers and began to caress the back of my hand with his thumb.

"I know you must think I'm crazy and all, and it I am, but I'm crazy about you. All I want is to make you happy and spend the rest of our lives together and loving each other like I do at least. I want to tell you I love you, more than anything in the world. I don't know what I did to deserve you and above all to get you to forgive me for everything I did to you, but I'm happy about it. I've been thinking about it for a while trying to figure out what you would answer, but I can't think of it. Maybe it's a bit early to ask you, and we've only been together for a short time, but I can't imagine life without you, I love you and no one can stop me from doing it and much less can they take this love I feel for you from within my heart." He said leaving me more confused than I already was before. "What are you talking about?"

At that moment he kneels in front of me and starts searching for something in his pocket and it is at that moment I realize what's happening. I notice how tears begin to run down my face and when he finds the little box he was looking for, he opens it and looks me directly in the eyes.

"Beautiful, will you marry me?" If before I didn't understand anything, now much less. I would marry him? For a couple of months now, the idea had crossed my mind from time to time since we talked that day about the possibility of marry, and I realized I would like that to happen despite thinking what I'm thinking about getting married, but I expected it in a few years and not now to be honest. I thought for a couple of seconds, but I think I wasted my time, because I'm more than sure of my answer.

"Of course!!!!" I exclaimed. It is at that moment when he gets up from the ground, puts his arms around my hips and places his lips on mine. It didn't take long for me to follow the kiss. I love this man, I really do, and right now I'm the happiest person in the world.

Applause could be heard in the background, but as if it were too far away, until it became more evident at the moment when we had to separate for air. "I hope those tears are of joy, beautiful." He mumbled with a small smile on his face. "Of course, stupid." I replied "I love you my queen. You just made me the happiest man in the world."

"Deep down you knew I would accept anything you told me, and this wasn't going to be the exception, I love you more than anything Alex and I want to spend my life with you, I can't think of a better person to be honest." I admitted, "I should say that, beautiful." At that moment he took me in his arms and began to spin around with me until he put me on the ground again and we kissed, until we had to separate because Ana is coming towards us.

"Mommy!!!!" Ana exclaimed, appearing next to me, "Hello beautiful." I said with a big smile on my face "So you're marrying Alex?" The little girl asked and I nodded "Yes princess, wasn't that what you wanted?" I questioned and she nodded, but I noticed how she looked a little sad and a tear appeared in her beautiful eyes, so I bent down and wiped away the tear. "What's wrong princess?"

"I don't want him to be my dad. I don't want to forget dad." She admitted and Alex squatted down in front of her "Hey, hey. You don't have to forget your father. He will always be your father and I, even if I marry Gabriela, doesn't mean I'll become your father, that will only happen if you want, no one is going to force you. I'll be the same Alex as always, okay?"

"Really?" The little girl asked, looking at Alex. "Really, I will be your friend like I have been until now." With that she hugged me and I ended up picking her up. I could see how everyone in my family came up to us and began to congratulate us, as did some of our class, until my grandparents said it's time to leave, that we would all eat at their house, including Marcos and Carlota, and it's normal for us to go to my grandparents' house to eat, whenever my cousins and uncles came to visit us from Holland, we would come to their house and stay for lunch or all day, that depended on how busy we were.

When we arrived at my grandparents' house we got off and went to the garden and sat at the table. Alex had put his arm around my shoulders, causing me to move closer to him and place my head on his shoulder. "Ik kom nu Sam is gearriveerd. (I'm going to get Sam.)"

"Wie is Sam? (Who's Sam?)" I asked curiously "Een vriend uit Holland, nu presenteer ik het je. (A friend from Holland, now I present him to you.)" With that, Kevin left the garden and left, but it didn't take him long to return with a boy at his side. "Ze zijn mijn familie, en je zou Engels moeten spreken, zodat ze weten waar je het over hebt. (Well, they are my family, and you should speak English so they know what you are talking about.)"

"Hi, I'm Sam, nice to meet you. Kevin talks a lot about you, especially about his cousin Gabriela." The boy said with a big smile on his face. "So, you're talking about me, huh?" I asked with a big smile on his face "Is dat je neef Gabriela? Ze is zo heet dat ik haar hier zou neuken. (Is that your cousin Gabriela? She is hot, so hot I would fuck her right here)"

"Het spijt me, ik ga trouwen met deze buurjongen. (Well, I'm sorry, I'm going to marry this man by my side.)" The boy looked at me without understanding anything, I guess he didn't know I spoke Dutch, which not many people did. "Sorry, ik wilde je niet beledigen, maar kom je van hier? Je spreekt de taal heel goed. (Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, but are you from here? You speak well)"

"Bedankt, en ja, ik kom van hier en je zult mij niet beledigen, dus maak je daar geen zorgen over. (Thanks, and yes, I'm from here and you won't offend me, so don't worry about that.)" aseguré "Well, it doesn't show much." adimitió "Gabriela, in het Engels, zodat je vriend het tenminste begrijpt.. (Gabriela, in English, so at least your boyfriend understands)"

"Hij is mijn verloofde Kevin. (He's my fiancé Kevin.)" I said "Dus je stemde er uiteindelijk mee in om met de man te trouwen? Van wat Kevin me vertelde, wilde je niet trouwen, geloofde je niet in het huwelijk, ik dacht dat je het niet zo gemakkelijk zou accepteren. (So, you finally agreed to marry the man? From what Kevin told me, you didn't want to get married, you didn't believe in marriage, I thought you wouldn't accept it so easily.)"

"Dat hebben jullie mij allemaal niet verteld. Je wist het en je hebt het mij niet verteld. (You all didn't tell me that. You knew and you didn't tell me)" I protest, understanding the reason everyone was so nervous "Alex vroeg om met ons te praten, hij wilde dat we aanwezig waren bij je diploma-uitreiking, omdat hij je ten huwelijk ging vragen, en dat moest ik in de eerste persoon zien. (Alex asked to talk to us, he wanted us to show up at your graduation because he was going to ask you to marry him, and I had to see that in the first person.)"

"Vergis je niet Kevin, dat wilden we allemaal zien. Gabriela, de nicht die nooit zou trouwen, met een jongen die haar ten huwelijk zou vragen. Dat moesten we allemaal zien, maar we verwachtten dat de jongen met een gebroken hart niet zou trouwen. (Make no mistake Kevin, we all wanted to see that. Gabriela, the cousin who would never marry, with a boy who would ask her to marry him. We all had to see that, but we expected the broken-hearted boy not to get married)" my cousin admits "Je bent zo slecht, maar sinds wanneer wist je dat? (You're so bad, but since when you knew?)"

"Een week of zo geleden. (A week or so ago.)" It was at that moment I turned to look at Alex, because I know he had been weird for a while, and now it could be that's the reason why he was weird, all of that would explain his manner to act sometimes in the last month, apart from what happened to me because of Ana. "Alex, sinds want heb je het plan om met me te trouwen? (Alex, since when did you have the plan to marry me?)" I asked "What?" He questioned confused, "How long have you had the idea of asking me to marry you in your head?"

"For a couple of months, before Ana happened." my best friend admitted, "And you knew it from the beginning and you didn't tell me anything, Carlota?" I asked, focusing my gaze on her. "I know because she asked me for help, that's why I know." She replied, "You all knew it and you didn't tell me anything. I was imagining things this morning, right?"

"My queen, I asked them not to tell you anything, don't be angry with them." my fiancé asked, "I won't be angry with them or with anyone." I assured, "Oh, no?" Alex asked, a little confused. "Of course not, after all, you made my day and the rest of my life." I answered with a big smile on my face. "Sometimes I can't understand why you were so sure you wouldn't get married; I'm really telling you."

"Because if it was another guy, I wouldn't have gotten married at all, but he's Alex, so…" I left it hanging in the air "I'm a lucky guy then." He answered with a big smile on his face "You can be more than clear about that." his grandmother responded, "No, I am the lucky one Carolina, he loves me like no one else has loved me in my life." Everyone laughed and it was at that moment I realized that Ana was asleep, so I decided it's better to take her to a room in the house so she could sleep better.