HERNAN AND GABRIELA BOOK 1

CHAPTER 39

Isabella says that that's not a problem, because, they will simply use the children, as pawns to frustrate the relationships, and they will get other cards to play. Even Marianna is shocked. How can Isabella refer to her child as a card? Marianna says (to herself), that Isabella's comments went too far, especially since they are talking about a child.

Meanwhile, at the hospital: a doctor is administering tests on Aurelio. He is awake and asks how he is. The doctor tells him, that he is not too bad, but that he needs several days of bed rest.

Meanwhile, at the university, Aranza is under a tree, browsing on her phone. She feels that someone has come and is standing near her, so she looks up. It's the last person; she wants to see- Mauricio Basanez. She ignores him and continues, using her phone. He greets her and asks her, where her charming boyfriend is, and why she is alone. Aranza feels she has had it and tells Mauricio to leave her alone. She says that they are not friends and that she can't stand him. She adds that he should not greet her and that he should pretend that she (Aranza) does not exist. It happens in a flash of an instant, and Aranza is caught, off guard. Mauricio kisses her. Aranza immediately pulls away and tells him to go to hell. She stomps, off and Mauricio smiles. He will get her and Aurelio won't be able to do anything about it.

At the end of the working day, Gina is with Emma, in the garden. Antonio comes and says that he wants to talk to her. Emma greets Antonio and then tells Gina, that they will talk later. After Emma leaves, Antonio asks Gina if she is going to the hospital that day. She says that she talked with Luisa and Anna Patricia, and they agreed that she goes to visit John while everyone else represents her at the hospital with Aurelio. Antonio is not happy with the idea, because he is uncomfortable with Gina's attachment to John, but he is unwilling to rock the boat, because of the mess with Isabella. Antonio asks her if they can talk after she visits John, and Gina agrees.

Shortly after, Adrianna calls Hector and asks him if he is going to visit Aurelio. He says he is. He tells her that Gina will visit John, and everyone else will visit Aurelio. He asks her if she is coming. Adrianna pauses then says she is. Hector asks her if they can talk after the hospital visit. Adrianna agrees.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Luisa, Armando, Anna Patricia, Clara, and Ramon are already there. Aranza, Hector, Antonio, and Adrianna arrive. Adrianna asks her cousin if she is okay. Aranza says she is but Adrianna notices her hesitance.

Back at the mental hospital, John is glad to see, Gina. Her spirit is lifted with John's warmth. She needs it, from Aurelio's accident to Isabella's pregnancy announcement, to the guilt of her and her brother's secret, she feels down and overwhelmed. John asks her, how her cousin is. Gina says he is still in some pain, but he is doing well and will leave in a couple of days. She sits near him. He notices her sadness and asks her why she is sad.

Gina says that sometimes life takes a cruel and unfair twist, and things don't seem to be going someone's way. John says that he knows she is a strong woman and can get through whatever is making her sad. Gina can't believe it. She feels so comfortable, loved, and protected around him and his resemblance to her father is uncanny. John says that if he had a daughter he would want his daughter to be like her.

Back at the hospital, Armando has managed to pry Luisa away from the hospital wards, to go to the cafeteria for some food. Luisa tells Hector, that if the doctor says anything, he should call immediately. He promises to call. Clara and Ramon go with them. When they leave, Antonio turns to Aranza and asks her if she is okay. Again she says she is. Adrianna says that she does not sound and look okay. Aranza says it's not a big deal and says that they all have their own problems that they are dealing with and that she does not want to burden them.

Adrianna says that no matter what is happening in each of their lives, they will always have time for her because they love her. Aranza tells them that Mauricio ambushed her in school, and when she was telling him off so that he leaves her alone, he kissed her against her will. Antonio's hands clench. Aranza says that she doesn't know what to do because her mother is more interested in keeping the Basanez' business relationship than in her protection and safety. She adds that she has already made it clear that she wants nothing to do with him but he doesn't seem to get the message. Antonio tells her to relax because he and Hector are going to do something about it.

Meanwhile, back at the mental institution, John asks Gina if he can hug her, and she agrees. She places her head on his shoulder, and he places an arm on her shoulder. Gina remembers when she was a child, and when one day she and Hector were playing, he broke her favorite doll, and she went to her father crying, he hugged her and said he would buy her a new one.

Later at the end of the day, Adrianna and Hector go to talk in the park, which is near where Hector, Gina, and Aurelio live. He says that they have to talk about Marianna's pregnancy as unfortunate as it is. He says the child is innocent, and he (Hector) will step up and do the right thing. Adrianna asks him if he would consider marrying Marianna. Hector assures her that is out of the question.

Meanwhile, Antonio and Gina are also talking. She asks him if he has already reached a deal of some sort with Isabella over the baby. He says that they have not. He adds that between Aurelio's accident and Aranza's problem with Mauricio, he hasn't talked to her. Gina says that he will eventually have to sit down with Isabella and agree on something for the sake of the child. He says he will, as hard as that will be because Isabella is trying to be difficult on purpose and does not intend to make it easy for him.

Gina says that she will have to talk with Clara, Luisa, and Anna Patricia, because, she needs the words of advice of wiser older women. Antonio says that he has no problem with it. He holds her hand and says that he will work, to get an acceptable solution because he loves her. Antonio then kisses her and she kisses him back.

Back with Adrianna and Hector, she asks him if he has talked with Marianna about reaching a deal with her, about the baby. He says they haven't talked given everything else that has happened. Adrianna says that she wants him to talk to Marianna because this limbo situation is uncomfortable and won't be good for the baby once he is born. Hector assures her that he will. He adds that he loves her and that they will overcome this. He then kisses her and she kisses him back.