HERNAN AND GABRIELA BOOK 1

CHAPTER 45

Gina fiddles a bit then says she is pregnant. Antonio is shocked into silence. Like a tap that is switched on and water starts flowing out, Gina starts talking. She says that she knows that this is a difficult time, given that Isabella is also pregnant and won't listen to reason and agree to amicably co-parent. She adds that she knows that he is stressed because of it, but she cannot change her being pregnant. Gina adds that despite everything, she is keeping the baby.

Despite everything, Antonio smiles. Gina glares at him, and asks him, what he finds so funny. He admits he is shocked, and yes the pregnancy happened sooner than he expected but, he is happy anyway. Gina looks at him like she wants to believe him but is holding back. She starts to tell him that he should not say things he doesn't mean when Antonio leans in and kisses her. Despite what a difficult few weeks it has been she kisses him back.

Elsewhere, Isabella is at her house. She plays back the conversation with Antonio in her mind, and, then says that he will marry her whether he likes it or not.

A little later, Antonio and Gina have joined the rest of their family and friends, at Clara and Ramon's house. Clara, ever the hawk-eyed grandmother, asks Adrianna and Gina, why, they look so, different. Adrianna looks at Hector then looks away. Clara eyes Gina suspiciously, and then asks her, how she was feeling after waking up feeling unwell. Gina smiles and says she is fine. Anna Patricia tells her mother to stop interrogating Adrianna and Gina.

Clara waves her away, and says that interrogating is such a harsh word; she says she is simply questioning them because she is worried about them and she loves them. Antonio nods towards Gina for reassurance. Antonio had not planned on telling anyone, but he had underestimated Clara's inquisitive nature. Gina takes a deep breath and says she is pregnant. Everyone, (except for Emma and Martin, who knew) is a little shocked. Clara regains her composure and looks at Adrianna. She asks her if she is pregnant as well. Adrianna says she is. Luisa goes to Gina, and Anna Patricia goes to Adrianna.

Meanwhile, John is at the hospital. He is in the garden, like other patients. He is sitting on a bench, lost deep in his thoughts. His recovery is remarkable, but he has still made no progress in remembering who he was.

Back in the doctor's office... Dr. Alves replays back, the conversation he had with Anna Patricia and Hector in his mind. He tells them that the fact that John still remembers them, feels sad that Gina is sick, and is considerate of Hector's feelings is very good, and shows that, he has almost gained full recovery of his mental and emotional capabilities. He also adds that as he can remember them, he is regaining his sanity and he can feel human emotions.

Hector asked him, why so far John has made no progress, in remembering who he is and anything about his family and friends. Dr. Alves says there could be any number of reasons, from his mind subconsciously blocking out a traumatic event, to the effects of the severe accident he had years ago. Dr. Alves says that they want to give him a progressive step-by-step treatment, to avoid overwhelming him. He continues and says that they want to have him recover his memory as much as possible so that his mind can withstand the treatment and remember who he is and reduces the risk of him regressing.

Anna Patricia, Luisa, Clara, Emma, and Aranza are with Gina and Adrianna, in Armando and Luisa's home. Adrianna says she is scared of the difficult times she knows lie ahead, because she knows Marianna won't make things, easier for anyone, and she is sure her aunt will be just as hostile. Clara says she knows that she(Adrianna), is a strong woman, and the love she has with Hector is pure and strong enough to withstand whatever challenges Marianna and her aunt throw at them.

Clara turns to Gina. She smiles and calls her my stubborn butterfly. Clara says that things ahead are difficult, but she and Antonio also have a pure and true love that can and will withstand the challenges brought by Isabella and Antonio's grandmother. Gina says that she knows that, but it is still difficult. Luisa hugs her.

Later, that night, Aranza and Aurelio are walking in the park. He notices she is quiet and asks her about it. Aranza says she is still thinking, about the news that both Gina and Adrianna are pregnant. She says she cannot wait to see her mother's reaction since she knows, she doesn't like Hector. Aranza says she knows Claudia, won't be happy, about Gina's pregnancy because, she doesn't like her or approve of her relationship with Antonio. Aurelio agrees with her. He says things are only going to get more difficult in the future.

He adds that the love Hector and Adrianna and Antonio and Gina have for each other is strong enough to handle anything. Aranza says that Gina is good for Antonio, because, she brings out the best side of him, and makes him a better person. She adds that Hector as well brings out the best, in Adrianna, and he has made her come out of her shell. Aranza goes on and says that her mother and Alejandro broke her before Hector helped her grow again. Aranza adds that she doesn't want them to lose any of it. Aurelio hugs her and says that things will always work themselves out and he will be with her through it all. He then turns and kisses her, and she kisses him back.

Later, that night, Antonio and Gina are back, at his house. He had gone to the room but comes and finds her with one hand placed on her head and she is looking down. He goes to her, and, asks her if she is fine. She says she is and starts to wake up. She says that she wants to be alone, to think. Antonio holds up her chin and looks at her. Gina pulls away from him and says that given everything that has happened she just needs to relax, and have a bit of peace. Antonio holds her hands and says he understands that, but there are things to start thinking about, like when they will tell his family about her pregnancy. At the mention of that, Gina recoils. He asks her if there is anything, she isn't telling him. She hesitates, and he knows that there is something that she is not telling him.

He says that he intends to be with her throughout this process, and help her, at every step of the way, but he cannot do that without, her cooperation. Gina hesitates again and then says that she overheard him talk to his grandmother, the other day, and she knows his grandmother does not approve of their relationship and doesn't like her. Antonio is a little surprised, she knows. He asks her, why she didn't show herself or tell him.

Gina shrugs and says that it would have made no difference, because, his grandmother would still hate her. He says that he loves her and that he is in a relationship with her, and his grandmother's opinion does not matter. Antonio adds that his grandmother has always meddled in his life, which irritates him but as an only grandchild, he has somewhat gotten used to it because she hasn't stopped despite him telling her to leave him alone.

Meanwhile, Isabella looks at a series of pictures on her phone. They show Antonio and Gina going into a hospital. She asks herself what they were doing. She then scrolls through her pictures and sees an old picture of Antonio and her from campus, when they were still together. She moves her hands over it and says that she and Antonio will go back to that and calls him my love.