SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS
Chapter 62—Under Pressure

A/N: I'm back! No need to go into a lengthy explanation, but let's just say that the past several months, in particular, have been very challenging. I hope this chapter is worth the long wait. Thanks for your patience and support.

Gabriella tensed awake, reaching around to knead at the knot of pain in the center of her lower back.

"Troy…?"

Even as she said his name, she realized that he wasn't beside her in bed. He'd gone to Albuquerque. She squeezed her eyes shut when she remembered why. Grandma Bolton was gravely ill. Emotions from the previous night washed over her once again, and she rubbed her eyes, realizing that they were grainy and swollen from the tears she'd shed. She longed for Troy's comforting embrace, and wished that she could be with him to offer comfort in return. Leaning forward, she picked up her phone from the nightstand, hoping that Troy had sent her an update. But there was nothing. No news is good news, she told herself. Grandma Bolton's heart attack had come as a terrible shock, especially when Gabriella was already dealing with Abuelita Estella's terminal illness. It would be awfully unfair to lose either of those precious women only weeks before the birth of their great-grandchild.

The baby stirred inside her, and Gabriella rubbed her stomach.

"Good morning, chiquitín," she responded softly.

She felt the baby stretch its limbs, and laughed when a bulge—perhaps a foot or elbow—rose up near the top of her belly.

"Not so hard, kiddo," she scolded lightly. "Just because your daddy's not here to lay down the law…"

Gabriella sobered. During the latter half of her pregnancy, she and Troy had spent many mornings lying in bed, enjoying the feel and sight of their child's movements. Troy often talked to the baby, responding to its kicks and jabs, as he rubbed and smoothed his wife's taut skin.

The baby withdrew its protruding limb and stilled.

"I know," Gabriella sighed. "I miss him too."

It had been nearly a week since Troy had left for his medical conference in Los Angeles. He'd gone straight from L.A. to Albuquerque the previous day, when he'd gotten the news about Grandma Bolton. Gabriella longed for him to come home, but, at the same time, dreaded the conversation they still needed to finish… about the photos. Those damn photos that Sharpay had sent to her. Gabriella believed Troy's assertion that nothing had happened between him and that reporter. She really did. But it hurt to see him in those pictures, directing his charm towards another woman. His sweet smiles, hearty laughs, and knowing glances were supposed to be reserved for her. Troy had been raised with good manners, and Gabriella had heard from many female friends and colleagues how sweet and charming he had been with them. Knowing that was one thing, but seeing it, having it shoved in her face, was another.

Blowing out a sigh of frustration, Gabriella threw back the covers and got up. She firmly pushed aside the dark thoughts and replaced them with determination. It was time to face the day.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Troy sighed as he flopped down into a chair in the waiting area outside the hospital's cardiac unit. Grandma Bolton hadn't regained consciousness following surgery, and Troy had excused himself to get a snack and stretch his legs. Jack Bolton had not left his mother's side since he'd arrived in Albuquerque, but Troy had been pacing the halls. He knew that coming here had been the right thing to do, but he ached to be back in San Francisco with Gabriella, helping her through the final weeks of her pregnancy. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked again for a message from her, but there was nothing there. She'd promised to call after her appointment with Dr. Grant that afternoon, and he was anxious to hear what the doctor had said about Gabriella's back pain. If there was any cause for concern, he'd be on the next plane home.

"Troy? Troy Bolton?"

Troy looked up and was shocked to see Vance Evans standing in front of him, decked out in an obviously-expensive business suit. He stood to shake the older man's hand.

"Mr. Evans! It's nice to see you again." Although certain members of the Evans family rubbed Troy the wrong way, Mr. Evans had always been nice to him. He'd paved the way for Troy to attend U of A, which Troy was grateful for, even though he had ultimately chosen Berkeley instead.

"What are you doing here? I thought you lived in California."

"I do, but my grandmother had a heart attack last night," Troy explained solemnly. "She had surgery overnight, and she's still unconscious. It's touch-and-go at this point."

Vance frowned. "Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. Are you here to visit someone?"

"No. My wife and I helped fund an addition to the radiology department, and the board of directors asked us to come and participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony."

"That's great." Troy glanced around the waiting area, looking for Mrs. Evans.

"My wife is visiting the kids in New York, so I asked my daughter to be my date for the evening. She stopped to powder her nose, but she'll be along in a minute. I'm sure she'd love to see you."

Troy's jaw tightened. "I'm sorry, but I need to get back to my grandma."

"Oh, come on," Vance insisted. "It'll only take a minute to say hello. How long has it been since you've seen Sharpay? The reunion last year?"

"Actually, I saw her this weekend in L.A., and I'm not interested in seeing her again," Troy ground out. "No offense, Sir, but you have no idea…"

"Troy!"

At the sound of the shrill voice, Troy braced himself and turned slowly. Sharpay was approaching, her sparkly dress nearly blinding him under the hospital lights. When she reached the two men, she smiled innocently at her father before focusing her attention on Troy.

"What on earth are you doing here in Albuquerque?" She touched his arm, feigning concern. "Oh no, did something happen between you and Gabriella?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Troy jerked his arm out of her grasp. "You certainly did your best to make that happen. This is a new low, Sharpay, even for you."

"Princess, what's Troy talking about?" Vance asked. "What's going on?"

Sharpay made her best puppy-dog face for her father. "Just a simple misunderstanding, Daddy. Why don't you go on to the ribbon-cutting? I'll be along in a few minutes."

Vance looked uncertainly between the two and then nodded.

"I hope everything works out with your grandmother," he told Troy.

"Thank you," Troy answered.

The older man walked away, and Troy made sure he was out of earshot before turning back to Sharpay.

"A simple misunderstanding? You've got to be kidding me! What you did to Gabriella was cruel and heartless, especially so late in her pregnancy."

She planted a hand on her hip. "The pictures speak for themselves, Troy. I saw you with that woman, and I thought Gabriella should see it too. If you didn't want her to know about it, why did you do it in the first place?"

"It was a business dinner," Troy hissed. "That's all. You blew it way out of proportion. I don't care what kind of poison you throw at me, but when you hurt my wife, you've crossed the line."

"I take it she wasn't too happy about the pictures, then." Sharpay's smile of satisfaction unraveled the last shred of control Troy had been holding onto.

"Listen to me, and listen closely," he said through gritted teeth. "Gabriella is a far better person than you can ever hope to be. She doesn't deserve to be treated this way, and I will move heaven and earth to protect her."

Sharpay's mouth formed into a shocked "o", but Troy held out his finger to silence her before she could speak.

"Stay away from my wife, Sharpay. Don't talk to her, don't contact her, don't even think about her. If you do, I will slap a restraining order on you so fast that it'll wipe that bitchy grin right off your face. I don't think that being labeled a stalker would benefit your already-pathetic Hollywood career." He leaned forward, glaring directly into her eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"

She met his gaze defiantly for a few moments, and then dropped her head.

"Yes. She's not worth my time anyway."

"Gabriella is worth far more than you could ever imagine," Troy countered. "You could learn a lot from her about decency and respect and kindness. If you can't see that, then I pity you. When I'm done here, I'll going back home to raise a family with the woman I love. What do you have to go back to? A big, empty house and a scrawny old dog?" He ran his hand through his hair and released a breath. "For the last time… Goodbye, Sharpay."

Feeling much lighter, Troy turned on his heel and turned back toward his grandmother's room. This time, he was sure, Sharpay Evans was out of their lives for good.

...~«ώ»~...

By the time Gabriella called an hour later, Troy's nerves were stretched to their limits. He answered his phone on the first ring.

"Hey! Are you okay? What took so long?"

"Hello to you, too," she answered wearily. "How's your grandma?"

"I'll tell you after you tell me about your visit with Dr. Grant."

"Fine, then. It took so long because she did a very thorough ultrasound to make sure that everything's okay. I started having contractions this afternoon…"

Troy sucked in a breath. "You WHAT?! Why didn't you call me? I'll fly home tonight…"

"Troy, stop," she interrupted. "They were Braxton Hicks contractions. False labor. I called the doctor's office when they started, and they told me to time them. They were inconsistent and far enough apart that they said it wasn't labor. Dr. Grant said Braxton Hicks contractions are perfectly normal in the weeks leading up to delivery."

"You should've called me," he insisted, running a hand through his hair. "Are you still having them?"

"Once in awhile," she confessed. "I called the doctor because I thought it was more important, in that moment, to figure out what was happening. By the time we determined that it wasn't labor, there was no reason to worry you. I knew you were already worried enough about my back pain."

"Yeah… What did you find out about that?"

Gabriella laughed softly. "The baby has apparently decided, for the time being, to use my spine as a pillow. It's pressing against my sciatic nerves."

Troy winced. As an orthopedist, he knew how painful sciatica could be. "Did she put you on bed rest?"

"No. She gave me some exercises to try, and told me to keep walking and doing prenatal yoga, if it's not too painful. There's not much they can do about it until the baby decides to change positions."

"I'm sorry, honey. I wish I was there to help make you more comfortable."

"You are where you need to be right now," she told him. "How's your grandma?"

He sighed. "She's still unconscious. The doctors won't be able to tell for sure whether the lack of oxygen caused brain damage until she wakes up. The brain scan detected activity, but the longer she goes without waking up, the greater the chance that there is irreparable damage. All we can do is wait."

"I'm so sorry, Troy. I hate not being there to support you. I know how hard this must be for you."

He shook his head. "Gabriella, your number one priority is taking care of yourself and the baby. Don't worry about me. I'm okay."

"I'll stop worrying about you when you stop worrying about me."

"Never going to happen," he answered.

"Then we're even." She blew out a shaky breath. "I miss you, Troy."

"I miss you too, baby. I promise to come home just as soon as I can."

"I know. Let me know if anything changes with Grandma."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

Troy thought he heard her sniff as the call disconnected, but found that he couldn't speak through the large lump that had formed in his throat.

...~«ώ»~...

The next afternoon, Gabriella leaned back in her chair and stared out her office window. The sidewalks below bustled with activity as students met up with their friends, rode bikes and skateboards, and walked briskly to class. The chaotic scene matched the jumble of thoughts in her head, thoughts that made grading the lab reports on her desk nearly impossible. Dr. Heller's frequent presence and suspicious behavior was driving Gabriella crazy. She would be going on maternity leave in a matter of weeks, and she wanted… no, needed to know that she would have a job waiting for her in the fall. She knew she could always find work as an attorney, but with long hours and stressful cases, that was far from an ideal job for a new mother. No, teaching law was her true passion. But what if there was no job to return to?

There was a knock on her office door, and a moment later, her colleague, Dr. Masako Wu, opened it and came in. Gabriella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Dr. Wu was team-teaching with Gabriella until she went on maternity leave, and then covering her classes the rest of the semester while she was on leave. Gabriella knew she should be grateful to leave her classes in such capable hands, but many things about the other woman rubbed her the wrong way. She was outspoken and pushy, and had a habit of interrupting Gabriella in front of their classes. And even though she and Gabriella were nearly the same age, she was immature and insecure, though she hid her insecurity behind her boldness. It was apparent in the way she patronized Dr. Heller.

"Class is in ten minutes," Dr. Wu announced. "Are you coming or not?"

Gabriella glanced at the clock. "I'm coming. I was just trying to stay off my feet for as long as possible."

Dr. Wu tilted her head thoughtfully. "Does it ever embarrass you to be so… pregnant… in front of your students?"

Gabriella frowned. "No… Why should my pregnancy embarrass me?"

"I feel like, when you're pregnant, it's kind of like walking around with a giant sign that says, 'I had unprotected sex'," Dr. Wu continued. "That would embarrass me."

Gabriella laid her hand on her belly. "My husband and I tried for almost eight months to conceive this baby. It is not a result of carelessness—it's a result of hopes and dreams and plans, and most of all, love. Troy and I are thrilled to become parents, and I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks." Her lips twisted thoughtfully. "When you get married and have kids, you'll understand."

"Right now, I'm married to my job. I believe in excelling in one area at a time."

"It doesn't have to be an either/or situation," Gabriella answered. "Plenty of lawyers and professors are happily married with children."

Dr. Wu crossed her arms. "Have you heard the phrase, 'Jack of all trades, master of none'?" Gabriella nodded. "You told me that you didn't pursue your Ph.D. after you earned your Master's because you were getting married and your husband was still in medical school. Now you're having a baby, so the Ph.D. plans are on hold again. You can have it all, I guess, but at what cost? You'll never be the best of the best. That's why I prefer to reach my professional goals first before I think about settling down."

"Well, I think you're missing out," Gabriella told her. "But to each her own."

"I suppose." Dr. Wu shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. "So does that mean that you're going to stay home with your baby? I know how it works—if you tell them now that you're not coming back, you won't get your full maternity leave compensation. You have to keep your plans quiet, at least until summer. But it would be nice for me to know what you're going to do, so that I can make my own plans. Of course, when Dr. Heller hired me, she intimated that there was potential for a permanent position here."

"That's between you and Dr. Heller, but I am not quitting my job," Gabriella replied as calmly as she could manage. "I love teaching, and I have every intention of returning in the fall."

"Very well," Dr. Wu returned. "Then I'm sure you don't mind a bit of friendly competition in the classroom. I've invited Dr. Heller to observe our class this afternoon. It's important for her to know that she has options."

With that, Dr. Wu turned and left, closing the door behind her. Gabriella sighed. Her back ached, and she'd hoped to take it easy during class. Thanks to Dr. Wu's pushiness, though, Gabriella would have to be at the top of her game. She reluctantly shoved her feet back into her dress shoes, grabbed her briefcase, and headed to the lecture hall.

...~«ώ»~...

That evening, Gabriella stood near baggage claim at the airport, desperately wishing she'd worn more comfortable shoes to work that morning. Troy had called earlier to report the good news that Grandma Bolton was awake and alert, with no apparent permanent damage. It was a great relief to know that Grandma would recover, and it also meant that Troy was finally coming home.

According to the flight board, Troy's plane had been on the ground for more than ten minutes, so Gabriella watched the escalator eagerly. When Troy came into view above and waved, she covered her mouth with her hands and rushed toward the bottom of the escalator. As soon as he stepped onto the ground floor, he dropped his bag and swept her into his arms.

"Baby," he murmured into her hair. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." A wave of emotion swept over her, and she found herself crying against Troy's chest.

Fortunately, he seemed to understand, and carefully moved them out of the flow of traffic before tightening his arms around her again.

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said softly. "I'm here now. I'm home."

She nodded, unable to speak, and clung to him. He rocked her gently and waited, letting her lean on him for support. After a minute or two, she loosened her grip and stepped back to wipe her eyes. Troy looked down at her, his brows knitted with concern, and she forced a smile.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed. "I don't know where that came from."

"Don't be sorry," he smiled, reaching up to brush a tear from her cheek. "It's been a rough few days."

"Yeah, it has."

He palmed her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. She raked her fingernails against the stubble on his jaw and breathed in the familiar scent of him. When he pulled back, he held her shoulders and studied her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she confessed.

Troy nodded. "You look exhausted."

"I haven't been sleeping very well."

"Is your back still bothering you?"

"Yes."

"Have you had any contractions today?"

"Only a couple this morning."

"Good. Oh, and Mom and Dad said to tell you that they're thinking about you."

"That's sweet," she replied. "How are they holding up?"

"Much better now that Grandma's on the mend." He smiled broadly. "When she woke up, the first thing she said when she saw me was, 'Where's my great-grandchild?' After that, I knew she'd be okay."

"She remembered the baby?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep. That's a good sign."

"I'm glad."

"Me too." Troy lifted his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

"Definitely."

With a nod, he took her hand and led her toward the baggage claim.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy was still holding his wife's hand a short while later as he drove home. Fatigue radiated from her, and he was surprised that motion of the car hadn't lulled her to sleep. Instead, she stared pensively out the passenger window.

"Hey," he murmured, squeezing her hand. She looked over at him. "Why so quiet over there? What are you thinking about?"

She turned back to the window and sighed. "School. My job. Wondering whether I'll still have a job in the fall."

"Why? What happened?"

"Dr. Wu is coming on pretty strong about wanting my job. She doesn't think I can effectively divide my time between work and a new baby."

Troy frowned in the darkness. "I don't see how that's any of her business. The important question is, do you think you can do it?"

"Yes." She turned to face him. "I mean, it'll take some adjustments, but I really think I can do it."

"I think you can too, if that's what you want."

"It is what I want," she insisted. "But if you think I shouldn't…"

"Baby, we've already talked about this. If you want to keep teaching, that's fine. If you want to stay home with the baby, that's fine too. We can get by on my income, so you don't have to work. If you want to work, then I think you should. I'll support whatever decision you make. But you know, we don't have to decide right away. You'll be on maternity leave for the rest of this semester after the baby's born, so you'll have plenty of time to think it over."

"What if it's not my decision to make? It seems like Dr. Heller is always around, watching and waiting for me to make a mistake. Of course, it doesn't help that Dr. Wu keeps inviting her to observe our classes, as if she's trying to prove that she's the better professor."

Troy drove in silence for a minute, and then cleared his throat.

"Sweetie, you're a great teacher. I know you think I'm biased when I say that, and I probably am, but plenty of other people at school feel the same way. Dr. Heller would be a fool to let you go." He paused to glance over at her. "You've been worried about your job for months, and I'm worried about the stress it's causing you. Maybe it's time for you to talk to Dr. Heller and find out for sure where you stand."

She shrugged. "I guess so. I just… I don't know what I'll do if she tells me that I'm being replaced."

He squeezed her hand. "You'll take your maternity leave, and focus on being a new mother for a little while. When the time is right, and if it's what you want, you'll find another job. There are plenty of law schools in California. No matter what happens, we're going to deal with it together, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled. "Thanks, Troy."

"Anytime."

...~«ώ»~...

When they got home, Troy disappeared into the kitchen to get a snack, and Gabriella changed out of her work clothes and settled on the sofa. She propped up her feet on the coffee table and tipped her head back into the cushion, allowing her body to begin to relax. Her eyes slid closed, but Troy's voice snapped her back to attention.

"Whoa! Have your feet been swollen like that they whole time I was gone?"

He sat down next to her to get a closer look, and she self-consciously moved them to the floor.

"No. Just today."

"How much time did you spend on your feet today?" he asked incredulously. "You're not supposed to be standing during your lectures."

"I usually sit," she defended. "I already told you, Dr. Heller came in to observe my class today. Dr. Wu was bouncing all over the room, and I felt like I should try to keep up."

He sighed roughly. "Gabriella. You're supposed to be taking it easy, not 'bouncing around' trying to impress your boss. I understand the pressure you're under with your job, but you have to take care of yourself. You must sit down while you're lecturing, whether you're being observed or not. Dr. Heller is well aware of your situation, and she won't fault you for doing what's necessary to protect your health."

"Okay," she answered quietly, stung by his sharp tone. She had to remind herself that he was just trying to protect her and the baby.

He pulled her feet across his lap and massaged them gently, his fingers finding and soothing the aches. After a few minutes of silence, Troy looked up at her and sighed. His hands stilled.

"I don't know if you want to talk about this right now, but…" He hesitated. "I got a message this afternoon from Melissa Callaway. She's the journalist who wrote that article…"

"The one you had dinner with in L.A.," Gabriella interrupted flatly.

She scooted back to lean on the arm of the couch, facing him, bent her knees, and crossed her arms over her belly.

"I already told you how sorry I am about that, but surely you know that nothing happened between us. It was a business dinner."

"I know that, but it didn't make it any easier to see those pictures."

"And you know who we have to thank for that." He shrugged. "Sharpay Evans, up to her usual tricks."

Her eyes narrowed. "Sharpay took the pictures, but she didn't manipulate them, did she? I mean, you were there with that woman, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"The thing is, Troy, if you had come home and told me you'd had dinner with a journalist, I wouldn't have thought anything about it. But seeing it—seeing her lean in close to you and smile at you and touch you—it hurt. I was here, missing you, and you were sitting there…" She blinked, trying to fight the burn of tears forming behind her eyes.

"Missing you just as much," he insisted.

"The pictures were bad enough, but hearing about it from Sharpay, the woman who has been trying to hurt me and wreck our relationship since high school… It was humiliating. It felt like she finally got the best of me."

A tear spilled over, and she quickly swiped it away. He leaned forward to touch her knee, and she could see the regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gabriella. I really am. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, and I realize that I should've left as soon as I found out the editor wasn't coming. But I was so caught up in the ideas Melissa had about doing a series of articles… That's why she was trying to reach me today. Her editor gave her the green light to start writing the first installment, so she wanted to set up an interview." He moved closer and reached for her hand. "I'll tell her no. I don't want to upset you any more than I already have."

She forced a smile. "I appreciate that, but I'd feel bad if you gave up an opportunity like that just for me."

"Trust me, you are 100% worth it," he answered. "But maybe we can talk some more about it tomorrow. She needs an answer by the end of the week."

"Fair enough."

"One more thing. In the spirit of full disclosure… I saw Sharpay in Albuquerque. She was at the hospital with her dad to do a ribbon-cutting ceremony." He squeezed her hand. "I told her that if she ever contacts us again, we will take legal action against her. I really don't think she's foolish enough to risk her career for that."

A smile teased the corners of her mouth. "So you're a legal expert now, huh?"

"Nope. But I married one."

"I'm so glad you're home, Troy."

"Me too."

She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "I wanted to hear more about your trip, but I'm not sure how much longer I can stay awake."

"Go to bed," he instructed gently. "I'll be here in the morning. I'm not going anywhere."

...~«ώ»~...

Hours later, Troy rolled over and stretched, his arm automatically seeking his wife. When he found nothing but rumpled sheets, he opened his eyes to search the dark room. She wasn't there.

"Gabriella?" he called softly. No response.

Throwing back the covers, he sat up and pulled on a pair of sweats. He padded out to the living room and found her sitting on the couch. There was a box of photos from Gabriella's childhood on the coffee table in front of her.

"Gabriella? What are you doing up? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Troy," she answered softly. "I woke up, and… couldn't go back to sleep."

"You have a lot on your mind," he acknowledged.

He circled the couch and eased down beside her, and then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear so he could see her face. There were no tears, but as she lifted another stack of pictures from the table, Troy noticed a slight tremor in her hands. He sensed the fragility of her emotions and her need for comfort, but didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready to talk.

"Mom told me that you've been having dreams about your father," he began. "Did you have one tonight?"

She nodded silently, and he reached out to rub her back.

"A good dream, I hope."

"Always."

"He was a great man. I wish I could've met him." He bit his lip, considering his next words carefully. "And I wish he could be here to meet his grandchild."

"Me too," she whispered, spreading her fingers across her belly. "He would've been the proudest abuelito in the whole world."

Troy covered her hand with his. "And he would've been proud of you, too. His princesita."

Gabriella looked up in surprise. "You remembered!"

He smiled. "You were his little princess. It's easy to see in these pictures how much he adored you."

He leaned forward to pick up one of the photos from the table. In it, Gabriella was around five or six years old, and she was perched atop her father's shoulders. Both of them were laughing.

"I love this picture of you and your dad," he told her. "You look like you were having the time of your lives."

"We were." She smiled faintly. "We went for a nature hike one Saturday, and there was a creek we had to cross. I didn't want to get my feet wet, so Daddy put me on his shoulders to go across. He stomped and splashed so much that we were both soaked by the time we got to the other side."

Troy chuckled and reached for another photo. "What about this one?"

She took it from him and ran her finger across it, smiling at the memory. "That was at an amusement park. That was my first time riding a roller coaster. I was scared to death, but Daddy kept insisting that we try it again, and by the end of the day, he and Mom practically had to drag me out of the park."

Gabriella lifted a photo from her lap. "This was at a school play. I only had one line, but Mom and Dad sat in the front row and cheered for me…" She bit her bottom lip and laid the picture down. "That was just a few months before he died."

She wiped away the tear that slid down her cheek, and he moved closer and put his arm around her.

"You have some wonderful memories of him," Troy pointed out. He picked up the photo she'd just laid down. "And look at this. You have his smile."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely," he insisted. He'd told her that before, but tonight she seemed to need to hear it again. "Your smile is beautiful. Your whole face lights up." He held up the picture. "Just like his did."

"We were alike in a lot of ways. He taught me to look for the good in every situation or person." She looked up at Troy earnestly. "He taught me how to love."

"And for that, I am forever grateful," Troy murmured, palming her cheek. "I hope that I can honor him by being as good a dad as he was."

Gabriella touched his face. "You will, Troy. I have no doubt. I love you so much."

"I love you, too." He leaned in to kiss her gently. "Are you ready to come back to bed with me? I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep unless you're beside me."

She nodded, and he stood, offered his hand to help her up, and led her back to their bedroom.