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THE STATION
"Hello, Gabi Torres," Gabi answered cheerfully. "Morning sexy," Antonio said sleepily. "How’s your day?" Antonio called Gabi at work every morning when he woke up. She loved the way his voice was deep and gruff in the morning. "Much better now." She sat back with a smile. "Did you just wake up?" She knew the answer, but always asked. "I was having the most amazing dream. We were walking along the beach and you stopped and pulled me down in the sand and took complete advantage of me right then and there." Gabi closed her eyes. "I got sand in my shorts and you helped me get every last grain of it out." Gabi laughed out loud as she quickly opened her eyes to see if anyone heard her. "So, how is everything?" Gabi knew instinctively what everything meant. "I don’t know what you said to him, but he is avoiding me like the plague." It had been a few days since Antonio’s discussion with Ricardo. Antonio smiled. "Good, I think he got the message." They chatted for a few minutes before Gabi reminded him that she was in fact at work and had to go before she got fired. "Alright, I guess..." Antonio whined like a child. "Don’t forget, we have to go out later today to pick up Benjy’s birthday gift. I’ll pick you up at 4:00?" "I can’t wait. I love you. I’ll see you then." Gabi hung up the phone and returned to her reports. Ricardo lurked around the station for most of the day sneaking sideways looks at Gabi at every opportunity. He wasn’t ready to give up on her, regardless of Antonio’s threats. He wanted her more now than he did before and he vowed that she would again be his. Gabi looked up to see Antonio walking toward her desk. She stood with a smile as he leaned across and kissed her, which did not go unnoticed by Ricardo. "You ready?" Antonio reached out his hand. Gabi shook her head as she grabbed her purse and took his hand. They headed out of the station with their arms around each other, whispering and laughing. Ricardo wanted to be sick. BENJY’S PARTY Gabi was helping Maria adjust the decorations on the mantle as Benjy jovially shook each and every present trying to determine the contents. "Benjy!" Maria scolded him without turning around. "Put the presents down and go get dressed, please." Benjy hung his head and moped slowly up the stairs as Gabi tried not to laugh. Antonio came out from the kitchen carrying a tray of cookies. His eyes immediately fell upon Gabi laughing with Maria. Every time he looked at her he thought she never looked more beautiful. He set down the tray and walked over to his wife taking her by the waist and turned her around effortlessly. Gabi threw her arms around his neck as he leaned over and kissed her full on the lips. "Would you two just get a room already?" Maria teased. She had never seen a couple more in love than Antonio and Gabi. She wished she and Ben were as intimate as they were. She remembered a time when she and Ben were first married when they couldn’t keep their hands off each other either. The doorbell chimed interrupting her pleasant daydream. She opened the door to find Ricardo holding a large present on one arm and a sexily dressed blonde on the other. "Ricardo," Maria attempted to quell the surprise in her voice. "Hi." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Who’s your friend," she whispered in his ear. "This is Kim." He smiled at the attractive woman. "Kim, this is my sister, Maria." The two women shook hands as Ricardo’s eyes fell on Antonio and Gabi kissing next to the mantle. That all to familiar stab of jealous pain ripped through his heart as he took Kim by the hand and directed her into the room. Antonio heard voices and opened his eyes from the kiss. Gabi turned around quickly leaning back against Antonio’s chest. They were speechless as Ricardo paraded his trophy toward them. "Kim, this is my brother, Antonio and his wife, Gabi." Ricardo’s eyes bore into Gabi. Antonio shook Kim’s hand genially as Gabi nonchalantly examined her with her eyes. "It’s very nice to meet you, Kim." Antonio smiled at her as she looked around the large beach house. "Wow, this is some place. Ricky told me that his sister was married to Ben Evans and all, but this is amazing." She twirled around taking in all the luxury around her. Gabi heard Antonio start to chuckle at hearing the woman call his brother Ricky so she gently elbowed him in the stomach. "It’s nice to meet you, Kim. How did you two meet?" Gabi was interested, she didn’t know this woman from the station. "Ricky and I met at this police function a few weeks ago," Kim looked lovingly at Ricardo. "We talked for hours and I gave him my number. I didn’t hear from him for awhile and then, boom, out of the blue he called me a few days ago." Kim stroked Ricardo’s arm. "Why don’t we go get a drink?" Ricardo led her away with his hand on the small of her back. Gabi turned over her shoulder to Antonio who was staring at them both. "You can put your tongue back in your mouth anytime, dear!" she jabbed him in his side. Antonio wrapped his arms around her waist and put his lips next to her ear. "There’s only one woman for me and I have my arms around her right now!" He kissed her gently just below her jawline sending shivers down her spine. She reached her hand up and ran it through his thick hair. "Can I just take you home now…or maybe upstairs?" Antonio whispered into her ear. Gabi laughed playfully. Ricardo was watching their whole exchange over Kim’s shoulder near the bar. Antonio and Gabi laughed all the way home over Ricardo’s "inappropriate date" for a child’s birthday party. Antonio knew his brother too well, and was leery of the whole charade. Gabi laid her head back and stared quietly out the window. Antonio looked over and immediately sensed what she was thinking. He took her hand in his bringing it to his lips. Gabi turned with a smile. "I’m alright, really." She closed her eyes and Antonio knew she was thinking of the birthday parties they would never have for Michael. THE APARTMENT Two weeks had passed since Benjy’s birthday party. Ricardo was still playing it cool with Gabi and paraded a different woman through the station every couple of days. Antonio was busy with some redesign work at the Deep and Gabi had stopped at the store on her way home from work. Gabi opened the door flipping the switch to the lamp. She threw down her purse. "Antonio?" she called out even though she didn’t expect him to be home. She headed into the kitchen and set down the bags on the counter. Hesitantly, she reached in and pulled out the small box. Her heart was doing flip-flops in her chest as she carefully read the directions on the back. Gabi walked in to the living room and sat heavily on the couch. She was having mixed emotions about the task before her. On one hand, she wanted to be pregnant…she loved Antonio more than ever and desperately wanted to have his baby. On the other hand, she was scared senseless to be pregnant again. She felt in some strange way that she would be betraying Michael’s memory by having another baby. And what if her body wouldn’t sustain this baby either. For the umpteenth time in the last few days, her eyes filled with tears as she recalled all the events of her pregnancy with Michael. Antonio’s illness and how she almost lost him, leaving town and the accident, Ricardo’s reaction to the baby and Antonio, her romantic wedding to Antonio and their honeymoon, and that horrible day when Michael came into the world four months early. Gabi suspected she was pregnant and she couldn’t wait any longer to find out. She headed down the hall to the bathroom. She was opening the test kit when she heard the door open. "Gabi, I’m home!" Antonio tossed his keys on the counter as he headed down the hall to find Gabi. Startled, she opened the drawer and tossed the test inside. She turned around quickly to see Antonio leaning against the door frame smiling at her. "What are...what are you doing home?" she stammered. She was flummoxed and he knew it. "I thought you would be at work." "I just couldn’t stay away from you," he said wickedly. "Am I interrupting something?" He stretched to look around her to the sink. Gabi whipped around, "No, no. I was just...I was, um, putting away some things from the store." She messed casually with some things on the sink. Antonio moved behind her and enveloped her in his arms. He pushed her hair away gently and caressed the nape of her neck with his lips. Gabi tilted her head back and lost herself in the way he made her feel. She completely forgot about the test waiting for her in the drawer as Antonio gently led her out of the bathroom and over to the bed. "Antonio," she said weakly. "I have to finish putting away the groceries." He was unbuttoning her shirt as she spoke. "Mmmhmm," he mumbled as he kissed her chest. "No, really, I have to put the milk away," she pleaded. "Mmmhmm," he hummed softly as his hands tugged gently at her skirt. "Antonio, you’re insatiable!" Gabi threw her hands to her side surrendering to the hold her husband had on her. "Mmmhmm," he growled playfully as he tore off his own shirt and pants. He sat down on the bed and pulled Gabi on top of him. They made love passionately, as they always did, touching and kissing each other deeply and tenderly. When Antonio made love to her, Gabi lost track of all space and time. She gave herself to him completely - body, mind and soul. Afterwards, she fell asleep with her head against his chest listening to his heartbeat thumping quietly. Antonio rolled over to find Gabi sitting on the edge of the bed dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. "Oh," he groaned playfully. "Come back to bed." It was Saturday and Gabi no longer worked on the weekends. Gabi was distracted as she stared blankly at the wall. Antonio touched her back lightly. "Gabi?" She turned over her shoulder to face him. "Antonio, I’m late," she spoke the words quickly before she lost her nerve. "Well, you better get going then," he replied innocently although he didn’t know where she had to be. Gabi rolled her eyes at him. "No, Antonio. I’m LATE." She put added emphasis in an attempt to get her point across. "I know," he answered with male simplicity. "That’s what you said. Where are you going, shopping with Maria?" "Antonio," she snapped impatiently. "My period is a week late." She stared at him waiting for the lightbulb to turn on. His mouth dropped open as he sat up and moved close to her. "You think you’re pregnant?" he asked excitedly. "Are you sure?" Gabi was utterly relieved by his reaction. She hadn’t expected him to be mad, but she wasn’t sure if he would feel the same betrayal of Michael that she did. "I’m not sure, Antonio. I think so." She smiled shyly at him. Antonio took her in his arms and pulled her tightly to his chest. "Oh, Gabi. This is great!" He kissed the top of her head. "I can’t believe it, well, I CAN believe it," he said proudly thinking of how much time they spent in bed. "You know what I mean. When will you know for sure?" He was like a kid at Christmas. "As soon as I go take the test," she motioned to the bathroom. "Is that what you were doing when I got home last night?" He sat back. "Why didn’t you tell me?" "You had other things on your mind," she smiled as she poked him in the stomach. Antonio’s lips broke with a small smirk. Gabi stood up slowly. "Okay, I’m going to go do it now." She took a small step away from the bed. "I’ll be right back." She took another small step. Antonio looked like he was going to pounce is she didn’t leave the room soon. "GO!" he said happily. "Go." Gabi closed the bathroom door as Antonio jumped out of bed and pulled on his shorts. He paced the room nervously. "What’s taking so long in there?" he finally called out after almost three minutes. The door opened and Gabi stepped out quietly. Antonio turned around quickly with a smile and searched her eyes for the answer.
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