Chapter 17

Wiping her chin with her arm, Gabriela panted as she stood up straight. She glanced at the pickpocket, scoffing, hands on her hips. Shaking her head, she watched as another officer escorted the pickpocket toward the station.

"Gosh, my weekend is totally ruined," Gabriela groaned. She raised an eyebrow, looking at Ashley, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Why are you laughing?" she asked.

Ashley tilted her head, a playful smile crossing her face. "Why the attitude, lab queen?" she asked, genuinely confused. "It's not like we ruined your date or something... though, wait—don't you even have a date?" she added with a teasing grin.

Gabriela's eyebrow rose higher as she scoffed, clearly amused. "Are you even my friend right now?" she chuckled. "And for the record, I do have a date—well, sort of. It's not exactly a 'date,' but I'm calling it one anyway!" she protested, crossing her arms defiantly.

Ashley gave her a look of amusement. "Don't tell me you're talking about Vien Briar," she said, stepping closer to Gabriela.

Gabriela shrugged casually. "I told her I like her," she started, walking away from the scene. "She doesn't want me to love her, but I'm not backing down!" she said with unwavering determination.

Ashley followed her, slipping her arm around Gabriela's shoulder. "Look at you, talking about Vien like that," she teased. "And don't forget, you admitted you liked me way back when," she added with a laugh.

Gabriela shot her a sharp look. "You want me to put you in a headlock, Amosa?" she raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Ashley laughed, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'm just kidding!" she said with a grin.

Gabriela sighed and clicked her tongue. "I don't even understand myself, Ash," she said softly. "I want to be the one to protect Vien and her daughter. I want to be close to her, to be the person she can lean on, the one she can share all her problems with. I mean... I'm willing to risk it all, you know?" she chuckled nervously, biting her lower lip.

Ashley patted Gabriela's head, smiling gently. "You can do it, Gabi," she said, her tone full of encouragement. "I know you can. Just don't pressure her. You know she has a daughter, and getting into a relationship isn't a simple thing for her. Just give it time."

Gabriela nodded, her face lighting up with a smile. "Of course. I'm willing to wait until she's ready," she said, determination shining in her eyes. "I know I can treat her better than anyone else," she mumbled, almost to herself.

Tilting her head, Gabriela looked around, only to realize that Vien and Blair were no longer under the tree. Her jacket was missing too. She heaved a sigh and began walking toward the tree when someone called her name.

She glanced around and saw Blair waving at her, jumping up and down. Gabriela chuckled, a soft smile spreading across her face as she jogged over.

"Hi, Gabi!" Blair greeted, grinning brightly.

"Hi, Blair," Gabriela replied warmly. She tilted her head and crouched down, pretending to examine something behind Blair's ear. "Oh, what's this?" she asked, clutching her fist as if holding something.

"What is it?" Blair asked, blinking curiously.

Gabriela grinned and opened her hand, revealing a flower. "There you go," she said, tucking it gently behind Blair's ear.

Blair's eyes widened with delight. She looked at her mother, then back at Gabriela. "How did you do that, Gabi?" she asked in awe.

Gabriela patted Blair's head, her smile playful. "It's called magic," she said.

From a few steps away, Vien scoffed and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Magic, huh?" she muttered under her breath.

Gabriela straightened up and cleared her throat, meeting Vien's gaze. "Thanks for waiting," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Vien raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't me who wanted to wait—it was Blair," she replied, holding out Gabriela's jacket. "Here."

Gabriela took the jacket, her smile lingering. Vien glanced at her and quickly looked away, her cheeks tinged with pink.

"I told you to quit smiling," Vien grumbled, groaning in frustration.

Gabriela chuckled. "Are you always this grumpy?" she teased. "Maybe it's a sign of aging. You've been single for so long—"

"What?!" Vien snapped, her voice rising. "Hey! Don't you dare imply I look like an old hag!"

Gabriela shrugged, laughing. "I didn't say anything about you looking like an old hag. If anything, you're still beautiful. But you could stand to tone down the grumpiness a bit."

Vien narrowed her eyes. "I swear, if you don't stop running that smart ass mouth of yours—"

"You'll what?" Gabriela challenged, crossing her arms. "If you're going to kiss me, go ahead." She puckered her lips playfully.

"Gabriela!" Vien exclaimed, her face flushing bright red. "Oh my gosh!" She slapped her forehead in exasperation.

Blair giggled at their exchange, breaking the tension. Gabriela cleared her throat, a sheepish grin on her face. "Can I treat you two to some ice cream?" she asked.

Vien hesitated, raising a brow. She glanced at Blair before sighing. "Well... I don't see why not, but only if Blair wants to."

Gabriela turned to Blair with a hopeful smile. "What do you say, Blair? Ice cream for the three of us?"

Blair's face lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yay! Sure, Gabi!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Gabriela turned to Vien, smirking. "You heard your daughter. No backing out now, Ms. Briar."

Vien groaned, rolling her eyes. "What else should I expect? All Blair ever talks about is you," she muttered. "Fine."

As they walked toward the ice cream parlor, Blair asked Gabriela to carry her. Gabriela obliged without hesitation, lifting the little girl into her arms. Vien trailed behind, watching silently as Gabriela chatted animatedly with Blair, treating her as if she were her own daughter.

"You're spoiling Blair too much," Vien remarked. "She's going to get used to it."

Gabriela glanced at Vien, her brow furrowing. "What's wrong with that?"

Vien bit her lip, her gaze fixed straight ahead as she walked past them. "I don't want her to get attached to you only to have you disappear someday," she said quietly. She stopped and turned to Gabriela, her expression guarded. "Nothing in this world is permanent, Gabi. The last thing I want is for my daughter to get hurt. You understand that, right? If you're serious about this, about waiting and whatever else you have in mind, you need to consider Blair, too. As her mother, I have to."

Gabriela's expression softened. "I do understand, Vien," she said gently. "I'm not here just to pursue you—I want to earn Blair's trust too."

Vien sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. "I don't want any emotional stress for Blair. The only reason I've let her be around you is because she's happy with you. But that happiness can't come at a cost."

"What do you mean?" Gabriela asked, her voice laced with concern.

Vien hesitated before answering. "Blair had a heart operation a couple of years ago," she admitted. "I've worked so hard to make sure she stays healthy. Emotional stress is the last thing she needs."

Gabriela swallowed hard, her eyes darting to Blair. "She did?"

Vien nodded, her voice tinged with sadness. "She's been through so much. And I... I'm a walking mess, a disaster. That's why—"

"And I've told you, I don't care about that," Gabriela interrupted, her tone firm yet kind. "I can handle it. Just give me a chance, Vien. Whenever you're ready. I'm not going anywhere."

Vien shut her eyes briefly, exhaling sharply. "What did I do to deserve someone like you in my life?" she murmured, disbelief flashing in her eyes as she met Gabriela's gaze. "Your intentions are pure, but I'm not even sure if I deserve them."

Gabriela reached out and gently took her hand. "Vien," she said softly, her voice steady. "What are you so afraid of?"

Vien bit her lip, her breath hitching. "I've been hurt enough, maybe that's why. I built these walls to keep people out... but why are you trying so hard to break them down?"

Gabriela chuckled lightly, her heart pounding. "Because I want to treat you better, Vien. I know I'm not perfect, and I have my own struggles, but I want you to see that there are people who will stay, no matter what."