Slow Dancing in the Darkness

36: Got Me Thinking

“You’re sure about coming tonight, aren’t you?” Lionel posed as he placed a scarf around Gabriela’s neck, offering her a slight smile. It had been a few days, after their disagreement, things had been a little up in the air, but they were slowly and surely settling down again and Lionel doubted that it could have been much better. It was a concern, the idea that Gabriela could leave him, but he felt more assured. Their talk after Elliot had kissed her had left him feeling more confident about them and surer that things would be OK.

“If I don’t go, Noah’s going to freak” Gabriela mused “He’s got his heart set on it” she added.

Lionel nodded. “I know” he mused “But I am sure I could find someone else to take him if you wanted to stay here. It’s cold out and I know that you’re not the biggest fan” he explained softly. It was the last match of the calendar year and as a Christmas present for Noah, Lionel had gotten him and Gabriela tickets, something which he knew Gabriela wasn’t entirely fond of.

Gabriela smiled. “You’re sweet for offering” she mused, fixing her scarf “But I’d rather do it. At least then I know he’s Ok” she enthused softly.

Lionel nodded his head gently and stepped towards her, placing a soft kiss against her lips. “I’ll make it up to you then” he murmured gently.

Gabriela lifted an eyebrow. “Make it up to me?” she posed.

“Dinner, wine, the works” Lionel smiled “I can’t think of the last time you let me take you out on a date” he added, stepping away from her to pick up his kit bag.

“That would be when we first started to see one another” Gabriela commented as she pulled on her coat.

“Then I would like to start making it a regular thing” Lionel smiled as he took her hand, leading her carefully into the living room where Noah sat, already ready to leave.

Gabriela shook her head. “You don’t have to do that” she mused as she moved away, locating Noah’s woolen hat.

“I know that I don’t have to” Lionel smiled “But I want to make the effort. We’ve had a hectic few months, but I want the focus of next year to be on us” he explained softly. He had given it a lot of thought, their relationship had been on his mind since their moment with Elliot, and he had reached the conclusion that he wanted to make more of an effort to make things good for them. They’d had a tough few months, with Elliot, their parents and their friends, and he wanted the next part of their relationship to be about them, something it had never really been.

Gabriela smiled. “That’s your new year’s resolution?” she posed, doing Noah’s coat up a little more to keep the cold out.

“It is” Lionel confirmed.

Gabriela smiled. “I like the idea of that” she noted softly.

~#~
“You must be Gabriela” Shakira mused as she shuffled down the steps, her youngest son resting against her hip. She had heard a lot about the brunette, from what Gerard had told her, Gabriela was the reason that Lionel had been so happy since the start of the season and Shakira was pleased to have caught her. She wanted the chance to get to know the girl that had made Lionel so cheerful.

Gabriela, who had been making sure that Noah kept his coat zipped up, nodded. “I am” she confirmed “You’re Shakira” she added.

The blonde nodded. “I’m dating Gerard” she noted softly “Do you mind if we sit here?” she added.

Gabriela shook her head. “Of course not. He’s a cutie” she smiled gently, her hand gesturing to the little boy who sat in his mother’s lap.

“Gracias” Shakira mused “I bet you can’t wait for yours to come along” she added, her hands gesturing to Gabriela’s stomach.

Gabriela lifted her eyebrow.

“You’re not?” Shakira posed “Oh, I am so sorry. I just thought…you look like…”

“It’s Ok” Gabriela assured her softly.

Shakira shook her head. “You just look like you have a bit of a bump going on. I didn’t mean to offend you” she insisted.

Gabriela frowned a little and peeked down at her stomach, her hand gently brushing over the front of her shirt. She had gained a little weight, it didn’t seem as flat as it had before, but she had put it down to nothing. She’d not even entertained the idea that she could have been pregnant.

“Gabriela?” Shakira posed.

Gabriela blinked, her blue eyes flashing up to the blonde. “I’m sorry. I zoned out” she murmured.

“You Ok?” Shakira posed pleasantly as she helped Milan up into his seat.

Gabriela nodded. “You just got me thinking” she admitted gently.

“I am so sorry about that” Shakira noted.

Gabriela shook her head. “Don’t be” she noted “I hadn’t even thought that it could be that, but it would kind of make sense. We did loosely decide to start trying a little while ago, but I didn’t think anything had come of it” she explained.

“You’re trying?” Shakira posed.

Gabriela nodded her head shyly. She had never been the most comfortable around new people.

Shakira shook her head. “You must think I am a little strange, coming here and asking questions” she noted.

“You’re just the first one” Gabriela replied “Since I got with Leo, it’s been hectic and other than Gerard who I met at the hospital, I’d not met anyone else” she explained softly.

Shakira nodded her head. “Then you and I should go and get lunch together sometime” she suggested gently.

Gabriela looked at her, slightly hesitantly, before she nodded her head. “I’d like that” she enthused softly.

“Great” Shakira grinned.

Gabriela smiled back at her for a second before she turned her eyes back down to her stomach, her blue eyes staring at the burgundy material of the sweater she wore. She did have a little bit of a bump, it stuck out ever so slightly from beneath her sweater, and it made her wonder if Lionel had succeeded in getting her pregnant.
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Thanks to Luuuc_19 and Jayme112234 for the comments :)