Gabriel

P.S. You may not believe it, but I love you.

Droplets could be heard in the silent apartment, and Shane realized it was her own tears falling and wetting up the piece of paper. She covered her face with her hands as she heard Carmen come in.

"Baby! Where are you?" When Carmen didn’t get a response, she came into the bedroom, ready to get out of her clothes and into comfortable shorts and t-shirt. When she saw Shane hunched over, she immediately rushed to her side.

"Oh my God, what’s wrong? Are you hurting?" she asked. Shane couldn’t talk but simply lifted the letter up to Carmen for her to take.

Carmen quickly read the letter, and moved to sit beside Shane, pulling her head to her shoulder. "I don’t know what to say." And she didn’t. But when Shane didn’t reply, she figured the best thing to do was not say anything at all.

6 days later …

Shane had started feeling better after reading her father’s letter. It was like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She knew that eventually, she would contact Gabriel again. Part of being with Carmen again had taught her how important it was to forgive, and not to hold grudges. In fact, that was one of the greatest things she’d learned from Carmen. But knowing that her father believed that there was something within her that proved that she could love just one woman only confirmed what she had known all along – that she was tired of multiple women. That she was more than content with the love of one good woman.

Carmen and Shane were about to leave to go to the apartment’s laundry room. Laundry bags in hand, they opened the front door only to find Ms. Morales on the other side.

"Ma? What are you doing here?" Carmen was so shocked to see her mother that she forgot to be happy about it.

"Hello Carmen, Chane. I’m sorry for stopping by without calling, but I wanted to come by before I lost my nerve." Carmen and Shane looked to each other puzzled, but backed up to allow her entrance to the apartment. Once she was inside, Shane closed the door and came to stand beside Carmen.