Second Chances

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  “Jane, I’m just going to drop off Gabriel then I’ll be home, okay?” Isabella waited for Jane’s response. Jane managed a wide eyed nod. Isabella knew precisely how she felt. Jane now wore the same look Isabella must have worn when she realized that Gabriel wanted to get to know her.

  As she pulled the car up in front of the Koffee Kat, where Gabriel left his vehicle, it happened. He leaned over, innocently, to kiss her. Isabella had been anticipating this. She had known for quite a while that it would only be a matter of time before he would make his move. She had been trying to figure out how she would respond. Still, she felt awkward, unprepared, and scared. She hadn’t kissed anyone on the lips for a long time, besides her children. She had stopped kissing Jack long ago. All of a sudden she felt like an inexperienced teen all over again. She feared disappointing him, upsetting him by being unable to be intimate, or worse, finding out that she didn’t live up to his expectations of her.

  As usual, Gabriel seemed to read her mind. Mid lean he changed course and aimed for her cheek, brushing his lips along the side of her face. He paused at her ear, where he whispered almost inaudibly, “Don’t worry, Bella. I won’t rush you. We have all the time in the world.” He squeezed her hand as he stepped from the car. Before shutting the door, he leaned in and said, “I’ll call and tuck you in.” Then he smiled, shut the door, and walked confidently to his car.

  Isabella barely had time to pay Jane, shove her out the door, carry Rebecca to her bed, and get ready herself before the phone rang. Happily, she skipped to the phone. “Wait just a minute,” she giggled into the phone.

  “What am I waiting for?” Gabriel asked, puzzled.

  “Well, if you are calling to tuck me in, I should be in bed don’t you think?” She turned off the lights, climbed under the sheet, and murmured, “There.”

  He sighed. “Now that I know where you live, I can picture you in your bed. I love that.” Gabriel paused for a moment. “I have something very important to ask you,” he began seriously.

  Uh oh, Isabella thought, but aloud she only said tentatively, “Okay.”

  “How about if you come to Montreal for the weekend? Do you think Jack can take the kids?”

  Is that what he had suddenly grown so serious about? He wanted her to himself for the weekend in Montreal? Isabella burst with excitement, but tried to hide it by saying simply, “I think I can work something out.”

  They spoke eagerly to complete their plans for the weekend. Gabriel intended to drive down and pick her up in his new BMW. Then they were to meet his father, tour the house, go dancing, meet his friends, and generally have an amazing weekend.

  One key element of the weekend aroused curiosity in Isabella. She pondered over how to phrase the question she burned to ask. At last she decided just to speak her mind. “Umm, Gabriel. We have made many plans for this weekend, but one aspect of this trip we haven’t discussed is...where I will sleep?” She held her breath anxiously while she awaited a response.

  “Well...I thought maybe you would like to stay at my father’s estate, as you call it.” He sat silently for a moment. Isabella said nothing so he continued to expand upon his idea. “You see, we have a guest wing that you could stay in, if you wish.” There was another pause, but still there was no response from Isabella. “Or, if you would be more comfortable...you could stay with me in my room.”

  “With you?” Isabella’s heart pounded fiercely in her chest, a combination of fear and anticipation. “How do you mean ‘with you’?”

  “Well, you could sleep in my bed and I could take the couch.” He was willing to sacrifice a night’s sleep if it meant having her close. Gabriel knew he wouldn’t be able to rest with her in the same room, but not in his arms.

  Isabella interrupted his thoughts. “You have a couch in your room?”

  Gabriel laughed, “Yes, Bella. Or, we could share the bed.” Isabella inhaled sharply. Gabriel heard and responded. “We have all the time in the world, Bella.” He closed his eyes momentarily as he imagined what it would be like to sleep with her warm voluptuous form nestled against him and felt his body respond. He spoke even more softly now. “I just want to be close to you.”

  Isabella refused to allow herself to become too excited until she saw that the plans came to fruition. She had spent years having her hopes and dreams dashed. Dreams. That word struck a chord in her. What was it about dreams? Oh, that’s right. Dr. Pam told her to dream again. She had so much to dream about. So much had transpired in the last three and a half months. Wouldn’t Dr. Pam be surprised?

  The week seemed to drag by. Isabella could count on phone calls and messages from Gabriel, but she had a terrible time filling these lazy summer days. Rebecca and Isabella had fallen into a routine of working in the garden in the morning before she went to work, while Kyle played in the sand pit. On the weekends they usually enjoyed a picnic lunch out on the patio, followed by some light cleaning, reading, and dinner once again in the great outdoors. If the sun became unbearable, they would go to Jessie’s and swim in the pool. Life, for the first time in a long time, felt good. She had a new found sense of peace that had eluded her for so long.

  “I’m supposed to be going to Montreal tomorrow,” Isabella mentioned casually to Jessie as they sat on the edge of the pool, dangling their feet in the cool water while the kids splashed around in the shallow end.

  Jessie paused. “You are just telling me this now?” Then her face opened into a wide smile.

  Isabella hung her head. “I’m afraid to tell anyone. It’s like jinxing it. I fear that it won’t happen if I say anything.” She had never been so nervous and excited in all her life.

  “You will go and it will be fabulous,” Jessie exclaimed with confidence. Then as an afterthought, “What is happening with the kids?”

  Isabella smiled impishly, “Jack.”

  Jessie threw her head back in laughter. “Jack? For an entire weekend?”

  With everything she needed to accomplish, Isabella took Friday off from the studio. Early that morning, she began to pack. Since Gabriel would be picking her up at four o’clock, Jack agreed to claim the kids at three thirty. At noon, just before she was ready to call the kids in for lunch, and moments after she started her second load of laundry, the phone rang.

  Gabriel’s voice on the other end of the line sounded hurried. “Isabella,” he said briskly, “I have to change our plans. I won’t be bringing you to Montreal for the weekend.” He paused for a reaction.

  Isabella was shattered. It felt as though everything in her world had come to a crashing halt. To her, it only confirmed her suspicions that they had no future, that their worlds were too different, that even a forty-five minute distance would impede their ability to have a relationship. “I understand,” she finally managed, desperate to hide her disappointment and nagging sorrow. “Do you have time to talk, or do you have too much going on right now?” She wanted to hear that he would always have time for her, that he still cared about her, and that he would make it up to her as soon as possible.

  Instead, Gabriel said none of those things. Instead she heard, “Well. I wish I could talk longer. I have so much to tell you, but I have about a hundred things to get done in the next three hours. I’ll explain next time, okay?” He sounded out of breath, as though he might be running around even as they spoke. “I’ll talk to you soon, beautiful one. Goodbye.”

  The phone clicked before Isabella even had time to say goodbye. She looked at the neat piles of laundry she was preparing for various suitcases and duffle bags. With one arm, she swept the clothes from the kitchen table into the laundry basket she stood holding, then walked upstairs to refold and put them into their respective drawers. She emptied her suitcase wordlessly, breathing deeply, and blinking back bitter tears of disappointment.

  Don’t ever let them see you cry, she repeated to herself, as she paced her bedroom. She moved back and forth across the room. Through the open window she could hear the sounds of her children playing happily outsid
e. The mechanical hum of the dryer penetrated to the third floor. The sounds of life went on. At last she went happily numb. There will always be work to do around here, she thought calmly to herself. I need to keep busy.

  One terrible thought occurred to her. I have to call Jack, she whimpered to herself. I can’t bear to hear his reaction to my bad news. Knowing there were many other tasks requiring completion, Isabella decided to put off calling Jack as long as possible. After making a quick mental list, she prepared to work on one task or another until bedtime. Maybe if she worked hard enough it wouldn’t hurt so much to crawl into bed alone, again. And this would happen just when she was beginning to like the idea of having him close.

  Around five thirty, Isabella realized that she had forgotten to call Jack, but since he never arrived to collect the kids, she decided not to bother. Despite not feeling the least bit hungry, Isabella knew the kids would be eager to eat soon, since they had been playing outside with the neighborhood children all day working up an enormous appetite. In all of her zeal to fill the day with work, she had gone above and beyond in preparing a healthy meal. She had chicken marinating in the secret family marinade, aluminum foil pouches of potatoes, onions, fresh chopped garlic, home grown carrots, and butter waiting to go on the grill. And she currently sliced cucumbers from the garden for the fresh tossed salad.

  The doorbell rang at just six o’clock. Wiping her hands on the refrigerator towel, Isabella prepared to answer it. As she reached for the door and opened it, a single white rose was thrust in her face. She laughed, “What’s this?”

  Gabriel peeked around the door sheepishly. “Well, look at this as my white flag. I surrender,” he said solemnly, one hand over his heart.

  Isabella smiled widely. “You surrender? To me? I accept.”

  With a sweeping gesture, she beckoned Gabriel inside. He entered carrying an overnight bag, a bottle of wine, and a movie. He saw her eyeing the bag nervously. “I hope I’m not being too presumptuous,” he explained. “I was working with my father on some business earlier, which is why we didn’t keep our original plans. I finished sooner than I imagined.” He watched her carefully for a reaction. Isabella seemed to be relaxing at his explanation. “I’ll be more than happy to sleep on the couch, if you want. I just wanted to stay here with you and the kids tonight. Any objections?”

  Before Isabella could respond, Rebecca came running in the back door screaming, “Mom! There’s a car here!” She stopped in her tracks the minute she saw Gabriel in the living room. Isabella held her breath nervously; unaware that she was even doing it. She watched as Rebecca studied him suspiciously for a moment before speaking.

  “

  Oh. Is that your car?” Gabriel nodded with a light hearted smile on his face. Rebecca tipped her head to the side as she asked, “Are you the one Mom keeps going to see at night after we’re in bed?”

  Squatting at her level, Gabriel exclaimed, “Whew! Your mom is right. You don’t miss much, Rebecca.” He smiled warmly at her. “I thought it was time for me to get to know you and Kyle some. Is that okay?”

  Isabella watched in amazement and slowly, almost imperceptibly exhaled. He was a natural with kids. He didn’t try to talk down to them or act silly to try to impress them and win them over. Most importantly, he obviously wasn’t trying to use them to get to her. He had a genuine interest in getting to know her children. Isabella watched closely, silently for a reaction from Rebecca. She wasn’t going to interfere or prod in any way. If they were to come together and be friends, it would be on their own devoid of Isabella’s assistance.

  Without responding to his question verbally, Rebecca answered by grabbing his hand and leading him up the stairs to show him where to deposit his bag. They walked back down the stairs together, still hand in hand while Rebecca spoke animatedly about everything that came to mind. She paused for a moment in the kitchen, looked at her mother, and asked, “Hey, Mom, how long until dinner?” After receiving a satisfactory answer, she happily relinquished Gabriel and trotted back outside to play with her brother and friends.

  Gabriel wandered into the kitchen where Isabella hurriedly worked to finish the dinner preparations, walked around the table, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Isabella leaned into him, blushing. “Bella, I don’t think we had an opportunity to properly greet one another, eh?”

  “No,” Isabella murmured, twisting in his arms to face him. “No, we didn’t.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, laid her head against his chest, and deeply inhaled his scent to imprint this moment in her brain. Something in that act steadied her. Hearing his heart beat at a relaxed soothing pace, feeling the warmth of his body against hers, having one of his arms hold her tightly against him while the other rubbed reassuring circles in the center of her back. For the first time in hours, she felt more herself, more the woman she strived to be: strong, in control of her emotions, confident.

  They worked together to complete the meal preparations. Gabriel found the idea of eating on the patio enchanting. He loved manning the grill, claiming he’d never barbecued before. Isabella was not surprised. Nothing in his upbringing had prepared him for the life of the common man. And after the meal, he even tried to help her clean up, bringing food in from the patio, carrying out the garbage, rinsing plates.

  All the while, Isabella studied him. She wanted an indication as to how he would handle the monotony of everyday life. She needed to see that he could be happy with having two children around all the time, demanding attention, requiring assistance, and sharing her love. Through it all, Gabriel held up nicely. He entertained himself while she bathed them, and after they returned to the living room in their pajamas, he volunteered to tell them stories.

  Even Kyle, who usually feared strangers and clung to his mother, eagerly found a special place in Gabriel’s lap. The stories were fairy tales of a most exotic nature. Gabriel told them about his family, growing up in Saudi Arabia, places he had traveled to, where he still wished to go. Their eyes were drooping, but still the kids hung on to his every word. They relished his attention and his gentle way with them. Eventually he realized that they could last no longer when Kyle’s head rolled momentarily.

  “Ahh, bébés,” Gabriel cried, “We must tuck you in. Here, kiss your mama. I will carry you upstairs.” The kids leaned down obediently and planted moist kisses on Isabella’s cheeks before Gabriel whisked them up the stairs, one on either hip.

  Isabella sighed. It had been so long since she had someone else to help around the house, some adult to carry on dinner conversation with. And...he helped with the dishes. Since that act was entirely distant from his usual lifestyle, it merely served to raise him in Isabella’s esteem.

  It seemed as though it took him an inordinately long time, but at last Gabriel returned from tucking in the kids. He took Isabella by the hands and silently led her up the stairs. Suddenly, her nervousness surfaced. She tried to think of what to say. She felt safe in the living room, a great distance away from a bed, somewhere that wasn’t intimate. So far, she had been too afraid to kiss him, and now they were heading up to her bedroom. What if he expected...

  As they neared the third floor, Isabella realized that the lights were out, but the room stayed ablaze from numerous candles. No, she told herself, not just numerous candles, he has lit every candle. She smiled lightly. The candles not only served to illuminate, but also lent fragrance to the room and an intoxicating ambiance, which could perhaps explain why Isabella suddenly shook more than ever before.

  He led her to the side of the bed, the side he must have recognized to be hers. Isabella sat nervously, careful to make sure her feet were touching the floor. Her mother was always quick to school her on the importance of keeping both feet on the floor when she was entertaining male guests. Of course, her guests were never allowed in her room. Oops.

  Two glasses of wine were poured. Gabriel took one and passed her the other. “I know how you like sweet drink,” he commented. “Try this.”

  Isabella
was not a wine drinker. Her parents had never drank anything stronger than soda the entire time she was growing up and her life with Jack had been completely devoid of wine and roses. Once again she was in unfamiliar territory. She sniffed the glass cautiously.

  From the look on his face, Gabriel wasn’t the least bit annoyed with her. In fact, he seemed to find her immensely entertaining. “It’s an ice wine,” he explained. “You will find it thicker and sweeter than any wine you may have enjoyed previously. I promise.”

  Wearing a look that proclaimed her doubt, Isabella took a hesitant sip…and smiled. This man knew her. “Very yummy,” she said happily.

  He watched her now. From the look on his face, he might even be trying to contain his laughter, which caused Isabella to become even more self-conscious.

  “What?” Isabella asked weakly, setting down her glass.

  “You don’t have to be afraid, Bella,” Gabriel began, kneeling before her. “We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for. Remember?” She looked down at the floor, still unconvinced. He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look directly into his hypnotic eyes. “I promise,” he whispered, while his lips grazed her forehead, sending shivers up and down her spine.