HERNAN AND GABRIELA BOOK 2

CHAPTER 88

On Friday,

Aranza goes to visit John alone. She cannot explain why, but something about him makes her feel, loved and protected. He takes one look at her and tells her to sit down. She smiles and then sits. He asks her what's bothering her. Aranza says that she is sad, because her favorite, people, aren't together and are unhappy. He tells her, it saddens him too. He says that they are, surrounded by a lot of evil people, but they have many good people around them as well.

He asks her what she is upto. Aranza looks at him surprised. She says that she doesn't understand him. John says that he thinks that she is up to something. Aranza pouts and says that she is an angel and a good girl. John looks at her like he doesn't believe her. He tells her that he has a feeling; he was just like her when he was her age. Aranza asks him what he means when he says that he was just like her.

John says that he had her, spunkiness, spontaneity, and sneakiness. Aranza says that she will keep out of their relationships because it isn't any of her business, and her involvement will only make things more complicated. She then adds that she wouldn't risk Isabella or Marianna taking their frustrations out on the children.

Meanwhile, at Antonio's house, Aurelio is playing with his nephew, when Isabella comes into the room. She gives him scathing looks, and goes and stands near him. Isabella goes straight to the point and asks him why he came. Aurelio looks at her, straight in the eye, and says he came to visit his cousin and nephew. Isabella tells him that she isn't an idiot and knows that he is there as Gina's spy. All this time, Aurelio is still looking at her. He tells her, that she is being ridiculous.

He says that yes he does think that Gina and Antonio belong together, but he doesn't intend to interfere, in what isn't his business. He adds that he wants to get closer to Antonio and Ricardo. Isabella remembers her earlier conversation with Antonio, where he didn't bother to deny, that he loved Gina.

She then tells herself, that Aurelio has the same traits of bluntness as the rest of his family. She then tells Aurelio that she is watching him, and leaves. Aurelio tells himself that she is a strange woman, because she wasn't even concerned with her son, and didn't even check up on him. He shakes his head and continues playing with Ricardo.

Back at the mental hospital,

John gets serious and asks Aranza if either Marianna or Isabella were capable of harming their children. Aranza says that she doesn't know, but given, what they have done in the past she doesn't know what to think. He looks a little worried, so she tells him to relax because she will handle it. His face then softens. Aranza then tells herself that, if her father was alive, he would be just like John, and that he would even be the same age. John still looks at her and then asks her what is bothering her this time.

She says that she was just thinking about her father. She says that it still pains her, that she never met him. He puts an arm around her and she starts to cry. Aranza says that maybe her life would have been better off. She adds that she doesn't know what it means to have a parent who loves her because her father died, and her mother has never loved her. John says that for what God took away he gave her, a cousin who loves her, and Antonio who is like an older brother to her.

He then adds that God brought Hector and Gina into her life, as well as the rest of their family. Aranza stops crying and says that she, is, glad for all of that, and she loves and respects Antonio but she would have loved to have her father around or to have a father figure. She says that she has no one to walk her down the aisle. She adds that Carlos never liked her because she was always a reminder of her father, and she was an heiress to the fortune, he and her mother eventually stole.