Unknowingly His

Little Princess

Issabella woke up the next day, feeling drained of all energy. She contemplated whether everything Tiffany, Dale and Gabriella were doing for her was worth it. To be honest, after last night's encounter, she reconsidered having an abortion.

"Are you up Issa?"

She was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"I am Gabi, I'll be out in a few minutes."

"That's great. I prepared breakfast."

With that, Gabriella left. Issabella was thrilled to know that Gabriella was in a good mood today and last night's silence was probably just because she was tired.

She quickly went to take her bath and joined Gabriella downstairs. Gabriella had prepared Japanese pancakes and had set aside a plate of scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee.

"I didn't know you could eat pancakes with eggs "

She commented.

"You have my weird cravings to thank for that. You should try it though. I promise you'll want more."

True to Gabriella's words, she couldn't get enough. She couldn't find the right words to explain the taste. It was heavenly. Gabriella was thrilled with Issabella's reaction. She gave a loud cheer for herself and Issabella clapped for Gabi's amazing dish.

"So, how was your night?"

Gabriella asked. She waited for Issabella to answer and as she studied Issabella's facial expression, she saw a break in her composure. She was hiding something. Regardless, she gave the same answer she had given the morning before.

"It was alright, I slept well."

She said as she forced a smile.

"Did you sleep well Gabi?"

She asked as she tried to fill her mouth with food to avoid Gabriella's gaze.

" I didn't go out with my friends the night before yesterday"

Gabriella announced. She studied Issabella's reaction, she slowly chewed on her food and nodded with a blank expression.

"I heard you screaming that night and I decided to ask you in the morning, but when you lied to me, I figured it was just a nightmare, and you didn't want to talk about it, so I made up the story about not being around, so that you could relax. But it happened again last night, and I'm worried. "

Issabella's eyes had widened and they were moist. She still stared silently at Gabriella.

"I noticed how you reacted when Teddy touched you. Even though you tried your best to conceal it. I must admit, your composure is almost flawless. Talk to me Issa. "

Issabella had her face buried in her hands and was sobbing uncontrollably. Gabriella rushed to her side to comfort her. She gently stroked her hair till Issabella calmed down a bit. She didn't want to pressure her into anything, but she couldn't sit back and watch as she silently suffered.

"I was abused "

Issabella started . It wasn't at all what Gabriella was expecting, but she listened patiently as Issabella narrated everything to her.

" I'm so sorry, Issabella. Wait, is that man the father of your baby? Tiffany told me that you were expecting a baby."

Issabella nodded and proceeded to tell Gabriella about how she was stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to figure out if she should keep the baby or not. There were moments when she felt like giving birth and signing the baby up for adoption, and moments when she thought of terminating her pregnancy, and, of course, there were the peaceful moments when she thought about keeping the baby and nurturing it with all of her love.

"I'm so lost Gabriella, I don't know what to do."

She concluded.

"Well, if you ask me, I think you should keep the baby. It's too far grown for you to have an abortion now. You might die in the process. So why don't you keep the baby, and from now till the baby is born, you can decide if you're going to give it up for adoption or raise the baby. What do you think?"

Gabriella asked .

"Well, I think you're right. "

Isabella answered after pondering what Gabriella had just said.

"Well, of course I'm right. I am very smart. "

Gabriella responded. Her response made Issabella laugh. And Gabriella was pleased to hear that cute and heart-warming laughter.

"Yeah you're smart. Now you know my secret. Tell me yours."

"Mine? I don't have any secrets. I'm an open book."

"You are indeed an open book. Because it's quite obvious you like women."

Isabella said with a smile. Gabriella gasped.

"Okay, okay, you caught me, what gave me away?"

"I browsed through your book collection last night when I couldn't sleep. I read a few. Does Dale know?"

"No, my big brother doesn't know. I don't know how he'll take it. "

"He'll take it like a grown man who loves his sister should. Don't worry."

Gabriella smiled and hugged Issabella.

For a long while, everything was perfect. Gabriella had introduced Issabella to her girlfriend. They had sleep

overs a couple of times, and they went baby shopping most of the time.

Issabella had stopped working when her pregnancy was eight months and a week along. She had decided to quit working at the bar to focus on her baby's arrival. She had also decided to look for another job. Nothing tedious, something domestic, maybe housekeeping? Or babysitting? Anything that would allow her to spend more time with her baby.

As time went on, she realized that there was no way she could bring herself to give the baby away. Her affection for her child grew more and more each day, then the day finally arrived when she would hold her baby in her arms.

"Hang in there baby, GABRIELLA!!"

Issabella screamed as she tried to get herself down the stairs. Gabriella had been asleep when her name was yelled out. The yell was followed by the sound of shattered glass. She got out of bed and the first thing she did was to grab the gun she kept hidden under her bed.

"Gabriella! "

The scream came again. She hurried out of the room with the gun in hand. She met Issabella on the stairs and, with a gun aimed at her, she screamed again and involuntarily pushed. She could feel the baby making its way out.

"Oh, I'm sorry Issa."

She stuffed the gun elsewhere and assisted her friend to the hospital as fast as she could. The baby's head was already out by the time the doctors were ready to deliver the baby.

"Oh, we got an inpatient baby here. You're doing good miss, just keep breathing and push."

It's not like she had a choice. Gabriella had already scared the baby out midway. Between labored breaths and excruciating pain, she pushed the rest of her baby out of her after seven painful attempts.

"Oh, there she is . She's beautiful. "

Issabella had thought about what it would be like to give the baby away on her way to the hospital. Yes, uncertainty had found its way back to her as her contractions deepened and the only thing she could think of was the pain she felt at the moment, but as she finally held the baby in her arms and heard the baby's soft cries, she knew in her heart that no part of the baby was as dark as her father and that she would love the baby with all her heart.

"She's beautiful Issa "

Gabriella finally said.

"She is, isn't she? Well, thank you for helping me deliver her quickly."

Gabriella's cheeks reddened before she laughed and apologized after explaining why she had a gun pointed at her. Issabella assured her that everything was alright and apologized for scaring Gabriella like that.

"You look terrible, Tiffany should see this "

Before Isabella could protest, Gabriella had already started taking pictures and sending them to Tiffany. Tiffany face timed her a few seconds later.

"Jesus Issa, you look awful."

Tiffany teased before congratulating her friend.

"Dale and I will come over as soon as we can. "

As painful as childbirth was, it was rewarding as well. Issabella couldn't get enough of her baby. There was not a single moment where she saw any trace of her dispicable father. All she saw when she looked at her baby was a miracle.

Tiffany and Dale had come to visit as promised, and even they couldn't get enough of the cute baby.

"So, what will you name her?"

Dale asked.

"Luna. I'll name her Luna."

"After the moon?"

"Yes . "

Issabella answered. Then she thanked Gabriella and Dale for helping her out even though they had no reason to and Tiffany, for not giving up on her and giving her life a new meaning.

"I have an announcement to make."

Gabriella announced out of the blue. Tiffany was the first to look up at her, before Dale and Issabella did. Issabella knew what was coming, and she smiled at Gabriella, assuring her that everything would be alright.

"Okay, we're listening to you Gabi."

Dale said. Gabriella swallowed hard and chose her words carefully. She didn't want to upset her only brother. She looked at Issabella again and her smile encouraged her.

"Well, uuhh... family, that includes you too, Issabella, and, of course, Luna. I have to tell you something. I have been.... Well I have...how do I say this?"

She started tearing up. She had stayed up all night preparing the coming-out speech. She didn't realize it would be this difficult. She looked at her brother's face. He was confused and almost worried. She closed her eyes and mustered the courage to say it.

Squeezing her eyes shut, and balling up her fists, she announced that she was seeing someone.

"I'm seeing someone, and that someone is a girl. That is because I'm gay. "

She declared, her eyes were still shut. She was expecting Dale to exclaim in disbelief by now, but she felt her brother's arms around her. Then he quietly whispered.

"I know Gabi."

"What?"

"I know, it was quite obvious. " You never had any boyfriends, you hated all your female friends after some time for whatever reason, and I saw you kiss your girlfriend on campus one time when I came to surprise you. "

"What? " Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I wanted you to come to me in your own time. I'm glad you finally feel safe enough to tell me. You're very brave, Gabi. And nothing would make me love you less."

"Oh, thank you, Derek. I love you too"

It was a beautiful sight. Everything was just perfect, but they couldn't live in that moment forever. Dale and Tiffany had to leave, but of course, not before meeting Gabriella's girlfriend for a cup of coffee. With the arrival of her little princess, everything was just right.