When Where and How to Love

Chapter 84. To blow or not to blow, that is the question

Once Juliana had announced her niece's blood results, the little lion had not stopped crying. Her aunts could only look at each other while trying to calm the girl down. Every time the crying seemed to stop and Valentina tried to bring up the subject of her pregnancy, all she could manage to say was "Mommmywillkkkillmee..." and the crying returned with more force.

While Valentina patiently allowed the young woman to unload, Juliana had put their granddaughter to bed, placing her into Jules's old crib before re-joining her wife and niece in the living room.

"Gaby... please darling," Valentina asked. "I want us to talk, but if you keep crying that won't be possible," she insisted. "I know what you're going through, believe me, I know!" The blonde looked at her wife and was able read the feelings swirling in her eyes.

The brown eyes Valentina fell more in love with every day, were a mixture of sadness for watching the little lion suffer, helplessness for being unable to do anything, and... and... happiness? Oh God! Valentina thought, her wife was happy about her niece's pregnancy.

Valentina examined Juliana's face confirming her thoughts. Her wife was addicted to babies, Juliana was probably thinking which animal would be perfect for the child growing inside Gaby. God! This family is becoming a zoo! She told herself. Enough! I have to talk to Juliana; we cannot add anymore animal names. Names I'm not allowed to use, this has to stop. I WANT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION! I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOUT THE NAME OF A FUCKING ANIMAL WITHOUT IT BEING BANNED!

"VALENTINA!" Her wife's scream shook her from her thoughts.

When the blonde looked down, she found a pair of green eyes similar to Lauren's staring up at her. Although Gaby had stopped crying, Valentina could still see the tears gathering on her lashes.

"Honey," Valentina spoke, "I went through the same thing, and I know exactly how you feel. And I know that above all else, you feel alone and desperate because you dont know what to do," she smiled as her fingers cleaned away the girls tears that had begun to fall again.

The photographer raised her head to meet the intense gaze of her wife. With the same sweetness she had used to remove the tear from her niece's face, she gently ran her thumb over her wife's cheek. She could see the sadness in Juliana's gaze. Concern mixed with longing as she wished she could've been there to love and protect Valentina and baby Kara.

"Then tell me what I have to do, please!" The little lion sat upright on the sofa. "Tell me what I have to do, because I'm so scared!" she begged, dropping her head into her hands.

"Gaby..." Valentina tried to calm her.

"I'M ONLY SEVENTEEN!" She screamed, hitting the table, displaying her latin temper. "I WANT TO DANCE! I WANT TO GO OUT WITH MY FRIENDS! I WANT TO BE A CHEERLEADER! I WANT TO GO TO UNIVERSITY!..." The tears returned.

Valentina pulled her back into her arms. "And you will be able to do all that, Gaby. I promise!" Valentina rubbed her back as she consoled her. "Look at my life."

"Mom says you were a bitter old woman before meeting Aunt Juls," Gaby said, wiping her nose on the back of her hand.

Valentina rolled her eyes, her best friend would say something like that. "Your mother likes to exaggerate..."

"And that you only went out with stupid, skinny models who didn't know how to please you," she added.

Valentina could feel her wife's ego growing by the second, she glanced up to find an irritatingly proud smile on Juliana's face.

"Gaby..."

"Mommy says that you're happy now because Aunt Juls is here to give you what you need every day and night, in every corner of your house, in my house, in the houses of your other friends, the park, the car, the vacation home..."