When it rains

Chapter 5

Hours later, Charmain sat alone on her sofa, her eyes fixed on the front door. She closed her eyes, allowing her mind to drift back to a time when she and Gabriel celebrated their first anniversary.

The restaurant's soft, dimly lit ambiance contrasted sharply with the harsh memories that followed. Gabriel, the consummate gentleman, had wined and dined her at the most opulent restaurant she had ever seen. Laughter and clinking wine glasses filled the air as they savored every moment together.

As they left the restaurant, their footsteps echoed in the empty alley. Suddenly, four menacing figures, cloaked in hoodies, emerged from the shadows, encircling them like a pack of blood thirsty wolves, hunting an unaware prey. Panic gripped her, but what terrified her the most was the vulnerability she saw in Gabriel's eyes.

In the midst of the flashback, Charmain recalled Gabriel's desperate plea from that night, 'please take my watch, and let us go.' As she relived the past, the memories of their encounter with the menacing figures rushed back to her.

In reply to Gabriel's plea, the tallest of the thugs, a cruel smirk on his face, taunted Gabriel mercilessly. "I don't know why they speak of you so highly, angel," he sneered. "You're nothing but a pathetic baby without Mr. , being there to wipe your nose. Let's start with your money, then maybe we'll take you and your girlfriend's fancy clothes and..."

Before the thug could finish his sentence, Gabriel transformed. One moment Gabriel was Bruce banner the next he was like the hulk, inflicting even more pain than Mr. Hyde had wreaked on his victims. In the blink of an eye, the timid lover became a fierce protector. His fists moved with astonishing speed, landing powerful blows that sent the attackers reeling. Charmain watched in astonishment as her gentle boyfriend turned into a force of nature.

Gabriel incapacitated the thugs one by one, his movements precise and ruthless, as if he were a different person altogether. His eyes, once filled with fear, were now burning with ferocity and determination.

Once the attackers lay defeated, in a pile of blood, broken bones and broken teeth, Gabriel took her hand, leading her back to the car. Charmain's bewilderment and fear were replaced with a newfound curiosity about the man she thought she knew. Her initial thoughts were to leave Gabriel. Sure, she appreciated his protection in that terrible situation, but the detached cold way he inflicted pain and violence was too much for her. If he hadn't opened up to her right there and then, there would not have been a her and him past that point. Quite simply, him becoming a little bit more like an open book, saved their relationship, because she was able to understand, and empathize why he was able to be so vicious. He had a lot of emotional baggage from child hood that he lugged around everywhere like a bag lady, instead of releasing the trauma filled bags which were breaking his back, and tormenting his mind and soul.

The scene shifted, and Charmain found herself reliving the day her father had issued his ultimatum. The ultimatum that would ultimately force her to choose between her family and Gabriel.

These memories resurfaced, leaving Charmain with a pit in her stomach. She questioned her decisions and wondered how her father had seen through Gabriel's façade when she couldn't. Yet, each time she had chosen Gabriel, despite the doubts that lingered.

Charmain's mind returned to the present and thought about how she was going to tell Gabriel the news about the baby. A part of her missed the days before she knew about Gabriel's baggage, because since she knew about it, apart of it became her burden to bear. He never asked her to carry some of the load. However, whenever she needed to say or do something that concerned him, she needed to take it into consideration and this was draining. Her love for him, compelled her to always try to lighten his consignment, but this, like it currently was doing, came at an immense cost.