Taking a Chance

Chapter 20

Gabrielle was sitting at her dining room table with her laptop and her bills piled up all around her. She never should have bought the condo. Of course she fell in love with it at first sight, how could she not with the floor to ceiling windows throughout the great room, the gourmet kitchen that she rarely used and more space than she ever could imagine. It was the exact opposite from where she grew up and she bought it without thinking of the consequences.

She couldn't afford it, especially after they gave the vice president position that she deserved to that brown-nosing Neil Stoddard. It should have been hers without question as her work was exceptional and innovative. Neil's wasn't.

That's when she finally realized that she worked for a company that had the old fashion boys' club mentality. She deserved that promotion and Neil did not. It was a huge blow to her ego.

By the time she found out Neil got the job, Gabrielle had already moved in. Now eighteen months later she was paying the price. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed to sell the apartment and get a lesser expensive place. That would make her life so much easier and she could start to pay off more on her credit cards. It was time to get her life in order.

The phone rang startling her for a second. Her first thought was, "Maybe it's Daryl?" Caller ID told her otherwise, it was Michonne. Her heart sank again.

"Hey," she answered somberly.

"Promise me you won't yell at me until you've heard everything," Michonne said.

"What did you do?"

"You have to promise me first, Gabby."

"Fine," Gabrielle replied. "Now spill."

"I talked to Daryl."

Michonne had to pull the phone away from her ear because Gabby screamed her name so loud.

'You promised to listen first and yell afterwards, Gabrielle Parsons so unless you don't want to know what Mr. Dixon had to say..."

Leave it to Michonne to put herself in the middle of her love life. Gabrielle moved over to her sofa to lie down, as she knew this was not going to be good. "You had no business butting in Michonne, he's going to think I sent you there...but...but what did he say?" Gabrielle's heart started to beat faster.

Michonne explained how his absence had nothing to do with his feelings for her, but more so it was about the difference in their lives. He felt he couldn't compete with how she lived and he had convinced himself that she would never want a guy that lived paycheck to paycheck and didn't that live in a fancy high rise.

"Really?" was all Gabby could say. What about their connection? Didn't that account for anything?

"Yes and to tell you the truth Gab, he's right. What has he seen from you so far? Your designer luggage cost more than his monthly rent, you flew first class to Las Vegas, and your beautiful condo makes his small apartment feel like a rundown shack. Which incidentally, he did grow up in." The two of them needed to compromise, Gabby more than Daryl and Michonne had to get her to see that.

"It's not your fault that you have a good job and make really good money, even though you spend it as fast as it comes in. I'm so proud on how much you have accomplished. But you need to see it from his point of view. He's also worked hard to get where he is. He never went to college like we did and does the one thing he's really good at and actually likes, but being a mechanic doesn't pay well. He was dragged down by his loyalty to his brother for most of his life, until he was finally able to break free. He had everything going against him from day one, more than you did and now he's doing the best he's ever done. Then suddenly through some crazy fate, you two end up together. He saw your life and knows he can't give you that. He's afraid you'll stick with him for a while, but eventually realize he's not good enough for you. This is him protecting himself and his heart. Daryl doesn't love easily, but I know he loves you."

"If you want him, really want him and your marriage to work, you need to make sure you are ready for the changes it will involve. Am I making any sense?" Michonne was hoping Gabby heard what she was trying to tell her. Gabby had to drop the diva attitude she had at times and go back to being the girl she used to know. She couldn't live like she was in Atlanta and keep Daryl. It wouldn't work.

"He loves me?" Gabby asked softly. The hesitation in her voice was clearly evident.

"He didn't say it, but I saw it in his eyes. I know he does, but is that enough for you?"

Gabrielle let Michonne in on a few things she had already decided about before she called. "Just before you called I decided that I need to sell this place. It's just too much. Hopefully, I can make enough out of the sale for a down payment for something smaller. That's a start. Once I have more day to day money, I can pay down my bills. If we had two incomes coming in, Daryl and I could live better than he does now, but we don't have to live like I do. I'm not sure I want this life anymore." Then she asked the one question that she was dying to hear the answer to. "Is he going to call me?"

"I hope so, but I honestly don't know Gab. He's conflicted," Michonne told her. "Why don't you call him after you figure out what you want to do?"

"I know what I want. I want him, but I think I understand where he's coming from. But Michonne he doesn't answer my calls. What can I do?"

Michonne took a deep breath. God, she hoped she wasn't going to regret this. "I'm going to text you his address. But promise me one thing first."

"Anything!"

"That you take time to reevaluate your life and understand exactly what you are getting into. Next to Rick, you two are the most important people in my life and I don't want to see you hurt each other," Michonne told her.

Gabrielle closed her eyes for a moment. She could work with this. She was ready to change her life and she had to convince Daryl to be a part of it. "Michonne I totally get you and I agree. I was already thinking about the changes I need to make before you called. Do I love living in my condo, hell yeah. But do I need to live here to be happy? No way. What good is having all this stuff if I can't afford it and I don't have anyone to share it with?"

"I think your head is going in the right direction Gabs. Let me know what happens, okay?"

"I will," she told her. "Michy?"

Michonne smiled at her old nickname. "Yes, Gabs?"

"You're the best. Thank you."

"Any time, Gabs, any time." Michonne hung up and knew that she had done all that she could. She hoped they both realized how perfect they were for each other even though they weren't exactly living the same life. Deep down inside she knew they would work, they both just had to realize that too.

Gabrielle lay on her sofa thinking for hours. Was she ready for her life to change as much as it needed to? She had worked hard to get where she was, but she knew she wasn't appreciated, not getting that promotion proved that. She wasn't ready to deal with her job right now, there was enough on her plate as it was.

Monday she would call the real estate agent that sold her the condo and talk to her about listing it. She also would stop unnecessarily spending the money she didn't have right now. Gabrielle would give Daryl a little time to come to the right decision or she would make it for him. They were already married, so it was her right as his wife to tell him what was best for him, wasn't it? That made her laugh for the first time in days.

Another thought popped into her head. Maybe she'd start the paperwork to change her name. Gabrielle Dixon did sound real nice.