Brother's Girl✔️

Cincuenta y seis

Gabriel's POV

"Am I even doing this right?" Dominique asked. I turned to see to what she was referring to. We were renovating the building our self; we had the place cleaned up and now we were just adding some finishing touches. We were repainting it and adding the things such as the chairs. We had gotten the license and in two weeks time, she would be starting her dream. I looked over to see her on a ladder trying to paint the wall.

"Yes, you are," I answered her questioned. She gave me a quick smile and continued painting. I went back to my work hammering down the nail. Veronica came down running down the stairs, she went to her mom putting some paint in her hand. "Vee, what did we say about touching the paint?" I questioned. She ignored me and walked towards me passing the paint on my face, she then started laughing. "Okay, that's it," I told her. I walked to the paint also and passed some on her face also. She started laughing, Dominique came down the ladder and Veronica threw some paint on her. 

"Guys," she groaned. I started laughing, Veronica did not stop either. It had turned into a paint war until Dominique yelled for us to stop. "I am hungry, I am getting something to eat," she said. She took out the jumpsuit she had put on to cover her clothes off. "Any requests?" She asked us both. 

"Yes, can you get me some chicken and beans with white rice from Pollo Tropical?" I questioned. She nodded her head writing it down on her phone. 

"What about you Vee?" She asked Veronica. 

"Dad is picking me up, remember?" She asked in her sweet voice, "I am eating with dad," Dominique nodded her head and grabbed her keys from the small table we had put in front of the door. 

"Be back in a few," she said. I nodded my head. "Clean yourself up," she told Veronica before she exited the door. Veronica groaned but got up going up the stairs. Upstairs was already down and had a bathroom. I continued hammering down the wood I was putting in place. Just then I heard a knock on the door, Dominique must have forgotten something. I put the hammer down and walked to the door. I opened the door in a quick motion hoping it was Dominique, but it was Matteo.

I thought he was going to pick up Veronica later on today. We hadn't talked to each other in weeks after what happened. I did not blame him, I knew he now hated me. I tried to avoid him ever since Dominique moved in with me. I knew it must have killed him. Dominique told me he was having a baby with Erika; that was not a big surprise. I was surprised he had not gotten her pregnant before now. It hurt that the person I used to speak to every day was no longer on speaking terms with me. 

I saw things around reminding me of him. I remember picking up my phone once to text him a picture of what I saw while I was at a store. I knew it would make him laugh because it surely made me. What hurt most was the fact that last week was Ella's death anniversary and I  could not call him nor text him. It was always a hard time for us both no one understanding why we were so sad. Every time the date pass, it seems like she had just died. 

Her pale body on the bed was all both of us could remember. We usually spent the time together talking and remembering the good memories of her, but I did not have him to do that last week. I simply took the night off and smoked until I could no longer remember my name. I felt on cloud nine and it was fine because it made me forget about Ella.  

In addition to him not speaking with me, my mother also stopped talking to me. She said it hurts too much and she cannot believe that she gave birth to me. My dad did not care; I think it was because he knew and he got some time to deal with it or maybe it's simply because I am his son after all. He had just shrugged his shoulders and said whatever. My mom, on the other hand, took it to heart; she literally broke down into tears when she found out. She could not believe the words that came out of my mouth; she even asked how could I after all Matteo has done for me?

I shook my head trying to get these painful memories out of my head. I looked across the door to still see Matteo standing over there his hands inside his pockets. He had not shaved his beard and his hair was grown out more than usual. The old me would have made fun of him asking if he was an animal to have all of this hair on his face despite him looking good with it. I sighed and opened my mouth to say something; I had to say something. He cut me before I even had a chance to get the words out, "is Dominique here?" Is all he asked. 

"No, she um... went to-"

"Where's Veronica?" He questioned cutting me off again. I pointed inside knowing if I had begun to talk he would have cut me again. He pushed passed me and walked inside. He had been here before when I was not here of course. I guess he had a right to know the place inside out since his daughter did spend a lot of time here instead of our apartment. He ran up the stairs, after a few he can back down with Veronica. 

"Bye uncle Gabbie," Veronica gave me a hug. Matteo went outside waiting for her, "we can play with the paint some more tomorrow," she winked her eyes. I laughed hugging her back. 

"Veronica, let's go!" Matteo yelled making Veronica startle. Even I startled by how harsh his voice sounded.

"Go," I told her, "have fun," she smiled and went out the door. I washed as she ran to her dad and they walked to his car. I closed the door and let out a deep breath. It was never going to get better between us; I knew that, but still part of me was hoping he would come to accept Dominique and I's relationship. The door opened after a few minutes and Dominique walked in. 

"I got your food, you didn't say which sauce you wanted so I got you the spicy poyo poyo with the curry mustard," I smiled. These were my favorite sauce, she smiled back, "did Matteo come already?" She asked. I nodded my head, "what happened?"

"Nothing," I answered with a smile. I wish something would have happened. She shrugged her shoulders and handed me my food. I was not going to lie, I questioned my decision every day asking if she was worth it all. However, these were the moments that I knew she was worth it all. The moments she knew something as basic as what my favorite sauces are. It was the simplest thing, but it proved that she was worth it all. She was worth my brother hating me, my mother hoping I wasn't her son. She was worth it all.