Maria and Benji were walking along the pier when Benji commented on wanting to see his Uncle Ricardo. The loft was only a few minutes away so she decided to go see him. Besides, Maria had been terribly worried about him since the wedding. Ricardo was trying to show that he was taking Gabi's absence in stride, but Maria knew deep inside that he was falling apart. Only the investigation into Francesca's murder was keeping his mind off Gabi. Maria was grateful for that. As Maria and Benji approach the door, Maria looks into the window of the door and notices Ricardo slumped on the floor, holding a pillow to his face. From her view of him, she can tell that he is crying. He seems to be watching something on the television set, but she is too far to see what it is. Benji tugs on Maria's shirt trying to get her attention but Maria is transfixed on her brother. Something is wrong. Terribly wrong. Maria gets a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she continues to observe her brother's actions. Her attention is suddenly diverted as she sees Carmen rushing up the stairs to the loft.

"Mija, your brother, I think he has the tape. How I don't know, but he has the tape. We have to stop him from watc……..----"

Carmen realizes she has given herself away as she sees Maria's face cloud over in anguish. Does her daughter know about Antonio and Gabi? My GOD!! Carmen thinks how can this all be happening. Maria is stunned. Her mother knew. She knew all along. She quickly gathers herself together and takes control of the situation.

"Mama, I don't know exactly what you know, but I'm going to take a guess and assume you know about Antonio and Gabi. Do you?"

Carmen is silent at first. Looking intently at her daughter. Carmen realizes that Maria knows as well. God help them all, Carmen thinks. "Yes, I know Antonio betrayed his brother with that woman. I know."

Maria looks up at the sky and shuts her eyes. She can't believe this is happening. Benji is confused and scared. He senses something is not right and begs his mother to take him home. Maria looks down on her little boy and then over to the figment of her brother, who is crying like a little boy, her heart breaks. She regains her composure and takes a deep breath.

"Dios mio, look at him Maria! I have to see my son! Let me by!" Carmen says.

Maria grabs her mother by the shoulders and gently tries to explain what needs to be done.

"Mama, I want you to listen for once. I am going to go in there. I want you take your grandson to your home and watch him until I get there." Carmen begins to protest but Maria cuts her off immediately. " MAMA!! PLEASE! You are not the person he will be able to handle right now. I know you did what you thought was best. I still don't fully understand how you managed to get that tape but by you going in there, you will only make things worse. Mama, I love you and I want you to trust me on this. Let me comfort him as I know how. Let me console his broken heart. As much as he loves you, he won't be able to handle you right now. He's ready to go over the edge, can't you see that? Look at him! Will you be able to pull him through this? Please Mama. Take Benji home and I'll be by when I can. Please understand." Maria is doused in tears as she finishes.

Carmen can only stare at her daughter, awestruck at what she has just said. The words sink in very gradually as Carmen realizes her daughter is right. She wants desperately to comfort her heartbroken son but she is not the right person at this moment. Once he finds out what she has done, she will lose her son forever. The die has been cast and nothing could change that. For the first time, Carmen feels remorse and regret. What has she done? She has helped in hurting her own son. The realization of the situation finally hits her. She looks over at her boy. Through the mist of her tears, she blows him a kiss and asks for his forgiveness. "Perdoname, hijo, perdoname". She then cups Maria's face in her hands and kisses her on the forehead. Finally, before she grabs her grandson, she gives Maria the sign of the cross. Maria and Carmen gently look at each other before Carmen and Benji walk down the stairs. Maria watches them leave before placing her hand on the knob. She breathes out twice before entering. As she enters the loft, she gets a clear picture of what is on the screen. It is of Gabi and Antonio making love. She gasps at the video on the screen and slowly goes over to turn it off. She presses the stop button and turns to look at her brother. The look on his face overwhelms her in sadness. He is curled up like a little boy, clutching a pillow to his cheek. His face is completely tear stained and his eyes are bloodshot red. He is still staring blankly at the empty screen where the video was playing only a second before. He is distraught and oblivious to her presence. Maria bends down next to him, directly in front of him, trying to catch his eyes with hers. She touches his cheek and he finally acknowledges her. Maria has never seen her big brother look so lost before. He stares into her eyes trying desperately to find an answer to all of this madness. She reads him well. He is confused, bewildered, and above all, destroyed.

"Why? Maria, why? You knew, didn't you? I-I…..how could he do this to me? Maria, please tell me why?" Ricardo's voice is nothing but a murmur, so soft and so innocent in nature.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Ricardo. Let me hold you, let me help you. I owe you that. Let out your pain, and then I can help you try to make sense of all of this. Ric---"

He didn't let her finish. He quickly went to hug her, startling Maria by his actions. He needed his sister to hold him. He couldn't resolve this now, he just needed his sister to hold him. So Maria did. She held her brother tightly……

Antonio waited for Gabi to respond to what he had just said. He knew what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear her say that she was happy that he had come to that decision. That now she could accept him and not run from him. He needed to hear that or else his world be turned upside down. Nothing mattered to him more at that moment than for Gabi to accept him. He was willing to lose his brother. As much as that pained him, he could not live without her. Gabi was his life, she was such a part of his soul, he couldn't imagine ever being rid of her. He hoped that his eyes relayed all that he was thinking because he could not get the words out. He was scared to death. He had no idea where his life would be if Gabi did not let him into her life as more than what they had been up until now. He waited for her to say something.

"Gabi, please tell me this ok. Tell me you want me as much now as you wanted me in the cave in. I don't know how I'll be able to accept not having Ricardo in my life, but I know that I can't deny what you do to me anymore. I love you, Gabriella. I love you with all my heart and soul. I love being a priest, but I love you more. I am willing to sacrifice everything for you. All you have to say is yes and I'm yours. There will be no regrets on my part. I can no longer be a priest, much as I love it. My vows are not strong anymore. I love God and I know he understands. I recognize that. My only mistake was not being honest from the beginning. Not to you, not to Ricardo, and not to myself. Tell me you want this and we can be together, please, give me this gift." Antonio is drained and desperately awaits her answer.

He gets one. But Gabi communicates it without words. Throughout the entire time he was declaring his love and intentions to her, she could not look at him. She was looking and touching a ring on her right hand index finger, crying all the while. His heart stops again as he comes to terms with what is transpiring. He chokes back his tears and forces himself to gently grab her chin so she can look at him. Her eyes see his finally and one fresh tear falls onto her cheek. Antonio gently wipes it away with his finger and leans in to kiss her. Gabi pulls back slowly and looks away. That's when it he knows he's lost her.

"Antonio…..Antonio", Gabi chokes on her tears. "You are my best friend and I will always love you. I don't regret what we shared, it will always be close to my heart. You have been so understanding and compassionate, all the things I never really knew existed. You have helped in making me realize I can be good. That I am worthy to be a human being. You and Ricardo saved me. But one can't control one's heart. I loved you more than as just my friend and I don't regret having showed you. But I was confused. I didn't know what I really wanted and for that I am SO sorry. Please forgive me." Gabi makes his look at her. " Antonio, please forgive me".

Antonio needs a clear cut answer. The past few months he and Gabi have done nothing but beat around the bush on their feelings. He wanted to definitive answer once and for all. He deserved that.

"Gabi, who do you want? Once and for all, who do you really love with all of your heart?" Antonio holds his breath.

Gabi looks into his eyes, once again fully engrossed in tears. She has never been more sure in her life about what she has wanted. There was no turning back anymore and God knows, she didn't want to turn back. Very quietly and confidently, she gave him her answer.

"I want Ricardo."

Antonio's soul dropped, as he continued to look into her lovely face. He knew she meant it, she was finally sure of what she wanted and with who. He admired her for that as much as he was dying inside. Without speaking, Antonio and Gabi gravitated towards each other and they held one another in each other's arms. They had been through so much together and now closure could begin.