Maria returned to the Ricardo's loft later that afternoon, wanting to see if her brother was back home and resting. That was what he really needed to do at this point. She felt hopeless at not being able to help him more. As the day had progressed, Maria kept feeling worse for having not told Ricardo. But then she would go back to telling herself that if she had said anything, then she would have betrayed Antonio. For a split second, she became terribly upset with Antonio. He caused this. Then Maria would let those feelings immediately go. She couldn't think that way. Her brothers were going to need her a great deal once they faced each other. She was frightened to think what might possibly happen. Whenever a mental picture entered her mind of the two of them facing off, Maria got a sick feeling in her stomach and she would try and shake it off. She approached his door and noticed it was open. Inside, she saw her mother sitting on the edge of the bed, with what apparently looked like a photograph she was holding in her hands. Maria walked over to her mother curiously to see what she was holding. She knelt beside her mother and gently put her hand on Carmen's shoulder.

"Mama?…….Mama are you ok?" Maria was looking at her mother worriedly. Carmen was obviously concentrating very hard on the picture. Maria looked over and saw a picture of Antonio and Ricardo when they were 8 and 12 years old. Both were in their baseball uniforms and had their arms around each others shoulders. They smiled innocently without a care in the world. By looking at the picture, you would get the impression that they were true brothers in every sense of the word. They had been…..they were still.

"I remember that day, Maria. It was picture day and Ricardo was upset because he had pitched that earlier on and given up a homerun. He thought that was the end of his baseball career." Carmen laughed gently, but was on the verge of tears, remembering the day perfectly. "I remember Ricardo waiting on the curb by the baseball field with his chin in his hands. Antonio then walked up to him and sat right next to him, not saying a word, just sitting by his brother. Antonio then pulled out a coin and started playing with it. Making it disappear and reappear. Ricardo looked over and smiled. Antonio always knew how to get his brother back in spirit. The two shared such a bond. A connection that was always unbreakable….until now." At this point, Carmen let her tears flow and Maria simply held her other hand and soothed while her mother continued. "I went to them after having observed such a tender moment and they were talking like they always would. Ricardo then pulled Antonio up and he asked me to take a picture of him and his brother. So I did. The day was perfect and our their lives were simply sweet and innocent. So, yes, it was a good day. A day I never forgot."

Maria is touched by this story. Her family is so close. What Carmen had just relived was one of many such wonderful memories that Ricardo and Antonio had shared. To think that they would never create memories like that again, devastated her. She looked up at her mother again, just now realizing that Ricardo was not there.

"Mama? Did you see Ricardo or did you just walk in?" Maria had a puzzled look on her face.

"Do you know someone in Texas?" Carmen asked out of the blue. It was a question she seemed to know the answer to already.

"Texas?" Maria had a look of confusion on her face. Why would her mother ask about Texas? Maria looked at her mother and she tried to understand what she was getting at. She was completely confused and didn't know what her mother wanted to tell her. Carmen looked at her daughter and simply told her what she already had figured out.

"Ricardo went to find Gabi……."

Night was falling as Gabi and Antonio touched down in LAX Airport. After their conversation over breakfast, they had decided to head back to Sunset Beach as quickly as possible. Whereas Gabi was scared to death of facing Ricardo before, now she couldn't wait to see him. The anticipation was so great that she ended up getting sick on the airplane caused by all the turbulance. Antonio was just as nervous if not more than Gabi. Confronting Ricardo was going to be the hardest thing he ever had to do. He and Gabi hardly spoke during the 3 hour flight. Both were lost in their own thoughts of what was to happen. Each had gone over hundreds of different scenarios, good and bad. As the plane reached the gate, Gabi and Antonio and looked at one another and smiled nervously. Antonio held up his left hand and Gabi her right as they linked them together to reassure each other. This was right. It felt right. The doors opened and Gabi and Antonio got up from their seats, hand and hand they walked onto their next destination…..Ricardo's loft……

Ricardo sat at one of the airport bars, drinking a beer and thinking about everything that had happened in the last day. It was only 24 hours since he had discovered what had transpired between Gabi and his brother. When he found out that Gabi had returned to her hometown of Blanco, Texas, he was ready to confront her and tear her apart with his insults. He wanted her to hurt just as badly as she had hurt him. His anger had grown to include disgust. As he had entered the airport, ready to board his plane to El Paso, he was about to once again take charge of his life and destroy Gabi Martinez as she had destroyed him. Then after making her feel like she had no self worth, he would humiliate his brother. His beloved, trusted brother. It was a plan he had devised after the encounter with his mother. He had never felt such cold bitterness in his life. As Ricardo attempted to board the plane, something happened that made him think twice about what he wanted to do. He noticed a man waiting with flowers at the terminal opposite him. People were unboarding and this man waited in anticipation as a woman approached him. The man literally jumped at the sight of her and ran to meet her. As they reached each other, they hugged. A hug so full of love, that it brought Ricardo back to his real self. He was touched by their avowal of love. He looked on and his heart sank once again. What was he doing? How could he ever even think of pulling something like this off. He realized, he was still in love with her. He hated her but loved her all at the same time. Ricardo's eyes misted over and he stepped away from the terminal. He could not do it. So he sat at the bar and ordered a beer, contemplating once again what he was going to do. Deep down, he was frightened to see her and his brother. He was also ashamed for what he had wanted to do to them. He was still full of rage and bitterness, but he had to find another way to channel it. He paid his check and began to walk out towards the doors. He needed to go home. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep…….

Antonio and Gabi reached Surf Central and were glad no one was around. They had no energy to talk to anyone besides Ricardo. Antonio dropped their bags on the floor as Gabi sat down. She thought back to the last time she was in the house. It had been the day of her wedding, when she had told Ricardo she had never loved him. Gabi winced at the recollection of that terrible moment in her life. She heard the ocean water and immediately longed to take a walk. She needed a little fresh air.

"Antonio, will you take a walk with me on the beach? I really need to get some air. If only to calm my nerves a little."

Antonio was as much in need to procrastinate as Gabi was. A walk on the beach was probably just what they needed right then. Without saying a word, Antonio smiled and took Gabi's hand and led her to the door as they began their trek to the beach boardwalk……

Ricardo walked along the boardwalk staring at the beach to his left. The wind was slightly blowing and mussing his hair. He hadn't wanted to go home after leaving the airport. He wasn't sure if Maria or his mother would be there. He could not handle his mother right now. She had kept a terrible secret from him and forgiveness was not in his nature at that point. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to let that go. It didn't matter right now. He needed to think and the beach was always a salvation for him. It had been that way since he was a kid. He turned the corner to walk on the beach and immediately his heart began to race. His palms became sweaty and his entire body was shaking. Directly in front of him were Gabi and Antonio, hands linked and looking just as shocked to see him. They were all at a loss for words. Gabi's heart pounded so hard her chest began to throb in pain. Antonio had a look of fear on his face. All three stood there, staring at each other intently, waiting for someone to say a word.