Picking Up the Pieces

“Hey Sergio it’s me again. I’ve called you six times already and I’m really getting worried just call me back when you get this message… I love you” I huffed before hanging up and taking a deep breath.

Sergio parents were in the living room waiting for him to come back from whatever he was doing. He had promised that we would be having a family dinner because he wanted to make a big announcement, but 2 hours into this dinner he had yet to make an appearance.

I brushed my dress off before walking into the dinning room to go tell his parents that it didn’t look like Sergio would be making dinner.

“He’s not answering your calls?” Pacqui asked before I could even say anything.

From the silence, she knew the answer, and before I could explain anything, she stood up from her chair and came to hug me. I had no idea what came over me but the minute she began brushing my hair I finally let myself go as I began to sob. She didn’t say anything as she let me cry on her shoulder while silently reassuring me that everything would be ok.

“I’m so sorry Pacqui I didn’t mean…”

I began but she shook her head no.

“There is no need to explain anything honey. I think I know what’s happening here” she smiled sadly, as she sat me down before taking the seat next to me. She looked at her husband to see if he wanted to speak, all he did was nod his head and she understood what he meant.

“Sergio… is he acting different? Not coming home and if he does he smells like alcohol and cheap perfume” she listed as I nodded my head. Both she and José shared understanding looks before she took my hand in hers and explained what was happening.

“It’s like he is going back to the way he used to be” she thought sadly. “I thought for sure after what happened with Lena things would be different” she continued but as I looked at her in confusion she started to explain what she meant. “I’m sorry honey but it’s like Sergio is reverting to that bad person he was before he lost everything. He gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and he starts believing his own hype. I don’t know what causes it but it’s like something happens in his life that causes him to react and it’s always the people he loves most that suffer” she continued but this time it was my turn to shake my head.

“I think I know what’s happening” I began as she looked on at me with bemusement. “It’s Sophia”

“Gonzalo’s wife?” Jose asked as he looked more confused than her. “What does she have to do with this?”

“I don’t know if Sergio ever told you this but he has been in love with her since they were kids. And he didn’t mind the fact that she never seemed to have those feelings…that was until she and Gonzalo started dating”

“But I don’t understand? He should be happy for her”

“Yeah he should have been but this is Sergio we are talking about; a man who talks about his friends and family as if they are his property. When Sophia and Gonzalo started dating he felt like she was choosing Higuain and leaving him behind”

“That ridiculous. Just because she found someone to love it doesn’t mean their friendship would end” his mother added logically.

“That’s what normal people would think not Sergio. And now that Gonzalo and Sophia are moving to Italy so he can play for Napoli, in his eyes he sees it as proof that he was right”

“So what rather than talking about his feelings he chooses to drink them away?”

I just nodded my head at her observation but I could see the anger rising in her.

“And what about you Reyna? Does he not care that you are home alone, waiting up for him? How selfish is my son if he can’t see what’s right in front of him?”

“I don’t think…”

“No stop making excuses for him…Do you ever think that his maybe sleeping…”

“Stop right there. I know Sergio and he would never”

“Are you sure about that Reyna?” his dad challenged me.

I just bit my lip because I knew deep down I wasn’t so sure that Sergio had ever cheated on me since we had come to Madrid.

“No don’t cry” Pacqui comforted me as tears began to slide down my cheeks again. “I will not allow Sergio to take advantage of you like the other girls. You I actually like so I’m going to do anything possible to keep you in the family” she assured me as she whipped my tears.

“What do you mean?” I sniffed as she smiled at me.

“You are leaving Sergio. If he isn’t going to wake up to what an amazing woman he has in front of him, we are going to make him see it” she informed me before instructing me to go upstairs and back all my belongings into a bag.

“You are going to live with us until Sergio comes to his senses and realises how close he is to losing you”

***

“Reyna I’m home” I sang as I dealt with another hiccup.

I giggled as I tripped over a sofa and few off the cushions that were on the floor for some reason.

“Babe I’m so sorry for missing dinner but you know I met up with my old buddy Max and we started talking and I lost track of time. He took me to a bar then a club and we started dancing with some pretty girls but none of them were as pretty as you”

I explained as I made my way very drunkenly up the stairs.

I found it weird that all the lights were turned on. No matter how late I came home, Reyna always switched off the lights as a sign that she was pissed at me.

Not that I wasn’t pissed at myself. No matter how much I had tried to stop myself I couldn’t help but to go out every night to deal with my anger towards Gonzalo and Sophia. It’s not like I was still in love with her or anything it’s just that since her and Gonzo had gotten together she had cut me out of her life.

Not that I blame her really, when she told me about their relationship I had some pretty awful things to her and no matter how many times I tried to apologise to her, she told me she had forgiven me but we couldn’t be friends anymore.

“Rey come on talk to me please. I’m really sorry for what I did” I began apologising as I walked into our bedroom but I was stunned as I walked into an empty room with open cupboard doors. I ignored that as I threw myself on the bed.

She’s probably sleeping in the spare bedroom and I should just let her cool off, I assured myself.

Yet somewhere in the back of my mind, something told me it wasn’t that simple