Safe Haven
Chapter 2
"Charlie, you need to get a move on if you actually want to go to the park. I have to be in the bakery at 3!" Avery called out to her 3 year old daughter. "Coming mama." Charlie called out as she came running out of her room. "Alright bug, lets go!" Avery smiled, ushering her daughter out of the apartment that had quickly become home. It had been 2 months since they had arrived in Madrid, and Avery couldn't have been happier. Maria and Angel had quickly become her and Charlie's family. She would always be grateful to them for the kindness that they had first shown them when they first arrived, and the kindness that they still show.
When Avery and Charlie arrived at the park, Avery couldn't help but notice that there were a bunch of people with cameras taking pictures of a group of people that included a man, 3 women and a little boy. 'Must be somebody famous.' Avery thought to herself as she and Charlie headed in to the park. "So what do you want to do first?" Avery asked as they approached the playground. Charlie was about to answer her when her eyes went suddenly wide and she cried out, "Junior!" jerking out of Avery's grasp and running towards this Junior person. "Charlie!" Avery called after her, following her. "Bug, you can't just run off like that." Avery scolded her daughter as she approached the group of people that Charlie had ran to. When she looked up at the people, she noticed that it was the group the people with cameras were taking pictures of. She could still see the people with the cameras. She needed to get her and Charlie away from here; now. "I'm so sorry about my daughter. I hope she didn't bother you." The older of the women smiled at her reassuringly, "It's OK. It's nice to meet the little Charlie that Junior can never stop talking about. Although, I was expecting Charlie to be a boy." That caused Avery to laugh, "Don't worry, most people do. But how does he know my daughter?" This time the man spoke up, "They go to the same daycare." Avery looked at him confused until it dawned on her and she looked down at Charlie, "So this is the Junior you always talk about? The one who's dad kicks a ball for a living?" Charlie nodded her head enthusiastically. Avery looked back up at the man to see him smirking. He held out his hand, "Cristiano, I'm Junior's father." Avery shook his hand, "Avery. I'm Charlie's mom. Did you know there's people taking your picture?" This caused Cristiano to sigh, "Yeah. They do that a lot. I guess it's just the price I have to pay to do what I love." Avery looked at him confused, but didn't comment on what he'd said. Instead, she concentrated on leaving, "Well, it was nice to meet you, but Charlie and I need to go. Come on Charlie." "Oh do you really have to go? Junior and Charlie seem to be having so much fun together." The older woman told her. Avery could see the two kids having fun playing in the sandbox, and hates to break them up. But if she didn't leave now, she knew there was a good chance that they could wind up in a magazine or something. "Yeah, we really do. I have to get to work, and if we don't leave now, we'll miss the bus." This caused Cristiano to perk up. For some reason, he didn't want to see Avery leave. There was just something about her that made him want to get to know her better. "Where do you work? I could give you a lift." Cristiano suggested, hoping that she would say yes. His sisters looked at him like he was an idiot, but he ignored them. Avery was about to say no when she saw heard the bus that she was supposed to be getting on arrive. This caused Avery to sigh, "Looks like I have no other choice." Cristiano so didn't do a little mental victory dance.
For the next 2 hours, Avery sat and talked with Cristiano and his family while their children played. She learned that his mother's name was Dolores and that his 2 sister's were Elma and Catila. Avery could tell that his sister's didn't like her, and she had no idea why. She was having so much fun talking to Cristiano, that she almost lost track of the time. Looking down at her watch, she saw that it was 2:30. Cristiano saw her looking at her watch, "Is it time to go?" Avery nodded her head. As she and Cristiano stood up, Elma stopped them, "Avery where do you work?" Avery didn't know why Elma wanted to know, but she told her anyway. Cristiano gave his sister a strange look as Avery gathered the children.
20 minutes later, much to Avery and Cristiano's disappointment, they pulled up outside of the bakery. "Well thanks for the ride. Oh, and it was nice meeting you." This made Cristiano laugh, "It was nice to meet you as well." Cristiano really didn't want her to leave, but he needed an excuse to be around her still. Thankfully, Junior decided to provide one. "Papa! I'm hungry!" "You know what Junior? I'm hungry as well. And look, we just so happen to be in front of a bakery. Why don't we eat here? Maybe you and Charlie can play some more and I can keep talking to Avery here." Avery rolled her eyes as the kids cheered, "Smooth, real smooth." Cristiano gave her an innocent act as they got out of the car, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I just so happen to be really hungry." Avery rolled her eyes as they walked in to the bakery. She couldn't believe she was flirting with Cristiano, but she couldn't help it. For some reason she felt completely comfortable with him and safe; even if she'd only known him for 3 hours. It was something she'd never felt with Toby. Avery was thankful that when they entered the bakery, Maria and Angel weren't there. "So what can I get you guys?" Avery asked as she walked around the counter. Charlie and Junior went to the little play area that was set up in the corner while Cristiano made his way over to the counter. "Hmm, well everything looks delicious. But I'm gonna get Junior the Bunuelos de Viento. And for me; what do you recommend?" Avery thought about it as she placed some of the Bunuelos de Viento on a plate for Junior and Charlie. "Well like you said, everything looks good. But my favorite is definitely the Basque Pastry Cream Pie with Almonds." Cristiano smiled, "Then that's what I'll have." Avery nodded her head and pulled out the pie and proceeded to cut him a piece. Putting it on a plate, she collected the money that Cristiano handed her before handing him the tray of food. Thanking her, Cristiano went and sat with the children to eat while Avery cleaned up.
Cristiano and Junior stayed for an hour before they finally left. But before they did, Avery and Cristiano exchanged numbers. Not long after Cristiano left, his sister Elma came in to the bakery. "Can I help you?" Elma looked at her in disgust, "No. I want nothing from you, except for you to stay away from my brother." Avery looked at her in shock, "Excuse me?" "You heard me. All of you little WAG wannabe's are all alike. You just want Cristiano for his money. Well that's not going to happen. My brother has been hurt one to many times, and I'll be damned if I'm going to see him hurt by some stupid American slut who just wants someone to play daddy for her daughter. Leave my brother alone, or you will regret it." With that, Elma turned around and walked out the bakery, leaving a shocked Avery standing there watching her.
When Avery and Charlie arrived at the park, Avery couldn't help but notice that there were a bunch of people with cameras taking pictures of a group of people that included a man, 3 women and a little boy. 'Must be somebody famous.' Avery thought to herself as she and Charlie headed in to the park. "So what do you want to do first?" Avery asked as they approached the playground. Charlie was about to answer her when her eyes went suddenly wide and she cried out, "Junior!" jerking out of Avery's grasp and running towards this Junior person. "Charlie!" Avery called after her, following her. "Bug, you can't just run off like that." Avery scolded her daughter as she approached the group of people that Charlie had ran to. When she looked up at the people, she noticed that it was the group the people with cameras were taking pictures of. She could still see the people with the cameras. She needed to get her and Charlie away from here; now. "I'm so sorry about my daughter. I hope she didn't bother you." The older of the women smiled at her reassuringly, "It's OK. It's nice to meet the little Charlie that Junior can never stop talking about. Although, I was expecting Charlie to be a boy." That caused Avery to laugh, "Don't worry, most people do. But how does he know my daughter?" This time the man spoke up, "They go to the same daycare." Avery looked at him confused until it dawned on her and she looked down at Charlie, "So this is the Junior you always talk about? The one who's dad kicks a ball for a living?" Charlie nodded her head enthusiastically. Avery looked back up at the man to see him smirking. He held out his hand, "Cristiano, I'm Junior's father." Avery shook his hand, "Avery. I'm Charlie's mom. Did you know there's people taking your picture?" This caused Cristiano to sigh, "Yeah. They do that a lot. I guess it's just the price I have to pay to do what I love." Avery looked at him confused, but didn't comment on what he'd said. Instead, she concentrated on leaving, "Well, it was nice to meet you, but Charlie and I need to go. Come on Charlie." "Oh do you really have to go? Junior and Charlie seem to be having so much fun together." The older woman told her. Avery could see the two kids having fun playing in the sandbox, and hates to break them up. But if she didn't leave now, she knew there was a good chance that they could wind up in a magazine or something. "Yeah, we really do. I have to get to work, and if we don't leave now, we'll miss the bus." This caused Cristiano to perk up. For some reason, he didn't want to see Avery leave. There was just something about her that made him want to get to know her better. "Where do you work? I could give you a lift." Cristiano suggested, hoping that she would say yes. His sisters looked at him like he was an idiot, but he ignored them. Avery was about to say no when she saw heard the bus that she was supposed to be getting on arrive. This caused Avery to sigh, "Looks like I have no other choice." Cristiano so didn't do a little mental victory dance.
For the next 2 hours, Avery sat and talked with Cristiano and his family while their children played. She learned that his mother's name was Dolores and that his 2 sister's were Elma and Catila. Avery could tell that his sister's didn't like her, and she had no idea why. She was having so much fun talking to Cristiano, that she almost lost track of the time. Looking down at her watch, she saw that it was 2:30. Cristiano saw her looking at her watch, "Is it time to go?" Avery nodded her head. As she and Cristiano stood up, Elma stopped them, "Avery where do you work?" Avery didn't know why Elma wanted to know, but she told her anyway. Cristiano gave his sister a strange look as Avery gathered the children.
20 minutes later, much to Avery and Cristiano's disappointment, they pulled up outside of the bakery. "Well thanks for the ride. Oh, and it was nice meeting you." This made Cristiano laugh, "It was nice to meet you as well." Cristiano really didn't want her to leave, but he needed an excuse to be around her still. Thankfully, Junior decided to provide one. "Papa! I'm hungry!" "You know what Junior? I'm hungry as well. And look, we just so happen to be in front of a bakery. Why don't we eat here? Maybe you and Charlie can play some more and I can keep talking to Avery here." Avery rolled her eyes as the kids cheered, "Smooth, real smooth." Cristiano gave her an innocent act as they got out of the car, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I just so happen to be really hungry." Avery rolled her eyes as they walked in to the bakery. She couldn't believe she was flirting with Cristiano, but she couldn't help it. For some reason she felt completely comfortable with him and safe; even if she'd only known him for 3 hours. It was something she'd never felt with Toby. Avery was thankful that when they entered the bakery, Maria and Angel weren't there. "So what can I get you guys?" Avery asked as she walked around the counter. Charlie and Junior went to the little play area that was set up in the corner while Cristiano made his way over to the counter. "Hmm, well everything looks delicious. But I'm gonna get Junior the Bunuelos de Viento. And for me; what do you recommend?" Avery thought about it as she placed some of the Bunuelos de Viento on a plate for Junior and Charlie. "Well like you said, everything looks good. But my favorite is definitely the Basque Pastry Cream Pie with Almonds." Cristiano smiled, "Then that's what I'll have." Avery nodded her head and pulled out the pie and proceeded to cut him a piece. Putting it on a plate, she collected the money that Cristiano handed her before handing him the tray of food. Thanking her, Cristiano went and sat with the children to eat while Avery cleaned up.
Cristiano and Junior stayed for an hour before they finally left. But before they did, Avery and Cristiano exchanged numbers. Not long after Cristiano left, his sister Elma came in to the bakery. "Can I help you?" Elma looked at her in disgust, "No. I want nothing from you, except for you to stay away from my brother." Avery looked at her in shock, "Excuse me?" "You heard me. All of you little WAG wannabe's are all alike. You just want Cristiano for his money. Well that's not going to happen. My brother has been hurt one to many times, and I'll be damned if I'm going to see him hurt by some stupid American slut who just wants someone to play daddy for her daughter. Leave my brother alone, or you will regret it." With that, Elma turned around and walked out the bakery, leaving a shocked Avery standing there watching her.