The Perfect Combination

"Uhm, Huh, It’s…" I stammered. Completely shocked at what Sergio said. "It’s not like that".

"Then what’s it like Natalia? Enlighten me please", Sergio said mockingly as he took a seat.

"Fernando just suggested that…"

"Suggested what? That you take my children away from me and be with him?” he said raising his voice.

I took a step back, shocked at Sergio’s reaction, before answering. “First of all these are not your children, they are MINE. You agreed from day 1 that you would help me fall pregnant but once they were born I would walk away and you’d let me. Secondly, if I want to build a home with Fernando or any other man for that matter, it’s my choice, not yours”, I snapped before taking a deep breath.

"Nati", Fernando said as he came closer to me and looked me in the eye, "Calm down. Your yelling and screaming cannot be good for the babies".

I just nodded at this before thanking him. Sergio just sat and stared at us before interrupting.

"So that’s it huh? you’ve made your choice and you choose Fernando?", he said despondently.

"I think that’s pretty obvious", Fernando fired back confidently.

"Actually Fernando", I said disrupting his gloating moment "I haven’t made a decision."

Sergio smiled as I said this and I continued, “Because I’m slightly confused”.

"Confused about what?" the striker asked.

"About why Sergio suddenly feels like he has some sort of claim over these kids. When he agreed to this I was certain that he didn’t want to have any kids but now he is acting like an obsessive father who’s afraid of losing his kids." I said as I looked at Sergio.

Fernando made an attempt to talk but was interrupted by Sergio.

"I need to tell you something", he confessed.

"Fernando can you give us some privacy?"

Fernando turned to me, as if silently asking if it’s ok, I nodded my head, indicating that I wanted to speak to Sergio in private too.

"I’ll be in the living room if anyone needs me", he said as he walked out of the room.

I took a seat at the kitchen counter, ready to listen to what Sergio had to say.

"Lia, I know when we I agreed to help you fall pregnant I said I’d walk away and leave you to raise the kid, or in this case the kids, by yourself," he began. "But things have changed; I don’t want you or them to leave. I want all of you in my life…” He continued talking before I interrupted him.

"Wait? What do you mean you want all of us in your life? Are you saying you want to be with me? As in more than friends?” I questioned.

Sergio scratched his head at my question as if trying to find the words to formulate a sentence that would explain how he felt about me.

"Well… It’s not that you’re not beautiful Lia", he began, “It’s just… I don’t think about you in that way”.

My heart dropped at that admission but I tried my best not to show it as Sergio continued.

"Don’t get me wrong Lia; I want to be in my kids’ lives. I just don’t think we need to be together in order for that to happen."

"OK. So let me get this right, what you’re saying is that you want a chance to be a father to the twins but you don’t want to be with me?”

He nodded.

I sighed before adding “But Sergio we had a deal”.

"I know, and I’m sorry for going back on my word. It’s just that over these past months my feelings about having children have changed. That day when we went to the doctor and we heard their heartbeats, I felt so overwhelmed with happiness and I realized I couldn’t possibly give up my own blood without a fight. I don’t mean for this to sound like an ultimatum but I need to be involved in my kids’ life or I will seek legal advice", he ended with what sounded like a threat.

"WHAT?!" I yelled at him.

"Look Lia, that’s just a last resort. I don’t want it to come to that. I’m asking you to PLEASE involve me in the raising of our children.” he pleaded.

"Look Sergio", I began to speak as I stood up of the chair, “this is a lot to take in right now. I’m going to think about it and I’ll get back to you".

He nodded at my request and walked me to the living room, where Fernando sat watching TV. When he saw us he switched it off and stood up.

"Is everything ok?" he asked.

We both nodded, not wanting to drag Fernando into this.

"Uhm I should go", I said suddenly.

"Fernando? Do you need a ride?” I offered remembering that I didn’t see an extra car in the driveway, meaning he had made his way here using a taxi.

"Yeah actually I do".

We both said our goodbyes before getting into my car, which Fernando offered to drive. We had decided to have lunch together before he flew back to London.

~

"Gracias", Fernando said to the waiter that had just bought us our meals.

"I’m starving", I exaggerated as I took a bit of my tapas. We ate in silence for a while before Fernando began talking.

"So is everything OK between you and Sergio?"

I shrugged.

"Come on Nati, you can tell me", he said trying to get me to open up. I relented.

"He wants to be there for his children and asked me to stay here so he can be a proper father"

Fernando didn’t seem surprised at this.

"You knew", I asked a little outraged.

"Yes. When I went to his place earlier today, I went to tell him about me asking you to be with me so we could be a family and he told me that he wanted the chance to be there for his kids. I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea because he is so unrealizable but I guess he didn’t listen because he went ahead and told you his intentions".

I sat in silence trying to absorb the news he had just told me before I asked.

"What do you think I should do?"

He put down his fork and took a deep breath before answering.

"I think you should cut ties with the bastard and be with me. But that’s my own selfishness talking."

I smiled weakly at this before I let him continue.

"But honestly, I think only you have the answer to that question. You have to find someone who loves you and the twins unconditionally as well as someone you can trust and you know won’t let you down" he ended.

"And you think you’re that man?” I questioned.

"Yes", he admitted. "I think I offer more security and stability than Sergio ever will and I know that those kids growing inside you are his but I promise you if you choose me I will love them like they are my own", he attempted to assure me as he took my hand from the table and gave it a kiss.

"Fernando?” I called him as I removed my hand from his grasp. "Since when do you hate Sergio so much that you’d want to take away the only two people that could possibly see him grow up and act responsibly? “I enquired. Extremely intrigued at how the two of them had gone from best friends to enemies in such a short space of time.

"Nati, I don’t hate him", he sought to assure me. "I just think for too long he has had the best woman in front of him and he took that for granted. Now that she’s ready and willing to move on and grow, he wants to hold her back." he smiled while staring at me.

“And I’m not disagreeing with you when you say that having the twins in his life may actually see him grow up and act responsibly, I just don’t think he truly understands what parenthood entails. This isn’t some phase that he can give up when he is bored of the responsibility. This is a lifetime commitment”.

"You seem so sure that he is not ready for such a thing?"

"That’s because he is not." he added defiantly. "Natalia you should know that Sergio Ramos was and will never be ready to be a father. The sooner you realize this, the better off you and your children will be".