We Took the Fall
09: He Loves Her
Six weeks.
The two words stuck in Catalina’s head, no matter how hard she attempted to shift them, she couldn’t seem to get them off her mind. She had known it was coming, eventually, even despite her messing around, Alicia was going to come up with a wedding date, but hearing her say it aloud got to Catalina for a moment. It wasn’t far off, 6 weeks hardly seemed to be any time at all to plan what was inevitably going to be and over-the-top ceremony, and it made things seem a little more real to Catalina who didn’t quite know how to feel about it. Knowing that Fernando was engaged to Alicia was one thing, but knowing that they would be married in just six weeks was another thing entirely and one that had left Catalina a little stumped.
“Catalina?”
The blonde, who had been staring at her plate of food, lifted her head, her blue eyes settling on her father. It was a usual thing, every Wednesday night, Catalina travelled to her parents’ home for dinner, but that evening, she wished she had just stayed home. She couldn’t keep her mind off of the impending wedding and it was only a matter of time before her parents called her on it.
“I’m fine, papa” she noted, answering the question she knew he wanted to ask.
Santiago shook his head. “You’ve barely touched your food, Lina, and that’s not like you, especially when your mother had cooked your favourite, so do you want to talk about it?” he posed kindly.
Catalina shook her head. “It’s nothing, papa” she replied softly “It’s just been a long week” she added, offering him the best smile she could muster.
“It’s Wednesday, Lina, and you’ve had two days off from the restaurant” Santiago pointed out “So, try again” he added with a small encouraging smile.
Catalina sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to give up. “It’s just…”
“We’re so sorry that we are late” Alicia’s voice interjected as she stepped into the room, Fernando in tow.
Catalina shook her head and closed her mouth, turning her attention back to the half-eaten plate of food that sat ahead of her. “I didn’t know that mama and papa invited you” she murmured, not looking at her sister who had sat down in the chair across from her.
Alicia smiled. “They said it was tradition and seeing as we’re back in Madrid, I thought we would pop by. Is that a problem, Lina?” she posed.
Catalina shook her head. “Of course it isn’t, Cia. It’s a family thing and you are family” she pointed out, trying not to sound angry.
“I am glad you think so” Alicia grinned, piling food onto her plate “And whilst I have you here, what are you doing tomorrow?” she added.
“I am working, Cia. I have school all day and then a shift at the restaurant, why?” Catalina posed. She knew what was coming, Alicia was bound to make some request that related to her upcoming wedding and Catalina hoped she would get the hint. She wasn’t about to drop the world to run errands for a wedding that she didn’t want to go to in the first place.
“Because we have a dress fitting at 4 and I need you to be there” Alicia replied.
“I can’t be there” Catalina replied “There’s no way I could get to the boutique from the school by 4” she pointed out.
Alicia rolled her eyes. “Why did you never learn to drive?” she scoffed.
Catalina rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, but I didn’t and that means I can’t make it for 4” she noted.
“I could drive you” Fernando peeped, drawing Catalina’s attention to him.
“What?” she posed.
Fernando spared a light smile. “I could drive you. I am not doing anything tomorrow afternoon and I could pick you up from the school and drop you off at the boutique” he suggested with a little shrug.
“You don’t have to do that, Fernando” Catalina replied, her eyes nervously fixed on her hands which nervously fiddled in her lap “I am sure you have much better ways to spend your time” she added.
Fernando shook his head. “Not really” he admitted.
Catalina shook her head. “It’s fine, really” she insisted “I will find my way there by myself” she noted. She knew she was being silly, accepting Fernando’s offer of a ride was easily better than listening to Alicia whine about her being late, but she didn’t want to go with him. She didn’t want to be alone with him, even if it was only for a little while, and she wanted to make it clear. The last time they had been alone together, they’d almost made a mistake and she didn’t want to risk slipping up again.
Fernando shook his head. “It’s honestly OK, Lina” he noted, a small frown on his face “I don’t have anything else planned and it is only a 20 minute trip” he added.
Catalina opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Alicia. “Just say yes, Lina. I really want to get these dresses right” she noted, her voice slightly sharp.
Catalina sighed. “Fine” she murmured “Gracias, Fernando” she added, offering him a slight smile before she moved to excuse herself from the table.
“I’ll check on her” Santiago mused from his spot at the head of the table.
“Don’t bother” Alicia quipped “She’s just being difficult, just like always” she added with an eye roll.
Santiago dismissed her comment and padded out of the room, finding Catalina as she moved to pull her shoes onto her feet. Leaning against the hallway doorframe, he watched his younger daughter for a second, before he shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he noted.
Catalina jumped. “What?” she murmured, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.
Santiago shook his head and sat at the foot of the stairs beside her. “You still love that boy” he noted softly, a tender smile on his face.
Catalina shook her head. “Don’t be silly, papa” she murmured.
Santiago smiled. “You may be able to fool Alicia, and maybe even Fernando, but Lina, I can read you like a book. You can’t look at him, not when he is with Alicia, and you tried so hard to ensure that you didn’t have to get a lift with him tomorrow. Why did you agree to be Cia’s maid of honor?” he posed softly.
“Agree is a strong word” Catalina replied “She kept asking and I just took the easy option” she added.
“Easy?” Santiago posed
“The lesser of two evils” Catalina replied, her voice heavy with a sigh.
“Catalina, if this is going to be too hard on you, you really don’t have to do it” Santiago offered softly “Fernando would understand, even if Cia would kick up a fuss. You don’t have to do it” he reiterated.
Catalina shook her head. “I do have to do it, papa. I need to see it for myself and realize that no matter how much I may want it, he’s got her now and I need to get used to it” she quipped.
“But you’re still in love with him” Santiago pointed out.
Catalina merely offered a non-committal shrug. “And he’s in love with her” she noted.
Santiago sighed gently and placed his arms around her, offering her a tight hug. Catalina hugged him back and hid her face in his shoulder, for a moment letting things get the best of her.
The two words stuck in Catalina’s head, no matter how hard she attempted to shift them, she couldn’t seem to get them off her mind. She had known it was coming, eventually, even despite her messing around, Alicia was going to come up with a wedding date, but hearing her say it aloud got to Catalina for a moment. It wasn’t far off, 6 weeks hardly seemed to be any time at all to plan what was inevitably going to be and over-the-top ceremony, and it made things seem a little more real to Catalina who didn’t quite know how to feel about it. Knowing that Fernando was engaged to Alicia was one thing, but knowing that they would be married in just six weeks was another thing entirely and one that had left Catalina a little stumped.
“Catalina?”
The blonde, who had been staring at her plate of food, lifted her head, her blue eyes settling on her father. It was a usual thing, every Wednesday night, Catalina travelled to her parents’ home for dinner, but that evening, she wished she had just stayed home. She couldn’t keep her mind off of the impending wedding and it was only a matter of time before her parents called her on it.
“I’m fine, papa” she noted, answering the question she knew he wanted to ask.
Santiago shook his head. “You’ve barely touched your food, Lina, and that’s not like you, especially when your mother had cooked your favourite, so do you want to talk about it?” he posed kindly.
Catalina shook her head. “It’s nothing, papa” she replied softly “It’s just been a long week” she added, offering him the best smile she could muster.
“It’s Wednesday, Lina, and you’ve had two days off from the restaurant” Santiago pointed out “So, try again” he added with a small encouraging smile.
Catalina sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to give up. “It’s just…”
“We’re so sorry that we are late” Alicia’s voice interjected as she stepped into the room, Fernando in tow.
Catalina shook her head and closed her mouth, turning her attention back to the half-eaten plate of food that sat ahead of her. “I didn’t know that mama and papa invited you” she murmured, not looking at her sister who had sat down in the chair across from her.
Alicia smiled. “They said it was tradition and seeing as we’re back in Madrid, I thought we would pop by. Is that a problem, Lina?” she posed.
Catalina shook her head. “Of course it isn’t, Cia. It’s a family thing and you are family” she pointed out, trying not to sound angry.
“I am glad you think so” Alicia grinned, piling food onto her plate “And whilst I have you here, what are you doing tomorrow?” she added.
“I am working, Cia. I have school all day and then a shift at the restaurant, why?” Catalina posed. She knew what was coming, Alicia was bound to make some request that related to her upcoming wedding and Catalina hoped she would get the hint. She wasn’t about to drop the world to run errands for a wedding that she didn’t want to go to in the first place.
“Because we have a dress fitting at 4 and I need you to be there” Alicia replied.
“I can’t be there” Catalina replied “There’s no way I could get to the boutique from the school by 4” she pointed out.
Alicia rolled her eyes. “Why did you never learn to drive?” she scoffed.
Catalina rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, but I didn’t and that means I can’t make it for 4” she noted.
“I could drive you” Fernando peeped, drawing Catalina’s attention to him.
“What?” she posed.
Fernando spared a light smile. “I could drive you. I am not doing anything tomorrow afternoon and I could pick you up from the school and drop you off at the boutique” he suggested with a little shrug.
“You don’t have to do that, Fernando” Catalina replied, her eyes nervously fixed on her hands which nervously fiddled in her lap “I am sure you have much better ways to spend your time” she added.
Fernando shook his head. “Not really” he admitted.
Catalina shook her head. “It’s fine, really” she insisted “I will find my way there by myself” she noted. She knew she was being silly, accepting Fernando’s offer of a ride was easily better than listening to Alicia whine about her being late, but she didn’t want to go with him. She didn’t want to be alone with him, even if it was only for a little while, and she wanted to make it clear. The last time they had been alone together, they’d almost made a mistake and she didn’t want to risk slipping up again.
Fernando shook his head. “It’s honestly OK, Lina” he noted, a small frown on his face “I don’t have anything else planned and it is only a 20 minute trip” he added.
Catalina opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Alicia. “Just say yes, Lina. I really want to get these dresses right” she noted, her voice slightly sharp.
Catalina sighed. “Fine” she murmured “Gracias, Fernando” she added, offering him a slight smile before she moved to excuse herself from the table.
“I’ll check on her” Santiago mused from his spot at the head of the table.
“Don’t bother” Alicia quipped “She’s just being difficult, just like always” she added with an eye roll.
Santiago dismissed her comment and padded out of the room, finding Catalina as she moved to pull her shoes onto her feet. Leaning against the hallway doorframe, he watched his younger daughter for a second, before he shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he noted.
Catalina jumped. “What?” she murmured, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice.
Santiago shook his head and sat at the foot of the stairs beside her. “You still love that boy” he noted softly, a tender smile on his face.
Catalina shook her head. “Don’t be silly, papa” she murmured.
Santiago smiled. “You may be able to fool Alicia, and maybe even Fernando, but Lina, I can read you like a book. You can’t look at him, not when he is with Alicia, and you tried so hard to ensure that you didn’t have to get a lift with him tomorrow. Why did you agree to be Cia’s maid of honor?” he posed softly.
“Agree is a strong word” Catalina replied “She kept asking and I just took the easy option” she added.
“Easy?” Santiago posed
“The lesser of two evils” Catalina replied, her voice heavy with a sigh.
“Catalina, if this is going to be too hard on you, you really don’t have to do it” Santiago offered softly “Fernando would understand, even if Cia would kick up a fuss. You don’t have to do it” he reiterated.
Catalina shook her head. “I do have to do it, papa. I need to see it for myself and realize that no matter how much I may want it, he’s got her now and I need to get used to it” she quipped.
“But you’re still in love with him” Santiago pointed out.
Catalina merely offered a non-committal shrug. “And he’s in love with her” she noted.
Santiago sighed gently and placed his arms around her, offering her a tight hug. Catalina hugged him back and hid her face in his shoulder, for a moment letting things get the best of her.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks to lokis210 and Jayme112234 for the comments :)