We Took the Fall

“They do not look happy” Fernando teased as they stepped back into Catalina’s bedroom. It had been brief, after the initial shock, Marisol and Santiago had insisted that they pair get dressed before they talked, and Fernando wanted to lighten the mood a little. It was already clear that Marisol in particular was going to cause a problem and Fernando wanted Catalina to relax a little. Fighting back against it was only going to make things worse.

Catalina, who had already started to get changed, offered him a little shake of her head. “My mother looks like she wants to kill you and I have no idea what is going through my padre’s head. For your sake, you’d best hope that it is a good thing” she mused, pulling his shirt over her head and tossing to over to him.

Fernando shook his head and set the shirt down onto the sheets, padding towards his girlfriend who was unsuccessfully attempting to pull a hoodie over her head. “Firstly, you cannot put your head through a sleeve, Lina” he teased softly, pulling the sweater down so that she could slip into it easier “And secondly, we knew that your parents were going to take issue with us. It’s not a million years ago that I was supposed to marry their other daughter, they’re not going to be exactly thrilled be the idea that I am now sleeping with you. But it’s only as big a problem as we let it be” he mused, his fingertips lightly brushing through the mess of blonde hair which sat on her head.

“But…”

“Catalina, you can freak out later, but I am not going to have you go down there and apologize for this, for us. We both want this and whilst I agree, the situation could be better, we’re happy together aren’t we?” he posed gently.

“Well yes, but…”

“Then that is all that matters” Fernando interjected.

“Fernando” Catalina replied “My parents are going to be nothing compared to Alicia and now that my mother knows, it is only a matter of time before she rears her head again” she explained gently.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, querida” Fernando mused gently.

Catalina eyed him a little dubiously before a tap at the door caught their attention.

“Lina, your mother’s going to start throwing things if you don’t get back out here” Santiago’s voice quipped.

Catalina stiffened a fraction, before Fernando placed a light kiss on the back of her head, mumbling that she just needed to keep calm.

“Easy for you to say” she mumbled, quickly pulling on a pair of shorts and running a brush through her hair.

Fernando shook his head and quickly pulled on his clothes, pulling the bedroom door open. “Just don’t let her get to you, Lina” he enthused as he led her towards the top of the stairs.

“Have you ever met my mother?” Catalina grumbled as Fernando gripped onto her hand, leading her down into the living room where her parents sat, opposing expressions on their faces.

“Nice of you two to join us again” Marisol muttered, her eyes fixed on their intertwined hands.

“Catalina had a bit of trouble getting her sweatshirt on” Fernando teased, causing her to glare up at him.

Marisol scoffed. “Perhaps if she was properly dressed when we arrived, we wouldn’t have had that problem” she mumbled, her eyes rolling.

“Madre” Catalina noted.

“What? Did you expect me to just accept this, Catalina? I raised you better than this” Marisol quipped, shaking her head. She was irked, she couldn’t quite believe how nonchalant her daughter appeared and upset her slightly. She had thought she had raised her younger daughter better than to fall into bed with a man who up until recently had been happily engaged to her sister.

“Raised me better?” Catalina mused “Mama, I think you’re forgetting that I was with Fernando before Alicia was” she pointed out.

“And that makes it OK? Because of you, your sister is miserable. She loved him, Lina, and you stole him” Marisol snapped.

“She didn’t steal anything” Fernando interjected, his eyes noting the expression which had slowly formed on Catalina’s face.

Marisol scoffed.

“What you seem incapable of seeing, Mrs De Marcos, is that I am a grown man who made my own decision based on my feelings and my feelings alone. I didn’t want to marry Alicia, not really, and I didn’t think it was fair for me to lead her along. I made the decision, me, and I am not going to just sit by and let you blame Catalina for it. If you want to hate someone, hate me” he mused as he stepped a little closer to the other woman, his hand still clutching Catalina’s tightly. He’d know that it was going to happen, Marisol in particular was never going to greet the idea that he was dating her younger daughter with open arms, but he wasn’t about to let Catalina bear the brunt of her anger. All Catalina had done was love him and that wasn’t something she should have been made to feel bad about.

“So your decision to end things with Alicia had nothing to do with her?” Marisol muttered, turning her nose up at her younger daughter who rolled her eyes.

“No” Fernando noted with a firm shake of his head “It had to do with the fact that I don’t believe your elder daughter loved me” he pointed out.

Marisol shook her head. “Of course she loved you” she muttered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“No, she didn’t, mama” Catalina interjected gently “She just showed him off” she added, offering Fernando a slightly sympathetic look that he rewarded with a light kiss to the temple. Marisol watched the amorous action before she shook her head.

“You’re an idiot” she muttered, her eyes narrowed on Fernando.

“And if you think that your opinion on my relationship is my greatest concern, then you’re mistaken, Mrs De Marcos” Fernando replied “I understand that you’re not going to be fond of it, I get that, but I am not going to have you stand there and accuse Catalina of things she didn’t do. Alicia was the reason I ended our engagement, what happened between me and Catalina is not related to it” he insisted.

“Can you believe this, Tiago?” Marisol scoffed.

Santiago, who had been sat behind his wife, quietly got to his feet, his eyes wondering over the pair who stood ahead of him, their hands still clinging onto one another. It was subtle, the sense of happiness that seemed to radiate off of them, but it was still enough for Santiago to be content to offer his blessing. It wasn’t a good situation, Marisol was clearly upset and no one knew just how bad Alicia would be when she found out, but just looking at Catalina made Santiago smile. For the first time in almost 8 years, he could see the girl that Fernando had left behind and that was side of his little girl that he had thought he would never get the chance to see again. “I think we should leave them be, Mari” he murmured.

Catalina, who had ducked her head, lifted it slightly, her mouth formed into a little ‘o’.

“What?” Marisol squeaked.

Santiago smiled. “Look at her, Marisol, and I mean really look at her” he enthused as he stepped towards his daughter “She actually looks happy, underneath the nerves of course, and that is something that seems to be inexplicably connected to him” he noted with a kind look towards Fernando who nodded his head appreciatively.

“But Alicia…”

“We don’t have to worry about Alicia finding another boyfriend, Mari” Santiago dismissed with a shake of his head “We did worry about this one though” he smiled, patting Catalina’s cheek softly.

“Papa” Catalina whined.

“We did worry, Catalina” Santiago smiled “8 years was a long time” he teased.

“I did date, papa” Catalina mumbled.

“But nothing like him” Santiago quipped, pointing towards Fernando who chuckled, mumbling something about being irreplaceable that made Catalina hit his shoulder. “It’s not the best situation, you know it, but I am happy to give you my blessing, Fernando” he quipped, sticking his hand out to the striker.

“You are?” Fernando quipped, his eyebrows knitted.

Santiago chuckled. “Whilst the situation is regrettable, I kind of like the way she is with you” he grinned.

“You do?” Fernando posed.

“What did you expect?” Santiago teased.

“A little more yelling, if I am honest” Fernando breathed, shaking Santiago’s hand.

Santiago chuckled, something which caused his wife to scoff. “What about Alicia?” she squeaked.

“She’s a grown woman” Santiago muttered “She can find herself another boyfriend or she can deal with Catalina herself. We’re not here to fight her battles, Marisol” he noted.

“But…”

“No buts” Santiago muttered “We should leave the pair of you alone” he enthused with a look towards the younger couple.

Catalina smiled at her father softly before she showed her parents to the door, allowing them to leave before Fernando appeared behind her. “That could have been worse” he murmured, kissing her shoulder gently.

Catalina nodded softly. “That was the easy part” she mused, cuddling into his arms “We have to deal with Cia yet and that is not going to be pretty” she mumbled.