We Took the Fall

“Lina?” Fernando posed as he stepped into their bedroom, a small smile forming on his face at the sight of his girlfriend. It had been a small while, after the trip to Glasgow, he had been rushed into training ahead of the weekend’s league fixture, but he was pleased to see her. It felt like it had been weeks, even if it had only been a few days. “What are you doing stowed up in here?” he posed, leaning against the frame of the door.

Catalina, who had been reading something from the screen of her laptop, looked up, her stomach flipping a little at the sight of him. “I was reading” she commented, closing the computer down “I thought you were in a tactical meeting until later” she added,

“I was supposed to be” Fernando replied “But I picked up a slight knock during the gym session earlier and they sent me home as a precaution. Aren’t you pleased to see me, querida?” he teased, stepping a little further into the room.

Catalina shook her head. “Of course I am” she enthused, smiling a little “I just didn’t expect that you would be back so soon” she added, moving to stand ahead of him. Fernando smiled and placed his arms around her waist, ignoring the slight twitch he was sure he had heard in her voice. It had only been slight, a quiver, but it was enough to set some alarm bells ringing in his mind. He knew that she wasn’t as sure as he was about things as he was, it was a familiar theme for them, but he hoped she wasn’t worrying too much. It was a habit of Catalina’s that he found as annoying as he found it endearing.

“How was work?” he mumbled, content in their embrace.

Catalina stiffened a little, but quickly shook it off, offering him a smile. “It was good” she mused.

Fernando cocked an eyebrow, noting the same slight shake in her voice. “Are you sure about that?” he posed gently, leaning back a little so that he could look at her face.

“Why wouldn’t I be sure?” Catalina replied.

Fernando quirked a small smile and pushed some hair out of her eyes, kissing her forehead gently. “Because your voice is shaking, Lina” he murmured “And unlike with most people, you can’t get away with that with me. So, is there something you’d like to talk about?” he enquired kindly.

Catalina closed her eyes at the feel of his lips on her skin before she leant back slightly, her blue eyes peeking up at his face shyly. “There is something I’d like to talk about and I’d like you to let me get through it before you react OK? I want to get the words out” she explained, nibbling on her lip shyly.

Fernando tilted his head. “Should I be concerned?” he posed, a nervous smile on his face.

Catalina shifted a little before she made her way around the bed, rifling through her bag which was sat on the top of her dresser. “I felt sick a few days ago, when you called me from Glasgow and I didn’t think much of it. It was just once and I thought it could have been a bug or something” she rambled, still looking through her bag “I thought it would pass but it didn’t and whilst I was at work today, Esther came up with a reason as to why” she added, pulling something out of her bag.

Fernando furrowed his brow. “Is there something wrong?” he posed.

“That is up to you” Catalina quipped, padding back towards him.

“Lina…”

“Just look at this” Catalina interjected, placing the piece of tissue she had pulled out of her bag into his hand “That should make this make some sense to you” she added, offering his hand a little squeeze.

Fernando frowned for a moment before he unwrapped the tissue, his brown eyes widening a little as he spotted the contents. “Lina” he whispered, his eyes drifting towards her.

“Surprise” Catalina giggled out shakily.

Fernando blinked a couple of times before he set the test down, taking a couple of steps towards the blonde who looked almost frightened of the next words that fell out of his mouth. “Catalina” he whispered, his hand gently moving to cup her face “Querida, is this yours?” he whispered.

“No” she replied sarcastically “I bought home someone else’s pregnancy test” she scoffed.

Fernando smiled. “So what you’re telling me is that, in a few months’ time, we will have a baby?” he clarified.

Catalina looked at him for a second, noting the look of joy that underpinned his expression, before she slowly nodded her head. “That’s precisely what I am trying to say” she murmured.

Fernando pondered her small announcement for a second before he took a couple of long strides towards her, lifting her up off of her feet with ease. Catalina squeaked and tossed her arms around him, clinging onto him as he proceeded to spin her around. “What are you doing?” she whimpered, clutching at his shirt as though he was about to drop her.

Fernando chuckled gently and stood her back on her feet, moving in to kiss her with more gusto than he had for weeks. Catalina startled slightly, but melted into it, a smile coming to form on her face. “You’re going to have my baby” he murmured, pulling away gently and resting his forehead on hers.

“Our baby” she corrected gently “Yeah, I am” she added.

“You have no idea just how happy that makes me, Lina” he murmured, his hand subtly resting on the front of her shirt, a small grin playing at the corner of his mouth.

Catalina watched him. “Do you think we can do it?” she whispered, her fingers tracing her name on his arm.

Fernando nodded his head. “I have little doubt about it, Lina” he assured her gently “You’re going to make an amazing madre and I am just happy that I am the one who gets to do it with you. This is a wonderful thing, mi amor, and whilst I can see the wheels turning in your head, you need to believe me when I say that I think we could be really good at this” he murmured, his thumb softly brushing over her shirt.

Catalina watched the slight movement of his hand before she spared a little smile, merely marveling at him. She wasn’t sure, she probably wouldn’t be for a while, but seeing the look on his face made it pretty clear that she was going to go through with it. For what felt like the first time in a while, his smile was infectiously bright and she couldn’t be the reason that it went away, even if she did need a little more convincing. She was sure that she would get there in time.