We Took the Fall

59: More Than Enough

“What’ve you done with Blondie?” Esther posed as she sat down beside Catalina, her eyes scanning the hospital waiting room a little nervously. It had been a little out of the blue, as far as Esther had been aware, Fernando had been all set to attend Catalina’s latest ultrasound scan with her, and so she had been a little surprised to receive the call. She hated the idea that Catalina and Fernando had fallen apart.

“He’s training” Catalina replied softly “Since they’re still close to Barca and Real, Simeone has them doing double sessions most of the week and despite his best efforts, he just couldn’t get away. I didn’t particularly wanted to come alone so I asked you, but if it puts you out, you can leave” she added, bouncing her feet a little nervously. She didn’t like hospitals, after the incident with Alicia, she didn’t want to find herself in one, but she had little choice. Her bump was getting bigger every day and she needed to keep visiting her midwife.

“I thought maybe you killed him” Esther teased “You were fuming when you left the party last week” she added.

“I was embarrassed” Catalina admitted gently “He upstaged you and Alex on the biggest day of your life and it upset me, but I assure you, he’s perfectly fine. I’ll have him call you to prove it” she noted with a little smile.

Esther shook her head. “Alex and I are fine with it” she insisted gently “He actually got a pretty decent pay out from his brother when Fernando hit Jon” she teased.

Catalina smiled. “In a way, I found it kind of sweet” she admitted timidly “I mean, he was an idiot, but in a way, it was kind of protective and sweet” she enthused.

Esther smiled. “I can’t even get Alex to pick up his socks, let alone smack my ex for me” she teased.

“Which ex?” Catalina joked, causing Esther to scoff.

“You’re talking to a married woman, Miss De Marcos” Esther replied, stressing the ‘Miss’.

Catalina rolled her eyes. “I am engaged” she noted.

“So you convinced him to marry you, as well as knock you up, did you?”

Catalina startled at the cold voice, swallowing. “Mama” she squeaked, her blue eyes peeking up at Marisol who stared down at her, her nose wrinkled in disgust. It had been months, she hadn’t seen Catalina since the day that Fernando had confronted Alicia, but she couldn’t pretend to be surprised that her youngest was pregnant, nor that she had managed to talk Fernando into marrying her. Catalina had quite the habit of getting her own way.

“Cat” Esther murmured “Do you want to me to get rid of her?” she added.

Marisol scoffed. “Don’t you worry, Esther” she mused “I won’t be staying long. I was just waiting for Alicia to finish up with her midwife. She’s having twins with a lawyer” she noted, offering her youngest a pointed look.

“I’m happy for her, mama” Catalina mused sweetly.

Marisol scoffed. “She had to do something after you stole Fernando from her” she muttered.

“Mrs De Marcos” Esther interrupted, standing up between Catalina and her mother “Catalina had nothing to do with Fernando breaking up with Alicia. That is very much on the puta of a daughter you decided to stick by. If you nice to say to Cat, then why don’t you just walk away from her? It seems to be a skill you’re very good with” she noted, a sarcastic smile on her face.

Marisol made a sound of outrage before a nurse appeared, calling Catalina’s name. “We have to go” Esther noted as she grabbed Catalina’s hand, leading her towards the midwife.

Marisol rolled her eyes. She would never understand why Fernando was so smitten with Catalina.

~#~
“Lina?” Fernando’s voice was gentle as he stepped into the living room, his brown eyes admiring his girlfriend who laid up on the couch, one of her exercise books perched against her bump.

“How was training?” Catalina posed, offering him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“It was fine. A lot of running and stretching, but I would rather talk about your visit to the hospital. Do you know?” he posed, an excited expression crossing his features.

Catalina nodded. “I do” she enthused softly.

“So?” he posed, placing a hand on her bump. He hated that he had missed it, they had been due to find out the sex of their baby at the scan that day, and it disappointed Fernando that he had missed it. He adored every shot he got at hearing the thump of their baby’s heart.

“How would you feel about the name Marco?” Catalina posed.

“Marco” Fernando repeated “It’s a boy?” he added.

Catalina nodded. “A very healthy boy” she enthused “The midwife is thrilled with his progress” she informed him.

Fernando stared at her briefly before he ducked forward, pressing a kiss against her bump. “A boy” he repeated gently.

Catalina watched him for a second before she sighed. “I ran into my mother” she admitted, causing Fernando to sit up.

“What?” he posed.

“She was at the hospital. Apparently, Cia’s pregnant with twins by some lawyer. My mother took great pleasure in telling me in the most spiteful way that she could” she muttered, pain flashing across her face.

Fernando sighed and shuffled towards her face, cradling her cheek in his palm. “Lina, you don’t need them” he reassured her gently.

“I know” Catalina mumbled, leaning into him gently “But it still sucks” she muttered.

“I understand that” he mused, skimming his thumb gently over her cheekbone “But it’s through no fault of you own that your mother and sister have a problem with me and you. I was the one who dated your sister and ended things with her, I was the one who discovered that she was a cheating puta, and I made the fuss, you were just unfortunate in that you chose to love me” he enthused, offering her a small smile.

Catalina smiled. “I think I got the best deal” she murmured “I got a lovely boyfriend” she added.

“I wish you could have both, Lina” he mused, a sympathetic smile on his face “I wish you had your family too” he enthused.

Catalina grinned and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I have you and our baby boy” she murmured gently “That’s all the family I need right now” she added, kissing his nose.

“Are you sure?” Fernando murmured.

“I’m certain” Catalina mused, kissing both of his cheeks “I’d rather have you two than my mother and sister who seemed more than happy to drop me the second I stopped being happy to be their backup” she enthused.

Fernando smiled and placed a kiss on her lips, wordlessly vowing to make sure that he and their son were enough for her.