We Took the Fall

Gently twisting her blonde hair around her finger, Catalina allowed a nervous sigh to fall out of her mouth, her blue eyes settled on the dress bag which was hung on the door of her wardrobe. It was still early, when she had last spared a glance towards her clock, it had read a little after seven in the morning, and whilst a small part of her wanted nothing more than to curl up beneath her duvet and fall asleep, she couldn’t will herself to, not with the butterflies and the knots which played in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t surprised by the nerves, since they had a set a date, she had known that she would be nervous and uncertain, but still she wanted them to disappear, even if she had been told by numerous people that it was only natural to be nervous. She wanted the sensation to fade away.

Allowing her hair to slip from between her fingers, she eyed the dress bag for another few moments before the sound of footsteps reached her ears, causing her to lift her head, her blue eyes settling on Esther who stood slightly away from her, a sheepish smile on her face. “I thought you’d be awake” she quipped softly “You doing ok, bride-to-be?” she added.

Catalina offered her a tired smile before she patted the spot beside her, encouraging her friend to sit down. “I feel sick” she admitted “I mean, I genuinely feel as though I could throw up any minute. Did you feel this bad when you married Alex?” she posed, her fingers fiddling with her pajama shirt.

Esther, who’d moved to take the seat that Catalina had offered her, snorted. “I felt worse” she quipped “I woke up before everyone, even before you, and I walked out of the front door. I stood there for maybe five minutes, thinking about running off, but then I got a text from Alex and I calmed down. It’s nerves, Cat, and it’s natural, but you have nothing to be worried about. You and Blondie, it’s the way it’s supposed to be” she added as she reached her hand out, offering Catalina’s a light squeeze. She wasn’t surprised, from the moment she had arrived at Catalina’s home the previous night, the blonde woman had looked nervous, and she wanted to offer her a little reassurance, not wanting her to get too worked up.

Catalina offered her a slightly dubious look, something which made Esther shake her head, squeezing her hand gently once more. “You love him, Cat” she pointed out “You’ve loved him for a long time, and we both know you’re not going to do better, so, why don’t we head downstairs? We can grab some breakfast before we think about starting to get ready” she added, her voice soft and encouraging.

Catalina hesitated briefly before she nodded her head, causing Esther to push herself up to her feet before she tugged on Catalina’s hand, pulling her out of the room after her. Catalina hung back slightly, her stomach flipping, before she followed after her friend, knowing that Esther had a point. It was what she had wanted, for a long time, she had hoped that she and Fernando would piece things back together, and whilst she was nervous, she couldn’t wait for the moment that she and Fernando walked away as man and wife.

~#~
Allowing the delicate material of her dress to pass between her fingers, Catalina quirked a timid smile, her eyes quickly sneaking a gander at her reflection in the mirror. It had taken a while, with Esther determined to ensure that she looked perfect, they had spent almost two hours sat in her room attempting to fix her hair and makeup, but she had no doubt that it had been worth it. She looked good, better than she had thought that she would, and she knew that she owed a lot to Esther who’d barely left her side since she had woken up that morning.

Gently ghosting her fingers over her dress once more, she allowed another timid smile to fill her face before she turned around, padding out of the room. Ensuring that she was careful, she padded through the apartment before she stepped into the living room, clearing her throat nervously. “So?” she babbled shyly.

Santiago, who’d been cooing happily over Felix, lifted his head at the sound of his daughter’s voice before he blinked a couple times, his eyes wide as they stared at her. “Catalina...” he trailed off softly.

Catalina’s cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink before she shook her head. “I am taking that as a good sign you know” she babbled, fiddling with her dress nervously.

“It’s a good sign” Santiago mused “I mean...you look so beautiful, sweetheart” he breathed.

Catalina’s already pink cheeks darkened a little before she shook her head. “You sure?” she asked.

Santiago nodded without hesitation. “You look beautiful, Catalina” he repeated warmly.

Catalina offered him a shy smile before Esther padded into the room, a camera clutched in her hand. “I know that you’ve got a photographer” she noted “But I was thinking that I could take a few snaps before we get moving. Does that sound like an idea?” she added, her voice warm and enthusiastic.

Catalina smiled at the enthusiasm in her friend’s voice before she nodded her head. “I am sure that we’ve got time for a few pictures” she mused.

Esther grinned brightly before she took a pace towards Catalina, positioning her beside her father before she lifted Felix into her arms, handing him over to Santiago. Adjusting the two of them slightly, she took a pace backwards before she lifted the camera into her hands, snapping a couple of quick pictures before the sound of the doorbell ringing filled the room, causing Catalina to lift an eyebrow. “Are we expecting anyone?” she posed.

Esther shook her head. “Not that I know of” she noted “You want me to get it?” she asked.

Catalina shook her head. “I think I can probably handle it, Esther” she quipped impishly before she stepped out of the room. Subconsciously messing with her dress, she made her way through the apartment before she pulled the door open, her blue eyes widening at the sight of the woman who stood on the other side. Blinking a couple of times, she stared at the woman ahead of her before she shook her head. “Mama” she breathed “What are you doing here?” she asked.