Love Me Until My Heart Stops

70: It Was Never You

“Aww, the newlyweds” Lionel quipped as he wrapped his arms around Gerard’s and Esmé’s shoulders, offering them a wide grin. It had been a week since he had seen them, after the wedding, they’d hidden away for a little and Lionel didn’t blame them for a second. He recalled the feeling of being newly married and had little doubt that his friends were desperate to make it last for a little while.

“Lionel” Gerard noted “You know that you don’t have to call us that right?” he noted, moving towards the front door of the training complex.

“I know” Lionel smiled “But I like it. It suits you” he teased.

Gerard rolled his eyes before he turned to Esmé, placing a small kiss on her head. “I will see you after work” he mused “Try not to stress” he quipped before he followed Lionel away, making Esmé shake her head gently. It was a little strange, being back at work after a while away, but she knew that she had to get used to it. Before long, Barcelona would be playing again and Esmé would be facing more and more nights at home by herself before the arrival of their baby. Watching him go, she adjusted her bag on her shoulder before she quickly made her way towards her office, greeting the returning Barcelona coach with a smile. It hadn’t been the best season, the club had followed up the treble win with failures in Europe and in the cup competition, but had managed to retain the league, something which had probably saved Luis Enrique from losing his job.

“Ah, the new Mrs Piqué” the coach noted, smiling up at her “How was the wedding? I was sorry not to be able to make it” he noted.

Esmé smiled. “It was lovely, sir” she mused gently “Very nice” she added.

Enrique nodded his head. “I am glad to hear it” he enthused before he collected a pack of files from his desk “I need you to read through the coaches’ reports for me. The chairman is looking for transfer suggestions and I want to know where our weaknesses lie” he noted.

“I will get it done, sir” Esmé smiled.

The coach nodded his head and offered her smile. “Congrats, Esmeralda” he mused sincerely before he left the room, allowing her to get to work.

~#~
“You’re sure this is a good idea?” Roberto murmured as he looked at his mother, a hesitant expression on his face. He knew that he wasn’t going to be welcome, after the way she had spoken to him on her wedding day, Esmé was not in the right frame of mind to talk to him, but Amelia was insistent. The situation between her son and her granddaughter’s seemed to be deteriorating and she wanted to put a stop to it, starting with the girl who was going to be the hardest to get through to. Esmé was her mother’s daughter, stubborn for no good reason, and Amelia knew it would take more than one half-assed attempt to get through to her. Roberto merely needed to be persistent.

“She was always going to be the hardest to get through to, Roberto” she murmured “But you can’t be lazy. Persistence” she quipped.

“But this is her place of work, mama” Roberto protested “And I don’t exactly envisage that Gerard is going to let me near her either” he added.

Amelia rolled her eyes. “You need to show her that it matters, Roberto” she muttered “You need to show your daughter that you’re not just going to let her slip through your fingers again and you need to do it now. Ella and Eloisa are like you, but Esmé? She is so much like Delia that it hurts” she commented.

Roberto heaved out a tired sigh before he quietly pushed the car door open, making his way towards the reception desk.

“Can I help you, sir?” the receptionist posed.

“I…I need to speak with Esmeralda Silva” Roberto murmured, trying not to stammer anymore.

“And who are you?” The receptionist quipped.

“Roberto Suarez. Her father” he noted.

The receptionist offered him a slightly dubious look before she stood from her seat, offering him a polite smile. “If you’d follow me. Mrs Piqué ought to be at lunch” she noted politely.

Roberto nodded his head hesitantly and followed the receptionist, wary that the reception he received was not going to be the warmest.

~#~
“You know you don’t have to spend every second with me, don’t you?” Esmé teased as she took a bite out of the apple that Gerard had bought for her.

“I know” he replied “I can’t help liking it though. Can you blame me?” he quipped.

Esmé giggled before a knock at the door sounded, causing her to look up. “Can I help you?” she posed.

“Esmé”

Esmé stilled a little at the sound of the voice that echoed, her eyes dropping to the desk which sat ahead of her. “Why are you here?” she mumbled.

“I…I wanted to see you. I was hoping that we could have a conversation” Roberto noted as he quietly stepped into the room, pushing the door closed behind him.

“I made my feelings clear to you the other night” Esmé muttered.

“Esmé” Gerard murmured, his hand reaching for hers “Be brave” he added.

Esmé took a breath before she quietly turned her eyes up towards her father, her hand squeezing at Gerard’s tightly. “Roberto” she murmured gently “I know that you want to talk, and I appreciate that, but you need to see that this is going to take some time for me to get my head around” she mumbled.

“I do appreciate that, Esmeralda” Roberto murmured as he sat down on the spare chair which stood beside her desk “I appreciate that you don’t want to call me papa, but I just want a chance to explain. Do you think I can have that?” he posed softly.

Esmé glanced across her desk, her brown eyes catching Gerard’s, before she nodded. “I just want to know why, Roberto” she murmured “From what I was told, you and madre we happy. You had Ella and Eloisa and for years, I wondered if it was one me. The picture perfect couple, the two adorable little girls…sometimes I wonder if it was me that made you go” she whispered softly. She didn’t liked admitting it, but it was a thought that had crossed her mind more than once. From the way everyone spoke, Delia and Roberto had been perfectly happy until she was born and then things had started to go downhill.

Roberto shook his head. “Esmé, sweetheart, it was never you” he insisted.

Esmé shook her head. “Nana Suarez used to tell stories. You were love’s young dream, you had Ella and Eloisa, and things started to go wrong when I came along. Perhaps 3 children was just too much” she protested.

“No” Roberto interjected “No, Esmé, it was not you. I was a stupid man, I fell in love too young, and things just didn’t pan out, but it was never your fault. Your mother and I wanted all 3 of you and it was just coincidence. I was stupid, sweetheart, so stupid, and I hate that I have made you ever think that. You were not the reason, Esmé, I was” he insisted, fighting the urge he had to pull her into a hug. It was far too soon for that.

Esmé shifted a little. “I need time, Roberto” she whispered, her hand squeezing Gerard’s.

Roberto nodded his head. “I get that” he insisted “But take this. I would love to get coffee with you sometime” he quipped as he scrawled his phone number down onto her notepad.

“I’ll call you sometime, Roberto” Esmé murmured.

“That’s all I ask” the older man quipped before he offered the couple a wave, stepping out of the office.

Gerard watched the door close before he made his way around the desk, pulling Esmé into a tight hug. “You did well” he insisted, kissing her head softly. Esmé merely nodded and hugged him close, hoping it got easier with time.
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Thanks to Jayme112234 for the comment :)