You Loved Me Once

“You’re getting married!”

Alba, who’d been reading a book quietly in her bed, startled at the sound of Eva’s voice, her blue eyes watching as her exuberant friend bounded into the room, a wide grin on her face. It was early, after a fractured night’s sleep, Alba had been awake for almost two hours, but she was a little surprise to see anyone else up. She’d half expected that no one would be quite as excited as she was.

“Isn’t everyone else still asleep?” Alba posed as she pulled her glasses off, settling them onto the end table.

Eva, who’d moved to collect Alba’s dressing gown from her overnight bag, scoffed. “You think anyone in this house is asleep right now?” she posed.

“I figured you would be” Alba noted “It is only 7 in the morning and nothing really has to get underway until at 10 at the earliest” she added as she sat up a little, taking the dressing gown which Eva held out to her.

Eva rolled her eyes. “It’s your wedding day, Alba” she mused “And everyone who stayed here last night is already up and about, waiting to get the first glance at the blushing bride to be on a day that has been a long time in the making. People are excited” she enthused.

Alba offered her a slightly dubious look before she pulled the dressing gown around her shoulders, linking arms with Eva who was more than happy to pull her through her childhood home towards the dining room where her parents sat. “Annabella, David” Eva grinned.

David, who’d been leafing through the previous day’s newspaper, turned at the sound of his name and grinned, his eyes landing on Alba who tried, unsuccessfully, to hide behind Eva. “Princesa” he cooed “You’re awake” he added.

“I have been for a little while” Alba confessed softly.

“And how are you feeling?” Annabella fussed as she stood up, ushering Alba into a seat.

Alba shrugged. “I feel OK I think” she murmured softly “I mean, I am a little nervous, and as silly as it, I miss Leo too, but I think I am more excited than anything” she insisted softly, a slight grin on her face.

Annabella grinned and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek before skittered away, announcing that she was about to serve breakfast.

“I told you people were excited” Eva grinned as she plopped into the seat beside Alba.

Alba rolled her eyes a little before she felt a familiar lurch in her stomach, causing her to swallow a little. It had been unexpected, when Alba had started to feel nauseous, she had placed it down to pre-wedding nerves, but when a few days had turned into a couple of weeks, she had had little choice but to invest in a pregnancy test, something which had confirmed that she was expecting her second child.

“You OK, Allie?” Calista posed as she stepped into the room, Shakira and Jess following after her “You look a little peaky” she added.

“Nerves” Alba dismissed quickly “I’ve always had them bad. Do you not remember when I got a speaking part in a school play?” she posed.

Calista smirked. “You vomited on a teacher” she grinned, earning a few giggles from the others.

Alba rolled her eyes a little before she pushed herself out of her seat, quietly excusing herself from the room.

~#~
“Well, look at who is still here” Gerard teased as he padded into the kitchen of Lionel’s apartment, his hand eagerly slapping the back of the argentine who sat at the kitchen table, quietly nursing a mug of tea which looked to have gone cold a long time ago.

Lionel snorted. “You thought I would run?” he posed, peeking up at his friend.

“Not for a second” Gerard mused “Though, there were a couple of times last night when people referred to Alba as ‘Mrs Messi’ that I thought we’d have to launch a search party. You looked a little awed at the prospect” he noted as he slipped the cup out of Lionel’s hand, tipping the cold liquid into the sink.

“I am a little awed” Lionel noted “I mean, by this time tomorrow, she’s going to be my wife, Gerard” he added.

“She should have been that a long time ago” the defender countered “It just took you a little while to realize it, but I am glad that you did. You and Alba just make sense together” he added brightly.

Lionel offered him a slight grin.

“How are you feeling this morning, Leo?” Oscar posed as he stepped into the room.

“Like I am about to throw up” the forward noted, grimacing a little at the sensation of nausea that passed over him.

Oscar smiled. “It passes” he enthused “I remember the morning I married Eva, I felt awful, but when I was stood there, with her, it kind of just goes. You tended to forget everything else around you when you’re faced with the woman you’re going to spend your life with” he grinned.

Lionel nodded. “I hope so” he noted gently.

“You’ll be fine” Oscar noted as he patted his friend’s shoulder “You and Alba…it’s been a long time in the making and I have no doubt that the two of you will make it work. She forgave you for last time after all” he enthused as he moved to pull some food out of the fridge.

“Thanks to you and your wife” Lionel contributed as he moved to pour himself another mug of tea “Without you and Eva…”

“You’d have ended up with her one way or another” Oscar countered “She just needed a nudge and Eva was more than happy to give it to her” he added as he padded out of the room.

Gerard, who was rested against the wall, offered the argentine a small smile. “I’ll ask you one more time. You do want to marry her, don’t you?” he posed.

Lionel glanced down at his mug for a second before he offered a stout nod, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I want to marry her, Gerard, I have done for a while, and you can rest assured, by the time she arrives at the venue, I will be there” he insisted firmly.

Gerard offered him a reassuring grin before he stepped towards him, patting his shoulder. “You’re a lucky guy. Alba’s a great woman” he enthused.

Lionel nodded his head in agreement. “She is” he confirmed, a warm smile on his face.

Gerard shook his head, chuckling a little at the warm look on his friend’s face. He doubted he had seen him so made up before and he knew that it was a good sign. He knew that it meant that that day was likely to be a good one.