You Loved Me Once

Brushing his fingertip over the sonogram picture he held in his hand, Lionel smiled to himself, unable to pull his attention away from it. It felt a little odd, the idea that Alba had their baby growing inside her, but the with the sonogram picture in his hand, he couldn’t help but smile a little.

He knew that it wasn’t going to be instant, as far as he could tell, Alba intended on keeping the brakes on their relationship for a while and he doubted that he would be able to convince her not to, but he was pleased that they’d made it as far as they had. Their 8 month relationship had lasted a lot longer than he had anticipated that it would and he hoped that they could keep it going, even if it did progress slowly, he was hopeful that they’d get the happily ever after that he’d denied Alba before.

“Have you put that thing down since Cassandra gave it to you?”

Lionel, who’d been studying the picture, lifted his head a little as Alba padded into the room, settling a newly packed holdall down beside the door. “I have stopped looking at it” he mused.

“You sure? When I left you here to go back to work, you were looking at it and now, several hours later, you’re still looking at it” Alba teased as she stepped a little closer to him, greeting him with a brisk kiss that he didn’t hesitate to return.

“I did put it down, but I like admiring it, Alba. We made this” he grinned, holding the picture out to her.

Alba smiled gently and took the picture from his hands, admiring it briefly.

Lionel watched the smile on her face for a second, not missing the way her entre face lit up at the sight of the sonogram. “You know, I hope that they get your smile” he fussed softly.

Alba shook her head, her cheeks tinting a little pink.

“And your eyes. You’ve got pretty eyes” he teased.

Alba rolled her eyes. “We’ve still got a way to go before we find that out, senor” she noted, poking his side softly.

“I know” Lionel noted “But I am excited. This is our bump, Alba” he fussed as he stretched his hand out, carefully resting it against the small bump which stuck out from beneath Alba’s shirt.

“It is” Alba confirmed “But we have more important things to think about right now. We still have to tell people” she pointed out gently.

Lionel sighed a little, not missing the nervous expression that passed over her face. “You know, we don’t have to call them” he suggested softly as he took her hand “If we just told Calista, I am sure the news would filter back. We don’t have to go out of our way for them” he mused.

“They’re my parents” Alba noted, shaking her head a little “And whether they love you or not, they have every right to know that they’re about to be grandparents. I just don’t know if I have it in me to listen to them insist that this is doomed to fail again” she mumbled, moving to settle back on the couch.

“I doubt they’ve changed their minds” Lionel noted, leaning back beside her “From what my padre says, your papa is still as upset as he was before. He ran into him recently and all your papa did was scoff and walk away” he mused.

“You didn’t tell me that before” Alba mumbled, cuddling into his side slightly.

“I didn’t want you upset” Lionel returned “You’re carrying something pretty important and I want to limit your stress as much as I can. I want the next six months to be as calm and as quiet as they can be for you” he insisted gently.

Alba shook her head. “You don’t have to tiptoe” she mused.

“I know that” Lionel mused “But I know that your parents is a touchy subject and for a little while, I wanted to keep you focussed on the good thing going on right now, not that. You’ve been made up since we found out about bump” he added. He knew that they couldn’t avoid it forever, sooner or later, the issue of Alba’s mother, and in particular, her father, was going to arise again, but for a little while, he merely wanted to focus on the good thing that was Alba’s progressing pregnancy.

Alba smiled a little. “You’re sweet for worrying” she murmured softly “But I do have to tell them, I can’t just hope that it filters back to them after I tell Callie. I’ll call them first and then we can call your parents” she mused.

“Only if you’re certain” Lionel noted “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do” he added.

Alba smiled a little at his concern and leant up, kissing his cheek gently. “You’re very sweet” she noted before she pushed herself up, moving to collect her laptop from the bag she had left before the door.

Lionel watched her before he let out a little sigh, not entirely sure that he had it in him to watch Alba cry again.

~#~
“Are you sure that you want me to stay?” Lionel posed as he peeked at the laptop which sat on the table, bleeping with the dial tone of the video call that Alba had placed to her parents. He knew that it was the right thing, whether they loved his relationship with their daughter or not, Annabella and David deserved to know that they were only a few months away from becoming grandparents, but still the idea of calling them unsettled the forward.

They were angry, even if it had been a while since he had seen them, he knew that their feelings towards him had not changed, and he worried that they would only upset Alba who, even despite insisting that she was fine about their situation, desperately wanted her parents in her life.

“This is your news too” Alba noted “You don’t want to stay?” she added.

“I’m by your side” he insisted gently “But I worry if they see me, then they won’t let you get a word in edgeways” he noted.

“I’d like you to stay” Alba murmured “For moral support” she added.

Lionel offered her a small smile and nodded, pecking her cheek softly as her mother’s face appeared on the screen of the laptop. “Alba?” she posed.

“Hola, Mama” Alba greeted “It is nice to see you” she added brightly.

Annabella nodded. “It’s been a while, sweetheart” she murmured “I missed you over the holidays” she added.

“You could have called” Alba pointed out “Calista did. I’d have been thrilled to hear from you” she insisted.

“You know why we didn’t, Alba” Annabella countered “You’re still with him, I see” she added, her eyes peeking towards Lionel who stared at his hands, trying to hold his tongue.

“Mama” Alba warned gently.

“We’re trying to look out for you, Alba” Annabella insisted “You know how you were after the last time he was in your life and the last thing me and your papa want is…”

“Mama, I am happy” Alba interjected “For the first time in a long time, I am happy, and I need you and papa to see that this isn’t just some phase or a problem that can be solved by me coming to stay with you guys. I am 28, mama, and this is the choice I have made and I need you to support it. I miss you, mama” she insisted, pushing the hair out of her face.

Annabella shifted a little at the tone of her daughter’s voice, her expression softening.

“I called to tell you some news” Alba noted gently “Mama, in September, you’re going to have your first little grandbaby” she revealed softly.

“What?” Annabella squeaked.

Alba smiled a little and picked up the sonogram picture that had been left on the coffee table. “You’re going to be an abuela” she grinned.

Annabella eyed the sonogram picture, her expression unreadable.

“Mama?” Alba pressed.

Annabella offered her a little look before David appeared in the shot, his head shaking at the sight of the picture that Alba held in her hands. “You’re having his baby?” he muttered.

“Papa…”

David shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it” he muttered “Adios, Alba” he quipped before he ended the call, leaving Alba staring at the blank screen ahead of her.

Lionel eyed the screen for a moment before he closed the computer, offering Alba a feeble smile. “It’s OK” he murmured.

“Ok?” Alba snapped “My papa refuses to accept my baby, Leo, our baby. How is that OK?” she spat before she pushed herself to her feet, storming away towards his bedroom.

Lionel watched her go and sighed to himself, not quite sure what he could say to make her feel any better.