Our Crazy Little Thing Called Family

“The tree looks fab Mols. I should get you to do mine next year” Anderia said as she took a handful of popcorn from the bowl that laid between the two ladies on the couch. “Thanks” Molly muttered as she looked at the TV. “Everything ok? You’re very quiet tonight” Anderia said. “She tired I guess. I’m still catching up on my sleep. Plus I haven’t slept that well the past couple of nights” Molly replied. “Well Junior looks much better so you can stop worrying about him. Although you never stop worrying about you children” Anderia said.

“He did seem really good when he and Victoria were sort of playing earlier” Molly smiled as she looked at the two children who were now fast asleep on another couch. All safely tucked up in a blanket and surrounded by cushions so they couldn’t fall off the couch. “So what’s keeping you up at night then?” Anderia asked. “Nothing” Molly lied and Andria raised an eyebrow at her. “Just have a lot on my mind I guess. You know Christmas is coming. I’m trying to make sure Dolores doesn’t do too much” Molly said. “How is the Russian?” Anderia asked.

“Still them as she has always being. If she just stay out of my way it would make things easier. She actually called Junior a brat again. Urgh I really nearly hit her. She won’t be here for much longer away” Molly said. “I’d love to see you wipe the smile off her face. Although I already have” Anderia said and Molly looked at her friend confused. “When you told her that you were Junior’s mother that night he got ill” Anderia explained. “Oh right” Molly said not wanting to think about that night. “She’s not going to Maderia with you all though is she? Cos I could see Katia throwing over a cliff” Anderia joked.

“She’s going to Dubai” Molly said. “That’s good” Anderia said. “With Cristiano” Molly said.
“Oh” Anderia said. “So things between Dolores and Cristiano haven’t been great since she found out yesterday” Molly explained. “Understandably of course. Oh bad miss” Anderia said as Molly turned to the TV in time to see the replay of Cristiano’s terrible miss. “He’s not ending the year too well” Anderia said.

“I’m sure it will get better for him in the second half” Molly said as the referee blew the whistle and the teams headed into the dressing rooms. Anderia’s phone beeped and Molly heard her laugh as she read it. “Ana wants to get us” Anderia said. “Why?” Molly asked. “She’s in the same box with Irina” Anderia said. “At least she has Dolores” Molly said as she reached for her own phone and spotted a text from Nuno. “I feel like I’m in the North Pole not in the Bernabeu. So cold in this box” Nuno had written and Molly laughed.

“Apparently the temperature is very cold in the box tonight or so Nuno says anyway” Molly told Anderia. “Well I’d rather be here. The mamas need time together” Andeia smiled as she stood. “Back in a sec” she told Mollt who nodded. Molly gazed over at the two sleeping children and then back at the TV where the commentators were giving out about Cristiano’s playing.

She shook her head knowing they were being stupid. He wasn’t playing that bad she thought as she scrolled through the pictures Anderia had taken earlier. They had been playing with the babies when her friend had grabbed Molly’s phone and take a few pictures of them. She looked at her phone and then at the TV. “Oh what the hell” she muttered as she attached one of the pictures to a message and then hit send.

“We’re not on holidays yet boys. Get your heads in the game” Iker shouted in the dressing room as Cristiano sat on his bench. He couldn’t believe he had missed that easy shot moments ago. He just couldn’t focus. His mother had ignored him at breakfast but he knew she was sitting in his box. With Irina he thought. And Molly. Well she was at home with Junior like she had planned though if he was a betting man he would have guessed she wouldn’t have come even if she hadn’t been worried about Junior so much.

He looked at his phone and sighed. He didn’t know why but he couldn’t stop thinking about not getting Molly’s usual message of a pic of Junior. Even when they had fought badly and when she moved out, somehow someone always sent him a pic. He thought of all the words he had heard her say to her friend yesterday. She still thought she meant nothing to anyone.

“Ronaldo” Iker yelled and Cristiano looked up quickly. “Ya a I heard” he replied and Iker sighed. Cristiano picked the phone up and saw he had a bunch of messages but only one name stood out. He quickly pressed the message open and smiled as the screen filled with a picture of Junior laying on his belly in his papa’s jersey as he smiled at Molly who was giggling next to him.

“Ronaldo” Pepe yelled and Cristiano looked up to see his teammate standing at the door of the dressing room. The empty room. “I’m coming” he said placing his phone back down on the bench. “We kind of need you to focus Ronnie” Pepe said as they walked out of the room. “Let’s go win this match” Cristiano smiled.

“Well that ended well” Anderia smiled as the players walked off at the end of the match. “Well I guess that will teach the commentators for thinking Cristiano was losing his skills” Molly muttered as she watched the man in question wall off with the match ball in hand after scoring his hat trick. “I guess I should head home” Anderia said. “Or wait for your husband to walk back with you. Just text him to collect you here” Molly smiled at her. “Good idea” her friend smiled back. It was well over an hour before the girls heard noise coming from the hallway.

Molly was expecting Dolores and Nuno to come into the living room and she didn’t hide her surprise that it was Cristiano who came into the room. Something he noticed. “Nice game boys” Anderia said as Fabio walked behind Cristiano. “We try” Fabio smirked. “Some of us don’t need to” Cristiano smirked at him. “If you had tried harder you could have got a hat trick in both half’s” Molly said. “I didn’t do too bad” he replied. “Eventually” Molly and Fabio both said and Cristiano groaned at the two of them. “Babe let’s go to bed” Irina wined.

“We should take Victoria home Fabio” Victoria said standing. “Thanks for the company Mols” Anderia said. “Anytime” Molly said hugging her friend. “Babe” Irina wined and Cristiano sighed. “I’ll follow you up” he told her and she pouted before storming out of the room. “Ouch looks like you could be sleeping on the couch tonight mate” Fabio joked to his friend as he took his daughter in his arms. “Stay where you are. We’ll mange to get” Anderia said when both Cristiano and Molly stepped forward. “Noite” Fabio whispered. “Night” Molly said as she watched them leave.

“Can I take him up?” Cristiano asked nodding at Junior. “Sure” Molly said. “Hey little man. Oh I know but you’ll be in your own bed soon” Cristiano said when Junior started to squirm. “Should we take the jersey off him or will he be ok in it for the night?” Cristiano asked as he followed Molly towards the stairs. “I meant to take it off earlier but he fell asleep. I guess he’ll be ok in it until the morning” Molly said as she climbed the stairs.

“He had fun tonight?” Cristiano asked as they reached the top of the stairs. “I suppose. He likes playing with Victoria. Not that they can really play but well” Molly shrugged. They walked silently into Molly’s room and Molly watched as Cristiano placed Junior into his cot. “Noite son” Cristiano whispered as he stroked his son’s cheek.

He rested his hands on the side of the cot and looked at Molly who was standing by the door. They looked at each other until Molly rolled her eyes at him and strolled over to sit on her bed. “So are you start the next year with a hat trick or do you just save that for ending the year?” Molly asked and he smiled. “So you saw my wonderful goals then?” he smirked. “Yes. And I also saw that terrible miss in the first half” she said.

“Don’t remind me” he groaned and walked around the cot and took a seat next to Molly on the bed. “It was a shitty miss” he said. “Which can happen to anyone. Even the superstar who lives in this house” she smiled at him. “I think you’re the really superstar in this house Mols” he sighed and laid out on his back.

“Does that mean I should ask Jorge for my wages to be like yours?” she asked and he laughed. “There are some days where I think he would pay it. He likes you working for him” Cristiano said. “So do I” Molly said as she tucked her legs under her on the bed and twisted to face him. “I think I found a new favourite picture of mine” he told her. “I didn’t even know you had a favourite picture” she said. “Well I have lots of favourites. Thank you for the picture you sent today” he said. “It was no big deal” she shrugged. “Molly about-

“Irina will be wondering where you have got to” Molly interrupted him and he nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning” he said standing from the bed. “Night Mols” he said when he reached the door. “Night night Mr. Hat trick” she said and he smiled as he left her bedroom.

“Just one day. Can we just have one bloody peaceful day?” Cristiano groaned as he walked into the living room the following day. “Cristiano” Molly called out. “What?” he snapped and he looked up to find her standing with her arms crossed beside Junior’s highchair. “Sorry Mols. It’s just been a long couple of minutes” he said.

“Let me guess, Marcosa took one of Irina’s shoes and she’s not happy” Molly said. “How did you?” he asked confused. “Cos your dog just ran through here with what I presume was a shoe” Molly laughed. “It’s not funny Mols” he said. “It kind of is” Molly smiled as she lifted Junior out of his chair and Marcosa ran from the hallway past Cristiano with the black heel hanging from his mouth. “My shoe” Irina yelled as she suddenly appeared at Cristiano’s side.

“What is all the yelling about?” Dolores asked as she entered the room. “Are you just going to stand there?” Irina yelled at Cristiano as Marcosa ran around the coffee table. “Marcosa” Cristiano yelled at the dog as Dolores looked at Molly confused. “Get him. Cris that’s a €800 shoe” Irina yelled as Cristiano walked near his dog. Dolores placed her handbag on a nearby stool as Molly tried not to laugh at Cristiano’s attempt at retrieving the shoe. The dog ran around the coffee table and Irina moved her leg to kick the dog when Molly let out a shout.

“Don’t you even think about kicking that dog” Molly yelled as Marcosa ran past Irina at out of the room. “That mut has my shoe” Irina yelled at Molly. “And that still gives you know right to kick him” Molly snapped. “Everyone shut up” Cristiano yelled and all the women looked at him. “You want to attempt that again Ronaldo?” Molly asked him annoyed. “Mols can you please get the shoe off the dog. He listens to you. The sooner the shoe is retrieve the quicker all of this shouting is over” he told her.

“All this fuss over a shoe” Molly muttered as she handed Junior to his grandmother. “Molly” Cristiano pleaded and she went in search of the dog. “Stupid dog” Irina said. “He was just playing” Cristiano told her. “I wasn’t talking about the dog” Irina mumbled but Cristiano was already following Molly out of the room and didn’t hear her.

“How the hell did he get in here?” Cristiano asked as he walked into the indoor swimming pool area. “Your girlfriend forgot to close the door after her” Molly replied with her back to him as she walked towards Marcosa who was lying on the floor. “Marcosa give it please” Molly said holding her hand out to the dog. The dog dropped the shoe on the tiles. “Seriously you couldn’t have just done that when he ran past you the first time” Cristiano said as he reached Molly’s side.

“Seriously no comment on the fact that your dog does what he is told and listens but it takes his owner a lot longer” Molly said as she bent down and picked the shoe up. “Ya ya I know listen to you more ok I get it. Thanks for getting the shoe back” he said. “You may want to have your credit card ready cos I don’t think your girlfriend will be wearing this anytime soon” Molly said handing him the torn up shoe.

“Great just what I need. I just want a moment’s peace” he sighed. “In this house. Ha good luck with that” Molly said as she moved to walk around him. Unaware to both of them, Marcosa had stood and Molly hit off the dog and began to sway. Cristiano quickly reached out and grabbed her before she could fall.

“Careful” Cristiano said softly as his arms wrapped around her waist and Molly was thrown against him. “Thanks” Molly mumbled looking up at his face. “He likes trying to trip you. Aren’t you meant to be his favourite?” he smirked. “He only seems to try and trip me when you’re around” Molly said looking at the dog. “Cos he knows that I’ll always catch you” Cristiano said lifting her chin to look at him.

“Always” he whispered as they gazed into each other’s eyes and his left hand cupped the side of her face. He stroked her cheek and she titled her head further into his hand as her eyes closed. His other hand moved along her back as he tugged her closer to him and Molly opened her eyes and stared directly at him. His head dipped slowly inching closer and closer to her lips.