Our Crazy Little Thing Called Family

“CRISTIANO” Irina yelled as she came towards the pool area and both Cristiano and Molly jumped back at her voice. Marcosa stood suddenly and as Cristiano moved away from Molly, he forgot about the dog and began to lose his balance. His arm went out and he tugged Molly with him into the pool. Irina and Dolores arrived into the pool area as both Molly and Cristiano returned to the top of the water.

Molly coughed as she wiped her wet hair away off her eyes as she tried to keep a float in the water. “What the hell happened?” Dolores asked with Junior in her arms as she nearer the pool. “Marcosa tripped me” Cristiano said waiting for a reaction from Molly as he moved his arms to keep afloat. “Cristiano” Irina said beside Dolores.

“I got your shoe” he said looking around him. “One sec” he told her and ducked down to the bottom of the pool where the shoe had been knocked into by one of them when they were falling into the water. “Here it is” he said once he reached the top and held the shoe in the air and Molly burst out into laughter. He looked at her and started to laugh too.

“Ronaldo” Irina yelled and his attention turned away from Molly and back to a very unhappy Irina beside his mother. “I think the shoe has come to an early end” he said fighting back laughter and Molly let out a loud bark of a laugh and Cristiano couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. That is how Nuno found them, both laughing hysterically as he entered the pool area and came to stand by Dolores and Irina. “It’s not funny. My shoe is ruined” Irina said.

“Why are you two in the pool?” Nuno asked Molly and Cristiano confused. “Ask him” Molly said pointing to Cristiano. “Hey it was Marcosa’s fault” Cristiano said laughing. “This isn’t funny. Stop laughing” Irina yelled and Junior screeched at her voice. “My shoe is ruined” Irina yelled. “And it can be replaced. It’s only a shoe” Dolores said as she tried to comfort Junior. “An ugly one at that” Molly muttered and Irina glared at her in the water. “Babe I’ll get you another pair” Cristiano said and Irina stomped her foot and stormed out of the pool area. “Jezz why do I miss all the fun?” Nuno smirked. “Oh ya been in here is great fun” Molly said. “Well I’m glad I’m not in Cris’s shoes. Irina’s pissed” Nuno said and Molly laughed. “Not in his shoe” she mumbled and Nuno laughed.

“It’s not funny” Cristiano said laughing. “I still don’t understand why you are both in there” Dolores said. “He tugged me in” Molly said jestering to Cristiano. “Hey I did stop you from falling moments before” he smirked. “Always catch you. Ha. How about not taking me down with you?” she asked. “You had to laugh?” he asked. “You laughed too. Plus it was funny. Shooting up the water with the shoe in your hand” she giggled and he laughed too. “Well now that the shoe has been found, maybe you two would like to get out of the water” Dolores said.

“Good idea Dolores” Molly smiled. “I’ll start getting Junior ready for bed” Dolores said and she headed out of the pool area. “So all of this kiddish behaviour over a shoe?” Nuno asked and Molly and Cristiano looked at each other and smirked. Before Nuno knew it, they both had splashed him with the water and he yelled and jumped as the water covered him. “Hey” he shouted and the both laughed. “Ok ok. Jezz” he said.

“We could just pull you in?” Molly asked and Nuno took a step back from the edge. “Stupid shoe” Cristiano mumbled. “How did the shoe get in there?” Nuno asked. “Marcosa took her shoe. And here I thought Cristiano had gotten better at not going down too easily like he did in his United days” Molly smirked. “Why you little” he said grabbing her leg and pulling her towards him and proceeded to tickle her

Molly laughed as she tried to get his arms away from her. “Amm hello” Nuno said and they both looked up at him. “Ah yes good you still both know I’m here. As much as seeing you both like this is lovely giving the last time you were pushed into a pool. I brought back a take away which is getting cold” Nuno said.

“Ya we’re getting out” Molly said and tugged out of Cristiano’s hold and swam to the side of the pool. She lifted herself out of the pool and Nuno handed her a nearby towel. “Eat the food. I’ll get mine in a bit” Molly said and quickly left. “You just had to bring the pool fight up. Didn’t you?” Cristiano groaned at his cousin as he watched Molly leave. “Sorry Cris. But at least she was laughing and smiling this time” Nuno pointed out. “Ya” Cristiano smiled as he tried not to think about what could have happened if they hadn’t heard Irina calling his name.

Cristiano shut the front door of his house and smiled as he remembered all the smiling faces of the children he had just visited. His schedule got changed and he was able to fly to Lisbon and visit the children’s office like he had wanted and planned to do. He had a lot to do before he and Irina left for Dubai in a couple of days but he was glad he had went to Lisbon. Everyone was so busy getting ready for the respective trips.

Dolores, Molly and Junior were flying to Madeira tomorrow and Nuno who had joined Cristiano on the journey to Lisbon had stayed there. Irina had a photoshoot according to a voicemail she had left on his phone earlier in the day. He knew he should start packing for his trip but he just couldn’t begin to start it. As he walked down the hallway, Marocsa came running towards him looking for attention. “You know you were very bold yesterday” he told the dog who knelt as his owner’s feet. “You ruined Irina’s shoe and I had to hear all about it” Cristiano groaned as he bent to the dog. “You just wanted to play huh. You’re a good boy most of the time” Cristiano said rubbing the dogs head.

“Come on boy let’s see where everyone is” he said as he began to walk once more with the dog by his feet. Cristiano paused when he heard music from the kitchen. He could hear singing also and he smiled. He peeked his head around the corner and found the source of the singing. He rested his shoulder against the wall as he watched Molly singing Jiggle Bells as she worked in the kitchen. She smiled and sang to Junior who was sitting in his bouncing chair which was safety on the kitchen island. Molly took Junior’s tiny hand in hers and waved it in the air.

“Dashing through the snow. In a one horse open sleigh” Molly sang. “Not much snow in Madeira” Cristiano said loudly and Molly let out a scream. “Shit I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you” he said quickly rushing towards her as Molly held her hand to her chest. “I’m sorry” he told her. “It’s ok” she muttered wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. “Hey little man, is Mama trying to get you into the Christmas spirit?” he smiled at his son. “I thought I was on my own” Molly mumbled moving to switch of the ipod speakers.

“Don’t stop on my count. It was nice” he smiled at her. “It was just distracting me anyway. I was hoping to be finished before Dolores came back” Molly said. “Where is Maé?” he asked. “On a special mission apparently” Molly said. “Huh?” he asked. “I think that was her code for doing the last of her Christmas shopping” Molly said. “Oh right. So you’re baking?” he asked. “And here I thought I was doing the laundry” she smirked at him and he rolled his eyes. “Well the laundry sure does smell good” he replied.

“I thought I would make some Christmas cookies for everyone before I leave. I’m just about to ice the last batch” she said picking up a nearby bowl. “Wow. You’ve been busy” he said when he noticed the containers on the kitchen table. “Well it’s Christmas and I was a little bored. Plus they’ve being all so good. Especially about” she nodded towards Junior who was busy smiling at and shaking the car keys Cristiano had given him when Molly wasn’t looking. “They’re your friends Molly. So what we didn’t them you were Junior’s mother. It’s our business not theirs” he said. “Well I guess I hate lying to people more than you do” she muttered picking up a spoon. He sighed and decided against continuing with that point.

“So” he said and she raised an eyebrow at him. “So what?” she asked. “Any of them got my name written on them?” he asked nodding to the containers. “Nope” she replied as she spooned the icing into the bag. “Oh” he frowned. “I’m just about to ice your ones” she smiled at him. “Can I help?” he asked. “I’ll call you when they are ready to eat. You take Junior and spend time with him” she told him. “But I’d like to help. Junior wants to watch me do it. Don’t you little man?” he smiled at his son. “You don’t have to Cristiano” she said. “But I want to. I’d like to” he said. “Well ok then. Bring the tray near the sink over here” she told him and he moved towards the sink.

“And use-“ she said turning and smiled as he picked up the oven mits. “Tray is still warm. Yes?” he smirked and she smiled. “They smell lovely” he told her as he placed the tray in front of her. “Well let’s make them look nice then” she said. “Wait are they….” He said hovering over her shoulder. “Ah I just realized, they are cut out like trees and Santa Claus” he mumbled. Molly swallowed as the warmth from his breath hit the side of her neck. “Amm ya well it’s Christmas. I’ll make more with Rodrigo, Alicia and Eleanor when I get to Madeira. They should enjoy all the baking” Molly said. “They’ll love it. So what do I do?” he asked.

“Amm just decorate how you want it to look. Here take this” she said turning around quickly and banging into his chest. “Amm sorry. Here” she said holding out the icing bag. “You ok Mols?” he asked. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” I’ll just get more icing” Molly said thrusting the bag into his hand. He smiled at her but didn’t move. “Amm can I just get by please?” she asked. “You’re being very jumpy” he told her. “You scared me half to death only five minutes ago” she retorted. He took a step back and she quickly moved away from him. “So I can do what I like?” he asked. “There your cookies” she said.

“Can you show me how you did the others?” he asked. “Show you the actual finished ones or show you on these ones. Cos I know if I open the containers you’ll steal one” she smirked. “I meant with these ones. But showing me the finished ones sounds like a great idea” he joked and she laughed and he smiled that she seemed to relax. “Take the icing bag and hold the top with one hand and then pinch the bottom of it with your other hand” she said.

“Like this” he said holding his left high too high rather than low. “Like this” she said showing him with the bag in her hand. “Like this” he said his hand still not low enough. “A little lower” she told him. “You make it look easy” he groaned. She moved her hand over his and placed them on the bag like she wanted. “See now you can squeeze with your right hand and control it with your left” she told him. “Hold on” he said lifting his right hand off the bag and moved so Molly was now in front of him. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Now show me” he said. She had no choice given the fact he had her locked in. “Just squeeze the top and then the icing will start to come out” she told him as she moved to cover the tree cookie in green icing. He covered her hands with his. “Like this” he whispered.

“Amm ya” she said. “I bet it’s harder when you have more than one colour icing” he said. “A little. I think you’ve got the hang of it. I’ll do the others with the red icing” she said trying to move but he had her blocked against the countertop. “I like this” he whispered.

“Your mother will be happy if you start to bake” she stuttered as she felt his breath against her skin. “I doubt she would even let me near the kitchen” he joked and Molly laughed. “But I wasn’t just talking about icing the cookies” he said. “What were you talking about then?” she asked and waited for his reply.

He lifted his hands off hers and placed them on her waist and tugged until she turned to face him. “What?” she asked in surprise. “Hi” he smiled. “Hi” she smiled back and he started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” she asked. “I’m just in a good mood” he smiled as his thumbs stroked her sides. “And why are you in such a good mood?” she asked. “He’s happy for one” Cristiano said nodding his head towards a smiling Junior. “That always makes me happy too” Molly smiled looking at her son. “And your happy” Cristiano said and Molly turned her attention back to the footballer who had her backed against the countertop.

“Well my son is happy so of course I’m happy” she said. “I like when you are happy” he smiled lifting his right hand from her waist and to the side of her head. “I like when you have a smile on your face” he said brushing his thumb against the side of her lip and she looked him straight into the eyes. Junior let out a cry and Molly squeezed the icing bag that was still in her hands and sent some of the icing flying into the air and onto both of their faces.

Cristiano started to laugh and lifted his hands off Molly. “You’ve a little” he said wiping the icing off her cheek as she laughed. “I’ll tidy this up. You check on our son” she told him stepping around him. He grabbed a nearby cloth and wiped the icing from his shirt and went to lift Junior from his seat. “Ah he dropped the keys. Was that all that was wrong with you?” he smiled at his son as Molly wiped the icing from the floor. “I’ll finish these. You go spend time with him while you’re in the same place” Molly told him.

“Before I abandon him you mean” Cristiano sighed. “What? No I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that now you are back from your short trip” she told him. “Ya ok” he said. “Your mother will come around Cristiano” Molly told him. “Thanks for today” he told her. “I didn’t do anything” she told him as she proceeded to icing the cookies. “Well you took exactly care of our son for starters” he said as Junior nuzzled against his father’s shoulder. “And baked cookies which you really don’t want to wait for any more” she smirked at me. “Oh that too” he said and she laughed.

“Just this one. You can wait a bit longer for another one” she told him and she took one of the cookies in her hand and held it out to him. He coughed and she rolled her eyes as she moved her hand nearer his mouth and he took a bite of the cookie. “Mmm” he said. “Mind the crumbs” she told him. “It does taste nice Mols” he told her.

“Let me finish this. Go spend time with your son” Molly smiled. “We were really lucky. Weren’t we?” he said. “Huh?” she asked. “Just seeing all those kids today in the hospital. Just reminds me how lucky we are to have our son at home with us” he said. “We are very lucky” she said. “If I could go back Mols” he said. “Don’t. Really don’t drag it all back up again. Let’s just think about the here and now” she said. “Your mama is pretty great Junior” Cristiano smiled at their son. “Great. I’m freaking amazing” she smirked and he laughed.

“Careful Mols. We don’t want you getting a big head” he joked as he headed towards the living room. “I guess there isn’t room in the house for two with the size of yours” she called after him. He turned to face her with a smirk on his face.

“Never heard you complaining about my size before Mols” he smirked and he jaw dropped. “Couldn’t resist” he said quickly as she shook her head at his words. “Nice blush by the way” he said as he left the room with a smile on his face. “Looks like I can still make her blush” he said to himself as he headed upstairs.