Our Crazy Little Thing Called Family

Molly blinked at Cristiano. She rubbed her eyes as he smiled down at her. She moved her hand out to his arm and pinched him. “Oww” he said in surprise. “Did you just pinch me?” he asked rubbing his arm. “You’re you’re….” she stammered. “Yes I’m here. And yes you did just pinch me. Jezz that was not the reaction I was expecting” he mumbled.

“What are you doing here?” she asked kneeling up on the bed. “Jezz is a hug too much to ask” he muttered. “Ronaldo” she said hitting his arm. “Hey” he said. “Oh I barely pinched you. And how else was I to know if I was dreaming or not” she said. “Dream about me often do you?” he smirked and she rolled her eyes and let out a huff as she sat back down. “I’ve just been awoken in the middle of the night. I’ve just hit my head off you big fat head. Stop giving me another headache” she said.

“I don’t have a big head and you’re the one who moved your head suddenly” he said. “Cos a stupid muppet woke me up in the middle of the night” she said crossing her arms. “Molly” he said. “Ya” she muttered. “Hi” he smiled. She moved her jaw back and forth before looking at him. “Hi” she smiled. “Is you head ok?” he asked tenderly stroking his thumb over her head and she nodded. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “It’s Christmas” he smiled. “And?” she asked. “Do you not want me here?” he asked remembering what Irina had said about Molly probably wanting to be away from him.

“No” Molly mumbled and his arm fell from her head at her words. “I mean why are you here. You’re meant to be in Dubai” she said sitting up against the head board. “It’s Christmas” he said. “Yes I know that. You’ve said that but that doesn’t answer my question” she said. “I missed Junior” he said as his eyes went to the cot by the window. “I missed my family. I know I should have been here from the start. I’m here for our son’s first Christmas. I know I made the wrong choice and I hope you and everyone will forgive me” he said looking back at her. “Your mother will be happy” Molly smiled. “I hope so. I know I should have come from the beginning but hopefully now I actually got smart and came she’ll be less angry with me” he said. “I’m sure she will” Molly said as a sound came from Junior’s cot.

“Looks like some knows his papa is here” Molly smiled. “Can I?” he asked nodding towards the cot. “Will I’m the one in bed so ya you can” she smiled and laughed when he rolled off the bed. “He’s not going to disappear Cristiano. No need to injuring yourself in hurrying” Molly said. “I want to see him” Cristiano said as he walked over to the cot. “Hello little man. What are you doing awake? Did you wake to get a cuddle from papa?” Cristiano asked as he lifted his son into his arms.

Cristiano kissed his son’s head as he held him close and turned to face Molly who was smiling sweetly at the sight in front of her. “I know you want a cuddle but he needs his sleep” Molly reminded him. “He can sleep in my arms” Cristiano said. “It’s five am” Molly pointed out. “And it’s Christmas. You said you always wake early on Christmas morning with your parents. Why not have the same tradition for our son?” he asked.

“Well hopefully that’s not our son’s only good childhood memory like mine” Molly sighed. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have brought your parents up” Cristiano said. “It’s fine” Molly said. “It’s not. Your sad” he pointed out. “My sleep has been interrupted” she replied. “Mmm Junior I wonder how I can make mama happy?” Cristiano smiled at his son as he moved to a bag he had dropped at the bottom of her bed. “What are you doing?” she asked as he bent to rummage through the bag. “This” he said holding a square object in his left hand.

“What is that?” she asked looking at the wrapped object. “Your Christmas present” he said walking around the bed to sit once more beside her. “Junior’s present for you is under the Christmas tree. I gave it to Maé. But since we are awake, you might as well open this” he said. “You got me a present?” she asked. “Jezz Molly. Do you think so bad of me that I wouldn’t get you a present? I thought we were friends” he sighed as he dropped the present in between them as he sat up against the headboard with Junior in his lap. “What I meant is that how do you have my present when your families present are back in Madrid” she said.

“I made a pit stop on my way here” he said. “Wait when did you leave Duabi?” she asked confused. “About five hours after I spoke to you and Maé the night before Christmas Eve” he mumbled. “I spoke to you yesterday” she said. “I was in Madrid. Eventually. It took me ages to a plane to get out of Dubai then there was some problem with the flight schedule to get to Madeira. I only land a short time ago” he said. “You left Dubai in the middle of the night. Wait what about Irina?” Molly asked. “Mols I’m here ok. I came to my senses and knew I needed to be here. Can we just leave it at that?” he asked.

“Ok” she mumbled. “Are you going to open it?” he asked looking at the present. “Did you wrap this yourself?” she asked. “Maybe” he shrugged. “Aww you did” he smiled. “Ok so I did. Now open it” he said. “You should get your nephew to teach you how to wrap a present” she smirked. “Hey it’s wrapped” he said. “With half a role of tape” she laughed as she pulled at the wrapping. “Just open it” he said raising his knees up to settle Junior against his legs. “You’re waking him” Molly said.

“He wants to see Mama’s present. That’s if Mama ever hurries up and opens that bloody thing” he told Junior who was now wide awake and smiling at his father. “Again you put like half a role of tape on it. Keep me a minute” she said finally freeing some of the paper. Her fingers traced over the words on the front of the brown cover. Over the picture on the front.

“Are you going to take off the rest of the paper?” he asked and Molly jumped at his voice. “What is this?” she asked. “Open it” he said but her eyes just stared at the picture on the front of the brown book. “Elma was quick with the camera that day” he laughed. “He’s bigger now” Cristiano said and Molly looked at Junior and back at the book in her lap. At the picture. A picture of Junior in her arms with Cristiano smiling at them. A picture taken only moments after Junior’s birth. A tear fell down Molly’s cheek as she stared at the picture as memories of that day rushed through her mind.

“You can open it” Cristiano said. “I don’t understand” Molly said. “Molly just open the book please” he asked and she did. She opened the book to find another picture. Not just one but two on each page. A scan on when page. A picture of her standing beside a dresser with her hand over her bump. “Where did you….” She stammered. “We both know that your pregnancy wasn’t a typical pregnancy. You didn’t get to enjoy the experience like other women do. So I thought this might be something you would like. Something to replace all the bad memories” he said and he looked at her as she sat quietly gazing at the book in her lap.

“It’s a baby book of Junior. From scans to bumps, to the birth and after” she he said. “Where did you these?” she asked. “Mostly when you weren’t looking. You didn’t want any pictures of you and your bump” he said. “The why did you take them?” she asked and he couldn’t tell if she was angry with him. “Because…” he shrugged. “I don’t know at the time I thought it would make a good picture. That one was taken the day he kicked you for the first time” he smiled. “Ya I remember” she whispered. “This one was taken in Lisbon. You weren’t there” she said. “Turns out that I wasn’t the only who snuck a picture here and there” he smiled.

She turned each page slowly. She came across a picture he had snapped the night he had come to Lisbon to apologize to her. The night he thought that he would never see her again. Molly gasped as she turned another page and was met with a picture of Molly holding Junior straight after his birth. Of Cristiano kissing her. Then another of her handing Junior to his father for the first time. “It’s more of a Junior and Mama’s book. But there’s some with the kids and Maé and the others. And some of the pictures that you have sent me before games” he said. “And some of the three of us” she whispered as her fingers gazed over a picture of her laying on the couch with Cristiano’s arms around her and Junior laying on her chest that was taken months ago.

“Maé took that when we were asleep. I just thought it was something you would like. Something you should have. It wasn’t all bad memories” he told her as she came across the picture of the three of them by the lake months ago. “Molly” he said as tears fell. “Mols don’t cry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you would like it. I didn’t mean to bring it all back up again” he said knowing that she still felt guilty for leaving Junior. “I thought you’d like it” he said stroking her back. “I do” she whispered and turned to face him. “I love it” she said. “Oh thank God” he said holding his head back. “I know it wasn’t a normal pregnancy but-

Since when have you and I ever being normal” she said and he wiped he cheek. “Merry Christmas Molly” he said. “Merry Christmas Cristiano” she smiled at him. “Now Junior I think Mama liked my present. Pressure is on know if she’ll like yours too” Cristiano joked. “Of course I will” Molly said and he smiled at her. “I wonder will papa like his Junior” Molly said and Cristiano looked at her confused. “Where are you going?” he asked when she lifted off the covers and slid off the bed.

“I had it in its frame but I left it in Madrid. I didn’t want it to break” Molly said as he watched her walk towards the closet. “Huh” he said as she came back towards the bed with something in her hand. “I’ll take him while you open this” she said holding the white wrapped object out in front of her. “What is it?” he asked as she took Junior into her arms.

“Open it and find out” she told him taking her seat once more beside him on the bed. He lifted the paper away and a huge grin broke out on his face. “I didn’t really know if you already had something like it but I couldn’t remember ever seeing one of just you and him when he was little” she told him. “It’s beautiful” he said looking at the paint of him holding Junior as he sat in the rocking in the hospital.

“My memory is a little hazy but I sort of remember you holding him there” she told him. “Thank you. I love it” he said leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek. “It’s nothing big. It’s kind of hard to buy something for a person who can buy whatever he wants at the drop of a hat” she shrugged. “Molly it amazing. It’s the best gift anyone has ever given me” he told her. “I’m glad you like it” she said. “But why do you have it here?” he asked her. “Huh” she said. “I should be in Dubai” he told her. “But you’re here” she told him. “Yes now. But then why do you have my present with you here?” he asked her.

“You know me. I like to be prepared. Just in case you came. Wouldn’t want you to feel left out when everyone else was opening presents” she shrugged. “Ya I know” he smiled knowing that she had faith in him to make the right decision in the end. “Thank you again Mols” he said. “Thank you for my gift too” she smiled. “Even if you are torn about not trying to be annoyed that we all took so many pictures behind your back” he smirked. “Yes even that” she smiled tapping his shoulder. “You’re painting again?” he asked her. “A little. I started that months ago” she told him. “Well I can’t wait to see more of your art work from now on” he said. “Maybe” she smiled.

“So” he said. “So what?” she asked. “What do we do now?” he asked her. “It’s late or well sort of early” she told him. “Everyone will be up soon” he said. “Well actually your mother has insisted that no one arrive until after 8” Molly told him. “So we’ve got a few more hours until everyone is here?” he asked and she nodded. “But I’m sure your mother won’t mind if you go wake her up now. She’ll be happy that you are here” Molly told him. “Ya I’ve already hit my head once this morning. I don’t need her hitting it again for waking her up” Cristiano laughed and Molly laughed too. “So” Molly said. “We could watch a Christmas movie. Like you did when you were a kid. You know new traditions” he told her.

“We could” she said. “Or” he said. “Or what?” she asked. “We could sleep” he yawned. “Ya that might be best” she smiled. “Give him here” he said as he laid down flat on the bed and she placed Junior on his chest. Molly pulled a blanket over them and he pulled her too him. “Get some sleep. I don’t want everyone to blame me when you’re cranky in the morning” he joked. “Hey” she said poking him in the side as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Just sleep” he said softly.

“Thank you for my present” she whispered as her eyes closed. “Thank you for mine. And for everything. I’m sorry I wasn’t here” he said. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters” she mumbled. “Ya it is. Our son’s first Christmas” he said placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Mmm” she said sleepily. “Even if you did pinch me” he mumbled. “Oh shut up you muppet” she muttered. “Merry Christmas Mols” he whispered. “It is now” she whispered as they all fell asleep.