Where We Are

Tracing his fingertip around the outline of the baby, Iker smiled to himself, still in awe of the picture which sat in his hand. It hadn’t been long, after Lola had informed him and Maia that they were expecting a little girl, Maia had suggested that they return to her apartment for a little while, but still the news rang in his ears, something which made the smile on his face difficult to move. He hadn’t been entirely surprised, for a while, he had had his suspicions that he and Maia would welcome a little girl, but still the news bought a smile to his face, even if they did still have a while to wait before their little girl put in her first appearance. He couldn’t wait to meet her for the first time.

Studying the picture quietly, he moved his fingertip around it carefully, an awed grin still pulling at the corner of his mouth. It had been unexpected, when things between him and Maia had ended, he had assumed that that was that, but he was glad that Maia had shown up out of the blue, even if they did still have a few things to figure out between the two of them, he was thrilled that she had chosen to involve him with her pregnancy. It hadn’t been straightforward, both he and Maia would admit that things were still a way away from being settled between them, but it was working, and it pleased Iker. He was confident that by the time their little girl arrived, things would be alright between him and Maia.

“Are you still looking at that?”

Iker, who’d been quietly admiring the ultrasound picture in his hand, lifted his head at the sound of Maia’s voice before he lifted his head, looking towards where she sat, her laptop settled on the floor ahead of her. “I might be” he quipped “Is that a problem?” he added.

Maia, who was working quietly, peeked over the top of her laptop before she quirked a small smile, shaking her head gently. “Of course it isn’t” she noted “If anything, it’s pretty cute. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as speechless as you were when Lola told us that it’s a girl” she added warmly.

Iker smiled at the warmth in her voice before he shuffled off of the couch, settling down on the floor beside her. “It wasn’t a total surprise” he noted “I mean, a small part of me had been expecting a girl, but it was still amazing to hear it said aloud. It must have been for you too, you looked like you were going to cry” he pointed out as he carefully shifted his hand, hesitating briefly before he settled it against her stomach.

Maia watched him hesitate before she moved her own hand, setting it down on top of his. “It was amazing” she enthused “You’re happy it’s a girl?” she posed, tentatively looking up at him.

Iker offered her a comforting smile, not missing the nervousness in her expression, before he nodded his head. “I wanted a girl” he admitted “I mean, I’d have been happy either way, just as long as they were happy and healthy, but I guess...I guess when I pictured this, I saw you with a little girl” he added, his cheeks warming slightly.

Maia, who’d been staring down towards their hands which sat comfortably against her bump, tilted her head. “You did?” she asked.

Iker nodded. “It was something which crossed my mind” he noted “I know that we weren’t together for very long, but towards...the end of our relationship, I started to think ahead, and when I thought about this, I thought about you and me with a daughter” he added, sheepishly shrugging his shoulders. It wasn’t something they’d talked about, with their relationship only having lasted for a year, Iker had shied away from sharing his thoughts about their future with Maia, but he knew that it was something else that they needed to cover, even if things were more complicated between them. It was another thing that they needed to talk about.

Maia stared up at him for a moment, allowing his words to hang around them, before she shook her head, dropping her stare back to their hands. “You never told me that before” she murmured.

Iker shook his head. “I didn’t” he agreed “But only because I thought that suggesting marriage and babies after a year of dating would scare you. I’ll admit it, they are things that crossed my mind, and a big part of me was tempted to broach the subject with you, but I always stopped myself. We’d been dating a year when we broke up, Maia, and that was a lot to put on you. I was worried that if I said that I wanted a baby, or that I wanted to get engaged, you’d push me back, and I didn’t want that. It seems stupid now, given what has happened” he explained as he turned his hand over, lightly knotting their fingers together.

Maia admired the fit of their fingers before she shook her head. “You wouldn’t have scared me” she murmured.

“Maia...”

“It was what I wanted, Iker” Maia interrupted, flashing her blue eyes up to meet his “I wanted us, and whilst I never went the right way about proving that to you, it’s the truth. I wanted everything you did, Iker, and to know that, all you had to do was ask” she added.

Iker held her stare, admiring the slight hints of green that existed in her blue eyes before he nodded. “I’m sorry that I didn’t” he murmured.

Maia offered him a small smile before she gently squeezed his hand. “I am too” she mused.

Iker glanced down at their hands for a moment before he took in a breath. “Would it have made a difference?” he posed.

Maia tilted her head. “What?” she asked.

“If I had told you that I wanted a future together, that I wanted to marry you and have a family with you, would that have been enough to keep you here?” he posed, his voice soft and cautious.

Maia blinked a couple of times. “Iker...”

“I know it’s a big question” Iker interrupted “And maybe it isn’t the fairest one to ask, but would it have made a difference?” he posed, his dark eyes peeking up at her earnestly.

Maia studied his expression, her mind quietly mulling over his question, before she opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by the sound of the doorbell filling the air. “I...I should get that” she babbled, carefully pushing herself back up to her feet.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Iker posed as he followed her movements, gently helping her back to her feet.

Maia shook her head. “Not that I know of” she noted before she padded through towards the door, Iker following close behind. Offering him a quick look, she placed her hand on the door handle before she tugged it open, her blue eyes settling on her mother and father who stood outside, warm smiles on their faces.

“Mama, papa” she breathed “What...what are you doing here?” she squeaked.

“We were in the area” Carolina replied “And we thought that we could drop by and check in, unless you’re busy of course” she added, her eyes drifting towards Iker who stood beside Maia, shifting awkwardly

Maia blinked a couple of times, more than a little surprised by her parents’ arrival, before she stepped out of the doorway, allowing them to step into the apartment.

“Are we intruding, Maia?” Hector posed “Because if we are, we can go” he added, offering a glance towards Iker.

Maia looked towards Iker, wordlessly asking if he minded her parents being there, something which caused him to shake his head. He knew that they couldn’t avoid it, whether he and Maia patched things up or not, Carolina and Hector would still be his daughter’s grandparents, and that meant that they had to get a long, even if it was just for Maia and the baby’s sake. They needed to be on good terms.