Where We Are

Messing quietly the ends of her dark hair, Maia shifted nervously in her seat, her eyes settled on the phone which sat on the table ahead of her, a familiar number filling the screen. It wasn’t the first time, in the weeks since she had found out that she was expecting, she had highlighted his name and number on her phone more than once, but still she hadn’t worked up the nerve to call it, even if she knew that it was something that she should have done as soon as she saw the positive result of the pregnancy test, she couldn’t quite find the courage to do it.

She knew that it was something she had to do, regardless of the way things were between her and Iker, she knew that he had every right to know about her pregnancy, but still she couldn’t work up the nerve to pick up the phone, more than a little afraid about what his reaction to the news would be.

Twisting a strand of dark hair around her finger, she spared her phone another shy glance before she shook her head, a shaky sigh falling out of her mouth. “Come on” she mumbled to herself “It’s just a phone call and it’s just Iker. I shouldn’t be so nervous” she babbled, lifting the phone up into her hand.

“Have you still not dialed yet?”

Maia, who’d been staring down towards the phone which sat in her hand, flinched a little at the sound of Alex’s voice before she shook her head, her eyes not shifting away from the phone. “No” she murmured “I mean, I’ve come close a couple of times, but every time I do, I somehow talk myself out of it again. It’s stupid, isn’t it?” she added, an ironic smile passing over her face.

Alex, who’d moved to settle down in the seat beside her, admired the smile briefly before she shook her head. “It’s not stupid” she noted “It’s a big deal, and you’re allowed to be a little apprehensive about it, but I am sure that you’re worrying over nothing. Iker’s a good guy, Maia” she added, her voice warm and encouraging. She knew that Maia was nervous, the shy look on her face confided it, and Alex wanted to encourage her to relax slightly, even if she was certain that her words would have little effect. The last thing she wanted was for Maia to get worked up.

Maia allowed her friend’s words to hang around them for a moment before she shook her head, her blue eyes peeking up at her softly. “I know he is” she noted “And I know that I have to call him, but I can’t seem to work up the courage. I messed up, Alex, I’m the reason that he and I didn’t work out, and I guess... I guess I am nervous about how he will react to me, let alone how he will react to this” she added, her hand gesturing towards her stomach.

Alex followed the gesture before she lifted her hand, offering Maia’s a soft squeeze, something which made Maia sigh gently. “I’m being silly, aren’t I?” she posed quietly.

Alex offered her a soft glance before she shook her head. “You’re not being silly” she noted “I mean, since you and Iker broke up, I doubt that you’ve seen him or spoken to him, and it’s OK to be nervous about doing so, but it is something you’ve got to get over, Maia. You’re pregnant, you’re carrying his baby, and he needs to know it, regardless of you and him, he needs to know that in a few months’ time, he’s going to be a papa, and you’ve got to be the one who tells him. It’ll only be worse if he finds out some other way” she explained, her voice soft and tentative.

Maia spared her a small look, mulling her words over briefly, before she nodded her head, her eyes drifting back towards the phone which still sat in her hand. “You’re probably right” she murmured hesitantly.

Alex offered her hand another light squeeze before she pushed herself back up to her feet. “I’ve got to be heading off” she noted “I’ll speak to you later?” she posed softly.

Maia, who’d been staring down at her phone, blinked a couple of times before she nodded, offering Alex a feeble smile. “Of course” she noted.

Alex squeezed her hand lightly once more before she padded out of the room, allowing Maia to flick her attention back down towards her phone. Chewing on her lip shyly, she mulled over Alex’s words for a moment before she shook her head, her thumb hesitantly pressing the call button. Hesitating briefly, she contemplated ending the call before she picked the phone up, pressing it against her ear for a moment before the sound of Iker’s voice filled her ears. “Hola?” he breathed.

Maia stilled, surprised by the sound of his voice, before she took in a soft breath. “Iker” she noted “Hola” she added.

“Maia?” Iker’s voice was soft and confused “It...it’s been a while. You OK?” he asked.

Maia chewed on her lip for a couple of seconds before she let out a soft sigh. “I’m OK” she noted “I...I need to see you” she stumbled out.

“You do?” Iker posed, the confused frown practically audible in his voice.

Maia nodded her head. “I do” she confirmed “I...I have something that I need to talk to you about and I don’t think doing it over the phone would be right. You have every right to tell me where to go, but...”

“You need to talk to me?” Iker interrupted.

Maia blinked a couple of time, surprised by his interruption, before she nodded her head. “I do” she noted “And I think it would be best if we did it face to face. Does that sound like something we could do?” she posed hesitantly.

Iker let out a small laugh. “I think you and I could probably handle being in the same room, Maia” he quipped “I mean, I know we broke up, but we’re adults” he added warmly.

Maia quirked a small shy smile at the warmth in his voice before she shifted her hand, fiddling shyly with the ends of her hair. “You’re probably right” she noted.

“Probably” Iker agreed “Where do you want meet?” he posed.

“Do you remember the café a little away from my apartment?” she posed.

“I do” Iker replied “I can meet you there in an hour. Does that work for you?” he asked.

Maia hesitated briefly, distracted by the nervous knot which had appeared in the pit of her stomach, before she nodded her head. “It does” she confirmed “I’ll see you there?” she added.

Iker made a small noise that let Maia know he was grinning before he spoke again. “I’ll see you there, Maia” he noted “It’s nice to hear from you” he added, his voice softening slightly.

Maia’s cheeks warmed a little at the tone of his voice before she quirked a soft smile. “It’s good to hear your voice too, Iker” she mused shyly “I’ll see you in a bit” she added before she hung up the phone, settling it back down onto the table ahead of her. Offering the phone another soft glance, she allowed a soft sigh to slip out of her mouth before she shook her head, trying to shift the knot in her stomach. She knew that she had to do it, regardless of what had happened between the two of them, Iker had every right to know that she was pregnant, but still the idea of telling him unsettled her, even if she knew that it had to be done. She wasn’t quite sure how he would react to the news.