I Know I Was for a While

Gently holding Oscar’s hands in his own, Lionel took a couple of paces backwards, encouraging the little boy to follow after him, his own steps a little shaky. He was getting closer, with it having been a couple of weeks since his first birthday, he had slowly but surely grown to be more steady on his feet, and Lionel was confident that it wouldn’t be too much longer before Oscar took his first steps by himself, something both him and Camila were looking forwards to, more than a little amazed by just how much the little boy had grown up in the year that had passed since his arrival. Quirking a small smile, he shuffled a little further back before he gently allowed Oscar’s hands to slip out of his own, something which caused the little boy to wobble on his feet slightly before he sat down, grinning up at the argentine happily.

“Still no?”

Lionel, who’d been watching Oscar, visibly jumped at the sound of Camila’s voice before he lifted his head, watching as she walked back into the bedroom, towel drying her hair. “Still no” he replied “I mean, he’s got the hang of standing, and he’s pretty happy to toddle along with me, but every time I drop his hands, he just sits back down” he added as he leant down, moving to lift the little boy into his arms.

Camila, who’d moved to collect a clean t-shirt, turned back to look at the two of them before she quirked a small smile. “He’ll get there” she mused “I mean, his first words caught us by surprise, so maybe he’s waiting for the moment that we’re least expecting it to do it” she added.

“Is that right, little one?” Lionel quipped, his fingertips lightly tickling Oscar’s side.

Oscar let out a squeak of laughter, something which made Camila, who was watching the two of them, grin for a few seconds before the sound of Lionel’s alarm filled the air.

Lionel, who’d been happily fussing over Oscar, looked up at the sound of his phone before he shook his head, a soft sigh falling out of his mouth. “I’d forgotten that I’d set that” he quipped “I have to go, don’t I?” he added.

Camila quirked a small smile before she nodded her head. “I think so” she mused “I mean, you could stay here, but I don’t think your coach would be thrilled about you missing the game for no reason” she added.

Lionel huffed out a small sigh, a playful expression passing over his features, before he stepped towards Camila, gently settling Oscar into her arms. “I suppose that you’re right” he quipped.

“I nearly always am” Camila teased brightly.

Lionel, who’d moved to lift his bag onto his shoulder, rolled his eyes playfully before he stepped back towards her, dropping a kiss on Oscar’s head before he turned to her, pressing a soft kiss against her cheek. “Do you have plans for the day?” he asked, slipping his feet into his trainers.

“My mother is coming over for lunch” Camila replied “And then Isabel is dropping by for her weekly visit, so I will make sure to hide the bridal magazine that my mother is almost certain to ‘just happen’ to bring with her” she added, rolling her eyes playfully.

Lionel quirked a brief smile, amused by her joke, before he gently shook his head. “You know Isabel’s going to find out eventually, right?” he asked gently “I mean, I know that, despite your mother’s best efforts, we’ve not really given a lot of thought yet, but eventually we’re going to, and it’s going to make it pretty obvious that we’re engaged, Mila. Surely it’s better to just get it over and done with?” he posed, his voice more than a little tentative.

He knew why she was reluctant to tell Isabel and Victor about their engagement, with the two of them having a track record for sticking their noses into things that had nothing to do with either of them, he didn’t blame her for wanting to put it off, but whilst he knew that his and Camila’s engagement had nothing to do with the older couple, he knew that they’d find out about it eventually, something which had led to him encourage Camila to tell them, even if he was sure that they’d have something to say about it. He wanted to encourage her to merely get it over and done with.

Camila spared him a look, briefly mulling over his words, before she let out a soft sigh, her fingertips gently messing with the t-shirt that Oscar wore. “Probably” she mumbled “It’s just...she’s always got something to say, and I am tired of hearing it. I know that she doesn’t like you, I don’t need to hear it again” she added.

Lionel, who’d taken half a step towards her, lifted his hand, gently tucking her slightly damp hair off of her face. “You like me” he quipped “And that’s the important thing. You know what is best for you, you know what would make you happy, and nothing she can say can change that. You know what you want, Mila” he insisted before he leant into her slightly, pressing a soft kiss against her cheek as he mumbled a quiet goodbye.

Taking a step back, he pressed another quick kiss against the top of Oscar’s head before he stepped out of the door, offering a brief wave over his shoulder, something Camila mimicked with a small smile.

~#~
Shyly twisting her engagement ring around her finger, Camila stood in the hall, her ears filled with the soft sound of knocking against the front door. It was earlier than she was expecting, when she and Isabel had spoken few days previous, they’d arranged that the older woman would arrive about half an hour later than she had, but Camila wasn’t surprised that she was early. Isabel always seemed to be early, regardless of the plans that they’d made.

Sparing a brief look down at her hand, she briefly contemplated slipping the ring off of her finger, as she had done the other times that Isabel had visited since Lionel had proposed, before she shook her head to herself, taking a hesitant pace towards the door. Placing her hand on the handle, she briefly thought about not answering it, before she pulled it open, fixing her usual polite smile onto her face. “Isabel” she greeted “Hola” she added.

Isabel, who’d been standing on the step outside, turned at the sound of Camila’s voice before she quirked a small smile of her own. “Camila” she greeted “It’s good to see you, sweetheart” she added as she stepped forwards, ducking into the house.

Camila, who’d stepped out of her way, offered her another slightly half-hearted smile before she self-consciously lifted her hand, tucking a few loose hairs away from her face.

Isabel, who’d been taking off her jacket, turned around to say something more before she caught a sight of the ring that Camila wore, something which caused her to blink a couple of times before she let out a soft awed laugh. “Is that what I think it is?” she asked.

Camila, who’d moved to twist the ends of her hair around her finger, felt her eyes widen before she lowered her stare, looking down at the ring for a few seconds. Swallowing, she quirked a faint smile before she nodded her head, feeling the blush spread across her cheeks. “Leo...uh...he asked me to marry him a couple of weeks ago” she stumbled out.

Isabel nodded her head slowly, allowing the words to hang around them for a few long seconds, before she quirked a small smile, one that, for the first time in a while, seemed genuine. “I’m not surprised” she mused “I guess I should say congratulations. It’s lovely news, Camila” she added as she stepped forwards, wrapping Camila in a quick hug before she stepped away, fussing about seeing Oscar.

Camila stood still for a few moments, more than a little surprised by the genuine nature of the older woman’s comments, and the hug, before she followed after the older woman, wordlessly hoping that that was all she had to say. It was good news, despite a couple of weeks having passed, the idea that she and Lionel were engaged was one which still had Camila itching to smile, and she didn’t want the bubble to be burst.