If It Gave Us Time

“We have to be quiet” Isla whispered as she slipped her door key into the lock, gently pushing the front door open “Maddie will be sleeping, and we don’t want to wake her” she added before she let out a small giggle, feeling Gerard’s lips nip at her neck. It had been a good night, despite the two of them being a little apprehensive about leaving Maddie for the first time, they’d eventually relaxed into the party that Luna had been throwing, and once the other woman had spotted the engagement ring that Isla had proudly sported on her finger, they’d become the centre of attention, enjoying a few celebratory drinks before they’d made their excuses to leave.

It hadn’t been their intention, with the party that night serving as Evan and Luna’s housewarming, neither Isla nor Gerard had wanted to upstage them, but neither of them could deny that they’d liked the fuss, even if they had looked a little sheepish when Luna had announced their engagement. Both of them had liked hearing the words said out loud by someone that wasn’t them.

Gerard smirked against Isla’s skin. “You’re the one making all the noise” he mumbled, peppering feather light kisses over her neck.

“You’re not helping” Isla retorted as she stepped into the house.

Gerard offered her a lazy shrug as he followed after her, his arms once more wrapping around her waist. “I like kissing you” he mumbled “And I haven’t heard any complaints from you” he added before he dipped down, capturing her in a soft kiss that Isla didn’t hesitate in melting into. Smirking a little, he guided her back a couple of steps, gently bumping her back into the wall behind her before he reached his hands down, carefully guiding her legs up and around his waist.

“I did wonder when you’d make it...oh”

Gerard’s grip on Isla slackened at the sound of Eva’s voice, something which caused the blonde to stumble a little before she looked up, her cheeks burning red as her stare landed on her mother. “Mama” she spluttered “We...”

“It’s fine” Eva quipped, shaking her head “I mean, I imagine my granddaughter had to come along somehow. It’s probably been a while, no?” she added with a smirk.

“Mama!” Isla squeaked embarrassedly.

Gerard let out a slightly awkward laugh before the sound of Maddie’s cries filled the air, something which caused him to let out an audible sigh of relief. “I’ll go and check on her” he mused “Buenos noches, Eva” he added politely before he skittered up the stairs, stopping only to offer Isla a playful smirk once he was out of Eva’s eye line.

Isla caught his grin before she shook her head, gently reaching up to tuck her blonde hair off of her face.

Eva watched her for a moment, smiling a little at the blush which still glowed on her cheeks, before she caught sight of her hand, something which caused her to let out a soft gasp.

Isla, who’d moved to push her glasses up her nose, frowned a little at the sound her mother had made before she pulled her hand away from her face, her eyes widening fractionally at the sight of the ring which still sat on her finger. Blinking a couple of times, she felt her cheeks warm a little more before she shook her head, quickly covering her hand with the other one. “Mama...”

“You’re wearing a ring” Eva interrupted quietly.

Isla shifted her feet a little, not quite able to find the words to deny it, before she let out a soft sigh. “We were going to tell you” she murmured “We just...we wanted to wait a little while” she added.

“How long is a little while?” Eva asked, the tone of her voice hard to place.

Isla shrugged. “A few weeks” she replied quietly “He asked a couple of days after Maddie was born and...”

“That was over a month ago” Eva interrupted, her voice a little louder than Isla had been expecting “You two have been engaged for over a month?” she pressed incredulously.

Isla nodded, the faintest of smiles flitting around her lips, before she reached up, fiddling with her glasses again. “I wanted to wait” she clarified “I mean, we’d only just had Maddie, and the proposal, it was pretty out of the blue, so I suggested...”

“And I agreed” Gerard contributed, stepping down a couple of steps.

Isla smiled at him gratefully. “We agreed to wait a little while” she mused “We didn’t want people making too much of a fuss, and then Rodrigo dropped the news of what had happened with him and Cara, and we decided to put it off a little more. I didn’t exactly want to be the sister who flaunts her engagement right after her brother told us he was getting a divorce” she added as Gerard, who had Maddie in his arms, stepped up to her side, settling an arm around her waist.

Eva looked between the two of them for a moment, taking some time to think over what she’d been told, before she shook her head, her face lighting up with a doting smile. “I knew it” she announced.

Isla frowned. “What?” she asked.

“I knew we’d end up here” Eva clarified “As soon as he reappeared in your life, I knew this is how things would end. You two were always supposed to end up together” she gushed.

Isla opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as Eva rushed towards her, wrapping her in a crushing. Letting out a squeak of surprise, she quickly wrapped her arms around her mother, before Eva pulled away, offering Gerard a slightly more cautious hug.

Gerard hugged gently before Eva stepped back, patting his cheek gently. “Congratulations, Gerard” she mused “You’ve got a good one” she added, tilting her head slightly towards Isla who rolled her eyes.

“Mama” she complained softly.

“What?” Eva chirped “You’re a catch, baby, and your future husband knows it, right, Gerard?” she asked.

Gerard nodded, smiling dutifully. “Of course I do” he enthused.

Isla felt her cheeks warm before she spared him a bashful smile, something Gerard mirrored before Eva stepped forwards, hugging Isla again. “My little girl’s getting married” she gushed, swaying Isla slightly.

Isla giggled a little, hugging her mother back, before the older woman stepped back. “I can’t wait to tell your papa” she gushed “And Rodrigo. They’re going to be so happy for you both” she added.

Isla’s smiled faltered a little. “About that” she murmured “I think...we might...I’d rather not...”

“We’d like to wait a little longer” Gerard clarified gently “The last thing we want to do is upset your son” he added.

“You won’t” Eva retorted “I mean, it is a tough time for Rodrigo right now, but he’d be happy for you both. He’s always doted on his baby sister, and he adores you too, Gerard. He’d be elated for you both” she insisted.

She understood their hesitation, with Rodrigo still struggling to come to terms with the idea that his marriage had ended, he had proven to be temperamental on occasion, but she knew that he’d be happy for his sister and Gerard, regardless of the timing. He’d always liked the defender, and liked how he and Isla were together.

“I don’t doubt that he will be” Isla replied “But maybe not right now. He’s still hurting, and we don’t want to make things worse. We will tell him, and papa, of course we will, but not right now, mama. Please? We want to share the news on our terms” she insisted softly.

Eva looked between the younger couple, mulling over Isla’s words for a few moments, before she nodded her head slowly, letting out a soft sigh. “Alright” she mused “But this is wonderful news, Isla, and your brother, regardless of timing, will see it. He’s been rooting for you two since you were kids” she added, lightly tucking Isla’s hair off of her face.

Isla smiled softly before Eva leant up, kissing her forehead gently. “I should get out of here” she murmured “We’ll see you three in a few days” she added, leaning over to kiss Maddie’s head.

“We wouldn’t miss it” Isla replied.

“Good” Eva replied “Because we’re going all out this year for Maddie’s first Christmas” she added before she reached up, kissing Gerard’s cheek politely before she moved to grab her coat.

Offering the younger couple a last smile, she ducked out of the front door before she pulled it closed with a soft thump, something which allowed Isla to breathe out a soft sigh of relief. “So much for keeping it to ourselves” she mumbled.

Gerard merely settled his arm around her waist, guiding her into a soft hug before he kissed the top of her head, wordlessly assuring her that it didn’t matter. They were going to tell people, when the moment was right, they were going to share the news of their engagement, and it didn’t matter if it got out a little earlier than they’d planned. It was good news, and he didn’t care who knew about it.