If It Gave Us Time

Tracing her finger around the top of her glass, Isla spared a brief look own towards her watch, watching as the second hand ticked around the face to signal another minute having past. She knew that Gerard was running late, the text that he had sent to her as she climbed into the taxi that she’d taken the restaurant had told her that his late meeting had overrun slightly and that he would probably be late to the dinner that they’d arranged to have in celebration of his birthday, but still she felt a little awkward, even if she knew that it would only be a matter of time before he padded up to the table, his usual grin on his face. She couldn’t help but feel a little out of place.

Staring at her watch for a moment, she nervously bumped her glasses back up her nose before she reached into her handbag, retrieving her phone from inside. Turning it over in her hand, she pressed the home button to illuminate the screen before she shook her head, noticing that she’d received no texts.

“All alone?”

Isla smirked a little before she shrugged, not looking over her shoulder. “My date’s just running late” she mused.

“He must be an idiot” Gerard played along “I mean, you’re the most beautiful woman in the place and you’re sat all alone?” he chirped as he leant over, kissing the top of her head gently.

Isla closed her eyes, her cheeks flushing a soft shade of pink, before she shook her head, turning to look up at him. “You made it” she mused gently.

“I did” Gerard agreed, hanging his coat over the back of his seat “Have you been here long?” he asked.

“About twenty five minutes or so” Isla replied “I was prepared to give you five more before I got up and left, so you made it just in time” she added with a small smile.

Gerard, who’d moved to pour himself a glass of water, shook his head, offering her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry that I am late” he mused “I did try and get away sooner, but we were still in the middle of a few things and I couldn’t get away. Which of our parents did you leave Maddie with?” he asked, getting himself settled in his seat.

Isla, who’d moved to sip on her drink, smirked a little over the rim of her glass. “Rodrigo” she replied “My parents are out of town and yours were busy, but my brother had the night clear and he offered to look after her” she added.

“Offered?” Gerard prodded with a smirk.

Isla rolled her eyes. “So maybe he didn’t exactly offer” she muttered.

Gerard smirked at her amusedly before he reached his hand across the table, gently taking a hold of hers which messed with her wine glass.

Isla watched him reach for her hand before she turned it over, allowing him to gently knot their fingers together before she lifted her head, smiling at him softly. “This is worth his complaining, though” she mused gently.

Gerard lifted an eyebrow, like an amusing thought had just crossed his mind, before he squeezed her hand, instead opting to just smile at her for a few moments before she lifted her glass, offering it out towards him. “Happy birthday, mi amor” she fussed softly.

Gerard breathed out a soft laugh, still not entirely used to the nickname that she had used to address him, before he lightly tapped his glass against hers. “Thank you” he mused “Now, we should probably order. I anticipate your brother calling within the hour” he joked.

Isla laughed into her drink. “You’re cute to think it’ll take him that long” she teased.

~#~
“Have you spoken much to Meghan recently?” Gerard asked as he sat down opposite Isla, placing a mug of tea down ahead of her. It had been a good night, despite his delayed arrival, the dinner that they’d arranged had been wonderful, and with them having checked in with Rodrigo a little while previous, they’d stopped off at a café on the way home, determined to make the most of the time that they had to themselves. They made sure to do it often, since Maddie had been born, they’d ensured that every few weeks, they took a night off for themselves, and both of them had to admit that they’d come to look forwards to them.

Isla, who’d been tugging her coat off, nodded, her face lighting up. “I speak to her a lot” she announced “I mean, it’s still early days, but she’s already come up with a couple of concepts for us to look at. She emailed them over this morning and asked that we take a look at them before our appointment next week. Now, I know you’re pretty busy right now but...”

“I’m never too busy to look over wedding concepts with you” Gerard interrupted “I mean, I am pretty sure that I’ll have no idea what I am looking at, but I’ll still give it a shot” he added boyishly.

Isla blinked a couple of times, surprised by the interruption, before she nodded, a shy smile on her face. “Good” she mused.

Gerard lifted an eyebrow. “You seem a little surprised by that” he quipped.

Isla shook her head quickly. “Surprised isn’t the right word” she mused “I just...I know you’ve got a lot of things going on right now with Barca and all the other stuff you do. I don’t...it’s not that...it’s not the most important...” she trailed off, not quite able to find the right words to express herself.

She knew what she was trying to say, with a lot on his plate and their wedding still months away, she was trying to suggest that looking over the concepts that Meghan had sent to her was something which could wait, but she couldn’t find a way of saying it that didn’t make it sound like he wasn’t prioritizing their wedding planning, something she knew would upset him.

Gerard smiled, a little amused by her stumbling over her words, before he shook his head, leaning across the table to capture her hand in his. “It is the most important thing” he mumbled, kissing the back of her hand softly.

“Not right now it’s not” Isla countered “We’re still months away from the day. We’ve got time to figure things out, and it can wait. I guess I am just...excited about it, and I know that you are too, but...”

“There’s no but” Gerard interrupted “I am excited, Lala, and I want you to be too. I like the way your face lights up when we talk about it” he added, smiling at her impishly.

Isla shook her head, trying but failing to hide the soft blush which had spread across her cheeks.

“I know we’re months out” Gerard continued “And I know I’ve been busy lately, but I want you to come to me with this stuff the second it comes up. I’m always going to make time for it, Isla, whether it’s the big things like a venue or the small things like debating what colour table cloths ought to be, I’m here for all of it, just say the word and I will chip in with my opinion, though, you should probably know, I have no idea about any of it” he added playfully.

Isla laughed. “You think I do?” she asked.

“You work at weddings” Gerard pointed out “You’re likely to know more than me” he added.

“I take pictures at weddings” Isla clarified “I know nothing about seating charts or what colour dresses I want for my bridesmaids. I haven’t even thought about who to ask to be bridesmaids” she added.

Gerard smiled, messing with her fingers gently. “You’ve already got the perfect flower girl” he mused “Our little girl’s going to look perfect” he fussed.

Isla smiled back at him. “I kind of see her in something pink” she mused “Not a bright pink, but a faint one” she added.

Gerard lifted her hand, kissing the back of it again. “Sounds beautiful” he mused softly.

Isla offered him a hesitant smile as she pushed her glasses up her nose, something which caused Gerard to kiss her hand again before her phone vibrated, something which caused her roll her eyes, excusing herself as she moved to answer her brother’s call. Shaking his head, Gerard leant back into his seat before he smiled, liking the little conversations that they kept having about their wedding. There were little reminders of the fact that he’d actually asked her to marry him, and she’d actually said yes.