When We Were

Gently tracing circles against her temple, Emilia spared a look across the bar she sat in, watching the door for any sign of her sister-in-law. It’d been in her schedule for a while, with Luca having agreed to spend the night at one of his friend’s houses to celebrate the other little boy’s birthday and Lionel having departed back to Barcelona a few days previous, Samia had been quick to insist that her night off be dedicated to having a catch up with her sister-in-law, and whilst Emilia had agreed at the time, part of her regretted it, already wanting nothing more than to head home.

Her mind was whirring, it had been since Lionel had dropped his invitation to Barcelona on her, and whilst they’d both avoided bringing the topic up again before he’d left, she couldn’t quite shake it. It was a big deal, no matter how easily he had slipped it into conversations, the fact that he wanted her to make the trip to Spain was a huge milestone in their relationship and it had caught Emilia by surprise, even if she was sure that things were going well between them. She had been a little surprised by how serious things seemed to have gotten between them.

Closing her eyes, she attempted to work away the headache which was starting build in her head before she felt a hand land on her shoulder, causing her to startle in her seat before she turned, offering a brief glare up towards Samia who stood over her, trying not to giggle. “Sorry” she mused “I couldn’t resist. You looked so deep in thought, Em” she added.

Emilia rolled her eyes before she stood up, greeting Samia with a hug. “Jordi’s rubbing off on you” she commented as she pulled away.

Samia scoffed playfully. “I’ve always been this delightful” she played along “Don’t go giving your brother any credit” she added as she hung her jacket up on the back of her seat.

Emilia laughed. “Are you two still living in wedded bliss?” she asked, taking a sip from her drink.

Samia, who’d moved to peruse the wine menu, lifted a shoulder in lazy, playful shrug. “He’s still very Jordi” she quipped.

Emilia snorted, her eyes shining amusedly, but she didn’t cut in, deterred by the pointed yet playful look that Samia sent towards her. “It’s still good” Samia noted “I mean, it might be a little better if your mother stopped trying to be ‘subtle’ about asking if we plan on having a baby some time, but it still feels really good. Your brother’s not the worst guy, Em” she added, her voice softening a little with affection.

Emilia shook her head, her own smile softening a little. “Nah, he’s not” she agreed.

Samia sat quietly for a second, allowing Emilia to take a sip of her drink, before she shook her head. “What about you?” Samia prodded.

Emilia spluttered on her drink a little. “What about me?” she asked, clearing her throat.

“How’s your boyfriend?” Samia chirped, smirking a little as Emilia’s cheeks flushed a shade of pink which was noticeable even in the bar’s dim lighting.

Emilia timidly tucked her hair away from her face, her shoulders lifting in a timid shrug. “He’s fine” she mumbled.

“Emmy” Samia complained playfully.

“He met Luca” Emilia revealed quietly “I mean, he’d met him a couple of times by accident almost, but I officially introduced them the last time Leo was here” she added.

“And?” Samia prodded, turning back from the brief conversation that she had been having with a passing waiter.

Emilia couldn’t stop the little smile that lit up her face as she gave Samia another little shrug. “Luca likes everyone” she noted “And Leo’s no exception” she added.

Samia smiled a little, recognizing the expression that had appeared on Emilia’s face as one which was specifically reserved for Lionel. She hadn’t seen it before, with her and Jordi having gotten together when Luca had been almost three years old, Samia had missed seeing what Emilia had been like around Isaac, but there was no denying that she was smitten with Lionel, something Samia liked seeing in her sister-in-law. She had been distant, before she’d run into Lionel at their wedding, Emilia had kept herself to herself but Lionel seemed to have bought her out of her shell again, something Samia knew meant a lot to Jordi and his parents.

Emilia drummed her fingers against her glass, allowing silence to linger for a second, before she shook her head. “He asked me to go to Spain” she announced quietly.

“What?” Samia asked.

“Leo” Emilia clarified “He...uh...he asked if I wanted to go to Barcelona” she added.

Samia tilted her head. “Do you?” she prodded.

Emilia opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, not quite sure of the answer she wanted to give, before she settled on shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not exactly simple” she started slowly “I mean, I’d have to get the time off of work, and talk to Isaac to see if he could take Luca and if he couldn’t...”

“Then me and Jordi could” Samia interrupted “Or Marcella and David could. It’s not impossible, Em” she added, offering her a reassuring smile.

Emilia shifted, fiddling with her glass.

Samia watched her for a moment before she tilted her head. “You do want to go, don’t you?” she asked.

Emilia didn’t lift her eyes away from her glass. “Yes?” she replied “No? It’s a big step, Sam and I just...it’s been a long time since I had to take big steps” she added.

“Emmy...”

“It’s just serious, Sam” Emilia kept talking as though she hadn’t heard Samia talk “And I’ve not done serious...well I don’t think Isaac and I were ever really serious. It’s fine when it’s just the two of us, and even him meeting Luca, whilst it was a massive deal, it didn’t feel quite as serious as this does and I just...god, I sound so stupid, don’t I?” she spluttered, sparing her sister-in-law a sheepish look.

Samia didn’t hesitate in shaking her head. “You sound like a woman who’s nervous, Em” she noted “And maybe someone who’s had one ‘boyfriend’ before this one” she added.

Emilia breathed out a shaky laugh.

“It’s alright to be nervous” Samia noted.

“How long is that going to be true for?” Emilia replied “He’s...he’s great, Sam, but how much of me stumbling through this is he going to put up with?” she asked.

“Judging by the look on his face when you’re around, I don’t think that’s a concern you need to have” Samia replied.

“Sam...”

“The man adores you, Emmy” Samia cut in “He asked you to go to Barcelona because he adores you. Yeah, it’s scary, but that little smile you get when someone talks about him? That tells me he’s probably worth a few nerves” she added.

Emilia exhaled slowly.

“Go” Samia encouraged “And if it is the worst decision, it’s what it is, but not going, not wanting to try...that’s kind of worse, no?” she prodded.

Emilia just stared down at her glass for a few seconds before she nodded her head, wordlessly agreeing that trying and failing was better than not trying at all.