When We Were

“Where is Isaac?” Jordi asked as he stepped into Emilia’s bedroom “We need to get going soon. Have you heard from him?” he prodded, glancing up at his sister who was sat at the foot of her bed, pulling a pair of trainers onto her feet. It’d been a little while, after Emilia had suggested to Lionel that she was willing to make the trip to Barcelona, she had spent a few weeks getting things arranged, but at last the morning of her flight had arrived, something Jordi knew she was excited about, even if she had tried to play it cool. He knew that, despite her concerns, the prospect of being reunited with Lionel was all the encouragement that she needed to get onto the plane. He knew that she was worried, Samia had told him almost immediately about Emilia’s reluctance, but he was glad that she was going despite her worries. He was almost certain that after a couple of days, she’d see that there was nothing for her to be worried about.

Emilia, who was tying her shoelaces, looked up. “He’s not here yet?” she asked.

Jordi shook his head. “No” he replied “Has he texted or anything?” he added, nodding towards the phone which sat on the bed beside Emilia.

Emilia followed Jordi’s nod before she turned the phone over, pressing the home button. Watching the screen light up, she quirked a small smile at the picture of her and Lionel which filled the screen before she shook her head, recognizing that she didn’t have a message from Isaac. “I’ve not got anything from him” she noted “I’ll...” she trailed off as the sound of the doorbell filled the air.

Jordi glanced towards the bedroom door before he shook his head, letting a quiet scoff. “I’ll go and make sure that Luca’s got everything” he noted.

Emilia nodded her head. “Thanks” she mused.

Jordi waved a hand before he stepped out of the room. Emilia waited for a split second, listening as the doorbell chimed again, before she pushed herself up to her feet and made her way through the apartment, pulling the front door open.

Isaac, who was stood on the other side, looked up at the sound of the door opening, a soft smile coming up onto his features. “Hey” he greeted softly.

Emilia shook her head. “You’re late” she noted “You were supposed to be here half an hour ago, Isaac” she added.

Isaac held up a hand innocently. “I got held up on a call with one of my interns” he quipped “I know I should have texted, but honestly? I didn’t think it would take as long as it did. I’m still here in time, aren’t I?” he asked impishly, stepping around her and into the apartment.

Emilia watched him for a second before she attempted to speak, only to be cut off as Luca wandered into the room, Jordi close behind. Closing her mouth, she took a couple of breaths before she turned to her brother. “Has he got everything?” she asked.

“I think so” Jordi replied “I mean, I don’t know how much stuff he’s already got at Isaac’s, but he’s packed a lot” he added.

“Is there anything else you want to take with you, Luca?” Emilia asked.

“My boots” Luca replied “They’re in your car, mama” he added.

“Can you go and show uncle Jordi?” Emilia asked.

Luca nodded his head before he tugged on his uncle’s sleeve, guiding him towards the front door. Jordi followed, collecting Emilia’s car keys from their place beside the front door, before he turned to offer his sister a look, something which made Emilia shake her head, knowing that he was suggesting that Isaac’s being late wasn’t the coincidence that the doctor had made it out to be. Sighing, she watched Jordi and Luca out of the room before she turned to Isaac, gently tucking her hair behind her ear. “You’ve figured out the time difference?” she asked.

Isaac, who was perched on the arm of the couch, nodded. “I’ll make sure that my mother has him in front of the computer at the times we arranged” he noted.

“I’m going to miss him” Emilia mused “I mean, since he was born, I don’t think I’ve spent more than a few hours apart from him, let alone days” she added.

“I’m sure he will miss you too” Isaac replied.

Emilia snorted, rolling her eyes playfully. “He’ll spend our calls talking about how he hates school and how much he just wants to go and play with his toys. We both know that” she noted.

“So, he won’t say it” Isaac quipped with a shrug “But he will miss you, Emmy. How could he not?” he added, his voice softening a little as his blue eyes mirrored hers.

Emilia shook her head, quickly diverting her stare from Isaac’s towards the floor.

Isaac stared at her for a second before he pushed himself up, closing the gap between them with a couple of steps. Tentatively, he lifted a hand, preparing to brush the hair off of her face, but he stopped himself, smiling ruefully to himself. “I hate that you’re going, you know” he mumbled.

“Isaac...”

“I didn’t think he’d stick around this long” Isaac spoke quietly, just about keeping his hands from reaching out towards Emilia “I thought he’d just...disappear and things could go back to where they were between us” he added.

Emilia shook her head, taking a step back away from him. “There is nothing between us, Isaac” she mumbled softly “At least, not on my part, not anymore. You’re Luca’s papa, but for me? That’s it. Whatever we did have, it died a long time ago” she added quietly, trying to soften the blow of her words.

Isaac breathed out a humorless laugh. “Emmy...”

“I needed you, Isaac” Emilia interrupted quietly “And you couldn’t be there for me and then you’ve spent seven years treating me like I was the biggest mistake that you’ve ever made. You don’t want me, Isaac, you just think you do because there’s finally someone else that does and I want him, too” she added, her voice growing slightly firmer.

Isaac shook his head. “Emmy...”

“Just leave it, will you?” Emilia asked gently “I’m happy, Isaac. Leo...he makes me happy, and whilst I am scared about what’s going to happen next, I know that I want to see whatever it is. He’s what I want, and I need you to respect that. Please, Isaac, can you do that for me?” she added.

Isaac’s eyes searched hers for a long moment, so long that Emilia contemplated saying something else, but Isaac got there first, stiffly nodding his head. “If that’s what you want” he murmured lowly.

“It is” Emilia confirmed.

Isaac nodded slowly again before the front door swung open, allowing Luca to run back inside, his football boots clutched in his hands. “I’ve got them!” he announced brightly.

Isaac schooled his face into a smile. “Good” he noted “Now you can come and say goodbye to your mama. She’s not got a lot of time before she leaves” he added.

“I’ll grab your bag, Em” Jordi quipped, stepping through the room.

Emilia nodded her head in acknowledgement before she knelt down, tugging Luca a little closer to her. Smiling gently, she smoothed his hair back off of his forehead before she kissed it gently. “I am going to miss you so much, baby” she breathed “But I am sure that you’re going to have the best time with your papa and grandma Francesca. I’ll be calling you every day, just so I can hear everything you’ve gotten up to. I want to hear about school, about Auntie Luisa’s cakes that your papa will give you when I am not around. I want to hear how your match goes tomorrow” she fussed.

Luca just nodded, causing Emilia to press another kiss against his head. “I love you, Luca” she cooed.

“Love you too, mama” Luca replied softly.

“Em?”

Emilia jumped at the sound of Jordi’s voice before she nodded, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she stood up. “Isaac...”

“I’ll see you when you get back, Emmy” Isaac replied with a smile that got nowhere near reaching his eyes.

Emilia nodded her head before she turned towards Jordi, offering him a wobbly smile. “Let’s get going” she announced before she padded towards the door, stopping only to offer a brief wave over her shoulder.

Luca waved back at her enthusiastically, but Isaac was more subdued, not quite able to dislodge the lump of pain which had fallen into the pit of his stomach.