Like You Did Before

Slipping her feet out of her shoes, Matilda sunk down onto the bottom step, her hand gently rubbing at her aching foot. She was late. A client meeting had overrun, and it meant that she had arrived home a couple of hours later than she had said she would, and she knew that it meant that she would have missed helping to settle Lola down to sleep, something she had started to do more and more since she had gone back to work. It had taken her a few weeks to ease herself into a routine. For a while, mornings had been tearful, and her workday had been filled with the desire to call Lola’s nanny and make sure that the little girl was alright, but eventually she had gotten used to it, even if she did still check in a few too many times. As long as she was home to help Iker to settle Lola down to sleep, she was happy.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she gently massaged her foot for a few moments before she heard footsteps moving towards her, something which caused her to tip her head back, offering Iker an apologetic smile. “She’s asleep, isn’t she?” she asked.

Iker smiled sympathetically before he nodded. “Just about” he confirmed.

Matilda turned away, massaging her foot again.

Iker watched her for a moment, watching as her shoulders dropped, before he climbed down the last few steps, settling down on the one that Matilda sat on. Gently lifting her leg, he settled it in his lap before he moved his hands towards her foot, squeezing it softly.

Matilda watched him, contemplating tugging her foot out of his grasp, but when he flashed her a tender smile, she found herself relaxing, allowing him to massage her foot in silence for a few moments. “Was she fussy?” she asked quietly.

“A little” Iker said “But she gave in pretty quickly. I think the fresh air she got on her walk with Maria wore her out” he added.

Matilda let her head loll onto Iker’s shoulder. “I tried to get back on time” she murmured after a moment of quiet.

“It doesn’t matter that you didn’t” Iker replied “You do most nights. One night isn’t the end of the world” he added, his voice soft and reassuring.

He knew that it bothered her. On the few occasions that she had missed the opportunity to help him settle Lola down for the night, she had appeared upset and had apologised for it, and he wanted to assure her that it wasn’t necessary. It was always going to take some getting used to. Matilda had spent a year with Lola, she had spent all day with her and hadn’t missed an opportunity to settle her down at night, and now that she was missing things here and there, she was struggling to get used to it.

Matilda nodded her head wordlessly.

Iker grasped her other leg, moving her other foot into his lap. “Have you eaten something?” he asked.

“We ordered food at the office” Matilda replied, her eyes fluttering closed.

“And you ate some of it?” Iker prodded teasingly.

Matilda’s lips quirked slightly, but she didn’t say anything, allowing a few beats of quiet to pass before Iker leant over, gently moving her slightly messy hair off of her face. Quirking a small smile as her eyes fluttered open, he leant over, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

Matilda exhaled a soft sigh, but nodded her head. “I miss her” she admitted “I know I see her in the mornings, and that most nights I am here to put her to bed, but I guess I got used to being around her all of the time. I didn’t think that going back to the job I love would be this hard, but I guess I didn’t exactly think about how much Lola’s changed everything” she added.

Iker smiled. “She has changed everything” he agreed.

“In the best way” Matilda mused with a tender smile “I can’t remember what it was like before she got here” she added.

Iker watched her for a moment, marvelling at the soft smile that played at the corner of her mouth, before he leant towards her, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. Matilda let out a small noise in surprise, but kissed him back until he drew away, keeping his forehead touched to hers. “What was that for?” she murmured.

Iker lifted his shoulders in a small shrug, offering her a slightly shy smile. “I like seeing you gush over our baby” he mused “I love how smitten you still are with her. You two, together, it’s my favourite sight in the world” he added.

“It is?” Matilda asked.

Iker didn’t hesitate to nod his head, the tops of his cheeks a soft shade of pink. “I’ve always loved seeing you two together” he said “Even when things between you and me weren’t great. The way your face lit up when you first held her...I couldn’t believe how smitten you looked” he added.

Matilda’s eyes searched his face for a couple of moments before she leant into him again, kissing him softly. Iker’s hand weaved into her hair, holding her close until she tugged away from him slightly, flashing him a small smile that he recognised instantly. Quirking a small grin of his own, he carefully lowered her feet to the floor before he stood up, taking her hand to help her up after him. Matilda followed his lead, climbing to her feet easily before she moved to kiss him again, something which lasted until Lola’s cries echoed from the top of the stairs, pulling the two of them apart.

“I’ll get her” Matilda mumbled between light kisses.

Iker hummed his agreement. “She probably knows that you wanted to say goodnight” he replied.

Matilda smiled up at him before she pushed herself onto her toes, kissing him again. “I won’t be long” she mused.

“Promise?” Iker quipped impishly.

Matilda, who’d started to pad up the stairs, turned to offer him a playful roll of her eyes. “I don’t think it is up to me” she quipped “I think it depends on our baby” she added before she jogged up the last few steps, disappearing into Lola’s bedroom.

Iker watched after her for a moment before he shook his head, trying to stifle the smile that always itched to grow across his face when he watched Matilda fuss over Lola.