Like You Did Before
74: Say Thank You For Me
Flattening his palm against Matilda’s bump, Iker quirked a sleepy smile to himself, taking a moment to appreciate how still and quiet the house was. He knew that it would change soon. In only a couple of hours, all of Matilda’s closest friends, and both of their families, would be gathered in the garden, waiting for him and Matilda to open the box full of balloons that had been delivered that morning, revealing the gender of their second baby, and it meant that Iker was keen to enjoy the quiet, knowing that the party wouldn’t end the moment the reveal had been made.
It had been his idea. After all of the awkwardness that had surrounded Matilda’s first pregnancy, they had both agreed to make more of a fuss the second time around, and whilst they were both in agreement that they wanted to know whether Lola was getting a little brother or sister, he had suggested the party, wanting to give their friends and family the opportunity to share in the moment with them, and to show them just how far things between him and Matilda had come from where they had been when Lola had arrived.
Feeling a soft flutter of movement against his hand, Iker moved to press a soft kiss against Matilda’s stomach, something which caused her to stir a little before he felt her fingers weave through his hair, keeping him close to her bump. Iker smiled softly. “I wasn’t trying to wake you” he murmured.
“I know” Matilda’s voice was heavy with sleep “You just love that bump. I am worried about how much you’re going to miss it when it’s gone” she added.
Iker leant back slightly, glancing up at her face to admire the impish smile that had grown across her face. “I think I will be OK” he played along “I mean, we will have another baby to fuss over. I think I will survive” he added.
“I think I will kind of miss the fussing” Matilda quipped “I didn’t know that I would like it this much. I didn’t know what I had missed the first time around” she added.
Iker shuffled back up towards his pillow, pressing a soft kiss to Matilda’s forehead and nose before he placed one at the corner of her mouth. “I’d have fussed last time, too, if you had just asked me to” he said.
Matilda lifted her head slightly, brushing her lips against his. “I know” she murmured.
Iker pressed his lips to hers a couple more times, smiling when he felt Matilda’s lips curve upwards against his, before the sound of Lola’s crying filled the air, causing him to press his forehead to Matilda’s briefly before he reluctantly climbed out of bed and padded out of the bedroom. Matilda’s eyes followed him out of the door before she smiled to herself, more than happy that they had worked to figure things out between the two of them.
It had been difficult. Before she had discovered that she had fallen pregnant with Lola, Matilda had been almost certain that things between her and Iker just weren’t meant to work out, but somehow they had figured it out, and Matilda struggled to believe that they had had such a hard time in the past. She couldn’t believe that she had ever felt the need to hesitate about starting a future with Iker.
~#~
“What have you done with Iker and Lola?”
Matilda, who had been sipping on a glass of water, looked up at the sound of Naomi’s voice, watching quietly as she sunk down into the unoccupied seat next to her. Things were still a little awkward between the two of them. With Matilda’s friendship with Arthur all but over, and Naomi still trying to maintain relationships with both of them, it was likely that things would feel strained for a little while, but Matilda was still glad to her, even despite the slightly uncomfortable lump that had appeared in her throat. It was always going to be hard. Despite knowing that putting space between her and Arthur was the right decision for both of them, the sudden cut off of contact between her and someone she had known since she was a child was hard, but she was determined to persevere with it, knowing that it was the best decision not only for herself, but for Iker and Arthur too.
“Iker took her inside” Matilda answered “She needed a clean dress. She got chocolate all over the last one” she added.
Naomi smiled. “Who gave her chocolate?” she asked.
“My papa is very determined to be the cool grandad” Matilda replied, smiling slightly.
Naomi laughed for a moment before her expression softened slightly. “I...I have something for you” she said “It’s for baby, actually. Art gave it to me to give to you” she added.
“Mimi” Matilda protested softly.
“It’s just a gift for the baby shower, Mattie” Naomi replied “He’s not expecting you to call and thank him or anything. He just wanted to get something for baby, and I think you will like it. Just take it, OK?” she added, settling a small gift bag onto the table between them.
Matilda stared at it for a long moment before she finally picked it up. Pulling the tissue paper out, she located the gift inside before she pulled it out, smiling gently at the little Real Madrid onesie. “Iker’s going to love this” she cooed, showing it off to Naomi “Say thank you to him, for me” she added.
Naomi opened her mouth, preparing to tell Matilda that she could call him herself, but she stopped herself. Instead, she nodded and offered Matilda a smile. “I will do” she mused.
Matilda smiled back at her briefly before Iker appeared, pulling her attention up towards him. “Where’s Lola?” she asked.
“Your mother took her from me the moment I stepped out of the door” Iker replied “Apparently, she hadn’t had enough cuddles” he added.
Matilda laughed, something which made Iker smile before he held his hand out towards her. “You ready to do this?” he asked.
“Absolutely” Matilda confirmed, using his outstretched hand to help her out of her chair.
Iker twined their fingers together before he led her towards the box of balloons that was settled on a table a little away from them. Matilda picked up a glass and tapped it with a fork, capturing the attention of everyone around the two of them. “It’s time for the moment that I know a lot of people have been waiting for” she announced “On the count of three?” she asked, looking up at Iker for confirmation.
Iker grinned back at her before he nodded, calling out the number one. The rest of the guests followed his lead, counting to three, before Iker and Matilda pulled the top of the box open, allowing a cascade of blue balloons to float upwards. There were a few gasps, and a warm round of applause, but neither Iker or Matilda were paying too much attention, both too lost in grinning at each other to notice what was happening around them.
It had been his idea. After all of the awkwardness that had surrounded Matilda’s first pregnancy, they had both agreed to make more of a fuss the second time around, and whilst they were both in agreement that they wanted to know whether Lola was getting a little brother or sister, he had suggested the party, wanting to give their friends and family the opportunity to share in the moment with them, and to show them just how far things between him and Matilda had come from where they had been when Lola had arrived.
Feeling a soft flutter of movement against his hand, Iker moved to press a soft kiss against Matilda’s stomach, something which caused her to stir a little before he felt her fingers weave through his hair, keeping him close to her bump. Iker smiled softly. “I wasn’t trying to wake you” he murmured.
“I know” Matilda’s voice was heavy with sleep “You just love that bump. I am worried about how much you’re going to miss it when it’s gone” she added.
Iker leant back slightly, glancing up at her face to admire the impish smile that had grown across her face. “I think I will be OK” he played along “I mean, we will have another baby to fuss over. I think I will survive” he added.
“I think I will kind of miss the fussing” Matilda quipped “I didn’t know that I would like it this much. I didn’t know what I had missed the first time around” she added.
Iker shuffled back up towards his pillow, pressing a soft kiss to Matilda’s forehead and nose before he placed one at the corner of her mouth. “I’d have fussed last time, too, if you had just asked me to” he said.
Matilda lifted her head slightly, brushing her lips against his. “I know” she murmured.
Iker pressed his lips to hers a couple more times, smiling when he felt Matilda’s lips curve upwards against his, before the sound of Lola’s crying filled the air, causing him to press his forehead to Matilda’s briefly before he reluctantly climbed out of bed and padded out of the bedroom. Matilda’s eyes followed him out of the door before she smiled to herself, more than happy that they had worked to figure things out between the two of them.
It had been difficult. Before she had discovered that she had fallen pregnant with Lola, Matilda had been almost certain that things between her and Iker just weren’t meant to work out, but somehow they had figured it out, and Matilda struggled to believe that they had had such a hard time in the past. She couldn’t believe that she had ever felt the need to hesitate about starting a future with Iker.
~#~
“What have you done with Iker and Lola?”
Matilda, who had been sipping on a glass of water, looked up at the sound of Naomi’s voice, watching quietly as she sunk down into the unoccupied seat next to her. Things were still a little awkward between the two of them. With Matilda’s friendship with Arthur all but over, and Naomi still trying to maintain relationships with both of them, it was likely that things would feel strained for a little while, but Matilda was still glad to her, even despite the slightly uncomfortable lump that had appeared in her throat. It was always going to be hard. Despite knowing that putting space between her and Arthur was the right decision for both of them, the sudden cut off of contact between her and someone she had known since she was a child was hard, but she was determined to persevere with it, knowing that it was the best decision not only for herself, but for Iker and Arthur too.
“Iker took her inside” Matilda answered “She needed a clean dress. She got chocolate all over the last one” she added.
Naomi smiled. “Who gave her chocolate?” she asked.
“My papa is very determined to be the cool grandad” Matilda replied, smiling slightly.
Naomi laughed for a moment before her expression softened slightly. “I...I have something for you” she said “It’s for baby, actually. Art gave it to me to give to you” she added.
“Mimi” Matilda protested softly.
“It’s just a gift for the baby shower, Mattie” Naomi replied “He’s not expecting you to call and thank him or anything. He just wanted to get something for baby, and I think you will like it. Just take it, OK?” she added, settling a small gift bag onto the table between them.
Matilda stared at it for a long moment before she finally picked it up. Pulling the tissue paper out, she located the gift inside before she pulled it out, smiling gently at the little Real Madrid onesie. “Iker’s going to love this” she cooed, showing it off to Naomi “Say thank you to him, for me” she added.
Naomi opened her mouth, preparing to tell Matilda that she could call him herself, but she stopped herself. Instead, she nodded and offered Matilda a smile. “I will do” she mused.
Matilda smiled back at her briefly before Iker appeared, pulling her attention up towards him. “Where’s Lola?” she asked.
“Your mother took her from me the moment I stepped out of the door” Iker replied “Apparently, she hadn’t had enough cuddles” he added.
Matilda laughed, something which made Iker smile before he held his hand out towards her. “You ready to do this?” he asked.
“Absolutely” Matilda confirmed, using his outstretched hand to help her out of her chair.
Iker twined their fingers together before he led her towards the box of balloons that was settled on a table a little away from them. Matilda picked up a glass and tapped it with a fork, capturing the attention of everyone around the two of them. “It’s time for the moment that I know a lot of people have been waiting for” she announced “On the count of three?” she asked, looking up at Iker for confirmation.
Iker grinned back at her before he nodded, calling out the number one. The rest of the guests followed his lead, counting to three, before Iker and Matilda pulled the top of the box open, allowing a cascade of blue balloons to float upwards. There were a few gasps, and a warm round of applause, but neither Iker or Matilda were paying too much attention, both too lost in grinning at each other to notice what was happening around them.