Until You Met Me
Ninety One
Neatening up the pile of presents that was tucked beneath the tree in front of her, Molly quirked a lopsided smile before she leant back, sinking against the sofa that was behind her. It wasn’t the first Christmas tree that she and Gerard had decorated. Before Tiago had arrived in her life, it was a tradition that she and Gerard had had for years, but as familiar as the routine was, she still couldn’t quite believe that she was sat in front of their tree in their living room. It was one of a lot little firsts that she had been looking forwards to since it had become apparent that whatever was happening between the two of them was significant.
She loved Christmas. She loved how hectic her parents’ house always got, even before Poppy and Felipe had had Imogen, and she loved that that was something that she could share with Gerard. He liked being around her family. Despite the bumps that they had hit since they’d started their relationship, he still seemed at home with her parents and sister, and it was something that meant a lot to Molly. After what had happened with Ava, the last thing she wanted was for her relationship with Gerard to cause problems between her and the people she cared about most.
Stifling a yawn into her hand, she stretched her legs out ahead of her before she felt a gentle touch against the top of her head, something which caused her to smile to herself before she tipped her head back, looking up at Gerard who smiled down at her sleepily. “Did I wake you?” she asked.
Gerard shook his head, sinking to the floor next to her. “I turned over and expected to find you there” he replied “When I didn’t, I thought I would come and see where you’d gotten to. You know that we didn’t have to wake up at seven in the morning, right? Your parents aren’t expecting us until mid-morning at the earliest” he added, pressing another kiss against the crown of her head.
Molly turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, nodding her head gently. “I know” she quipped “But I had something that I had to wrap at the last minute and I wanted to do it before you woke up” she added.
Gerard smirked against her head. “Is it for me?” he chirped.
Molly huffed out a laugh. “Not every present I wrap is for you” she said.
“I don’t think that” Gerard countered “It just seems weird that you’d get up at seven in the morning to wrap something for someone that isn’t me” he quipped.
Molly offered him a flat look, something which made Gerard chuckle before he glanced up at the tree, his expression growing a little more tender.
Molly watched the smile on his face soften before she leant against his side again. “What are you thinking?” she asked.
Gerard shrugged, but didn’t look away from the tree. He knew that if he did, then Molly would be able to read the look on his face. He wasn’t quite prepared to admit that there was a part of him that was envisaging the two of them sat in front of the same tree next year, fussing over a bump that was obvious beneath Molly’s pyjama t-shirt. He knew that it wouldn’t surprise her. After their engagement, they had talked about the prospect of them starting a family, and they were both in agreement that it was something that they wanted, but he knew that it, like a lot of things, was still a way off.
They had slowed down. After what had happened between him and Ava, their relationship had settled into a comfortable lull, and neither of them was prepared to nudge it forwards again. Molly had stopped talking about the wedding entirely, her parents and his had stopped dropping hints about the two of them starting planning, and Gerard didn’t want to push the subject, too afraid that if he did, then Molly would tell him that she was still trying to get over what had happened. It had been a couple of months, and on the surface, everything seemed fine, but it didn’t stop Gerard from worrying. He knew how hurt Molly had been, and he couldn’t be certain that that had faded entirely.
“About how pretty this tree is” Gerard answered.
If Molly knew that he was lying, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she let out a soft laugh. “You’re just noticing that?” she prodded.
Gerard scoffed playfully. “No” he said.
Molly giggled before she pushed herself up to her feet, offering a hand back towards him. “Come on” she mused “We’ve got time for breakfast before we have to start getting ready” she added.
“And we absolutely have to go to your parents’?” Gerard asked.
Molly rolled her eyes, but smiled as she nodded. “We absolutely do” she confirmed.
~#~
“What have you done with my sister?”
Gerard, who’d been flicking through the book that Xavier and Julia had bought for him, glanced up at the living room doorway, smiling slightly at Poppy who stood there, Imogen balanced on her hip. He had been by himself for a little while. After the rush of activity that had followed his and Molly’s arrival at her parents’ home, people had disappeared to different parts of the house to talk to all of the relatives that had called, and it meant that Gerard, who’d already promised to call his parents when he and Molly got home, had been left to his own devices for a while.
“What have you done with Felipe?” Gerard countered.
“He’s still on the phone with his parents” Poppy answered.
“They didn’t want to see more of their grandbaby?” Gerard chirped, gesturing to Imogen.
Poppy shook her head. “She’s starting to get a little grumpy so I bought her down here for a bottle” she answered.
Gerard nodded his head, redirecting his attention to the book in his hand. “I think Molly is still talking to your grandmother” he answered “Every time she comes back in here, your mother appears with the phone and she’s off again” he added, thumbing through a few pages.
“They’re probably asking when the wedding will be” Poppy chirped.
Gerard’s lips quirked upwards into a slightly sad smile. “Probably” he quipped.
Poppy frowned a little, not missing the slightly pained smile on his face.
Gerard shook his head, seeing the way she was looking at him. “We’re fine” he mused “Given what happened a couple of months ago, we’re great, but I just...I don’t know. I wanted everything to slow down before. I wanted to enjoy being engaged and to stop us from running from one thing to next without taking a beat to think about it, but after...after the last bump, Molly doesn’t even mention weddings any more. Your parents don’t either, mine too” he added.
Poppy gently smoothed out Imogen’s hair before she lifted her up, gently placing her in Gerard’s arms. “I’ll be right back” she said before she stepped out of the room, returning seconds later with a piece of paper in her hand. Stepping towards Gerard, she placed the piece of paper into his hand before she lifted Imogen up again, allowing him to study what she had given him.
“Pop...”
“You need to just talk to her” Poppy interrupted “Most of the time, that’s all you need to do. You used to tell her everything” she added.
Gerard smiled ruefully, his fingers tracing over the name of the wedding planner whose card Poppy had placed into his hand.
“Talk to her” Poppy encouraged “Show her that you’re ready, that it’s what you really want. But the important thing is you don’t just sit and stew and hope it’ll fix itself. You know it won’t” she added.
Gerard nodded his head wordlessly.
“She wants to marry you” Poppy quipped “I know it, and you know it” she added before someone called her name, causing her to step out of the room and leave Gerard behind, staring down at the card in his hand.
She loved Christmas. She loved how hectic her parents’ house always got, even before Poppy and Felipe had had Imogen, and she loved that that was something that she could share with Gerard. He liked being around her family. Despite the bumps that they had hit since they’d started their relationship, he still seemed at home with her parents and sister, and it was something that meant a lot to Molly. After what had happened with Ava, the last thing she wanted was for her relationship with Gerard to cause problems between her and the people she cared about most.
Stifling a yawn into her hand, she stretched her legs out ahead of her before she felt a gentle touch against the top of her head, something which caused her to smile to herself before she tipped her head back, looking up at Gerard who smiled down at her sleepily. “Did I wake you?” she asked.
Gerard shook his head, sinking to the floor next to her. “I turned over and expected to find you there” he replied “When I didn’t, I thought I would come and see where you’d gotten to. You know that we didn’t have to wake up at seven in the morning, right? Your parents aren’t expecting us until mid-morning at the earliest” he added, pressing another kiss against the crown of her head.
Molly turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, nodding her head gently. “I know” she quipped “But I had something that I had to wrap at the last minute and I wanted to do it before you woke up” she added.
Gerard smirked against her head. “Is it for me?” he chirped.
Molly huffed out a laugh. “Not every present I wrap is for you” she said.
“I don’t think that” Gerard countered “It just seems weird that you’d get up at seven in the morning to wrap something for someone that isn’t me” he quipped.
Molly offered him a flat look, something which made Gerard chuckle before he glanced up at the tree, his expression growing a little more tender.
Molly watched the smile on his face soften before she leant against his side again. “What are you thinking?” she asked.
Gerard shrugged, but didn’t look away from the tree. He knew that if he did, then Molly would be able to read the look on his face. He wasn’t quite prepared to admit that there was a part of him that was envisaging the two of them sat in front of the same tree next year, fussing over a bump that was obvious beneath Molly’s pyjama t-shirt. He knew that it wouldn’t surprise her. After their engagement, they had talked about the prospect of them starting a family, and they were both in agreement that it was something that they wanted, but he knew that it, like a lot of things, was still a way off.
They had slowed down. After what had happened between him and Ava, their relationship had settled into a comfortable lull, and neither of them was prepared to nudge it forwards again. Molly had stopped talking about the wedding entirely, her parents and his had stopped dropping hints about the two of them starting planning, and Gerard didn’t want to push the subject, too afraid that if he did, then Molly would tell him that she was still trying to get over what had happened. It had been a couple of months, and on the surface, everything seemed fine, but it didn’t stop Gerard from worrying. He knew how hurt Molly had been, and he couldn’t be certain that that had faded entirely.
“About how pretty this tree is” Gerard answered.
If Molly knew that he was lying, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she let out a soft laugh. “You’re just noticing that?” she prodded.
Gerard scoffed playfully. “No” he said.
Molly giggled before she pushed herself up to her feet, offering a hand back towards him. “Come on” she mused “We’ve got time for breakfast before we have to start getting ready” she added.
“And we absolutely have to go to your parents’?” Gerard asked.
Molly rolled her eyes, but smiled as she nodded. “We absolutely do” she confirmed.
~#~
“What have you done with my sister?”
Gerard, who’d been flicking through the book that Xavier and Julia had bought for him, glanced up at the living room doorway, smiling slightly at Poppy who stood there, Imogen balanced on her hip. He had been by himself for a little while. After the rush of activity that had followed his and Molly’s arrival at her parents’ home, people had disappeared to different parts of the house to talk to all of the relatives that had called, and it meant that Gerard, who’d already promised to call his parents when he and Molly got home, had been left to his own devices for a while.
“What have you done with Felipe?” Gerard countered.
“He’s still on the phone with his parents” Poppy answered.
“They didn’t want to see more of their grandbaby?” Gerard chirped, gesturing to Imogen.
Poppy shook her head. “She’s starting to get a little grumpy so I bought her down here for a bottle” she answered.
Gerard nodded his head, redirecting his attention to the book in his hand. “I think Molly is still talking to your grandmother” he answered “Every time she comes back in here, your mother appears with the phone and she’s off again” he added, thumbing through a few pages.
“They’re probably asking when the wedding will be” Poppy chirped.
Gerard’s lips quirked upwards into a slightly sad smile. “Probably” he quipped.
Poppy frowned a little, not missing the slightly pained smile on his face.
Gerard shook his head, seeing the way she was looking at him. “We’re fine” he mused “Given what happened a couple of months ago, we’re great, but I just...I don’t know. I wanted everything to slow down before. I wanted to enjoy being engaged and to stop us from running from one thing to next without taking a beat to think about it, but after...after the last bump, Molly doesn’t even mention weddings any more. Your parents don’t either, mine too” he added.
Poppy gently smoothed out Imogen’s hair before she lifted her up, gently placing her in Gerard’s arms. “I’ll be right back” she said before she stepped out of the room, returning seconds later with a piece of paper in her hand. Stepping towards Gerard, she placed the piece of paper into his hand before she lifted Imogen up again, allowing him to study what she had given him.
“Pop...”
“You need to just talk to her” Poppy interrupted “Most of the time, that’s all you need to do. You used to tell her everything” she added.
Gerard smiled ruefully, his fingers tracing over the name of the wedding planner whose card Poppy had placed into his hand.
“Talk to her” Poppy encouraged “Show her that you’re ready, that it’s what you really want. But the important thing is you don’t just sit and stew and hope it’ll fix itself. You know it won’t” she added.
Gerard nodded his head wordlessly.
“She wants to marry you” Poppy quipped “I know it, and you know it” she added before someone called her name, causing her to step out of the room and leave Gerard behind, staring down at the card in his hand.