Chapter Eight

David waited anxiously outside of the offices. He had just met with Sandro Rosell, the president of FC Barcelona to start the beginnings of a contract. Olaya was in his arms, looking around in interest while Zaida bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet.

“When is Nina coming?” she asked for the fifth time that minute. He smiled at her eagerness, “Any minute now.”

He was, admittedly, nearly as excited to see her as his daughter, though also nervous. It had been several weeks since they’d last seen each other in person.

If things went correctly, however, he would be signed to FC Barcelona before the transfer window closed.

He stood up straighter as a car swung around the corner, nothing too fancy, but decent. He smiled widely as Nina emerged, shutting the door behind her. “Sorry I’m late, I went to borrow some car seats for the girls,” she explained before Zaida slammed full force into her legs. He was surprised she was able to remain upright.

She carefully pried the young girl’s hands from her knees before lifting her up into her arms. Zaida immediately wrapped her arms around her neck in a fierce hug.

Nina shifted to accommodate her weight before smiling at him.

After some coaxing, both girls were fitted into the backseat. “What do you want to do?” she asked him, turning to face him at last. He chuckled, and pulled her into hug, “It’s about time I got my turn. Zaida is hogging you.” He watched as she blushed softly.

“Where do you want to go?” she asked again, looking away slightly. He smiled, loosening his grip on her, “Can I see your place?” She nodded shyly, and walked around to the driver’s side.


~~

Adela was glad to be out of the hospital. The sterile room had bored her greatly, especially since Carles had eventually had to return to training and other team functions, such as the international tour.

She was back in her cozy apartment, surrounds by her familiar belongings. She was curled up on her sofa, manga in hand, the television on in the background giving the daily football report. It was nice, though. She didn’t have to smell the intense chemicals used for cleaning, hear the monotonous beeping of the machines, or see the looks of pity and intrigue on the faces of the nurses and doctors.

She looked up as the door opened, and saw the footballer walk in. She had given him a key since he insisted on coming to check on her, which allowed him entrance without her having to get up.

He quickly crossed the distance, and pressed a kiss to her brow, “How are you feeling?”

Adela shrugged, “I’m feeling better. The medicine is doing its job though.” He nodded, and set down his jacket on the back of a nearby chair. He then walked around the sofa, and knelt down. He reached out, running his thumb gently along my jaw, which was slightly bruised from medical tests.

“I was wondering if you would like some female company?” he said. Adela frowned slightly, “Who?” She didn’t really have many friends, though not at her own fault. She just didn’t connect well with many people, but she also kept a difficult schedule, working late and sleeping during the day. That prevented a lot of lasting friendships simply because no one would maintain them.

“Her name’s Nina, she’s friends with Xavi, and I think dating David Villa. She’s very friendly,” he answered. “That sounds nice,” she agreed, hoping that if she was close to others on the Barça squad that she was nice.

He smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her, an experience she had yet to get used to, though it was far from unpleasant.

Carles had remained by her side throughout the entire ordeal, which had surprised her, but she was learning not to doubt him, for he had given no reason to.


~~

Nina unlocked her door nervously, watching as Zaida rushed in almost immediately once it was open. David followed with Olaya, leaving her to shut the door behind everyone.

Her flat was simple, provided by the government for her, and it came furnished. She had never taken much time to personalize the place, since hardly anyone came to visit. When she went out with friends and coworkers, they went to their houses or out to a restaurant.

David was looking around curiously, and she suddenly wished she had put more effort into decorating.

The only personal touches were the various pictures hung on the walls, or set on various surfaces. He stopped to examine them as she followed Zaida through the flat, giving her the tour.

When they returned to the living room, she found David holding a picture. He looked up at her, curiously, “You were in the military?” She nodded, trying to suppress the memories, “For several years before coming here, yes.” Olaya was sitting in the chair, dozing off comfortably. Zaida zoomed off again, eyes bright with excitement.

“What did you do?” he asked, and she was relieved he didn’t seem upset by his newfound knowledge, merely curious.

“I was in charge of assessing the integrity of the infrastructure of buildings that were used or occupied by the United States military, both in the US and over in the Middle East,” she answered.

“You were deployed?” he asked. She could hear the astonishment. Most weren’t able to believe that she was in the military with her slight frame. “Twice,” she answered, hoping she didn’t appear brief. He sensed her discomfort, however, and fell silent about that line of questioning. Instead, he pointed to the picture, “Who are the people with you?”

“That’s Jamie Allen, a friend from high school who enlisted at the same time as me, and we were in the same battalion on my second deployment. That’s Barry Mitchel, the other engineer assigned to the group with me. And that’s Aaron Cooper…” she trailed off, looking at the last man closely.

“Who was he?” David asked, looking at the man, whose arm was draped over a younger Nina’s shoulder. They were both in their uniform, desert camouflage, smiling at the camera. The other two men were behind them, making faces at the camera.

She sighed, “He was my fiancé.” David turned with trepidation on his features. His hands tightened around the simple black frame. “Where is he now?” he asked anxiously, almost dreading the answer.

“He died.”


~~

Carles carefully watched the potatoes as the fried in the pan, careful not to let them burn.

When they finished at last, he carefully scooped them off the stove, and placed them in the serving bowl. With the last dish finished, he took everything to the table, where Adela sat waiting. She smiled at him, looking at the rather good spread.

“Thanks for cooking,” she said as he sat across from her. “You were going to make ramen otherwise, so I don’t mind at all,” he grinned.

She blushed slightly, but didn’t argue. Biting into the fish he cooked, she smiled at the delicious blend of flavors. “I thought tonight we could watch a movie or something,” he suggested, as they ate. “Sounds good,” she agreed. He smiled at her, and they finished eating, discussing varying topics. After he cleaned the dishes for her, despite her protests, they headed back to the living room.

“What do you want to watch?” he questioned. “Um…Bend it Like Beckham,” she answered, holding up the DVD. “It has Spanish subtitles,” she added, knowing he was limited in English knowledge.

They curled up on the sofa as the movie started, Adela leaning into his side. His arm secured around her.

Halfway through the movie she nodded off, and he carefully carried her to the bedroom, and tucked her in. Switching off the lights, he pressed a kiss to her forehead gently, and then left her to sleep. He then turned off the television, and settled down on the sofa. He wanted to make sure, if she woke up, he would be there to help.