11. Fiona
Chapter eleven
Fiona
A fter Alex made a really delicious ramen, Mateo, Cecilia and I head to the gym while Alex stays home with Oliver. Butterflies erupt in my stomach at the idea of him spending time with Oliver to practice being a dad. He’s been taking this whole thing so seriously that he’s actually helped to keep my nerves at bay.
From what I gather, he rarely spends much time with Oliver by himself, so the fact he’s taken this step is huge. As I pull my camera out of the carrying bag, I glance over at Mateo and Cecilia. They’re standing in the corner smiling at each other, even as they discuss how they want the shoot to go. Both keep brushing up against each other as if it kills them to not be touching. My heart softens when it’s obvious how much they love each other. I can’t help but hope that one day I’ll have that with someone. Maybe possibly even with Alex.
He’s been great, making sure that all my needs are met, except for one. We haven’t touched each other since we made our little bean, and now that I’m not puking up my guts every few seconds, it seems my hormones have taken over. Every time I’m in the same room as Alex, or even thinking about it, my body seems to light up. And all my pussy wants is some part of him on her. I’m not sure what to make of that. Coming together in that way seems like it would complicate things more, but I know it’s not a solution for us to be celibate for the rest of our lives, either.
“Fiona, are you okay?” Looking up from my camera bag, I find Cecilia standing right in front of me. Shaking away the thoughts of Alex being with someone else, I busy myself once again as I pretend to check the battery life on the camera.
“I’m good,” I chirp, hoping I sound more upbeat than I’m feeling.
“Are you sure? You had a pissed off look on your face.” She raises her brows, waiting for me to answer.
Shaking my head, I place the camera strap around my neck while keeping my eyes from hers. “I’m fine. I was just thinking of something, and I became unreasonably mad for no reason.”
She smiles at my response, and her eyes soften a bit. “Did it have something to do with Alex and the baby?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“Well, if you’re anything like me, then you’re probably constantly freaking out about the baby and wondering if you have a future with Alex.”
I take a step closer to her. Something about her helps me relax, and I feel safe confiding in her. I look around to make sure Mateo can’t hear me. “Yes, I think about that a lot, but right now, it seems to be more centered on Alex sexually.”
She lets out a big laugh. “Shh…Cecilia. I don’t want Mateo to hear.”
“Don’t worry about him. So your hormones are going crazy?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure that’s just it. Lately I’ve been finding myself having dreams about the way the future could be if Alex and I were together with the baby.”
She nods her head. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“No. As much as I want Alex, I’m not sure it’s a great idea. Besides, I don’t want him to feel pressured to be with me or more than he already is.”
“Fiona, have you seen the way he looks at you? That boy is smitten. You need to talk to him.”
“Maybe.”
“Listen, ya’ll are in a tough spot. But why not have some fun while you’re trying to figure it all out. You’re limiting yourself.”
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
Shrugging her shoulders, she leans in with a smirk. “But what if it does?”
Right then Mateo walks up, interrupting our talk. “Are you ladies ready?”
“Yes,” we reply in unison.
I spend the next two hours taking pictures of Mateo and Cecilia in different parts of the gym. Mostly, it’s of Mateo showing Cecilia how to work on certain machines. Dexter and a few of his other trainers show up as well, so I take a few pictures of them too. Once we’re done, we stand in Mateo’s office looking at his computer screen going over the pictures I just took.
“I like that one.” Cecilia points to the picture of Mateo, showing her a self-defense moves. Everyone smiles softly at the picture, since we all have heard the story of how they met. “It will be good for the marketing brochures.”
Mateo wraps his arms around her waist as he kisses the top of her head. “That one right there. I want to print it out and hang it up,” he says as he points to a different picture, one of him and Cecilia standing, smiling at each other on the mats. Both of them look madly in love.
Suddenly feeling exhausted and ready to get back home so I can climb into bed or even nap on the couch, I try to get things back on track. I yawn. “How about you guys look at these some more tonight and let me know what else you like?”
They nod and I yawn again. Both Cecilia and I glance over at the clock and see that its getting late. “Shit. Mateo, we need to get Fiona back and pick up Oliver. It’s almost dinnertime.”
“Calm down, pretty girl. We can go right now.” He looks at me, and his eyes soften.
“Besides, it looks like Fiona could use some rest.”
“I am tired. It seems like that happens more and more every day,” I confirm what he’s saying.
Cecilia nods. “That’s going to happen, you know? You are growing a baby. It’s tough work,” she retorts as she packs up the different workout outfits they brought with them. I take that as my clue to finish packing up my camera bag as well.
We make our way out of the gym and back into a car in the blink of an eye. I can tell Cecilia doesn’t like that she’s been away from Oliver for so long, and Mateo is doing everything he can to get her back to him quickly.
When I open the front door to the house, I’m assaulted by the wonderful smell of garlic and tomato sauce. And I can hear laughter coming from the kitchen. I make my way toward the kitchen, and it seems Alex has cooked dinner once again. That’s something I’ve learned about him over the past few weeks. He loves to cook.
One night I asked him about it, and he explained to me that he had to teach himself to cook when he was a teenager, or he would only end up eating a handful of items that Mateo knew how to make.
When we enter the kitchen, Alex and Mateo are sitting at the table eating and conversing.
I lean up against the doorway as Mateo and Cecilia come up behind me. “Do you like it buddy?” Alex asks Oliver about dinner. Oliver just hums while he continues to eat.
“Did you know your dad taught me how to make this spaghetti when I was a kid?” Alex’s voice drops when he says, “Don’t tell him, but mine’s better now.”
That’s when Mateo steps around me and Cecilia, entering the kitchen. He raises an eyebrow at Alex as he walks toward Oliver. “I don’t think so. No one makes better spaghetti than your old man,” he informs both of them as he kisses Oliver on the top of his head.
Alex glances over and smirk sat me, watching him with Oliver. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come eat, love?”
At his question, we all join him and Oliver at the table, eating a wonderful dinner. Looking around the table, I can’t help but smile. At my parents’ house we all ate together, but it was always in a tense silence. Everyone was trying to make sure they didn’t say the wrong thing in front of dad.
This is more than that.
The laughter.
The smiles.
Good food and warm feelings.
I glance at Alex and watch him interact with his family. I want this. This is how I want our child to grow up. A warm feeling fills my chest and when I study the father of my child, I know I’m falling in love with him. Is it wrong to love the father of my child?