Alexia's POV:
I tried to stay as quiet as I could as I went into the kitchen, so that I didn't wake Sofia up. I opened the balcony door, to let a cool morning breeze come in. I turned on the coffee machine and opened up my phone looking through what felt like a million notifications. From the corner of my eye I could see the cameras in the apartment pointed at me. They were there for the documentary being made about me and my career. It was strange to have this spotlight on me, but for now I tried to forget about it, as I thought about the day ahead of me. I had planned to go to the beach with my mother and Alba. As the coffee machine beeped, indicating it was finished, I watched as Nala scampered out of the kitchen and down the hall, to where I presumed to be Sofia's room. I turned off the coffee machine and placed my coffee on the kitchen counter, before making my way down the hall to where I could little giggles coming from. I slipped inside the room, where I was immediately met with Sofia looking through the bars of her crib, watching Nala chase her tail. I went over to the crib and leaned down to pick Sofia up. Once she was in my arms, she nestled into my chest and mumbled a soft "Mama", into the crook of my neck. I stood there for a few seconds, just gently swaying Sofia in my arms, before i opened the door and headed back to the kitchen with Nala following briskly behind me.
I placed Sofia into her play area in the living room, where I could clearly see her from the kitchen as I prepared her her breakfast and drank my coffee. Once her breakfast was ready I went over to pick her up and place her in her high chair, before placing her breakfast in front of her. She began to pick up the pieces of her breakfast, and I made a quick breakfast for myself as I watched her eat hers, before I sat down next to her and helped her eat her breakfast and drank my coffee.
Breakfast time with Sofia was the limited time of the day, where I allowed myself to switch off and disconnect from football, just spend time with her. It allowed me to be there to watch her grow and develop. when it was game day she would spend the night before with my mother and I wouldn't see her until long after the game, where she would usually be asleep already. When i had a really busy day with interviews and media to do she would usually spend her day with my mother or Alba. So this time I got in the morning with her was valuable and precious. I was glad I had the day off today, I needed it, and I needed to spend time with my family, and I felt like today was the day that Sofia would take her first steps, and I definitely didn't want to miss that.
I zoned back in to see that Sofia had finished her breakfast and was trying to escape her high chair. I picked her up swiftly and settled her on my hip, while I cleaned up her mess and put our dishes in the dishwasher. Once I was finished cleaning up, I headed down the hall and into Sofia's room to get her ready for the beach. Once I had gotten Sofia ready, I settled her back on my hip, and went around the apartment gathering the bits and pieces I needed for the beach. When I had decided we were ready, and I had closed the balcony door and secured everything, I turned to Sofia and said "decir adios a Nala". Sofia turned in my arms, looking for Nala, before she spotted her on the couch, waving wildly and called out "Adéu Nala". I chuckled at Sofia immediately saying goodbye to Nala in Catalan. I was trying to teach her some Spanish, but she was surrounded by people who spoke Catalan to her, so she was of course picking up on Catalan, more than Spanish.
I walked to my car with my bag in one hand and holding Sofia on my hip with the other. I unlocked the car and managed to open the door to the passenger seat, and placed the bag on the floor, before I opened the door to the backseat, and leaned inside to place Sofia in her seat. Once I was certain she was securely buckled into her seat I gently closed the door, and got into the front seat, carefully driving out to my mother's house to pick her and Alba up.
Once I parked up outside my mothers house, I opened the door to the backseat and Alba came running out of the house, and clambered to get in the back to sit next to Sofia. "Hola hermana", she said to me as she buckled into the middle seat of the car, right next to Sofia, who giggled at Alba and squealed "Tía !!!" . I turned around as I heard my mothers sandals hitting the ground. "Hola Mama", I said as I embraced my mother in a hug. We separated and we both got into the car. I signalled to Mama about the camera that was inserted in the car. Mama nodded her head and then turned around to say hi to Sofia who waved her hands back at her. I started driving to the beach as Mama pulled out some croissants. Alba took one and broke off a small piece and handed it to Sofia, who held it high in the air for me to see. I chuckled and she instantly put it in her mouth.
The whole way to the beach we chatted and laughed. Alba showed me her new lashes and Mama talked about the past times we'd been to this beach and how we used to get up really early to get there. I pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. Alba got out and tried to get to Sofia quickly, but I beat her to it, and leaned down to unbuckle Sofia from her seat, and pick her up. I settled her on my hip as I grabbed my bag, and locked the car. Alba walked beside me entertaining Sofia in my arms as Mama walked on the other side of me. We reached a spot on the beach and Mama lay down some towels. I placed Sofia on one of the towels, and she immediately started crawling around. Alba grabbed some toys and started to play with her, as I got undressed into my bikini. Alba quickly changed into her bikini and then turned to me and asked "La Sofia també porta un banyador ?" (Has Sofia got a swimsuit on too ?). I nodded and Alba changed Sofia into her swimsuit and then picked her up and started walking to the water. I looked at Mama and she just said "Només remaré els peus a l'aigua" (I'll just paddle my feet in the water). I nodded and we both followed Alba to the water. Just before Alba leaned down to put Sofia in the water, Sofia cried out "mama !", looking around for me. Alba stood back up and pointed me out to her. Once I reached them both, Sofia leaned over to me, and I took her from Alba. I walked a little further into the water, before crouching down to put Sofia in the water. She didn't seem to like it at first but after a few seconds she was ok. I held her hands and she stood up, and I began to walk her through the water, over to Mama and Alba. I tried to let go of her hands, so she could take her first steps, but she stopped walking and grabbed onto my legs. I took her hands again, and we finally made our way over to Alba and Mama. Mama took Sofia's hands, and Alba and I raced each other into the water, and dunked under.
Once I came up, I heard cries and looked over to see my mother comforting Sofia, who was crying and looking around. I waded over to them and Mama explained "Va començar a plorar quan no va poder veure't" (She started crying once she couldn't see you), I nodded and took Sofia from her arms and rocked her gently. She immediately calmed down once she was in my arms. I decided I was finished with the water after a while, and Mama followed me back to the towels. Once I was sat down with Sofia on my lap, playing with one of her toys, Alba came out to join us. We chatted and tried to ignore the cameras around us. I kept an eye on Sofia who was crawling around the three of us. On her way back over to me, she used her hands to stand up, and we all fell silent as she looked over at me. "Vine aquí nena" (Come here baby), I called out reaching my hands out. Mama also called out and encouraged Sofia "Camina a Mama" (Walk to Mama). Sofia looked at me, as I held my hands out, and then lifted one foot and took her first step and then lifted the other foot and she was soon taking her first steps. Once she reached my hands I picked her up and held her in the air, as we all cheered at her taking her first steps. She giggled and I cuddled her into my chest. Once we had all given her cuddles and kisses, we all decided to take a walk on the beach. I stood up and placed Sofia on the ground, stood up beside me. She cautiously took her a few steps before she stumbled and fell slightly. Alba instantly picked her up and put her back on her feet, and Sofia looked around for me. I bent down slightly to hold out my hand. Sofia eagerly grasped onto my hand and then reached up to take Alba's hand too, and continued to cautiously walk in between us. Once we came back to the towels it was clear Sofia was tired and reached out to me from her spot next to Alba. I opened my arms and she crawled into my lap, resting her head against my chest, holding onto the strap of my bikini. I held her in my arms and gently rocked her. After a while, I looked down to see she had fallen asleep.
We all decided it was time to go and we packed up our stuff, and walked back to the car. I carefully and gently placed Sofia into her car seat, and Alba climbed in quietly beside her. I gently closed the door and got into the drivers seat. I fixed my mirror so that I could still see Sofia and then pulled out of the parking spot and started the drive back to my mothers house. As we pulled up to my mothers house I got out of the car to say goodbye to my mother and Alba. They both placed a very gentle kiss to Sofia's head as a goodbye. Before I got back into my car, I leaned inside the backseat and placed a very gentle kiss to Sofia's cheek, and fixed the thin blanket around her, before getting into the drivers seat and checking my mirrors and glancing at Sofia who was still fast asleep, before driving home.
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