The Wedding Date

Part Two - Chapter One: Struggling to Cope

Wiping the water from his face, Cristiano Ronaldo climbed out of his swimming pool and sighed as he settled himself on the edge so that his long tanned legs remained in the cool water; his mind focused on what had happened the year before.

The footballer couldn't believe that it had been a year since he had last seen Felisa Pereira and the last three months had proven to him that he was never going to find the brunette; she had disappeared and he didn't know what to do anymore.

"Are we going out to dinner tonight?" Irina Shayk asked as she approached Cristiano, the footballer had only gotten together with her two months ago when he had given up his search for Felisa; he hoped that life was treating her well where she was now.

Cristiano nodded his head, he had only started dating again at his sister, Elma's, insistence that he needed to move on; he had searched for Felisa and exhausted every trail in his attempts to find the brunette and he had found nothing.

"Sure," the footballer agreed as he looked at the Russian model that was now his girlfriend, it was weird to think of Irina that way and he had told her all about what had happened between him and Felisa; he wasn't going to lead anyone on when he was still very much in love with her.

Irina had been understanding and had told him that she wasn't interested in a serious relationship; they were only together for the publicity and the Russian was seeing someone else on the side that Cristiano knew all about.

"I'll just go and shower," Cristiano said as he pushed himself to his feet, he knew that he would have to really move on at some point but that didn't mean he was prepared to do so right now.

***

Felisa Pereira sighed as she walked into her apartment, she was exhausted and she knew that she still had so much to do today before she could even relax; the brunette smiled as she spotted her younger sister with her daughter.

In the three months since she had become a mother, Felisa had hardly had any time to herself as she raised not only her daughter but her younger siblings as well; she wasn't sure how she had managed it but she had.

"How was work?" Rhea Pereira asked as she bounced Thalia on her knee, she had decided to push back going to college for a year while she helped her older sister out; she knew how much Felisa sacrificed for their family and she wanted to help out as much as possible.

Felisa had worked as a female escort for eleven years before she had fallen in love with Thalia's father, who had been a client at the time they had meet; the brunette had been willing to end her career for him until things went terribly wrong and now the last piece that she had of her love was her daughter.

"The usual," Felisa said as she moved to take her three month old daughter, she was still dressed in her white lace trim shell top and low rise ankle grazer jeans with ripped paired with black low boots that she had worn to work.

The brunette found herself working as a masseuse and doing odd jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table; it wasn't ideal but without a proper education it was all Felisa could do as took classes online so that she could get a better job.

Rhea nodded her head as she handed her niece over to her sister, she knew that there was very little that she could do to help the problems that were closing in on them.

"I'll settle Thalia down for a nap... then I will get started on dinner," Felisa said as she smiled at her daughter, she was the best thing that had ever happened to the brunette after what had happened with Cristiano; she was the constant reminder of her father for her mother and Felisa didn't hate her for it.

Thalia Pereira had her father's big brown eyes and his cute button nose that Felisa had adored in the two weeks that they had been together; the three month old was a perfect blend of her parents since she also had her mother's chocolate brown locks.

"Okay... I'll go and help Fabio with his homework," Rhea said as she smiled at her sister, she got up from the couch and headed to the bedroom that she shared with their younger brother; they couldn't afford a bigger apartment so they were all cramped inside.

Felisa nodded her head as she headed for her own bedroom, she cooed at Thalia as she held her daughter close; she did feel guilty that Cristiano didn't know he was a father, however she feared what he would if he were to discover what she had hidden from him.

"Here we go," Felisa whispered as she carefully settled the three month old down in her crib, she pressed a kiss to her daughter's head as she moved to cover her up and turn on her musical baby mobile; she shut the blinds over so the bright July sunlight didn't keep her daughter awake.

The brunette watched her daughter as she fell asleep, her fingers messing with the 14CT gold sixty point chocolate diamond pendant that Cristiano had given her; she hadn't had the heart to return it to him or sell it, she had wanted something to remember him by before she had found out that she was pregnant.

***

Cristiano sipped on his water as he watched Irina look through the menu, he was grateful that he had her to take his mind off his failed relationship with Felisa; he knew that if she wasn't with him now then he'd been searching the internet again for the brunette.

"Are you ready to order?" Rhea asked as she brushed some hair from her face, she pulled out her pen and paper completely unaware that she had approached the table of the father of her niece; she would have avoided it if she had noticed him.

Cristiano looked at Irina, who pursed her lips as she checked what she wanted one last time; the footballer rolled his eyes as she ordered, he missed having Felisa with him and not having to hear people worry about how many carbs that they were eating.

"And for you señor?" Rhea asked as she looked at the man, she swallowed as she realised that it was Cristiano who seemed to recognise her; she looked a lot like Felisa and she knew there was no denying their relation.

Cristiano stared speechlessly as he stared at Rhea, he had seen her somewhere before and he knew that it had been something to do with Felisa; he glared at Irina as she kicked him under the table.

"Portuguese chicken with pasta and chorizo por favor," Cristiano said as he continued to watch Rhea, he knew she knew who he was and he couldn't help but feel his heart leap for joy; it had been Irina's idea for them to come to this restaurant and now he was glad that she had.

The footballer knew that if Rhea was here in Madrid still then Felisa would be as well, he watched as the brunette walked away knowing that he wasn't about to allow this chance to slip through his fingers.

"What was that?" Irina demanded as she collected her glass of wine, her green eyes glaring at the footballer knowing that anyone could have seen him react like that; she needed him to stay focused on their 'relationship', her career counted on it and she knew that her real boyfriend wouldn't keep her famous.