Stuck In Between

Chapter 25

Cristiano's POV:

“Cris are you sure you’ve got everything?” Looking at me from the kitchen as I stood in front of her with mine and Junior’s suitcases all packed I smirked to myself, this woman that I call my mother will never change. There is always something circulating around which seems to worry her in some form of way, and this time around it is over Junior and I. “Have you made sure you’ve got all his toys, clothes and whatever lies upstairs in his room?” So with a nod of the head at her words I tried my hardest to put her at ease. But that of course was not going to happen, as still she carried on stressing at the highest of levels. “I’ll go and double check, the last thing we want is Junior to have a tantrum if something is indeed missing from here.”

But before she was able to get passed me I held my hand out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks as I looked towards my mother. “No need, I already have. Actually, the both of us have, me and Junior.” Smiling at my mother I noticed as she nodded her head in approval, in a way which to me seemed to put her at ease. “So please, do us all a favour and try to calm yourself down. Everything is sorted, I’ve made sure of it.” So with another nod coming from her once again I soon pulled my mother into a tight hug, squeezing her slights as I soon felt Junior joining in with his arms around both our waists. “I’m going to miss you ma, so much.” Whispering inside of her ear I smiled ever so slightly, feeling devastated in having to leave.

To which my mother seemed to realise as she pulled back from her head resting on the top of my shoulder, holding my upper arms whilst looking into my eyes. “And I’m going to miss you both too Cris, so much.” Smiling ever so slightly just as I carried on doing she pressed a soft kiss onto my forehead, lingering her lips there for a moment before she then eventually moved apart from my forehead again. “But just think, this time next week I’ll be with you as well as Junior again, the whole family to celebrate his fourth birthday. At lease you have all that to look forward to, yeah?” Nodding my head at her words I smiled slightly still. Hearing the rapid and loud horn coming from the taxi driver outside the house going off on a repeat.

“I think we should get going now, or else the taxi driver will probably double our fare to the airport.” Nodding her head at my words she smiled slightly at me, pressing a soft kiss onto each of my cheeks before we pulled apart from one another. “Before you ask; yes I will call you when we get back home to let you know we arrived safely.” With a laugh coming from us both I looked down at Junior, seeing and feeling him hold onto the fabric of my jeans as he looked up at my mother and I. “Are you going to say goodbye to nana now we’re about to leave then Junior, huh?” Speaking in a soft voice to him I watched as he nodded in a sort of response to my words, not wasting a second in running over to her to give her a big hug.

Seeing my mother and son in this sort of way really does melt my heart, and witnessing just how hard of a goodbye this is for them really does make me feel guilty. Guilty in the sense of how I am taking him away from my mother – where he has been growing up for quite a long time now, away from all things he is familiar with. But this is a brand new stage of my life as of this moment, I am moving forwards with a lot of things. Once my recovery stage is finally over I will be able to put my ability back into my football again, seeing my mother and son in the stands cheering me on. There is not much more of a heart-warming moment than that.

“I’ll see you next week for your birthday then Junior, yeah?” Smiling down at my son as my mother spoke in a soft and sweet voice I watched as Junior nodded his head, excitedly over the prospect of his fourth birthday next week. Where is the time going? Before I know it he will be starting High School or something, and really that is such a daunting prospect to have on my mind. “Go on then, go to daddy and I’ll see you both very soon.” In none less than a couple of seconds he was stood by me again, noticing as water bordered my mother’s eyes. And although I am not one to show much emotion I could not help myself, it is the same all the time I say goodbye to my mother – I turn into an emotional wreck, now is no different.