"Hi" she heard him speak but her attention was on his side. On his arms. On who was in his arms. "Can we come in?" he asked and Molly who's hand had been gripping the door, looked up at him with a bewildered and shocked look on her face. She gave a soft nod and stood back to allow him through the door.
He sighed in relief and stepped over the threshold. She shut the door while her eyes followed him walking towards her living room. She took a deep breath and pushed away from the door not sure if her shaking legs would be able to move. He looked around the furnished room and nodded in thanks that Jorge had found somewhere nice for her. It was clean, fresh and neat. It just didn't feel like Molly. Didn't feel like her......His thoughts were broken when he turned away from the window and found her stuck on the spot looking at him with a confused and bewildered face.
"This place is really nice" he said as she focused on his arms rather than on him. He noticed that she was shaking and for a second he panicked that it was out of fear but then he realized that she wouldn't have let him in if she was afraid of him. She was shaking because she was nervous. "I was have expecting murals on the walls" he smiled knowing how Molly wasn't a fan of white walls. But he could only see white walls. There was no paintings or pictures or nothing on the walls. They both stood in the room. Her eyes focused on his arms, while he studied her apartment and her. He sighed knowing this silence wasn't getting them anywhere but he didn't know what to say. In fact he was trying to get used to seeing her in person. This was the first time either of them had seen each other since the day she moved out. He had gone with seeing her everyday for nearly 18 months to not speaking or seeing her for over a week.
"Molly can you please say something because you tend to make me nervous and worried when you don't speak" he begged. A silent Molly was never a good thing. He had discovered that a long time ago. "Hi" she whispered. "Hi" he smiled at her before smiling at the origin of a squeal that filled the room. He looked back at her and saw her fingers tugging at the end of her top.
"Do you want to hold him?" he asked and she gaped at him wide eyed as he spoke. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again as her heart beated so fast she wouldn't have being surprised if he could hear it. Not trusting her voice she nodded. "Are you going to give Molly a hug?" he smiled at Junior and closed the gap between them. He moved to hold Junior out to her and the little boy squirmed in his father's arms with a smile on his face with his hand open wide towards Molly.
Molly held her hands towards him and the baby squealed in delight when she took him in her arms. She held him in front of her and he giggled in front of her.
"Hello my cutie" she said her voice breaking before pulling him tight to her. She rested him on her hip and he snuggled his head into her neck. She kissed his head over and over again as her fingers rubbed his back. "Aren't you such a good boy" she said as a tear fell from the side of eye and she smiled as he pulled at the necklace around her neck. Oh she had missed that. She had missed holding him like this. She closed her eyes and took in his smell and the joy of having him in her arms again.
"Do you want to sit down?" she heard and opened her eyes to see Cristiano standing with his hands in his back pockets. She looked down at Junior who was looking up at her and smiled. She walked over to the couch and took a seat. Placing Junior on her lap, the young boy giggled as she stood him up and nuzzled his belly with her nose.
"Am I making you giggle?" she beamed at him placing a kiss on his forehead as he flapped his arms in joy. "Huh are you laughing" she smiled bouncing him on her lap. She wiped the tears from her face as he squealed in delight and sat back against the couch in awe of Junior. She just looked at him as he looked around the room. She brought him closer to her chest kissing his head as she held him close in her arms. "I missed you" she said nuzzling their noses together. "He's missed you too" Cristiano said and she jumped a little having forgotten that her and Junior weren't alone in the room together. Molly lifted her eyes away from Junior and found Cristiano sitting opposite her in an arm chair at the other side of the coffee table which separated them.
"He wasn't the only one" he said as she looked at him with watery eyes. Junior pulled on her necklace and Molly laughed. "What have I told you about tugging at this?" she smiled at him. That's what she did for the next ten minutes. Molly just sat on the couch smiling as Junior bounced in her lap. The smile on Cristiano's face got bigger and bigger the longer he watched Junior laughing and Molly smiling. Molly looked at Cristiano who was sat straight in his chair. He gave her a smile and she knew they couldn't just stay like this forever. No matter how much she wanted it. "I swear he's gotten bigger since I last saw him" she said sitting Junior on her lap so he faced Cristiano. "I always think that when I've being away from him" Cristiano said.
"How has he being?" she asked. "Cranky, narky among other things" he said and she looked at him surprised. "Why?" she asked. "Come one isn't that obvious. I thought I'm meant to be the thick one" he said. She sighed and dropped her head a little. "He looks happy now though" Cristiano said as he looked at his smiling son. "He likes to smile" Molly said kissing the top of Junior's head. "Are you still trying to get him to eat solids? Is he eating enough? Is he still waking during the night?" she quickly asked.
"Molly relax" he said. "Sorry I just..." she stammered. "I know. It's been a long week and a bit" he sighed. "Ya really long" she mumbled stroking Junior's cheek. "He has a food plan" Cristiano said. "A food plan? He's five months old" she said. "Well apparently it's best to give him structure. Or something or another. I wasn't really listening when Olga was talking. I was just trying to feed him" he shrugged. "I guess it's good to have a plan" Molly said. "Doesn't mean you always have to follow it though" he sighed.
"So Olga is..." she paused. "She's good with him. Well when he leaves her. He's a bit fussy lately. She sort of changed his normal routine up a little" he frowned. "You know if you have a problem with that then you are allowed say something. Or can you just say yes and not no to Russians" Molly said. "I can see why people would think that" he said.
"Does he feel a little warm to you?" she asked frowning as she felt Junior's forehead. "He's fine" Cristiano said. "Maybe you should- "I got Olga to take him to the doctor this morning Molly. She said that he was fine" Cristiano reassured her. "Good. You can't be too careful" she mumbled. "How are you liking the apartment?" he asked. "It's ok I guess" she shrugged. "You should hang a few paintings. Add a touch of brightness to the place" he said.
"There's no point in hanging things us only to take them down again in a few weeks" she said. "You don't have to take them down" he said. "I doubt the next tenant would want my stuff hanging up around the walls" she said. "I hear that you've had a lot of visitors" he said. "Their friendly people your teammates" she said. "To you ya" he mumbled. "I told them to leave things alone" she said annoyed. "They have. It's just.....well I deserve them being annoyed with me. You didn't have to tell them not to fight with me" he said. "I can fight my own battles Ronaldo. I don't need them to. And it's none of their business anyway. They're going to be still your teammates when I leave so what's the point in you and them fighting" she said. "You also got Rodrigo to play with me" he said. "You're his uncle" she said. "But that kid prefers you. He was always so happy when he came here to visit you" he said.
"He's a sweet kid" she said. "They are going back to Lisbon tonight. Katia and the kids" he said. "Ya I know" she said. "Oh ya of course you do. I guess you have been speaking to them all" he said. Everyone except for him he wanted to say. "Well your family are hard to avoid when they know where you live and have your number" she said. "They like been around you. Especially your cookies" he said and she half smiled.
"Molly" he said. "Why are you here Ronaldo?" she asked and he sighed. "I took Junior for a drive and I just ended up here I guess" he shrugged. "So your car has only worked today?" she asked. "Would you have opened the door to me if I had come around? I'm only sitting here right now because I had Junior with me. We both needed space or so everyone kept telling me anyway" he said.
"I don't want to hear another one of your apologies. I've heard enough of them" she said bouncing Junior on her lap. "You need to hear it though" he said. "You mean you need to say it. Again always about you" she snapped. "I know it is. I know I have only thought about myself. But I'm trying Molly. I was a crap father at the start but you kept telling me to try with Junior. That he would want me. And you were right. You're always right. I'm trying and failing at being your friend but I'm still trying" he said.
"Maybe you should stop trying" she said. "But what if I don't want to" he said. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands out in front of him. "I broke my promise to you and I know you hate hearing me saying this but I am sorry Molly" he said. "What promise?" she asked. "My promise not to do anything that required me to say sorry again. And I meant it when I made it after our pool fight. I really did Molly" he said. "Then why? Why would you bring up Tony like that again?" she asked. "I was angry Molly. I wasn't thinking. I should never have said that to you. It was never going to be a choice that you were going to make Molly. I would never have left you make that choice. I would never had let him......let you....be....sleep with him" he stuttered.
"Just stop" she said. "What I said was out of line. And I know it's not the first time. And it probably won't be the last but I promise to try and keep my promise this time. I won't bring him up again during a fight" he said. "You won't get a chance cos there won't be another fight" she snapped. "Come on it me and you. We bicker and fight" he said. "And then you go too far. Then everyone gets on your back about what you have done and you can't deal with that so you apologise to me to fix things. To make things easier on you" Molly said.
"I apologise to you because you deserve it. Not because of other people. I'm not here because of my family or friends. I'm here because I went too far again" he said. "We fight, you go too far and apologise and then I just forgive and forget. Is that how it's meant to be? Just like that" she snapped. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't deserve it. Oh Molly" he sighed. "You can't just expect me to forget everything you said. Everything you have done. And that's just what happened last week. I don't even want to remember everything else" she said. "I hate knowing that you hate me" he mumbled and she frowned. "I know. Again it's about me but I'm just trying to be...well honest" he shrugged.
"If you had been honest last week than you wouldn't have gone too far again" she said. He rose from the chair and moved around the table and knelt on the ground beside her feet. "Molly I swear to you that I didn't know anything about Olga. I was just as surprised as you were to see her there that day. I would never go behind your back like that" he said.
"Why should I believe you?" she asked. "Because you know me. You're the only person who sees the real me. Or who sees the person I can be. My own son even hated me" he said. "He didn't and doesn't hate you Ronaldo" she said. "Because you told me I could be a good father to him if I tried" he said. "You are a good father to him" she said. "And you're really too nice of a person for saying that when we both know I haven't being" he said. "Cristiano" she said. "I can't explain it" he said. "Explain what?" she asked confused. "Why I didn't throw Olga out? I can't explain why I just stood there" he said. "Because it would have led to further problems" she said. "And you living here isn't a further problem?" he asked.
"I had to agree to stay. I know I said I would leave and I will but then everyone wouldn't leave me alone and then Jorge asked and after everything he has done for me I couldn't just.." she stuttered and Cristiano took one of her hands in his. He laced their fingers together and stared at her face. "Everyone has being miserable without you. I would hate to see what they would have being like if you had left the city" he said.
"Well at least they know I'm leaving now and it won't be something they wake up to" she said. "I've only ever tried to do what is best. But I always make it worse" he mumbled. "Maybe you should stop trying" she said. "Would it really be easier if I did?" he asked and she shrugged. "I hate fighting with you Molly. I hate knowing everyone around me knows what you are doing and that I don't. I hate knowing that I upset you. I shouldn't have said those words. I was angry" he said.
"Why? What did I do that made you so angry with me? It was me who had someone who I had thought was my friend go behind my back. Not you. It was me who should have being angry" she said trying to taking her hand out of his. He gripped her hand as she held Junior on her lap. "I didn't go behind your back I swear" he said.
"I know ok. I know you didn't. But it was still me who should have being angry" she said. "You believe me? About not knowing about Olga?" he asked. "Ya. I don't know why but I do. But that doesn't leave you off the hook. You still let Irina do that" she said. "When you agreed something made me snap" he said trying to be honest with her.
"When I agreed?" she asked. "That it was best for Junior. You agreed with Irina. And then you just left. I couldn't sleep and you weren't back and then you came back and- "You asked me that question" she interrupted. "It was...I was...I should....I knew as soon as those words were out of my mouth that it wasn't just going to be one of our normal fights" he said. "You had no right asking me that question" she said. "I wasn't thinking. And then you brought up Irina" he said. "So it was my fault?" she asked.
"No. None of it was your fault. I just....Oh Molly I don't know how to explain. Every word that came out of my mouth that night came out the wrong way. I kept saying stupid things and making your angrier" he said. "It doesn't matter now" she said.
"It does matter. You matter for heaven sake" he said a bit too loudly that made Junior begin to cry. "Oh it's ok Junior. I'm sorry I didn't mean to shout. Jezz I can't even apologise properly. I can't do anything right when it comes to you" he said. "That's not entirely true" she said placing a kiss on Junior head to sooth him. Cristiano smiled squeezing her hand.