Feel My Love

Chapter Eight: An Awkward Reunion

“What time does her flight land?” Mats asked sitting down next to Marco, they were waiting in Dortmund Airport for Aoife to arrive back from Paris; most of her things had been shipped over already and were back at Marco’s house.

Marco pulled out his mobile and checked the message that Aoife had sent him to confirm when she was returning; he was glad that she was coming back since the announcement had gone out a few days earlier.

“Any minute now,” Marco replied sighing, he was a little nervous about being reunited with Aoife; everyone was asking questions about the relationship and he had no idea what to say.

Mats sipped on his drink, he had only driven Marco to the airport because he had been caught driving without a licence and was in a lot of trouble; he was curious to meet Aoife for the first time.

“So when is the wedding?” Mats asked curious, he knew how busy Manuela had been organising the wedding even without Aoife in the country; she seemed determined to have the wedding as soon as possible.

Marco groaned, he didn’t want to think about wedding plans right now and he knew that things were moving so quickly but he didn’t know how to make them so down; his parents had made it clear that it had to happen.

“The 28th of this month,” Marco murmured lowly, he wasn’t looking forward to the wedding and he couldn’t wait for it to be over; he could only imagine how Aoife would feel when it came to wedding plans since she had barely had time to settle in.

Mats choked on his drink, his eyes going wide as he realised how quickly things were going to move and how little time Aoife was going to have to prepare for her marriage to Marco.

***

Stepping out of passport control, Aoife sighed putting her passport into her brown messenger bag so that she wouldn’t lose it; she doubted that she would be needing it anytime soon with her impending wedding moving closer.

Aoife had no idea if she’d be having a honeymoon but she wasn’t pinning her hopes on it, she wasn’t really in tune with the Germany football but she doubted there would be time after the wedding for any sort of break.

Moving towards the baggage claim area, she needed to get her suitcase before she headed out to find Marco; Aoife knew that he would be waiting and she didn’t wish to keep him.

Aoife brushed her fingers through her hair, she was glad that she had dressed in her coral fluffy roll neck jumper and dark pull-on jeggings paired with black strappy buckle boots; it was chilly and she didn’t wish to catch anything with a wedding coming up.

It didn’t take long before her suitcases arrived, Aoife had brought two while everything else had been shipped over; there was little left in Paris and anything that had been left behind she had left with Darren and Lisa.

Aoife trusted them to look after her things, her apartment was up for sale and she would have to wait for it to sell before she got her money back.

Aoife quickly put her two suitcases onto a trolley, she could feel people staring at her and she doubted she would ever get used to that fact; she was Marco’s fiancée and would soon be his wife everyone would know who she was.

Ever since the announcement had gone out about her engagement to Marco and their impending marriage, Aoife had felt like she was on eggshells; the paparazzi had already started to stalk her and she didn’t like it.

Aoife slowly started to walk out of baggage claim pushing her trolley before her, she kept her head down not watching to attract too much attention; she could only imagine how many paparazzi were hovering about.

Aoife stepped out into the terminal, she looked around trying to spot Marco and wondering who he had brought with him; she had read all about his driving ban and she doubted he would have come alone.

“Aoife,” called a voice that the brunette recognised, she turned to see Marco and took a deep breath as she racked her brain for his team-mate’s name.

Darren had insisted that it would be good for her to learn the names of Marco’s Borussia Dortmund team-mates since she would be marrying Marco and she needed to support his career.

“This is Mats… he is giving us a lift,” Marco explained stepping forward, he smiled awkwardly knowing that he had sort of missed her while she had been away.

Mats rolled his eyes at how awkward the couple were, that was going to have to change if they wanted to convince anyone that they were a couple in love; no one was going to believe them if they continued to act like this.

“It’s nice to finally met you,” Mats greeted stepping forward, it was nice to finally put a face to the name and Marco’s description of Aoife hadn’t been helpful; he had just shown him a picture of Belle and said they were twins.

Aoife smiled and nodded at Mats, she was a little nervous about being around one of Marco’s team-mates; she doubted that he was impressed with what was going on.

Marco and Mats moved to take a suitcase each, they want to waste any time and they needed to get moving before any paparazzi found them.

“You don’t have to do that,” Aoife squeaked not wanting them to carry her heavy bags, she looked around sure that she would manage on her own with the trolley.

***

“Home sweet home,” Marco mused softly, he peeked back at Aoife as she followed him into the house, nothing had really changed while she had been gone and he was sure that she would be settled in no time.

Mats followed after the couple, he had tried to keep conversation light on the car ride home and he knew that he would need to speak with Marco privately about the awkwardness.

Aoife was a wonderful woman and it was clear that she had no idea what she was getting herself into by marrying Marco; her life was never going to be the same and Mats knew that she was going to need some help.

“You should come to the dinner we’re having in a couple of days,” Mats started knowing that by introducing Aoife to some of the other women that were in the same sort of situation that it would ease her nerves.

Belle had always refused to have anything to do with the other spouses and had kept to herself on match days, preferring to sit around with Lindsey than bother with the other women.

Now it was all too clear why Belle hadn’t wanted to speak with them, she hadn’t truly wanted anything to do with Marco and was only with him because of his parents.

Marco looked to his captain wondering what Mats was doing, he didn’t want to make Aoife feel uncomfortable not when they were so close to their wedding day.

“Cathy’s been dying to meet you and I know you could do with a friend right now,” Mats pushed gently, he had only told his fiancée about what was happening because he knew he could trust her and he was sure she could help.

Cathy could be someone that Aoife could lean on while she adjusted to the sudden change in her life; she didn’t have anyone else since her sister had run off and her parents had gone pretty quiet since she had gotten engaged to Marco.