One Night in Santiago/Football Under Flashing Lights (Neymar Jr. Fan Fiction)

86.

-Anada POV-

"FELIZ CUMPLE!!!!!!" she exclaimed, jumping on top of me as I slept. Katerina had not so silently decorated our hotel room with balloons and flowers with the help of Ezra and Jessey, who had spent practically every day with us since we got to New York. It was rare we celebrated my birthday in the same place twice.

I groaned at her weight on top of me but it quickly turned into a gasp as soon as I opened my eyes and looked around at all of the decorations and all of the presents they had for me in the corner. "Oh my god, thank you, Katty!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around her. She pecked my cheek and hugged me back but it was short-lived since I practically pushed her away to go look at my gifts.

She laughed out loud at me as I grabbed boxes not knowing whether to open Chanel, Botega or Hermes first. "Mija, you can't open your gifts before you make a birthday wish," my mom chuckled, coming into my room with a cake and a lit candle on top. My eyes lit up as I saw the chocolate cake and I swayed side to side as they sang happy birthday to me before I closed my eyes and blew out the candles. Katerina recorded it all on her phone to savor the memory like she did every year and hugged me tightly.

We demolished the small cake and since it was midnight and my mom had only stayed up to wish me happy birthday, she kissed us goodnight. It was fashion week after all and she'd be helping Marina finalize the collection in the morning for the show. Katerina and I, on the other hand were wide awake so I opened my presents. It was safe to say I loved every single thing they had gotten. I tried on all of the new shoes, sunglasses, and the Dior bucket hat Katerina had gotten for me and looked in the mirror. I sighed at the end of it all. "Sometimes I wonder what things would be like if we didn't have all of this," I mumbled. "I mean, things are always so hectic, one day we're here, next we're there. I'm thankful for all we have but I just feel like it's never-ending sometimes. I just wonder where I'd be right now if daddy was still here," I explained. Marco, the man I missed more than anyone in the world. My father. My first love. She could hear sadness in my voice and she held my hand tightly.

"If he was here, we probably would've needed a bigger cake," she teased, knowing my love of chocolate came from him. Her attempt to cheer me up worked and I nodded, laughing with her.

I let out a sigh and looked up at the balloons, taking in the number 19. "Man, growing up sucks," I announced, making her chuckle.

"At least you have me to do it with," she assured me.

"I've almost lost you before."

I looked at her seriously and she frowned at me. She sat me down with her on the bed and rubbed my arm. "Anada, you will never lose me. Not in this lifetime or the next, that I promise," she murmured sincerely.

"That's the only birthday gift you ever need to give me."

.

The memory of my last birthday had my eyes brimming with tears on the eve of my 20th. I blinked rapidly to avoid exposing them and gnawed on my lip to stop it from quivering. I was forcing myself to believe Katerina would make true to her promise, but at the moment, it didn't seem that way. Neymar, Lily, and I stayed up waiting for Oscar's update and when he informed us that Katerina didn't show up, I felt like a part of me had died. Later that morning, we told Marina and Jose.

"Anada, can we speak privately?" Marina requested after Neymar and I recited our phone call with Oscar verbatim to her and Jose. Alexis and Rafinha couldn't miss training with Classico approaching and they would be traveling to Madrid tonight with heavy hearts.

I nodded and followed her to her office, her favorite room in the house according to her. Marina was a workaholic, she gave everything to her work. My mother did the same, arguably even more so considering how absent she had been during some of the most formative years of my life. Despite working for the same company, my mother and I saw each other significantly less than Katerina and Marina. Yet I felt guilty for even the slightest thought at if my mother would react the way Marina did. Would she cancel her week as Marina did? Would she be wearing leggings and a lulu lemon zip-up because she was so distraught she couldn't even get dressed this morning? I didn't even know Marina owned such casual clothing. I shook the negative and comparative thought. My mom was Marina's best friend, the two had a similar relationship to Katerina and me. Of course, my mother would react the same way, but if she would, then why didn't she also be a mother the way Marina was? Why was Marina the mom who was there for me when I found out Sergio was my father. Why was Marina there for me when my boyfriend was pursuing a ginger-headed nightmare? Why was I even thinking about this right now?