How Soon Is Now

Part One - Chapter Thirty-One: Nora's Little Secret

Nicola rubbed her head as she sat back on the couch, she didn’t know what it was but she couldn’t shift the headache that she had been having since that morning; she closed her blue eyes trying to relieve it.

Fernando frowned as he stepped into the room, he knew that she was hurting but she wouldn’t tell him why; he wanted to help especially with her being thirty weeks pregnant now.

“Nicola?” Fernando murmured walking over to his wife and sitting down next to her, he worried for her so much and he wished that there was something that he could do to help.

Nora was in the kitchen painting so the couple were alone allowing them to talk, they didn’t want to worry the little girl nor to upset her in anyway.

Nicola opened her blue eyes and looked at Fernando, she smiled at weakly wanting to just rest for a little while; she didn’t want him worrying when it was just a little headache.

“I’m fine just a headache,” Nicola reassured making Fernando frown, she had been saying that all day but he was starting to doubt that it was just that; he wanted to take her to see a doctor if it continued.

Fernando sighed as he moved to sit next to her, he took her hand gently in his own; he hated that she was suffering and there was little that he could do about it.

“You will tell me if it gets worse… won’t you nena?” Fernando murmured kissing Nicola, he wanted her to be okay and he feared what the headache could really be while she was pregnant.

Nicola nodded making Fernando smile before he lend forward to kiss her again; however the blonde pulled away as the headache spiked without him having the chance.

Fernando watched her as she hissed in pain, he watched her as she pulled away from him and clutched her head; he didn’t like this and he wanted to help her.

“Nico,” Fernando murmured concerned wanting to do whatever it took to take her pain away, however he paused when he spotted Nora peeking around the corner at them from the kitchen.  

“Nora, are you doing this?” Fernando asked worried while he watched his daughter, he recalled Olalla saying that Nora had been able to do odd things; his stomach twisted at the thought of Nora hurting Nicola.

Nora quickly hid behind the wall again, she stayed quiet where she was before Fernando moved to get her; he wanted some answers and he wasn’t made at Nora if she couldn’t control herself.

Frowning softly Nora backed away from her father as he approached her, she was worried that he would shout at her like her mother had done.

Fernando crouched down and smiled at her softly, he didn’t want to scare her not when he knew that she was probably doing it for attention; he wanted to stop this as quickly as possible.

“Nora… why are you hurting Nicola?” Fernando asked gently, he watched his daughter as she stared down at her feet; he sighed wanting to have some answers without a fight.

Nora pouted, she had spent months with her father and Nicola and she had noticed how much more attention he paid to the blonde instead of her; she missed the father that would play with her no matter what.

“She’s stealing you from me,” Nora whispered making Fernando sigh and shake his head as he pulled her into a hug him, he knew that she was scared of being pushed out but he would never let that happen.

Nora smiled clearly thinking that she had won, she didn’t want to share her father with anyone however Fernando pulled away slightly and looked at her; he had to do something now before her baby brother or sister was born and things got completely out of hand.

“I love you and Nicola… you both mean the world to me,” Fernando said trying to ease the tension, he had no idea how Nora had gotten powers; he had been human when she was conceived and so was Olalla as far as he knew.

Nicola yelped from the living room making Fernando look down at his daughter, who smiled up at him innocently; he shook his head not willing to let this carry on any longer.

“Nora, you have to stop hurting Nicola,” Fernando warned shaking his head, he looked down at Nora who had a look on her face as if butter wouldn’t melt.

Fernando didn’t want any fights in his house and he didn’t want Nora using her powers like this, it would attract attention that the family didn’t want nor need right now.

“You can’t use your powers like this Nora… it’s wrong,” Fernando said trying to think of an easy way to explain the rules to the three year old, he had never thought that Nora would end up like this and he hoped that they would be able to keep her on a good path.

Nora stared at Fernando, she didn’t quite understand why she couldn’t use her powers however they wanted; they were hers to use and it wasn’t like anyone could stop her from doing so.

“Me and Nicola… we understand better than your mama does,” Fernando explained trying not to sound too angry with his daughter, she had never been thought to control herself not when she had been abandoned by those who were meant to teach her.

Nora pouted as she stopped using her powers on Nicola, who was listening quietly to what was being said; she didn’t move from the couch wanting to give Fernando a moment with his daughter.

Nora looked at her father, she wanted to know how they understood Fernando smiled softly before he picked her up and moved back into the living room.

Nora frowned as they sat next to Nicola; however Fernando shot her a warning look to stop her from hurting the blonde, she pouted but didn’t harm Nicola.

“We’re like you Nora…” Fernando started to explain making Nora look at her father, she stared at him for a moment before Nicola sighed and used her telekinesis to lift things in the room to show her instead.

Nora looked around the room amazed before Fernando shifted her on his lap, he hoped that this would make things easier for them and he didn’t want Nora feeling that she couldn’t talk to him.

“Me and Nicola are your family and when the baby’s born you’ll be a big sister,” Fernando murmured pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he smiled at the thought of the baby that Nicola was carrying.

“I’m going to be a big sister?” Nora asked a little surprised, she knew that Nicola was going to have a baby but she had never thought she would be a sister; Olalla had told her that the baby would replace her.

The two adults glanced at the flowers in the corner which had been dying started to grow; Nicola cleared her throat as Fernando cuddled Nora to him and kissed the top of her head.

“I’ll be good,” Nora promised with am innocent smile on her face, Fernando nodded while Nicola settled everything back into its place before she forgot about it and accidentally broke something.

“So how about lunch?” Nicola mused standing making Fernando look at her; he smiled softly hoping that Nora would warm to the blonde now and that everything was going to be okay.

In ten weeks there would be a baby in the house and there was going to be enough trouble for them to deal with. Nora cuddled into her father ad Nicola left the room, she wasn’t in any hurry to get to know her step-mother; Olalla had told her that Nicola was a horrible woman.

However it was clear that her step-mother made her father happy, Nora had to admit that she didn’t seem all that bad but she didn’t trust her yet.