Barcelona Sun

a new home

*Elena*

The first rays of sunlight illuminated the floor in the small living room. The wooden floor shimmered warmly and I already knew that I would miss this apartment. I liked the old building. I loved the way the wooden floorboards cracked under my feet and the way the windows creaked a little when it was windy outside. I loved listening to the rain as it pelted through the gutters. I loved the view and the neighbors. But it was time for Matteo and me to move.
A moving company had already picked up most of our things yesterday. Fernando had made sure everything was taken care of. I just had to get Matteo ready, pack the last things we still had here and drive us to Barcelona. Fernando had offered to hire someone to do that, but I had wanted to do something myself. I was really grateful to my ex-boyfriend for the help and the apartment in Barcelona that he paid for us, but I also wanted to be, at least a little bit, independent.
The relationship between Fernando and me had been stormy. From the very beginning. Marked by infinite passion and love, we had thrown ourselves head over heels into an adventure. He had always kept me out of the public eye. He had never denied me, but had never revealed my name or my identity. He had made sure that I could continue to live my life normally.
Even when I had been pregnant by him, we had kept the whole thing to ourselves as much as possible. He was a wonderful father and took good care of his son. But just as stormy and passionate as our relationship had started, it ended when the passion faded.
We were still good friends and I still loved him. Just in a different way than before.
Nevertheless, he cared for us and had now arranged for us to move closer to him. He wanted to see Matteo more often when he was home. He wanted to be part of his son's life.
Actually, he had also planned to help with the move, but unfortunately something had come up with the apartment in Barcelona and we moved later than planned, while he was already on the road again with Formula 1.
In return, though, he had made sure everything was taken care of. He had called again last night to make sure I had everything I needed.

Fernando really cared and I was glad to have met him then. Not only because he brought some financial security into my life. I had never insisted that he pay child support. I would have been fine making ends meet on my own. Of course, I earned nowhere near as much as he did, but photography was a really good way to live, and I had financed this old apartment with my own money. Likewise Matteo's and my life. All money that had come from Fernando, I had packed on account, which Matteo would get, if he was old enough. Only for few purchases I had fallen back on this money.
The apartment in Barcelona, however, I would certainly not have been able to afford. I had seen it so far only on photos, because it would have been much too strenuous with the small one to Barcelona to drive us there an apartment to see and then again back to drive. Fernando had chosen the apartment alone, but I trusted him and the photos had been stunning. I certainly wouldn't have been able to pay for it, so for the first time in my life I relied on my ex-boyfriend's money. 
But that had never been the point for me. I had loved Fernando. Very much. He had shown me what real love felt like. I had had boyfriends before, but it had never been like with Fernando. He had loved me with every fiber of his body and had shown me that every single day. I had always felt like his number one priority. He would have done anything for me and he hadn't run away when I had told him I was pregnant. In fact, I had expected him to end it then at the latest. But I had been wrong.
He had looked at me then with a mixture of pure surprise, complete joy and absolute pride. He had promised to be there. And he had kept that promise.
I heard Matteo calling for me.
My gaze slid from the view out our living room window back to the apartment. Now our new life would begin.
"Good morning my darling.", I smiled when I saw my son looking at me with his warm brown eyes.
He clearly got those from his daddy.
"Mom, is it time today?" he asked and I nodded.
"We just need to wash up, brush our teeth, get dressed and have breakfast, then we'll be on our way," I explained, letting a smile slide across my lips.
"Is dad there too?" he asked, this time I shook my head.
"No he has to work," Matteo nodded.
"But he'll come when he's done working, right?"
"Of course, he promised you that," Matteo nodded again.
We would watch Fernando's race, of course, but Matteo didn't really realize yet that that was his dad on TV. Of course he recognized him and was happy every time he saw him on the screen, but he didn't really understand that this was the same man who was running around the apartment with him and carrying him on his shoulders. He was still too little for that.

Matteo and I were a pretty well-rehearsed team, and so we managed to get through the morning routine surprisingly quickly before getting into the car and making the long drive to Barcelona. In the trunk were our mattresses and the two bags I had the remains of our belongings in.
I couldn't believe we were really moving to Barcelona.
As a teenager I had always dreamed of it. Today I saw it a little differently. I still liked Barcelona, but it was also a big city, with a lot of people who certainly didn't mean well. I was still not sure if it was the right decision to move. But I did it for Fernando's sake. And for Matteo.
I knew how important his father was to him and how important it was to Fernando to be able to be a father. He loved Matteo idolatrously.
We were just getting on the highway when my cell phone started ringing.
"Hey Fernando.", I answered the call on the speakerphone.
"Good morning, my sun. Good morning, my little darling...", I could hear that he was smiling.
"Daddy!" cheered Matteo.
"Well, are you on the road already?"
"Yes just on the highway."
"And you have everything you need too? The keys to the apartment?"
"Yes, Nando.", I laughed and rolled my eyes a little.
I was glad he cared, but he really overdid it sometimes. He only meant well, I realized, but I was perfectly fine on my own.
"And Matteo, are you already looking forward to your new room?"
"Yes! And I honestly have a racing car bed there?"
"As promised!" laughed Fernando.
He just couldn't deny his son a wish. Accordingly, my son's room had been fully decorated in Ferrari style.  My son raved about the Italian racing team. Much to the delight of his father, who himself still carried a little Ferrari in his heart.
"Elli, if you need anything else, just call, okay? I'll be with you as soon as I can."
"It's all good Nando. I'm a big girl already. I can handle myself pretty well."
"I know you can. But Barcelona is a big city, too. It will be different from your old apartment."
"Nando, I'll call you if anything comes up, okay? You just concentrate on the race and come home safely."
"I promise.", I could hear him smiling again "Matteo, promise me to take good care of your mommy until I get there, ok?"
"Yes, I will dad.", Matteo nodded eagerly.
"I'll see you guys soon. I love you guys.", Fernando said, then hung up.
Matteo sat next to me in the car, smiling. It would certainly do him good to see his father more often soon.

Barcelona was big. Huge. I got lost twice on the way to our new apartment and missed the entrance to the underground garage at the first attempt. I hadn't expected it to be such a fancy house where our apartment was located. Of course, it had looked beautiful in the photos, but this?
Fernando had completely overdone it and I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he was paying for this apartment. I 100% could not have afforded it. Not even close.
A doorman was already waiting for us. He had already opened the door to our apartment for the movers and as we rode the elevator up to the apartment, he took care of bringing up the stuff from my car as well.
I was completely overwhelmed.
Everything here was so luxurious that I almost felt a little out of place. I clearly didn't belong here.
The apartment was even more beautiful than in the photos. It seemed warm and was flooded with sunlight. Fernando had met my taste exactly. It was huge. Much too big for Matteo and me, but my son would have plenty of room to let off steam.
Our apartment even had a balcony from which one had a wonderful view of the city. I would call Fernando later and thank him. This was way more than he had to do for us. Too much already, actually.
But before I could even think about calling, I had to at least unpack the boxes in Matteo's room, because he was already jumping around the apartment excitedly and needed something to play with, otherwise he would probably go crazy.
I loved my son and a lot of his temper was certainly on me. But a lot more of his temperament was undoubtedly from Fernando. He was like a miniature copy of his father, and some days he just drove me up the wall. As was the way with a three-year-old.
"Mom, I'm hungry! Can we eat?", he jumped from the car bed back onto the floor and looked at me with his big brown eyes.
So food first. He definitely took after me then.
"Sure. What are you in the mood for? We'll order some food today. We have to do some shopping before we can cook here."
"French fries!" my son cheered.