🎶 Calm Down (with Selena Gomez) — Rema, Selena Gomez 🎶
"Hola Mami" my girls greeted me as I had come to pick them up from kindergarten on a sunny Thursday midday.
"How about we grab some lunch and then we can drive to watch Pedri train?" I asked to the back where I had just fastened my girls' seatbelts in their children's car seats.
"YEEEES!" they shouted in unison and smiled, they were so excited. They already loved Pedri and I only prayed that him and I could continue being civil and friendly with each other so that I wouldn't lose my job and they could see him from time to time.
We drove to a small restaurant near where Rodri and I had first lived together and we all went for different types of pasta. Little Blanca was so excited about having managed to climb up the slide in the nursery's backyard all alone for the first time today and told the story at least 34 times. When we were done, Sofia insisted on getting ice cream and reluctantly, I agreed. I just wasn't a fan of giving them so much sugar so early, but on the other hand it was hard for me to deny them such small joys. It was hard not to have a partner who could balance me out, you know with one parent being the good cop and the other the bad cop. But I had to be both in one person and that was hard to juggle.
We strolled a bit through the quarter and I showed the girls the building where their daddy and I had moved in together after getting engaged and where we had lived until Sofia was 6 months old. Blanca was now realising more and more the situation as she had been so small when Rodri had died. Then, we decided that it was time to drive towards the training center and to say that the girls were excited, was an understatement.
"Mama, do you think I can train with them?" Sofia asked and I laughed.
"No, Sofi, I don't think so..." I said and shot her an apologetic smile.
"I'm thirsty" Blanca announced.
"We're almost there honey, your water is in your backpack in the trunk, I can take it out when we have arrived" I explained to her, but she didn't care and told us a hundred times on the drive that she wanted her water. We had finally arrived at the gates of the Ciutat Esportiva and I told the guard my name for him to open the bar for me. I drove to where I usually parked when I came here and unbuckled the girls from their seats. Then, I took out their backpacks only for Blanca to say: "I'm not thirsty anymore." Welcome to parenthood.
We walked through the main building, out onto the men's training pitch and I greeted some of the staff I knew and sent curt nods and waved to those I didn't. We sat down on the tribune somewhere in the middle, but Sofia immediately walked down and stood at the front even though only some coaching staff was outside, preparing the pitch for various exercises. Slowly, the players started to get out and to my surprise, Pedri immediately turned around to check out the tribune.
Pedri POV
"Bro, why are you styling your hair before training?!" Frenkie asked me a bit bewildered as I stood in front of the mirror in the locker room, trying to fix my hair, which just wouldn't sit right. This just had to happen today that Isa was coming to watch the training session.
"It's just not right, I need to go to the barber soon again" I huffed and brushed my way past him.
"Where are my new boots?" I shouted across the room to one of the kit guys.
"Aren't those yours?" the guy asked me and pointed at the black ones in front of my locker.
"Those were my old ones. My new Predators are orange. Gosh, my assistant brought all my stuff last week, how did you mess this up!" I shouted at him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's all calm down. You go look for the orange boots and you sit down a minute" Busi instructed him and me and I did as my captain said.
"Are you ok?" he asked me and I nodded. Why was I so nervous about my assistant coming to watch me train? She had been here before, but today she was bringing her kids and I didn't want them to think I was a total loser.
"Guys could you all do me a favour today?" I asked loudly at my colleagues who were all finishing to get ready. They turned around curiously and I gulped.
"Can you please not nutmeg me today?" I pleaded and some started to laugh.
"What's up with you today?" Ansu laughed and shoved me playfully.
"His assistant is coming to watch" Gavi said, letting the cat out of the bag. Ferran immediately turned around, his jaw dropped and he started wiggling his eyebrows. Balde, Eric and Pablo Torre started to make gorilla sounds and shaking me.
I rolled my eyes and followed Lewy out onto the pitch, I would stick by the older teammates today, I had no intention to listen to my friends making fun of me all the session. When we got out onto the grass, I immediately turned around to the tribune and looked out for my girls. My girls? What the hell?! I meant, my assistant and her daughters. Isa with Blanca on her lap, was sitting a few rows up in the middle, while Sofia stood at the bottom, as close to the pitch as possible, waving ecstatically at me. I returned the wave and her face lit up, before I turned forward again.
"You like her, huh?" Lewy asked and nudged me.
"My assistant? No!" I defended myself. I did like her but not in the way he meant.
"You sure?" he asked me and raised his eyebrows.
"Yes! I mean, I do like her, she's nice and... here in Barcelona she's the only person that... cares about me. I'm not only her boss but she genuinely helps me to get through life. She sees the person behind the football player and that's just a boy trying to navigate through life" I replied truthfully and he smiled at me.
"That's nice. I'm happy you've got someone like that." he replied and patted my shoulder before starting his warm-up routine and I followed suit.
Training was intense, but at least my teammates refrained from making me look like an idiot. Not that I would have, as soon as I got in the groove, nothing could make me nervous or insecure. The grass, the ball, my feet all merged into one, they perfectly aligned and the magic happened all on its own. Finally, Xavi blew the whistle three times, signalling the end of today's session and I let out a breath, still slightly panting.
"How are you feeling?" the coach asked me as the first guys were returning to the locker room.
"Good. I'm ready for some minutes on Sunday" I said and smiled, which he reciprocated and patted me on my shoulders.
As I walked back, I decided to say hello to Isa and her daughters, only to find Robert already talking to them.
"Um... hello?" I asked confusedly as I added myself to their conversation.
"Pedriiiiii!" the girls shouted and hugged me through the barrier.
"Hi! Did you enjoy it or was it boring?" I chuckled.
"Boring!" Blanca joked and stuck out her tongue.
"Shut up! It was great! Can we kick some balls now?" Sofia asked me ecstatically.
"Next time, promise! I have to get a little massage now on my leg..." I said and was so sorry, I would have loved to spend some time with her. For not even four years old, she was amazing on the ball. "What were you two talking about?" I asked Isa and Robert suspiciously.
"Oh, I invited Isa and the girls along to our barbecue later!" he said and showed me his perfect teeth.
"Yeah, that's very nice, we'll swing by!" Isa replied and smiled. That smile...
"I'm glad! Our daughters will be happy to meet some new friends" he chuckled. "Pedri will give you the address, I've got to go now and help Anna to get everything ready or it won't be a barbecue, but my execution you'll come to witness later!" he chuckled and waved goodbye to Isa as well as patting me on the shoulder before he disappeared into the building.
"I'm happy you're coming" I said and smiled at her, which she reciprocated.
"It isn't weird, right? I'm not really part of the... you know, family..." she said and bit her lip nervously.
"Nah, Anna also invites some other friends along too usually, it will be fun! And the girls will have lots of kids to play with!" I replied and waved her off. "You excited to meet some new friends?" I asked the girls excitedly.
"YES!" they both shouted and I ruffled through their hair before saying a "See you later" and walking back inside.
