Not enough (Fermín López)

Chapter 21

"Hi, mum".

"Hi, sweetie. Dinner is ready but we have to wait until your dad is back to eat all together. Do you want a snack while we wait?"

"I'm okay, thank you".

"You look very ok".

"What?"

"Your face. You're beaming. Was training good?"

"Sure. Same as usual but good".

"And...did you have a nice time with Lorena before training?"

"Yeah", he said, looking down and blushing.

His mum chuckled at how easy it was to make him blush just by mentioning his girlfriend. Young love was always special.

"It was nice meeting her. I'm sorry I saw something weird where there was nothing. I just worry. Mum things. You'll get it one day", she shrugged.

"You were right to see it".

"What are you talking about?"

Fermín needed to be honest with someone. "We haven't been together this whole time".

"What do you mean? But you're together now, right?"

"Yes. But at first...it wasn't real. I just faked to protect Lorena".

"What does she need protection from?"

"Everyone".

His mum sat next to him, worried by his tone. But also confused by this revelation that his son's relationship with Lorena started off as something fake.

"You can talk to me. I can maybe help her too".

"I know I can talk to you, mum. But I don't think you can help in this specific case. Lorena...she was going to go to uni with her now ex but they broke up. And he kept harassing her. It was starting to worry me, you know? So one day I defended her and he saw something. Coming from me and the way I already looked at her, I guess. And so he asked if we were dating and I said yes. I expected that to make him give up but he hasn't. He was waiting for her at her dorm when we got there today".

"So you faked for how long?"

"I didn't really fake it, mum. That's what I'm trying to explain. Time showed me I probably fell in love with her the day I met her. But for Lorena...it's complicated. I didn't tell you why I brought her here last night".

"No. I just guessed you finally wanted us to meet her. Though I would have appreciated some warning to make dinner for her and all that. And then I noticed she looked sad and nervous. It was all a bit...weird".

"Yeah, it wasn't something I expected to happen. Sorry. It's just that ever since the whole cheating scandal, she had been weird. It hurt her a lot and she was being really cold to me".

"Understandable but that was sorted when you told everyone that was Luci. There was no reason for Lorena to be mad at you anymore".

"Yes, I know, but...I just wanted to clear the air between us and she was at her parent's so I went to talk to her and heard their argument. You've been mad at me before but I could never imagine you saying anything like what her family said to her. So I took her away. I wish I could take her away from them for good".

"I don't think it's your place to do that. But she can stay here whenever you want, ok? Whenever things might get too rough".

"Thanks. She's got her dorm but she's alone there. I don't think she should be alone. Like some people are fine alone but I feel she needs the company. And whenever I'm there, the other girls who stay there talk about it on social media. We get no privacy".

"That's why you're inviting her to a family dinner with us soon. If she doesn't get that love at home, we'll make her part of ours".

"Thank you, mum. That means a lot".

Fermín hugged his mother, so grateful she understood him. So grateful she was willing to protect Lorena too.

"So", she said, her tone now lighter. "Love at first sight, huh?"

"Maybe", he blushed again. "Did I ever tell you how we met? Like, the full story?"

"No, you just told me she was in your same classes".

"On that first day, everyone recognised me and I tried to keep my distance. But when she got to class, there were only two seats left. The one next to her ex and the one next to me. She didn't know who I was, just that I looked familiar. And she immediately offered to help me with notes and with telling me about tests and all that. Because she knew I was going to miss a lot of classes".

"That's nice".

"It felt a bit much and so I told her. And she confessed to me it was going to be hard for her to be in that class being the only girl".

"I can imagine", said his mum, imagining poor Lorena surrounded by all those boys. Teenagers too.

"She also told me I was the first person who had been nice to her. At first, I thought she meant at uni. Now I wonder if she meant I was the first person who was nice to her in a long time".

"She's too young to have been through so much", Fermín's mum shook her head. "That's just not right".

"Yeah. And she reminded me of me in a way. When I got to Barcelona I felt alone too and like I didn't fit in. I guess that made us closer too in a weird way. I've never told her that, actually".

"You had Gavi", she reminded him.

"Yes. And I wanted to be for her what Gavi was for me...except for the whole falling in love with each other. I love Gavi but not like that".

They both laughed and his mum got up from her chair when she heard the door open. His dad was back.

"Let's not tell anyone else, ok? I'll keep your secret".

"Thank you".

"And we'll sort out when to host the family dinner. You've got a lot going on in the next few weeks but we'll find a day when we're all free".

"Yeah, we'll find the time and...I also will probably spend more time with Lorena from now on. Like, outside of uni".

"So that excuse she gave me about her parents' rules was bullshit, right?"

"No", he laughed. "It's true but since when do children follow their parent's rules?"

Fermín's mum slapped his face softly, shaking her head but happy she finally understood his son and his relationship. She knew there was something odd going on but couldn't have guessed what it was. But it was all sorted now.

But what she mostly felt was a huge sense of pride seeing her youngest son acting so grown up, showing so much empathy for someone before he had gotten to even know her well. And she felt happy to know he was in love with someone who loved him too. Because when she was looking at the way Lorena and Fermín acted around each other, she suspected something was off. But she never doubted they loved each other. She could see the way their eyes shined whenever they looked at each other and the eyes never lied.