Anyone but you (Fermín López)

Chapter 16

After texting the results to Alicia, Victoria took a quick shower and went back downstairs. She actually felt hungrier than she had in a while. Must have been the good news opening up her appetite.

"Ready to eat?"

"Yeah".

Oscar placed the sandwich in front of his daughter and kept looking at her. She seemed...happier? He wasn't going to complain about that but her mood swings were worrying him. He didn't know what to expect anymore.

He also noticed what Victoria was wearing. He had never seen that hoodie before...except he actually had. He had seen it when Fermín wore it. Alicia had visited Victoria the previous day and had a bag with her that she didn't take back home when she left. Oscar didn't think much about it but he now guessed Fermín gave her the hoodie so Victoria could have it. He noticed his daughter bringing the collar up to her nose and taking deep breaths while she looked at her phone.

"You look better. Feeling better too?"

"Yes. Taking a shower felt great".
"You could use the big bathroom to take a bath if you want to. It'd help you relax. I can get you those bath bombs you like so much".

Victoria nodded. "I might take one later. But I have a lot of bath stuff, dad. Don't worry".

"Ok. What do you want to drink?"

"Water is fine".

But it was still too early to go back to eating a lot and Victoria only could eat half of the big sandwich. Her stomach wasn't used to big portions of food anymore.

"You're not hungry?"

"That made me too full. But it was really nice. Thank you, dad".

"No need to thank me. I guess I'll eat the rest if you don't want it".

Victoria nodded. "I'll go watch some TV".

So Victoria was eating, looked happier and she wasn't going back to bed...that had to be good. Her mum also noticed an improvement in her daughter's mood and felt relieved for the first time in weeks. It was so hard to see her looking so sad and defeated. She was 19. She was supposed to be excited about life and what was to come in the future.

The next few days were more of the same. Instead of spending her days in bed, Victoria moved a bit more around the house. She still didn't eat much but missed fewer meals so that was positive too. And now she even left the house to go visit her friend Alicia for a few hours.

"I'm going to work", announced Oscar. "Anything you need me to pick up on the way back?"

Hearing no answer from his wife worried him and he went inside Victoria's room, the last place he saw her going to, to find her staring at something in her hand.

"What's that?"

"I...I found this under her bag when I moved it to clean", she showed him what she was holding...a pregnancy test.

"Is she pregnant?"

"I don't know. It must be a couple of days old and the lines are gone. But...she asked me to book her an appointment at the doctor's because she's still not feeling well".

"This can't be happening. She's only 19! She can't be pregnant!"

"Maybe she isn't...".

"Why would she ask for a doctor's appointment if she wasn't?"

"I don't know...".

"Not my little girl. She can't be pregnant. I knew he was going to ruin everything for her".

"Oscar, we need to talk to her first...let's wait until she comes back from Alicia's".

But he didn't listen. He went to his car and started to drive towards the training centre, trying not to speed. Once there, he walked straight into the dressing room and seeing Fermín laugh at something someone else had said made him see red.

"What did you do to her?"

"What?"

Fermín didn't understand why he was being pushed against the locker. But one look at Oscar's face showed how mad he was.

"You got my little girl pregnant, you bastard".

"I...what? I didn't...".

Everyone else was now looking at them and finally understood why Victoria was no longer there. And why Fermín had been so moody ever since she left.

"Then why is she taking pregnancy tests?"

"Is she really pregnant? She didn't tell me anything...".

"Now more than ever you have to stay away from her, Fermín. You've done enough".

"But if she's pregnant...that baby is mine too...".

"Then they'll be better off without someone who doesn't understand the basics of biology and risked this happening. Like you could raise a kid when you're still one. She's still one too...fuck! You've ruined it all, Fermín. Like I knew you would".

Oscar left after dropping that bomb and Fermín could notice all of his teammates staring at him. The last thing he needed was to hear any of their stupid jokes. Not now.

"No comments, ok? No one says a thing or I'll make you regret it".

He locked himself in the toilet and when he tried to take a couple of deep breaths, he felt the nausea rising.

What was he supposed to do? What were they supposed to do? They weren't ready to be parents but he also wanted everything with Victoria so maybe that was a gift that came a bit early. And they would have to allow them to be together if they were going to raise a child. Ready for it or not, Fermín knew he would not run away from his responsibilities. And he wasn't planning on leaving Victoria alone but...why didn't she tell him about it? Was she scared of Fermín being mad at her or something? That thought hurt him.

Fermín couldn't concentrate during training and felt nauseous again while running. Xavi had missed the little show in the dressing room and Oscar wasn't back so Fermín assumed he didn't know what was going on. Because Xavi looked at him normally, not like he wanted to murder him for knocking up his niece.

"You ok, Fermín?"

"No, I don't feel well, coach. Could I skip training today?"

"What's wrong?"

"I think I'm sick. I threw up before training and still don't feel well. I might throw up again", said Fermín, and he wasn't fully lying. The fact that all the colour had left his face helped Xavi believe him.

"Go home then. We need you for the next match".

Fermín ran back to the dressing room to pick up his stuff quickly and head to his car. He couldn't wait to see Victoria and find out what was going on.

Oscar finally made it back to the training and noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Fermín?"

"He wasn't feeling well and asked to leave to go home", said Xavi, casually.

"Fuck".

"What?"

"He's not going home and he's not sick. He's going to see Vicky".

"Why would he do that?"

"I'll tell you later. I have to go home".