How Soon Is Now

Part Two - Chapter Twenty: A Little Extra Help

Nicola blinked back tears staring at the divorce papers that lay in front of her, she hadn't seen Fernando in two months since Neena had cursed him and now their marriage was official coming to an end. 

It hadn't been an easy decision for the couple, this was the last thing that they wanted but there was no way around it now; it had to be done since they would never see each other again. 

Fernando had agreed to let her have the house in Liverpool so that their children had somewhere stable to grow up after everything that had happened while he moved to London to start playing for a club there. 

"Mama?" Nora asked looking at Nicola curiously, the children didn't understand what had happened to their parents' relationship but it was clear that it had been bad; they wanted everything to go back to normal. 

"Yes Nora," Nicola replied wiping away her tears, she forced a smile as she looked at the little girl; she had repeatedly told them that Fernando loved them and it wasn't their fault that he wasn't coming home. 

Lilia and Charlie had taken the children to see Fernando whenever he was free, Fernando was thrilled to see his two daughters and baby son; he doted upon them when they were with him knowing that it was all that he could do. 

"When's Papa coming home?" Nora asked making Nicola freeze for a moment, tears pricking her blue eyes as she thought about how to tell the little girl that he wasn't, that he could never come home because of what had happened. 

Lilia stepped into the room and looked at her younger self that looked confused at why her mother was so upset, she missed Fernando and there was nothing they could do to undo the curse that Neena had placed on him. 

Nicola moved to cuddle Nora, she whispered softly to her and hoped that whatever the future held that she was strong enough to deal with it.

***

Fernando sighed sitting down in his new home in London, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep but he couldn't bring himself to; the thought of sleeping alone didn't sit well with him. 

Fernando hadn't seen Nicola in two months and having filed for divorce, he hoped that she would find someone who would be there for her now that he couldn't be. 

Neena's curse meant that if he was to ever lay eyes on Nicola then the blonde would die, the warlock had made it clear that she wanted the couple to suffer and they were. 

Fernando was thrilled that he still saw his children, Nora was now starting reception since she was now five years old while Charlotte was nearly two years old, and then there was Lucas who was still so small. 

Fernando was grateful for his 'older' children for bring them to see him, they were working hard to find a way to undone the curse that Neena had placed on him but so far they hadn't found anything. 

Neena had made sure that there was only one way to revise the curse and that was for either Nicola or Fernando to die; she wasn't going to let them have their happy ending when they had destroyed her own. 

Leaning back on his couch, Fernando took another swig of whiskey allowing the liquid to burn his throat slightly as he swallowed it; he had taken to drinking when he was all alone in his London home to try and forget what was happening. 

Fernando tried to keep himself from thinking of Nicola and what he would give to tell her that he loved her one more time; to go back to the day that their son was born and stop himself from falling into Neena's trap and destroying everything that he had.

"Go away Ryan," Fernando muttered trying to ignore the sudden presence of his friend, who had been checking on him regularly since the curse had been put in place; he wanted to be left alone.