How Soon Is Now

Part Two - Chapter Twenty-Two: Four Years Later

Nicola smiled as she was approached by Nora and Charlotte, who were dressed in their school uniforms ready for school; it was unreal to think that four years had passed since she had divorced Fernando. 

"Have fun at school... remember that you're going to meet your padre afterwards," Nicola told them making Nora and Charlotte nod as a car horn beeped, the blonde smiled as she moved to answer it allowing the two girls to rush out to meet their friends. 

However as soon as Nora and Charlotte had left for school, the smile fell from Nicola's face as she closed the door sadly and headed into the living room where Lucas was playing by himself. Lucas looked at his mother and smiled. 

Nicola blinked back tears as she leant against the doorway trying to compose herself; making the little boy approach her concerned, it had been happening a lot lately. 

"Mama, why are you sad?" Lucas asked making Nicola sniff and smile at him as she picked him up, he had recently turned four years old and it had brought back memories to Nicola that she wished to forget. 

Nicola held the little boy close to her as she moved to sit down on the couch, she didn't want him to hate Fernando and she knew that there was nothing that could be done to undo the damage that Neena had caused. 

"Mama's okay... she just misses your papa, Lucas," Nicola said as she smiled down at the little boy; Lucas smiled up at her as he wrapped his arms around her neck and cuddled against her while Nicola's eyes fell to her left ring finger which was still bare. 

It had been four years since Nicola and Fernando had divorced and the blonde wished that she could say that as time passed that things got easier but they didn't. 

No one seemed to know how to fix the damage that had been done to the couple, it was clear that Neena's curse was a more permanent fixture than they first thought; a fact that no one wanted to admit. 

 The powers that be couldn't find a way to remove the curse and so couldn't reunite the couple that they had promised that nothing would separate them; Neena had disappeared without a trace after her little visit and no one knew where to find her.

"Why can't you see papa like we do then maybe you wouldn't miss him," Lucas asked innocently making Nicola sigh, she had dreaded this moment that she would have to explain to her son why she couldn't see Fernando. 

Luke had told her that it would change his life, they were all trying to make this easier on them and it was clear that this was how things were going to be for a while. 

Nora had been the easiest to explain to since she had been old enough to understand Neena's curse when it had happened; Charlotte had taken a little while to understand that her parents weren't together anymore. 

Everyone had thought that this curse would go away and they had all been shocked at how permanent it had become, there was no sign of either Fernando or Nicola moving on; they hadn't dated since their divorce and they doubted that they ever would move on. 

"How about we bake some cookies?" Nicola suggested not wanting to talk about this with her son just yet, Lucas was only four and she hated to think what would happen when things went back to normal. 

Lucas nodded his head excitedly as his mother set him on the floor, he toddled over to his favourite stuffed animal before hurrying into the kitchen. 

Nicola smiled softly and shook her head, she had no intentions of letting her children suffer for what had happened; Fernando would always be there for them and she hoped one day they both could be happy. 

*** 

Fernando sighed as he dressed after training that afternoon, he couldn't believe that it had been four years since he and Nicola had been divorced; there wasn't a day that his heart didn't ache for her. 

Fernando knew that his friends were all worried about him, a couple had even tried to set him up on a date or two but he wasn't interested; every woman paled in comparison to Nicola. 

Fernando couldn't bring himself to listen to the talk that filled the locker room; he had to travel up to Liverpool to collect his children for the weekend; Amber would be dropping them off at the train station so that he could collect them since he couldn't see Nicola. 

Fernando was looking forward to having the children, he missed them so much and he would have given anything to have them in London with him; it wasn't meant to be and he was dealing just fine with the agreement that he had with Nicola about custody. 

"So what are your plans for the weekend?" Juan Mata asked Fernando, who offered him a small smile as he finished getting dressed and collected his bag; the two had become good friends even if Fernando resisted in telling everyone what was going on in his life. 

"I have the children this weekend," Fernando said making Juan nod, he only knew part of the story that had led to his friends second divorce; he hated seeing that his friend was still stuck on a woman that he couldn't have. 

No one knew what had happened between Fernando and Nicola, the press had spread all sorts of tales and Fernando had refused to comment or even speak about the matter even if it was clear that the former couple were still very much in love. 

"I'll see you Saturday," Fernando replied making Juan nod again as he left the changing room so that he could travel to the train station; they had a match on Saturday and Fernando looked forward to having his children watch the match. 

Nora, Charlotte and Lucas were what mattered to Fernando now, he would do anything for his children and he had refused a few offers to remain in London since he didn't want to make things harder than they had to be for the family. 

*** 

Neena gritted her teeth as she sat in her hide-out, she was furious that Fernando and Nicola had managed to avoid each other for so long; she had expected that one of them would succumb to the need to see the other resulting in Nicola's death. 

Pursing her lips, Neena wondered if Fernando's love was strong enough to fight the curse that begged at him to kill Nicola; the blonde had been in hiding for four years as she waited for the moment that Fernando would slip up and go to see Nicola. 

"There must be something that I can do to make him suffer," Neena whispered looking around the cavern that had become her home, she refused to take back the curse that she had placed on Fernando not when she was so close to winning. 

"If I can't force the whitelighter to kill Nicola... maybe I should give him a push," Neena mused smugly quickly collecting her spell book and searched for the spell that she could use to help her get what she wanted. 

"A perfect man I summon now, another way I don't know how. Bring him now into the light, Come back to me, Mr. Right," Neena chatted making the fire flicker as she used her magic; the blonde smirked as she watched a man appear, he looked confused as he looked around before his blue eyes landed on her. 

"Mistress," the man whispered making Neena click her tongue as she looked him over, she had known Nicola all her life so she had an idea of what sort of man that she would like to move on from Fernando.