Wrong choice (Ferran Torres)

Chapter 40

The final was perfect too. It was a funny feeling for Anna to watch Spain play against England. Her two countries. Kind of. She would have rooted for England had they played the final against any other team but couldn't when it was Spain they were facing. Not just because of Ferran. But she would obviously always support the team Ferran played for.

In this case, the team that made him become a European champion. Anna remembered the last two times Spain had won the Euros but this time...this time it was extra special.

Being so near the pitch, her radio colleagues asked her to go to where the players were celebrating to try and talk to them. She spotted a small group of players jumping and signing and got close to them, ready to put her microphone next to their celebrations so people could listen to them. And the player she ended up standing next to was one she knew well.

"Fermín!", she called him to get his attention. "How do you feel after this win?"

"Anna?", when the young Barça player saw her standing next to him, he turned to hug her. Lamine joined them a few seconds later.

"Our favourite journalist!", screamed Lamine while holding Anna's microphone and she just laughed.

"If I'm your favourite, you better stay here to let me ask you a few questions".

Anna kept moving around the pitch once they all got their medals and the big trophy. She could only ask quick questions since they were all running around the pitch but still, it was good enough. When Morata was about to leave, after Anna interviewed him, he pointed at where Ferran was.

"I think that one wants to be interviewed too".

"Thanks for the info, captain".

It was Ferran's sister who first spotted Anna walking towards them and she hit her brother's arm to get his attention before pointing at Anna.

"I didn't want to bother you while you were working", said Ferran. He knew any gesture they made would get overanalyzed. And the last thing he wanted was for Anna to be called a bad professional.

"We're in the middle of a little publicity break", she told her boyfriend, pressing the button that would turn her microphone off before wrapping her arms around Ferran's neck to kiss him. "Congratulations, Euros champion".

"Thanks. But this isn't my biggest achievement this year".

"No? What is it then?"

"Being able to love you everyday. My biggest achievement in life, really".

"Can you not make me cry while I'm working?", she tried to laugh, feeling the tears in her eyes. "And I love you too".

"Not as much as I love you but that's impossible".

"I need to go", she said, holding the airpod she had on her left ear. She was asked to keep interviewing players. "I'll meet you later for the celebrations, ok?"

"Can't wait...", Ferran looked to his left and grabbed Nico Williams by his arm. "My girlfriend has to interview you. Good answers only, Williams".

"Thank you", said Anna before Ferran left her alone with one of the goalscorers so she could interview him.

The celebrations were crazy...and slightly cringe at times too. But Ferran was so happy, that Anna only cared about that. And when they woke up in Madrid after the big celebrations with the fans, Anna only cared about looking after Ferran while he nursed a terrible hangover.

"I'm good", he lied while Anna finished packing their things so they could head to Valencia.

"You're not. So I'll drive".

"It's a long drive and you don't like driving".

"I don't like car accidents either and you'll cause one if you get behind the wheel now", she laughed, looking at his tired face. "But you still look super cute. So unfair".

"You still look like a supermodel when you're hungover so don't talk about unfair", told her Ferran before looking at himself in the mirror. "God, I look bad".

"Take a nap in the car while I drive and you'll look great when we get to your mum's".

The drive to Valencia was pretty long. Almost 4 hours of driving felt like way too much for Anna but they stopped twice to grab a bite to eat and use the toilet. And then...welcome to beautiful Valencia.

Anna had been there before but now she was in Valencia as Ferran's girlfriend. He was taking her to his mum's house so they stayed there. Their relationship was official and had been public for weeks but this made it feel way more serious somehow.

"Oh, you're finally here. Great! Do you need something to eat or drink? That drive must have been so tiring".

Ferran's mum took them to the kitchen so she could get a snack ready for them and Ferran just hugged Anna instead of sitting down, placing his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes.

"Still tired?"

"Yeah", he sighed. "I didn't sleep much while in the car".

"You made Anna drive?", asked his mum, looking like she was ready to tell her son off.

"Mum, do I look like I can drive at the moment?"

"I didn't mind", said Anna. "But I'm pretty tired too. Maybe we should take a nap".

"The room is ready. You can go rest and we'll wake you up when it's time for dinner".

So that was their plan but, after an hour, Anna noticed she couldn't fall asleep. Ferran was peacefully sleeping so she got out of bed carefully, trying not to wake him up.

There was a little reunion downstairs and Anna felt the need to find a mirror to see what she looked like. Probably like she just got out of bed after driving for hours so not her best.

"Hi".

"Hey sister in law", greeted her Arantxa. "Can't sleep?"

"Not really".

"I'll give you a tour of the house while we wait for my idiot brother to wake up".

Anna laughed because she also had a brother and understood those insults were actually ways to show their love for their siblings.

When they reached the living room, they stopped to look at the photos that were framed and Anna kept asking about them.

"Is this baby Ferran?", she asked, picking up a photo of a little boy.

"Yes. Wasn't he the cutest? I'm not sure what went wrong when he grew up".

"He's like the most beautiful little boy I've seen in my life".

"Well, that plus your own genes...you know", winked Arantxa and Anna chuckled.

"I guess...".

"Do you think about it?"

"Me and Ferran having kids?", Arantxa nodded. "Sure. I think about our future a lot so that's one thing. I never have had these thoughts though so it's funny when they come up in mind all of a sudden".

"You didn't think about it with Hugo?"

"No...I know that sounds bad".

"Not after what he did", said Arantxa, looking mad remembering the cheating.

"Still. I was going to marry him but I spent more time thinking about an imaginary future with Ferran instead of with him. It made me feel like a horrible person back then".

"But it turned out he was the one who was horrible. And now you're happy with my brother".

And she really was. So incredibly happy. And so ready for that future she sometimes thought of to become a reality.