Lover II- ML

245. Back To Barcelona

Unfortunately the action paced day came to an end too quickly, because the events were over and the two minivans were pulling up in the spaces they left from this morning. 

Kaia drove them back so Mapi could spend the journey at Fabian's side, holding his hand or dragging her finger down his nose to make his eyes close peacefully and a smile appear on his face.

His smile was getting cuter each day, more expressive and happier, full of an innocent joy and love when it was one of his mothers who made him smile. That paired with the occasional little giggle had everyone falling in love with his personality, how delicate he was and how he saw the world with such wide eyed curiosity.

So when they got back to the hotel, Mapi already had tears threatening to spill. She didn't want them to go back home yet, but she knew Kaia needed to for the club, she knew Fabian would much prefer to live in their home instead of a hotel.

Kaia too, Kaia deserved to go home and be in her own space again, their bed, their kitchen, even their shower. All of it would hopefully de-stress her, just getting back into her daily routine while Mapi stays here and tries to bring a gold medal back to them.

"Shh, shh, sweetheart." Mapi soothes the baby wailing into the front of her shoulder, holding him close and gently rocking him as she lays repetitive and comforting kisses on his cheek. "I know, I know, you missed your nap."

The other Spanish players lingered to wait for Mapi, wait for her to soothe Fabian from his sobbing since he was gripping to her shirt like his life depended on it.

He'd been fed in the car but refused to go to sleep because of everything happening around him. And that resulted in endless crying for the last twenty minutes of the journey from pure exhaustion, only making the idea of leaving that much harder for Mapi.

"You guys can go so you don't miss curfew." Mapi says over to her teammates. "Tell Alejandro I'll-" her attention instantly turns to Fabian when his loud cries turn into little blubbers and hiccups, rubbing his soaked face tiredly and finally letting his eyes and body relax. He had literally cried himself to sleep. "There you go, that's a good boy." She whispers softly, only for him to hear. "Mamá's got you, go to sleep now."

Only when she knows Fabian is asleep does Kaia take a step closer and reach for Mapi's face, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek. "It's hard."

"Very." Mapi agrees with an involuntary frown. They knew it would be like this, but it doesn't take the pain away from constantly splitting up; especially at Fabian's age. "I love you both, so much." She says, stepping forward to hand Fabian over carefully and also use it as a chance to hug Kaia one last time. 

"We love you too." Kaia smiles into the soft peck left on her lips, but she reaches into her pocket with that smile turning into a smirk. "In case you really start to miss me."

Mapi takes the Polaroid picture in interest, turning it around only to suck in a breath and slam the picture against her chest. "You're naked in this picture." She grins.

"Yes." Kaia chuckles at the fact the others definitely overheard Mapi. "Keep it to yourself and don't lose it."

"Oh," Mapi places it in her pocket and zips it up tightly. "Without a doubt."

Turning around, Mapi's glad to realise she wasn't the only one keeping everyone waiting. Because against the hotel, in the darker shadows of the evening, Gia and Jenni were quietly saying goodbye to each other.

Well... Jenni had discreetly backed the model against the cold stone wall to flirt, both of them feeding off the fact that Bosco really liked the footballer and they bounced off each other's energy so naturally.