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For the next few weeks, every one tried in vain to meet Jude. Though it was like Marco was keeping his relationship a secret from everyone. He didn't want his team mates to go to the bakery, he hardly posted pictures of them together on social media, even the gossip magazines had yet to snap a good picture of Jude. The only one they had gotten was one of them at the park and was wearing a sweater with the hood up.
All of the secrecy surrounding their relationship made people more and more interested in meeting Jude Wopschall.
Even Marco's family were trying to meet Jude already. Marco was at Jude's house, where he spent most of his free time. This time, she had promised she was going to cook a nice dinner for him, since it had been weeks that he had been back with the team. Borussia Dortmund, in Jude's opinion, had really suffered without Marco on the pitch.
Now she wanted to celebrate that the team would see better days. And she wanted to celebrate that Marco was completely recovered from his injury and would even be able to re-join the national team.
He was helping Jude cut some potatoes when he heard his phone ring. Setting the knife and potato down in the bowl, he dried off his hands with a towel and got his cellphone out of his pocket. It was a phone call from his mother. Marco knew what it was about. Over the last few weeks, many of his friends had been pestering him to meet Jude. Mats and Thomas suggested going on a triple date to a place they said was a surprise. Sven, Erik, and Mats, had even attempted to follow him after practice to find the bakery. Mario wanted to meet Jude as well, but had stopped asking altogether when Jude suggested a double date with her friend Michael Anthony.
Marco wanted to keep his relationship private.
The last thing he wanted was for the media to be chasing them around, showing up at Jude's work, or fans messing with her on social media. He wanted their relationship to be a normal one. But he knew it was only a matter of time before everyone would actually meet her.
"Who is it, liebe?" Jude eyed him suspiciously when she saw him hesitate before answering the phone.
"My mom." Marco answered.
"Answer it then." She smiled at him.
Marco hit the answer button on his phone and brought it to his ear. "Hallo mom."
"Marco!" His mother scolded from the other end of the phone, "Its been weeks since we heard from you. Why haven't you called?"
"I'm twenty-five, mom." Marco groaned.
"You could be a hundred, and I would still expect a call from you." She continued, "A little call every once in a while wouldn't kill you, would it?"
Marco muttered under his breath jokingly, "You'd be surprised."
"What did you say?" She asked him with a gasp.
"Nothing!" He replied.
All the while, Jude watched him with amusement.
"Liebling, I called because I want to have a nice dinner with the family in a few weeks. Your sisters will be here with their husbands. I want you to come, and I want to invite Jude as well." She explained, though Marco already knew that had been the reason for her call. She was just as curious as everyone else.
Marco shrugged his shoulders and crinkled up his nose though his mother couldn't see what he was doing over the phone. "I'll talk to Jude about it and let you know."
"But don't forget to call me." His mother warned.
"I won't." Marco assured her.
He then clicked the end button and set his phone on the counter. He turned his attention back to Jude to find she was already looking at him.
