The tyres crunched against the gravel as Lydia pulled her car up outside the white brick house she called home. Turning off the engine she grabbed her designer bag from the passenger seat and climbed out of the car.
Walking up the three steps to the front door the brunette reached for the round silver door handle as it was pulled away from her.
The door flew open and a young girl ran out, her long dark hair flowing behind her. Grabbing Lydia's hand the girl pulled her inside.
"C'mon mum, dad's home and he has the best news" squealed the girl
Lydia allowed herself to be pulled into the foyer just managing to push the door closed behind herself as she was pulled all the way to the kitchen at the back of the house.
Once in the kitchen the young girl finally let go of Lydia's hand allowing her to place her bag and keys on the sideboard as arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
"Hi honey, how was your day?" Asked the man his lips pressing against her cheek
Placing one hand on her fiance's face Lydia leaned into the kiss as she replied "busy, I could use a glass of wine"
Lydia owned a clothing boutique in Cheshire that was frequented by celebrities and wags. It had been her dream to get into fashion for as long as she could remember and finally 2 years ago she opened her own store selling couture gowns and clothes. It had been a busy 2 years watching the store go from strength to strength as it's popularity rose in the celebrity world but it had been worth all the long hours.
"I'm on it" replied the man letting go of her waist, turned and headed for the fridge. Her fiancé was always so attentive and liked to look after his family, tending to their every need or want and Lydia loved him for it.
"Oh c'mon dad are you going to tell her or not" groaned the teenager as she dramatically threw her head onto the marble island in the centre of the kitchen
"Tell me what?" Asked Lydia as she joined her daughter at the island
"The club signed a new player today" replied the man as he moved to his fiancé's side, handing her a glass of rose'
"That's it, that's why you're so excited and just about dragged me across the floor, that's your news?" Huffed Lydia taking a seat at one of the white leather stools at the island
The man looked at her, his head tilted "hey my work is exciting, it's not all numbers you know there's fun parts too" he grumbled jokingly
Her fiancé was Sam Peters and he was head of accounts and finance at Manchester United Football Club.
His job paid a lot allowing them to live a very comfortable life and Lydia was grateful for all that he had provided for his family, although Lydia liked to be independent and had always worked for her own money. Often the jobs were secretarial or similar but it made her feel like she was contributing, and now that she had the boutique she could provide a comfortable life for them too.
"Aw sorry baby I know it's exciting" she said leaning up to kiss Sam's cheek
"Yuck....can you two just stop please im trying to get to the good part of the story" complained the girl covering her face with her hands.
The young girl was used to seeing her parents displays of affection, and while she feigned embarrassment she was secretly proud that her parents still loved each other deeply. Most of her friends parents were either divorced or argued constantly. She was glad her parents were still together
"Ok ok, so what's the exciting part?" Asked Lydia throwing her hand up in defeat
"Guess who the player is?" Said the girl excitedly as she leaned over the island, her long dark hair cascading over the counter top.
It was one of the few times that Lydia had come home and not found her daughters face stuck in her iPhone. But wasn't that the behaviour of all 15 year olds. It was nice to see the girl excited about something else other than her phone she thought to herself.
Gabriella had always been mad about football and loved that her dad worked for one of the best clubs in Britain. The pair were close and Lydia loved that they had something to bond over.
"So who's the player that's got you both so hyped up?" Asked Lydia, taking a sip of her wine
"Cristiano Ronaldo" they both replied in unison
Hearing those words caused Lydia to spit the wine across the island in shock causing Gabriella to jump backwards
"Are you ok?" Asked Sam as he rubbed his fiancé's back thinking the wine had gone down the wrong way.
"Yea yea I'm fine.....I just swallowed the wrong way" she replied trying hard to hide her shock
The brunette couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cristiano Ronaldo was coming to Britain to play for her fiancé's team. It was a nightmare, one Lydia thought she would never have to face. She had never even considered it possible.
Sam and Gabriella began to talk excitedly amongst themselves as Lydia thought about what she'd just heard. She couldn't make out what they were saying as the image of Cristiano Ronaldo sank into her mind.
Feeling her heart race, the brunette excused herself and muttered about having to take a shower before dinner.
She desperately had to get out of the kitchen and be on her own.
An hour later the family sat at the dining table together as they had done every night since they had moved into the mansion four years ago.
Lydia always made a point of the family eating dinner together, claiming it was her way of keeping up with what was going on in their lives. They would talk about their day and what each of them were doing.
But tonight Lydia sat in silence barely touching her food, moving it around the plate with her fork. Her appetite was gone after hearing news of the new signing at the club.
The brunette could feel her fiancé watching her from the side as he chatted to Gabriella. He could tell something was getting at her but didn't say a word.
The father and daughter chatted happily, laughing and joking whilst Lydia stared straight ahead. Her mind was somewhere else tonight, she didn't know where just that it wasn't here with her family.
It was as if in a single moment her life had gone from zero to sixty as thoughts flashed through her mind.
Feeling Sam touch her hand, Lydia was pulled from her thoughts as he squeezed her hand gently. Looking at him she could only raise a small smile. Her fiancé had no idea what had just happened and the brunette wasn't about to tell him.
YOU ARE READING
History
RomanceTo everyone else, Lydia Banks has the perfect life: The home of her dreams, her own business doing what she loves, a beautiful daughter and a fiance desperate to get her down the aisle. So why is she hesitating? As with most things in life, they're...
