Love On Holiday

*Birthday Party*

I sit on a bench by the sea, the wind tousles my long hair and I am very happy. I'm in the eighth month of pregnancy, now I know that I will give birth to a son. I know that he'll be exactly the same as Marc. He would have dark hair, chocolate brown eyes and a beautiful smile. I caress my belly, when little Marc gives a playfully kick. I laugh when Marc steps to me, gives me a kiss on a belly and then on my lips. "I love you," he says and sits next to me.
In that moment I wake up. My little brother is still sleeping next to me, so I slowly and quietly get off the bed. I walk to the kitchen. "I need to tell him," I say when I drink a glass of water. I look at the clock, it's 4.35 am. I walk back to my room, lay in the bed, close my eyes and immediately fall asleep.
I am awakened by the smell of pancakes when my granny brought it to my room. "Granny, you spoil me too much," I say when I sit up. "You'll have to get used to it," she says with a smile when she gave me a tray. "When does Vicky come?" she asks. "At twelve," I say with a full mouth. This pancakes are divine!! "Did Alex get up early?" I ask when I see that my brother is not sleeping anymore. "Half an hour ago. He's outside with dad and Ela."
When I finish with breakfast I dress myself and I go out to help my sister. I help her brush horses and prepared them for riding school. "Ela, I have to go prepared myself. It's eleven o'clock," I say to my sister when she saddle a horse. "Okay, thanks for help. Enjoy," she says and winks at me. "See you," I say and then I rush into the house. I take a shower at first, I shave my legs and my bikini area, and I wash my hair. When I wrap myself in a towel I walk to the wardrobe asking myself what to wear. I try everything. Dresses, skirts, shirts, jeans. At the end I decide to wear a dark blue jeans with high waist and floral top, white allstars, I use mascara and lip gloss and spray with my favorite perfume. I take beige handbag and I am ready.
I sit to my granny on the terrace. She does crosswords, while the lunch is cooking in the kitchen. I smile, when she looks at me, puts down her glasses and asks: "Would you drink some more tea before you go?" I shake with my head: "Thanks, granny. I wouldn't. The way to Cervera is quite long and I don't want to go to the bathroom during our way." Granny nods when someone hoots outside. "That is probably Vicky and her uncle. Please, tell parents that I'll be late in the evening," I say hugging her. "Bon voyage. Say hi to Marc and his family!" she shouts behind me. I rush to the entrance door and I see red caravan of Vicky's uncle Hugo parked on our courtyard. Hugo is funny, chubby chap with glasses and curly short hair. He's 51 years old and he's older brother of Vicky's deceased mom. Vicky happily jumps out of the car and hugs me. "Hello my lady, I just can't wait to see Alex," she says smiling. She's wearing light pink dress to knees and sandals. "You're pretty," I say when she spins around. "I had to dress up for Alex," she blushes and continues: "You look pretty too. Although you would be even more beautiful in that pregnant dress," she says and looks to her uncle who's walking toward us with a paper bag in his hands. "Ava, congratulations. Vicky helps me with the gift," he says and hugs me. "Thank you, Hugo. It really wouldn't be necessary," I thanked and look at Vicky who's laughing. I look on the bag and there is exactly that dress about which Vicky is talking all the time. "Ava!! Wait!!" I hear my granny yelling from the house. She runs out with a gift bag in his hands. "You can't go on a birthday party without a gift. Here you have our homemade vine for grandpa and our homemade olive oil for Marc's parents," she says giving me a gift bag. "Thanks, granny. Can you please take this bag in my room?" I give her my bag with dress when she waves us goodbye and runs back into the house. "Girls, shall we go now? The way to Cervera is quite long," Hugo says when we sit in the car and drive away. Vicky is soooooo excited. She's making selfies all the time and posting them on the Instagram and Snapchat. What about me? I am thinking about my meeting with Marc. And his family. Oh, and of course with his girlfriend. In that moment I finally decide not to tell him about the baby.
After almost fifty minutes and a slight traffic on the road we arrive at Cervera. To a place where everyone knows each other. On almost every balcony, blue and red flags with numbers 73 and 93 are hung. I have a lump in my throat and I become nervous. "Okay, I think we're here," Hugo says and stops the car. "Great. I'll call Alex," Vicky says. "Hi, we're here," she says at the phone and smiles. "Okay, we'll wait." Then she hangs up. I lean forward because I'm interested what he said to her. "He is coming out," she says smiling and opens cars door. "Thank you, uncle. Say hi to your friends," she says and steps out of the car. I am still sitting in the car and I really want to drive away. I look to the entrance door which opens and Alex steps out. Vicky rushes in his embrace. They're so beautiful. After the hug, they passionately kiss. Well, it becomes very unpleasant for me and Hugo. After long (REALLY LONG) kiss they finally turn to us and wave. Hugo waves them back, when I take a deep breath and open the door. "Thanks, Hugo," I thanked and step out of the car. With gift bag in one hand and with my handbag in other hand I walk to Vicky and Alex. He hugs me. "I missed you very much," he says. "Please, come with me. Dad already grill," he says and pushes us to the entrance. "Are we the last?" Vicky asks when Alex laughs: "No, aunt and uncle are still missing. Don't worry there won't be much of us," he says when we enter the house. At the moment I fell very homely. From the garden we smell barbecue, we hear the music and chatting. "Please, go ahead," Alex says when we follow him through the hall and across the kitchen to the garden. His dad is grilling, his mom, grandpa and one lady are chatting and on the garden swing are sitting Ben and Syna. I can't see Marc. "Family, my friends are arrived," Alex says. His dad waves to us, his mom and grandpa step to us. "Welcome, I'm Roser," mom says and hugs both of us. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Vicky," my friend says. "I am glad to meet you too, my name is Ava," I say. "We bring you homemade olive oil," I add and give to her a bottle of oil. "Oh, homemade?" Roser asks smiling. I nod: "Yes, my grandma produces it."
"Perfect, homemade is the best. Thank you very much," she thanked and hug us again. "Sir, I wish you happy birthday," I say to his grandpa and hug him. Vicky do the same. We give him a gift bag with a bottle of vine. "Is this homemade too?" he asks. "Absolutely," Vicky answers happily. "Perfect. I'll save it for bad times. Thank you, beauties. I am very happy that you came. Alex has told me a lot about you two." Sure, Alex. Marc probably has forgotten that we exist. "Please, take a seat," Roser says when Ben and Syna walk to us. We hugged. "Ben, take it for a minute, please," Alex's dad shouts and rushes to us. "Nice to meet you, girls. I'm Julia," he says and hugs us. "Please, make yourself at home," he says then he rushes back to the barbecue. We sit at the table, Roser bring us a drink. We start chatting and they're all very nice and simple. Alex's aunt and uncle came soon, while Marc and his girlfriend are out of nowhere.
*MARC*
Me and Natalie are returning back from the shopping center. Mom sent me to buy bread and Natalie wanted to go with me. "Baby, can we stop at my house, please? I'd like to take some things to sleep in your house," she says when we stop at the traffic light. "What do you need?" I ask. "You know. Some basic necessities and clothes for tomorrow. We can go to lunch tomorrow, what you say?"
"Nat, we have already talked about that. When I am home we have a lunch with my or your family on Sunday," I say when I drive off. "Fine, but we haven't been alone for a long time. We're always with Alex, Ben and Syna," Nat squeaks. We're back together for a month now, but I'm always looking for excuses that I don't need to be alone with her. I'm thinking about Ava all the time. "Marc, do you hear me?" Nat loudly asks. "Sorry, can you repeat?" I say with absent-minded look. "I said I would like to spend a romantic night with you. I really don't know what is wrong with you, but you have never been so bad in bed like you're now. You're too tense," she says. "We're in front of your apartment. Go get your things. Hurry, please," I say cold, when she steps out of the car and slams the door. That's horrible. Why am I tolerating this?? Natalie is not a bad person but I really regret that I'm back with her. I'd rather be alone.
After ten minutes she returns with a full bag of clothes. I hope she doesn't move to me. When she sits back in the car, we drive at my house in quiet. It's twenty pass two. I'm always late when I wait for Natalie. I park my car on garage, I take bread and some other things from the grocery out of the trunk. Nat takes her bag and we walk into the house. They are all sitting outside. When I put the bread on the kitchen table, my mom walks in: "Son, since when you are so late? Everyone is here," she reprimands me. "And where's Nat?" she asks. "She went in my room," I say when I walk across the kitchen. "Alex's friends are here," mom says when I turn around and stare at her: "Friends??" She nods. I immediately step out, when I look at her. The wind tousled her hair, her beautiful smile and voice are taking my blood through the veins. It's Ava. I can't believe. It's really her. I step to the table and greet. "Marc, you're here," my grandpa says. I exchange look with Ava. She smiles to me and I would prefer to run to her, give her a strong hug and passionately kiss, and tell her that I can't and I don't want to live without her. I would almost do it, but at that moment Natalie came to me. "Won't you introduce me to the guests?" she asks my grandpa. "I didn't know you haven't met already. Natalie these are Alex's friends, Ava and Victoria," grandpa says when girls shook hands. Ava is totally calmed. Does that mean she doesn't care about me anymore? "Actually, they are my friends too," I say and walk around the table to them. I hug Vicky at first and then Ava. I pull her closer to me. Her smell, her skin. "I miss you," I whisper to her ear. I can't stop hugging her. "Sit down, please. It's time to eat," dad says when he puts fresh grilled meat on the table. I sit next to my grandpa and opposite to Ava. All the time we talk, I watch her but she's cold as ice. She's perfectly caught up with my family. I need to find a moment to be alone with her because I really want to talk.
*AVA*
The moment when I saw Marc was amazing. My heart was beating like insane, but I tried to stay calm and cold. When he hugged me and when I felt his touch was something most beautiful what happened to me after a long time. But there is she. His girlfriend Natalie. I won't lose words with her because I am not here because of she. When we finish eating, me and Victoria were helping Roser to clean the table. "Girls, please. You're here to visit, just enjoy," Roser says. "Syna already knows that I don't let her do anything. She was so annoyed when she was here for the first time. She cleaned almost the whole apartment," she laughed. Syna steps to us: "Yeah, it's true. Better you come outside. Roser will say if she needs help." Roser hugs her. "Fine, but really. If you need anything, please tell us," I say. "Of course. Your daughter-in-law is excellent in helping you, I see," Vicky says so I poke her. Roser laughs again: "Natalie is something special."
"Can you tell me where the toilet is?" I say. "At the end of the hall to the left. Next to the entrance door," Roser says and I walk there. Another pregnancy problem - peeing. When I finished I wash my hands and when I step at the hall, someone pulls me to the pantry under the stairs. That someone is Marc. "Oh God, I miss you so much," he says and kisses me. At first I resist but soon I indulge. After the kiss he looks me in the eyes and I almost start crying. "Can we talk?" he asks gently. "We have nothing to talk about. I see you forgot me," I step back. "I didn't forget you. I can't. Ava, you're the love of my life," he says and hugs me. "Please, we need to talk," he insists. "Fine, I'm listening," I say when I mull things over. Let him speak if he wants so. It's not that hard to listen. Marc shook with his head: "Not here. When we eat a cake, I want to go to Ben's apartment. There we'll have peace," he says quietly. "I came to your grandpa's birthday. I won't go in Ben's apartment. Tell me here, what you have to say," I cross my arms in my chest. "Ava, please. We can't talk here," he insists again. I feel little dizzy so I rest on the wall. "Are you okay?" he asks worriedly. "Yeah, I only have low pressure," I lied. "We'll go in apartment in one hour. Ben already gave me keys," he says and pulls a bunch of keys out of his pocket. "Let's take some fresh air," he says when I wants to leave but he pulls me closer and kisses me.