How Will I Know

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Christmas Shopping

Biting her lip as she thought, Elena rested a hand on her bump trying to figure out what she should get Robin for Christmas; she had already completed her shopping for everyone else, but she couldn't decide what to get her husband. 

Elena was out with Lydia for the last of their Christmas presents, she wanted to have everything prepared for the holidays this year; she didn't want to leave everything to the last minute. 

Elena ignored the looks that she was getting, it was just something that she was getting used to being married to Robin; she knew that her pictures were in most magazines and she tended to ignore it now. 

Robin was currently training for the Swansea away game which was the weekend before Christmas which would be followed by a home game against Newcastle United on Boxing Day; he wasn't entirely happy that he would be working over the holidays but there was no way around it. 

"I have no idea what to get him," Elena grumbled sipping on her hot chocolate, she was really struggling to think of what she could get her wonderful husband for their first Christmas together. 

Lydia looked at her best friend, she guessed that it would be a little difficult but she was sure that Elena would work it out; she was glad that she had come up to visit her friend knowing that they so rarely saw one another. 

"Any time I ask him, all he says is 'I don't want a lot for Christmas,' and 'All I want for Christmas is you,' I mean come on Robin this isn't a Mariah Carey song," Elena muttered annoyed making Lydia laugh softly at her friend; the brunette had started to become easily agitated as her pregnancy progressed and it was clear that Robin would be the main cause.

"Sweet but annoying," Lydia agreed watching at Elena who ran her left hand through her hair, she wanted their first Christmas together to be special but she had no idea what to get Robin. 

It was clear that they would be having the children for the holidays and it made up for the fact that things were still a little tense with their families; they doubted that it would get any better soon. 

"He says that he's already gotten my gift," Elena continued wondering how Robin had done it so easily, however she had a feeling that he had asked his team-mates for advice on what to get her. 

Robin wasn't giving her any clues and Elena was starting to get a little desperate, she didn't know what to do and nothing she saw in the shops seemed good enough for him. 

Tapping her fingers on the table, Elena tried to think of something to get Robin however she had little success as she finished her drink and looked at Lydia; she wished that she had some sort of idea what to get him. 

"You'll think of something... there are still eight days until Christmas," Lydia reassured making Elena nod her head as they got to their feet and prepared to leave the café. 

The last few weeks seemed to flow by and Elena couldn't believe how fast the holidays were approaching, it almost didn't seem fair that Robin would be working so much; he wouldn't get much time with her or the children. 

Lydia smiled collecting her things, she had never seen Elena this happy and she knew that it was all down to Robin; she really hoped that things would get better for them with the parents.

***

"So how are things with your parents?" Alexander Büttner asked Robin as the two men warmed down from the day's training session, the Dutchman sighed wishing that he had some idea on what to do. 

José Ras was still refusing to speak with him after he had thrown her out of his house, she wanted him to see sense that Elena was no good for him and that they were better off divorced. 

Bob was disappointed with him that he had gotten drunk enough for this to happened and while he thought Elena was a lovely woman, he didn't think that Robin should remain married to her. 

Then there were Elena's parents, Allison had been devastated when she had learnt the truth about her daughter's marriage and begged her to think carefully about what she wanted; she still hadn't come to terms with what had happened. 

David had been furious when he had learnt the truth about his only child's wedding; he had punched Robin and accused him of tricking Elena into marrying him.

"Same as ever," Robin murmured, it was bothering Elena that her parents refused to accept that she was married to Robin; Allison would still call her of a night to plead with Elena to consider divorce, since she claimed that no good marriage could be based on a drunken wedding.

"They'll come around... it was probably a shock for them," Ryan said as Sir Alex called the session to a close, Robin offered the Welshman a smile as they all headed in out of the cold air. 

As they headed for the changing rooms, the talk with in the team quickly turned to the team Christmas party which was happening in a couple of days' time. 

"So has everyone decorated their homes?" Wayne said excitedly making a couple of his team-mates roll their eyes or laugh, Robin nodded his head as he thought back to last week when he'd decided to put the new family Christmas tree up in the living room. 

Elena hadn't been able to stop laughing at him as he struggled for nearly an hour to get the tree up, however Shaqueel and Dina had enjoyed decorating it afterwards. 

"It's just over a week before Christmas and you're asking that now?" Rio laughed while the boys prepared to head for a shower before they headed home to their families. 

Wayne shrugged with a smile before he started to talk about what he had gotten Colleen for Christmas; Robin knew what the Scouser had gotten his wife since he had been with him shopping for Elena and their children.

***

Arriving home from training, Robin smiled at the smell of cookies that filled the air before he heard Dina squeal in excitement that he had arrived home; the little girl rushed towards her father allowing him to pick her up. 

Elena leant against the doorway watching Robin greet his children; the Dutchman grinned at his wife as he moved to greet her. 

"How was your day?" Robin asked kissing her lips softly as Shaqueel and Dina moved into the kitchen again to eat some more cookies. 

Elena smiled at her husband as he rested his hands on her bump as she kissed him, she was still stuck on what to get him. 

"I went Christmas shopping with Lydia," Elena replied making Robin chuckled as he kissed her one more time before moving into the kitchen to make him and Elena some lunch. 

Elena watched him as he moved about wondering how she had gotten so lucky to marry someone like him when she had been so drunk; it could have worked out so much worse for them. 

"Bouchra called while you were at training," Elena said softly so that the children didn't hear, Robin glanced at his wife wondering what his ex-wife had said. 

"She's going back to Morocco for the holidays with Ewan," Elena explained glancing at Shaqueel and Dina who were oblivious to the fact that they wouldn't be seeing their mother for Christmas.