Lean on Me

Part One - Chapter Twenty-One: Telling Cassidy's Family

“Are you sure about this?” Fernando asked driving through the countryside towards his girlfriend’s parents’ home, they were going to tell her parents not only that Cassidy was having his baby but that they were together.

Cassidy looked at him with a small smile, she knew that he was nervous about meeting her parents and she didn’t blame him; his divorce was still all over the papers and Olalla didn’t seem to be backing down on the idea that she thought their marriage could work.

“Not entirely but I think it will help,” Cassidy said driving through the small village of Denham, she watched as Fernando looked around curiously as they started to leave the village; he glanced at Cassidy wondering why she had moved to the city when she could have stayed in the countryside.

Cassidy sighed nibbling on her lip, she was fourteen weeks pregnant and she was a little worried about how her parents would take the news.

Cassidy jumped slightly as Fernando rested a hand on her thigh, she looked at him as he offered her a small smile of reassure her.

“You look as nervous as I feel,” Fernando mused finally pulled up outside of her parents’ home, the couple stared at the house for a moment; they knew that there was no going back now.

Cassidy took a deep breath as she carefully climbed out of the Mini Cooper, she knew that Fernando only used the car when he didn’t want people falling him and he knew that right now it was being very useful.

Fernando followed after her, his eyes glancing up at the house; this wasn’t going to be easy he just hoped that her parents wouldn’t overreacted.

Fernando swallowed as a woman stepped out of the house and hurried forward to hug his girlfriend, he watched her for a moment before he realised that the woman was Cassidy’s mother. 

“Mum it’s nice to see you again,” Cassidy said stepping back her mother, she glanced at Fernando who seemed even more nervous about the fact that this was finally happening.

Andrea Smith smiled at her daughter for a moment before she looked curiously at the footballer that was with her; she furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out why he was with her.

“Why don’t we go inside?” Cassidy said knowing that her mother wanted answers, she didn’t blame her but she didn’t want to do this in her parents’ front garden. A

ndrea nodded her head before she showed the couple into her home, she had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like this.

***

Joseph Smith frowned looking at Fernando, he didn’t know why his eldest daughter had brought the footballer home with her but he had an idea that this wasn’t just a pleasant visit.

“So what is going on?” Joseph asked looking at his daughter, Cassidy shifted nervously as Andrea sat down next to him.

They watched their daughter as she looked at Fernando, they could see that there was something going on and they didn’t like it especially since Fernando was still technically a married man.

“I want you to hear me out… I know what I did was wrong but I don’t regret my decisions,” Cassidy said looking down at her outfit that she had chosen to see her parents in; she was wearing a grey knitted dress with double layer detail paired with black heeled boots.

Andrea looked at her husband concerned, she definitely didn’t like where this was going; she didn’t know what to make of what her daughter was trying to tell them.

“I’ve been in a relationship with Fernando for about eight months now,” Cassidy said carefully broke the news to her parents.

Fernando took her hand in comfort as her father started to glare at him; he knew that they had every right to be angry with him for what he had been doing with their daughter.

“My marriage with Olalla was already breaking down before I met Cass, she did nothing but help be make the decision to end it… Olalla’s been cheating on me for the last year and a half,” Fernando said trying to ease their minds, he knew why they would be upset and he wanted to reassure them the best that he could.

Joseph continued to glare at the footballer while Andrea tried to wrap her head around what was going on, she didn’t like women who destroyed marriages and she hated to think that Cassidy had done so.

“Cass why would you do something like this?” Andrea asked trying to understand what had motivated her daughter into getting involved with Fernando, she had last heard that her eldest was in a happy relationship with Stephan and now this had happened.

Fernando glanced at his girlfriend knowing that this was difficult for everyone involved and he hoped that her parents weren’t going to disown her or worse over this.

“I didn’t want to tell you especially since you liked Stephan so much… but Stephan was abusive, if he didn’t like something than he would hit me, if it weren’t for Fernando then I’d still be with him,” Cassidy said making her mother gasp in shock at the thought of her daughter going through something like that.

Joseph comforted his wife for a moment before he nodded at Fernando grateful for what the spaniard had done for his daughter; he watched them for a moment as Cassidy moved closer to the footballer, it was clear that they truly cared for one another.

***

Andrea smiled walking into the kitchen, she was still getting used to the fact that her daughter was dating Fernando but after the initial shock had gone she could see that they truly did love one another.

“Mum can I tell you something?” Cassidy asked stepping into the kitchen, she knew that maybe telling her mother first would be the best idea so that she could see how she would react to the news that she was pregnant.

Andrea nodded her head as she stepped closer to Cassidy, she could see that there was something going on and she was curious about what was different about her eldest daughter.

“I don’t want to take the spotlight from Cassandra but I’m pregnant,” Cassidy said watching her mother, she bit her lip as her mother stared at her shocked before she pulled her into a hug.

Andrea couldn’t help but be excited at the news that her daughter was having a baby, she knew that this wasn’t easy on her daughter and she wanted to be a part of her daughter’s life and that of her unborn child’s.

“How far long are you?” Andrea asked pulling away from Cassidy and made the brunette sit down so that they could talk about this. Cassidy smiled softly as she watched her mother, she was a little surprised that her mother was taking this so well; she sat down at the table.

“I’m fourteen weeks,” Cassidy said running a hand through her hair, she watched as a big smile formed on her mother’s face; her parents had wanted a grandchild and now they were getting one even if the situation wasn’t perfect.

“I can’t wait to tell your father,” Andrea said beaming at her daughter, she just hoped that her daughter was prepared for the backlash would occur if anyone told the press that she was having Fernando Torres’s baby.