Wild at Heart

Part Two - Chapter Two: Heading Home

Iker grinned looking down at Abigail as he dressed her to take her home, he knew that there was a large media presence outside of the hospital and he was sort of glad that it had only just appeared.

Iker had known that a lot of people would be curious especially after he had announced it on his Facebook that he had become a father for the first time to a baby girl.

Abigail was dressed in her pink birdcage all in one and hat that had been a gift from Iker’s parents after they had visited the couple and their new grandchild.

“Is she okay?” Mia asked stepping out of the bathroom dressed in a botanic floral woven front top and white linen trousers in straight leg paired with beige tie up barely there sandals.

Mia tied her hair up into a bun as she watched Iker with their daughter, she smiled knowing that even at a couple of days old, Abigail had her father wrapped are her tiny fingers.

“She’s perfect,” Iker said smiling over at his girlfriend, he still couldn’t believe that he had fathered something so perfect.

Abigail was his little girl and Iker was determined that he would have his family with him at all times until he had to leave again; a thought that only hurt the goalkeeper more.

It had been hard enough allowing Mia to return to South Africa eight months ago, now he would not only have to leave her behind but his newborn daughter as well.

Mia watched her boyfriend sadly knowing what he was thinking about, she hated the distance between them and skyping wouldn’t be enough to stop Iker missing out on Abigail growing up.

***

Mia shifted her hold on Mia who was wrapped securely in her pink fleece blanket, she smiled down at her daughter as Iker shouldered the bag that they had brought to the hospital.

The couple were all too aware of the gathered paparazzi that had discovered where Iker and his girlfriend where and had camped outside for the first sighting of the couple and the newborn daughter.

Iker hadn’t wasted a moment in revealing on his Facebook that Abigail had been born, with a simple message that revealed just why he hadn’t been in Madrid for the last week.

“Abigail is already here, really happy the three of us are together,” was the statement to the world that had revealed Iker had become a father for the very first time to a little girl.

Shortly after the announcement had been made, the couple had been sent a lot of messages from all of Iker’s team-mates and friends to congratulate them.

“Are you ready?” Iker asked moving to stand beside his girlfriend, he smiled down at Abigail who was snoozing in her mother’s arms; he knew this was going to be awkward.

The world’s press were waiting to see their daughter and the couple just wanted to go home, they really didn’t want to show their newborn off as if they were royalty.

“As I’ll ever be,” Mia said with a smile, she knew that this wasn’t what Iker had wanted in the first week of Abigail’s life but there was little they could do about the media presence.

They had kept quiet since their daughter had been born after their first announcement and now they were stepping out of the hospital for the first time.

Iker nodded his head as he eyed his girlfriend and daughter, Mourinho would expect to him to return to Madrid soon and there wouldn’t be any excuses that would be acceptable in the Portuguese’s eyes.

Iker carefully led his girlfriend out of the hospital, they had no intentions of really stopping for the press and Iker hoped that they wouldn’t cause problems for the couple in anyway.

Iker only raised a hand in greeting as he walked Mia and their daughter over to the rental car, he wasn’t going to stop just because they wanted pictures; they’d get enough for just watching the couple walk to the car carrying their newborn daughter.

Iker was mostly glad that hospital security had been able to keep them at bay so that they didn’t have to worry about the vultures getting to close to them or their daughter.

Abigail made a small noise of contentment making Iker chuckle as he unlocked his rental car and moved to help Mia settle the newborn into her car seat; they didn’t want to risk anyone getting a picture of their daughter.

“There’s my girl,” Iker murmured settling the newborn into the car seat and covered her up so that she could stay warm. The weather outside may have been nice and warm but there was a chilly breeze in the air and Iker didn’t want Abigail getting cold.

Mia smiled softly as she stepped back and watched Iker, she wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to stay in South Africa and she knew she’d miss him when he left to return to his work in Spain.

***

Iker slowly walked into Mia’s apartment as he carried Abigail in his arms with Mia following him closely behind; he smiled as he looked down into the big blue-grey eyes of his daughter.

Iker couldn’t help but wonder if they would change into his brown ones or develop into a shade closer to her mother’s blue ones; there was a 50-50 chance of either happening and Iker looked forward to finding out.

“This is your home,” Iker murmured moving to sit down with Abigail in his arms, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could; it hurt to think she’d never call his house home.

The newborn would grow up in South Africa with her mother and would visit Spain when her mother had time to fly over.

“Iker,” Mia said softly knowing that they needed to talk about what would happen now, they had a newborn daughter to think about and she knew that there long distance wasn’t going to be easy now.

Mia knew that they couldn’t just carry on with the way things were, it had been hard enough when she was pregnant and now there was a child involved.

“We’ll talk about it later… I want to enjoy this time with Abigail,” Iker said offering his girlfriend a small smile, he knew what she wanted to talk about and he didn’t want to do that right now.

Mia nodded her head as she watched Iker with their daughter, she knew that he was nervous about their future and she didn’t blame them.

They had only been together ten months and this certainly hadn’t been planned at all, they needed to discuss just what they were going to do now.

“I’ll put the kettle on,” Mia said staring at Iker, she really wished that there was something that she could do to make this easier for him.

Mia hated the distance between them especially now Abigail was here and she wondered if giving up her life in South Africa and moving to Madrid with Iker was the answer.

Iker nodded his head as he glanced at his girlfriend, he knew that he would have to face the conversation sooner or later; he just wondered what she would say when he asked her to come back to Madrid with him.

His parents had been pushing him to ask her and he didn’t want to force her to give up so much just for him; he wanted her to come because she wanted to.