The Carlidia Renaissance- Cable Girls Reimagined (LCDC)

Chapter 9

Carlos's POV

Of course, when the moment between us passed, I was faced with a torrent of questions. Where was I for the past few years? Why didn't I go look for her earlier? And did Lidia and Francisco keep her from seeing me deliberately?

I knew I had to tread carefully, so I took a deep breath when I began and kneeled in front of her so I could make eye contact. I could feel Francisco's watchful eyes on me as I gently spoke to her.

"Sweetie...the past few years I wasn't in a good place. I was lost. Not fit to take care of you, or your mother. So Francisco stepped in so you two could get the treatment you deserve. I was here in Madrid, lost without you or your mother. But I promise you, not a day passed that I didn't think of you or your mother, and how I can repair the relationship I guiltily tainted. You should know that I'm in a better place now, and I can promise you this. Today won't be the last you see of me. We have a lot to catch up on, don't you think?"

I deliberately omitted the part about Lidia and Francisco leaving for America without telling me, not wanting to taint her opinion of her and Francisco. Thankfully, the reply seemed to satisfy her, as she nodded in understanding. Later, she declared that she's tired and needs a nap. She hugged me one more time before retiring to her room.

Unable to stop myself, I follow her inside the room and offer to tuck her in. She smiled and nodded in reply. As she clambered over to her bed, I quickly surveyed the room we were in. It was an informal room, with the typical nightstand, a wooden closet and light fixture on the wall. Her presence was only marked by the pink suitcase in the corner of the room, the stack of children books on the dresser and the dolls littered on her bed. As she settled into the bed, I pull the covers over her and tuck her in. I then wished her a good afternoon nap and kissed her forehead before she drifted off to sleep, a wide smile on her face.

I then went back to the living room and joined Francisco and Marga on the couch. I then asked Marga about the whole informality of the place, and she replied that Eva was brought here soon after Lidia was taken to the Rehabilitation Facility, meaning soon after my 'death' occurred. She then said that she volunteered to care for her both for Lidia and since she also needed to get used to caring for children, and she gestured towards the growing bulge on her stomach. I congratulated her on it, joking about knowing how I should have done that earlier, and then wondered audibly where Pablo was, since she was here with Eva.

She looked down and replied that Pablo was currently in hiding with Julio, his twin brother, after he was declared dead by the Nationalists. However, they do keep in touch via telephone, and are working on having him present when the baby's due. Seeing her expression, I reach out and put my hand over hers in sympathy, as I know exactly how it feels to miss someone you love and not being able to do anything more about it. She gives me a half smile as she puts her other hand over mine.

After chatting a bit more about informal matters with Marga, Francisco declares it's time for us to return to the safehouse. On the way back, Francisco admitted that it was nice to see Eva interact with her biological father, and that he was proud of me for how I handled her intrusive questions. I thanked him, not just for his comments but also for the second chance he so generously gave me. He replied that he knew Lidia would have wanted him to, after which the car fell in silence.

As we returned from Marga's, Luca approached us with a new update.

"The plan for Lidia's escape from that centre is finally put in place"

***Thanks for reading guys! I would also like to thank you all for 500+ reads, you have no idea how much it means to me, I never thought that this would become such a hit. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and vote or comment as you please! Until next time- B ❤️ ***