The Only Exception

Lionel grumbled hearing the phone ring, he turned over in bed and looked at the clock as he wrapped his arm around Lucia; it was very early morning and he was exhausted right now.

Lucia muttered as she cuddled into her husband’s side with no interest in answering the phone that rang; Maia would be awake soon crying for her feeding.

Lionel rested his head against Lucia’s and closed his brown eyes as he fell back asleep, whoever was calling could do so at a better hour; the couple had a four week old daughter and rarely got any time together as it was.

The couple groaned as the phone continued to instantly ring before Lucia sighed and reached over to the phone and grabbed it; Lionel frowned as he moved to put on the bedside lamp.

Lionel blinked the sleep out of his eyes as he watched Lucia answer the call, he really hoped that this was important.

“Hola?” Lucia answered sitting up in bed, she paused hearing Lionel’s mother talking wondering why she was calling at this hour in the morning; there was a five hour difference between the two countries.

Lionel watched his wife listening to what was being said, he still didn’t know who was calling and he hoped it was a quick call.

“Dios mío,” Lucia whispered as Celia dropped the news that she hadn’t been expecting to hear for another couple of months; Lucia couldn’t help but repeat those two words as the news set in.

Lionel stared at his wife worried as he watched the colour drain from her face and tears fill his eyes, he quickly took the phone from her wondering what was going on.

“Hola?” Lionel said as he watched his wife clamp her hand over her mouth and quickly climb out of bed and head for their en-suite bathroom without looking at him.

“Madre?” Lionel asked hearing his mother’s voice greeting him, he could hear the tears in her voice and he wondered what was going on; it was clearly bad news and his stomach twisted at the idea of what it could be.

“Leo… Andres is dead,” Celia told her son knowing that this was a nasty shock for everyone, she wished that there was better news but there just wasn’t.

Lionel’s head snapped towards the bathroom as panic filled him for his wife, he hated that this had happened so quickly; Lucia had never gotten to say goodbye to her father.

Disconnecting the call, Lionel hurried over to the bathroom needing to be with his wife as she grieved for her father; he wished that there had been something that he could have done.

“Lia,” Lionel murmured softly stepping into the bathroom to find his wife sat on the floor in her black lace detail satin playsuit; his heart ached for her as he collected her pink dressing gown and wrapped it around her.

Lucia sniffled as she looked at her husband, she didn’t want to believe that her father was gone; she wished that it was just a bad dream.

“Lo siento,” Lionel said wrapping his arms around her and pulled her close, he swallowed knowing that they would need to go back to Argentina as soon as possible.

***

“I can’t believe that he’s gone,” Lucia whispered as Lionel handed her a cup of coffee, he knew that there was no way that she would sleep now and he was going to stay be her side.

Lionel knew that Gerardo Martino would give him compassionate leave and even if he was refused it, he would happily take the fine that he would face to be with Lucia because she needed him right now.

Maia snoozed soundly in her parents’ bed, she had been moved there after her feed and Lucia had wanted her close after what had happened; Lionel didn’t have it in him to deny her anything.

“I’ll make arrangements for us to fly back to Rosario,” Lionel said knowing that she would want to be there as soon as possible, her mother was staying with his parents and he was grateful that they had taken Annabelle in.

Lucia smiled at him softly knowing that he was doing everything that he could for her right now; she doubted that she could ever find anyone better than Lionel in her life.

Lucia sipped on her coffee as she thought about what would need to be done for her father’s funeral, she was dreading heading back to Rosario but she knew that she couldn’t miss this.

“Do you need anything?” Lionel asked watching his wife, it was barely four in the morning now and in the hour since she had learnt that her father had passed away, she had calmed down.

Lionel hoped that she would be okay, he hated to see her grieve but it was something he would deal with especially after she had lost her father.

“Just you,” Lucia replied smiling weakly up at him, she patted the space next to her knowing that she just wanted him and Maia right now; she watched as her husband sat down beside her nervously.

Lionel watched her knowing that he didn’t want her pretending to be okay around him, he worried that she would break if she tried to bottom up his feelings and she was going to need to be strong.

“I’m fine Leo,” Lucia said honestly, she had mentally prepared herself for her father’s passing ever since she had heard that he was going to die four weeks ago.

Lucia just hadn’t been prepared for the call that would come when he did pass away, she knew that everything was going to be strange now and there would be no fixing it.

***

Lionel watched Lucia sleeping as he held Maia in his arms, he carefully settled the baby next to her and moved to put a pillow beside her so that she didn’t roll out of bed.

Lionel smiled softly watching his girls sleep before he quietly left the bedroom and headed downstairs; Poppy eagerly at his heels wanting to be let out for her morning run in the garden.

Lionel quickly let the dog out before he moved to collect his phone so that he could call Barcelona, he needed to organise time off so that he could go back to Rosario with his wife for her father’s funeral.

Lionel took a shaky breath as he closed his eyes, he couldn’t believe that Andres had gone and he worried just what this could lead to.

Lionel knew that Lucia wasn’t going to leave him, he had no intentions of allowing his marriage to collapse and he would ensure nothing ever threatened his small family in anyway.

Lionel moved to sit down as he dialled the clubs number and looked at the clock on the wall, he was sure that Gerardo would be there now and he hoped that the manager would allow him time off.

Lionel rested his head against the back of the couch as he looked up at the ceiling, his brown eyes closed as he tried to ignore the grief that wanted to consume him.

Lionel wished to be strong for Lucia knowing that she would need him to be, he didn’t want to break down when there was a strong chance that Lucia wouldn’t be able to handle what was going on.

“Hola Gerardo… I’m not going to make it to training today,” Lionel said softly as he felt a tear slowly fell down his cheek, he had known Andres since he was a little boy and to know that the man was gone was devastating.

Lionel was trying to be strong for Lucia, she needed him right now and he was doing his best to support her.