Page 65 of My Spanish Love Affair

Patient though he may be, Santi also isn’t one to let things go easily, and he taps his fingers against the back of my hand as he blinks over at the television.

“Don’t think too hard,profesora,” he says softly. “You might miss something good.”

∞∞∞

“Olivia, darling! Come in, come in!”

Sarah’s apartment is a snug haven of soft blankets, bottles, nappies and tiny clothes, and I smile warmly as I step inside. She moves to clear some from the couch so that I have room to sit, but I make my way over towards the other side of the room first.

Who knew babies needed so much stuff?!

“Don’t mind the chaos, will you,” she says, looking more exhausted than I’ve ever seen her. “We’re very much still adjusting.”

The chaos, as she calls it, is surprisingly sweet. Her baby - a tiny little girl with a mop of dark hair and rosy cheeks - is dozing in a bassinet near the window, undisturbed by my arrival.

“She’s beautiful,” I say in a hushed voice. I lean down to get a closer look, but I’m also conscious that I don’t want to wake her.

“No need to whisper,” Sarah says with a wave of her hand. “I’ve been adamant since the day we got home from the hospital that we’re not to be quiet around her, and it seems to have worked: she sleeps well despite noise.”

Impressed, I move to sit on the couch. “Well, that sounds like an almighty success.”

“Thanks,” she says, collapsing down beside me. “She’s a total diva already. I feel like I haven’t slept properly in weeks.”

We laugh together at that, and I take in the peaceful domesticity of her life now. It’s different from what I’ve been experiencing lately, but in a way, it’s nice. Refreshing, even.

“How are you holding up?” I ask.

“Exhausted, but happy,” she says. She chatters for a while about how her parents had flown over for the first two weeks to help her and her husband adjust, meaning she got to spend some quality time with them, too. “How about you? How’s teaching?”

I smile, leaning back against the couch. “It’s good!” I tell her. “Busy, of course; with the end of the term coming up and everything. The kids are great, though.”

“And Santi?” she presses. We’ve spoken briefly about him over the last few weeks with messages here and there, but with everything Sarah’s had going on, I’ve not really had much chance (or, honestly,desire) to fill her in.

“Santi is... Santi.”

She raises an eyebrow almost comically. “Care to elaborate?”

I laugh at that. “He’s amazing. Supportive. Funny. But I’m just… I’m not quite sure I’m cut out for this, you know? He asked me to come to one of his matches -”

“And you said?”

“I said… I said I’d think about it,” I admit, visibly cringing as she frowns. “I know, Sarah, trust me - I do. But it’s just… A lot, okay?! The idea of stepping into that world is just….so intimidating, honestly.”

Sarah blinks at me with a no-nonsense expression. “Olivia Bennett. You have uprooted your life, moved to a new countryandstarted a new career, all within the short space of a few months. In fact, scrap that - it wasweeks! And now you’vefallen for a man who clearly adores you, and you’re, what - scared because he tosses a ball for a living?!” She cocks a brow at me. “You’re stronger than you think, but if you’re not careful, you’re going to end up letting your head ruin this for you.”

I open my mouth to argue, but she cuts me off.

“Listen,” she continues, “this isn’t a commitment. Right? Nobody’s saying that you go to a match and suddenly, you’re a WAG, or something. And you don’t have to be part of the rugby scene or the celebrity stuff if you don’t want to. But what youdohave to do is show up for your boyfriend if you want your relationship to work. And if it’s important to Santi, then maybe, just maybe, you should give it a try. You’ve dealt with a hell of a lot more intense situations recently, so who knows - you might just surprise yourself.”

Her words settle over me, heavy and comforting all at once. I glance at the sleeping baby in the bassinet, her tiny chest rising and falling peacefully, and wonder if Sarah is right after all.

Maybe I am just blowing all of this out of proportion and letting my imagination run wild.

“Okay,” I say finally. “I -fine. I will. I’ll go.”

Sarah grins. “Good. And if you need a pep talk beforehand, you know where to find me.”

∞∞∞

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