Chapter 8 Prince Charming (Two)

• "I didn't know you were such a child." Lia commented, taking a bite from her ice-cream.
• Fernando brought them to the park after leaving the restaurant. She still couldn't wrap her head around this side of him. It was quite strange.
• He got them some sugar doughnuts the minute they walked in and now they were eating ice-cream and having small talk.
• All through the time he dated her mother, Lia had never spent more than a few seconds alone with him.
• Not because he was too scary or too boring, she just never saw any reason to. But now, life was presenting her with so many firsts. It was incredible.
• "What's on your mind?" He asked, pulling her out of her thoughts and she took a bite of her ice-cream again.
• "Just thinking about how life is full of unexpected twists and turns." Her ice-cream was melting fast.
• Fernando noticed and he brought out a saviet. "Here. That's going to leave a mark."
• Lia watched wordlessly as he used the saviet to wipe her chest where the ice-cream was starting to leave a mark. There was nothing sensual about his actions so why was her body growing hot all of a sudden?
• "All done." He announced and threw the paper on the floor. "Here you can have mine." He placed his own untouched ice-cream in her hands. He had gotten a cup for his instead of a cone, which was a wise choice.
• 'Stupid." She muttered under her breath as she scooped some of it into her mouth.
• "Did you say something?"
• Lia shook her head and continued eating her ice-cream watching a couple of children run around the pack.
• Now that Fernando was willing to give their marriage a shot, it would only be a matter of time before they have kids of their own as well.
• As the thought came into her mind, Lia choked on her ice-cream and coughed, spraying it everywhere.
• Fernando patted her back with one hand and collected the ice-cream with the other. "Sorry. Perhaps no more ice-cream for you."
• He was smiling.
• Lia coughed again and sat up. She looked at him and then down at her hands. How was she supposed to say this? "I am not ready to do this."
• Fernando was quiet for a while and then his face lit up. He stammered for a bit making Lia to smile. "Well I guess I have to work harder to make it work."
• Lia didn't reply. She reached for the cup of ice-cream and Fernando shook his head. "I'm okay I promise."
• "I can't go to jail because my girlfriend choked on my ice-cream."
• Lia rolled her eyes but there was a huge smile on her face. "You're being dramatic but it's fine, I'll go get another one so I'll die from eating mine." She made a move to rise to her feet but he pulled her arm and she landed in his lap.
• "I think you've had enough ice-cream for one day. I'm serious." He made a mock serious face and Lia glared at him.
• "Well you're not the boss of me."
• Fernando frowned and Lia wondered if she had taken things too far. "I'm your husband."
• "I know." She whispered carefully and Fernando held her face in his hands.
• "Hey, hey hey, relax." He cooed tugging her hair behind her ear. "This is fun, don't get all serious on me."
• Lia sighed and the mood was ruined. "I'm sorry, I just thought."
• Fernando nodded in under. "It's my fault. I was the one that created fear in your heart in the first place. I hope that soon enough, you won't be so afraid of me anymore."
• 'i hope so." Lia thought and rested her head on his shoulder. Fernando wrapped his arms around her and they stayed like that for a while.
• "Ew." They heard and pulled away from each other. A boy of about five years was standing in front of them wrinkling his nose.
• Lia frowned and looked around wondering where his mother was. "Hey sweetie, where is mummy?"
• Fernando helped her to her feet and watched as she talked to the child. How had he never noticed this before. Well he had been so in love with her mother to see anyone or anything else except her and her actions.
• Lia would make a perfect mother, he acknowledged as he watched her play with the boy.
• 'Why did the child say 'ew' though?' He thinks... "Hey, why did you say that earlier?"
• "You were sucking Lia's face." The boy said shrugging his shoulders and Fernando blinked in shock.
• Lia laughed at his expression and sat down on Fernando's lap again pulling the child with her. "This is Leo, Leo this is my husband, Fernando." She made quick introductions and watched as the two engaged in a silent staring contest.
• She cleared her throat and Fernando looked away first. "Well?"
• "I won! Hello Fernando, I didn't know she was your wife." Leo apologized and Fernando patted his head.
• "It's quite alright. I can't believe she's my wife sometimes."
• Lia swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to ignore the tightness in her chest at his words. Of course he didn't believe she was his wife, she wasn't Janet Lawson.
• "Are you okay, Lia?" Leo asked staring at her and she faked a smile for his benefit.
• "Yes I am. What do you want to do?" She croaked and cursed her emotions for getting the better of her. She prayed Fernando didn't notice as she rose to her feet again taking Leo's hand in hers.
• "Come on, let's go find your mummy." She said and they walked off leaving Fernando sitting there oblivious to her thoughts and feelings.
• ***
• "Do you have a mummy, Lia?" Leo asked as they got to the swings and Lia nodded. "Where is she?"
• Lia shook her head and continued walking. "I don't know but I'm trying to find her."
• "Did she came to the park too?" Leo asked and Lia laughed.
• "My mummy is too old for parks Leo. Parks are for cute little boys like you."
• Leo stopped walking causing her to halt in her tracks as well. "Then why are you here?"
• 'Good question.' She thought with a smile and looked at him. "Where were you sitting?"
• Leo pointed to a corner of the park where some women were sited. She could see some other children and alot of food. It looked like a picnic. "Over there."
• "Leo!" A red haired woman screamed and ran towards them. Lia released his hand and watched with a smile as Leo ran towards her.
• "Mummy! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run off."
• The woman shook her head and laughed, a small laugh plastering his face with kisses. "I'm just glad you're okay."
• Leo pulled away after a while and pointed at Lia. "I made a new friend. Lia!" He screamed and left his mother's side again.
• Lia met him halfway and knelt on the grass. "You shouldn't run off like that, your mummy will be worried again."
• Leo chewed his bottom lip and covered his face. Lia chuckled and rose to her feet. "Come on."
• "You must be the new friend." The red haired woman nodded her head and opened her arms. Leo ran into them and Lia felt warm inside.
• Lia nodded and smiled at Leo who was now tugging on her dress. She had worn a sundress due to the weather. "Yes I am. He's such a sweet child."
• "He is, isn't he? Sometimes I can't believe he's mine."
• What was with everyone using that phrase? Lia wondered but kept the smile on her face wide so the woman wouldn't suspect anything.
• "I'm Martha and you've already met Leo."
• "Well I'm Lia, nice to meet you." Lia stretched her hands out for Martha to shake and she shook it, grinning broadly.
• "Nice to meet you too, Lia. Do you want to join us over there? It's a small picnic with my friends and their children."
• Lia looked over at their little getup longingly but she shook her head. "I would have loved to but my husband is over there waiting for me. Maybe next time."
• "Alright. Come on Leo, say goodbye to Lia." Martha instructed and Leo ran towards Lia signalling for her to pick him up.
• Lia picked him up and spun him around laughing as he screamed in glee. "You're such a sweet boy. Don't go running off on mummy again." She warned as she put him down.
• Leo nodded and ran back to Martha. "Bye Lia."
• Lia waved as she watched him walk away with Martha back to their people. She watched them for sometime more and was so lost in thought she didn't notice that Fernando had joined her until he spoke.
• "Having fun?"
• Lia placed her hand on her chest to calm her racing heart and nodded. "Yes. Thank you for today."
• "The day just began. Wanna see a movie?" He asked walking off and she spared one final glance at Leo's people before running after him.
• Fernando reduced his walking speed so she could catch up with him and slipped an hand around her waist when she was close enough. "What movie do you want to see?"
• Lia shrugged not minding his hand around her waist. It was good, maybe too good. "I don't know. Let's get there first and see."
• "Race you to the car." Fernando took off running in the direction of their car and Lia gasped.
• "Hey! You're cheating." She noted and ran after him.
• ***
• "Why are you crying?" Fernando's brows were furrowed as he handed Lia his handkerchief to wipe her face.
• They were only two minutes into the movie and Lia was already teary eyed.
• "I have seen the movie before. I know what's coming next." She told him and then gasped burying her face in his shoulder.
• Fernando looked at her and then at the screen in confusion. It wasn't a horror movie for pete's sake. "Do you want to go home and watch it?"
• Lia shook her head and raised it narrow her eyes at him. "Am I embarrassing you?"
• Fernando was quick to shake his head as he gulped. She looked really fierce all of a sudden. "It's not that, Lia. I just thought you'd be more comfortable watching it in the den back home."
• "You have a den?" She asked her eyebrows raised in shock. "I didn't know that."
• 'There are alot of things you don't know, Lia.' a voice in her head said and she sighed feeling down.
• "Can we go home?" All she wanted to do now was curl under the covers and cry her eyes out until she had an headache.
• "Are you okay?" He asked checkout her temperature and she almost laughed. Almost. He was really trying to hard.
• "I'm fine. I just don't feel like watching anymore." She whispered when someone beside them told her to keep it down.
• "Come on." He picked her up and carried her out of the place apologizing to a few people he bumped into as he passed.
• Lia bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh as he smiled at an old lady who was giving them a weird look.
• "Sit tight." He instructed as he placed her in the passenger's seat and wore her the seatbelt.
• Lia watched silently as he walked over to the driver's side and got in. "Fernando." She whispered and he turned, his hands on the key he had placed in the ignition.
• "Yes? Are you okay?" His eyes scanned her body so fast, Lia started to feel dizzy.
• She bit he lip and nodded looking down at her hands. How was he going to take what she was going to say? Would he get mad and go back to the old Fernando?
• "Lia?" He was watching her with concern swimming in his eyes.
• "I want to stay at Jane's." She sighed and waited for his response looking everywhere but at him. "If we're going to do this then we have to do it right. We are still strangers so I think we should get to know each other first. If I stay at the house, it won't..."
• Fernando placed his finger on her lips to silence her, smiling. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, I understand what you're saying and I agree with you."
• "You do?" She asked in confusion and he nodded.
• "I don't mind taking things slow." He turned to look at her and she finally met his eyes. "I have only ever loved one woman so it's going to take sometime before I can get to that point again with you.."
• "I'm not asking you to love.."
• "What I'm saying is, I want this to work Lia. You're not your mother, you're different so I don't want to do things the same.."
• Lia silenced him with a kiss too overwhelmed to speak.