The Only Exception

Part Two - Chapter Twenty-Two: World Cup Preparations

Lucia smiled as she played with Maia on the floor, she cooed at the little girl as she peeked at the clock wondering when her husband would be home from training; it had been two weeks since she had buried her father and the couple had slowly settled down again.

Maia was seven weeks old now and the couple were surprised at how big she was getting and it was only a reminder that their little girl was quickly growing up.

Lucia smiled laying back on the soft carpet of the living room and sat Maia on her stomach; it was quickly approaching her wedding anniversary and Lionel wouldn’t tell her what he had planned for them.

The sound of the front door opening and closing made Lucia smile as she heard Poppy hurrying to greet Lionel at the door; the blonde chuckled softly as she saw the look on Maia’s face.

“Who’s that?” Lucia whispered to her daughter cuddling her, she stayed laying on the floor as Poppy hurried into the room wagging her tail as Lionel followed her.

Lionel grinned at the sight of his wife and daughter, everything had quietened down since Andres’s funeral and Lionel was grateful for that fact.

Shrugging off his jacket, Lionel moved to sit down beside his wife and carefully lifted Maia to sit on his lap; he cuddled her knowing that she was always going to be his baby girl.

“I’ve been thinking,” Lionel murmured as he held Maia close, he adored his daughter and he wouldn’t change anything for the world; she was everything to him and he knew that he would never let anything hurt her in anyway.

Lucia raised an eyebrow at her husband wondering where he was going with this, she knew that the world cup was fast approaching and the season wasn’t looking so could for Barcelona right now.

“I want you and Maia with me in Brazil for the world cup,” Lionel said as Lucia sat up and brushed her fingers through her blonde hair, her blue eyes looking at him as his words sunk in.

Lucia knew how important the tournament was for her husband, it was the highest level of play for any footballer and she felt a little honoured that he wanted them with him.

“I can organise a room for the two of you,” Lionel continued looking down at Maia, the little girl favoured her mother’s looks with her blonde curls and bright blue eyes.

Lionel could see only tiny bits of himself in his daughter but they were there, he loved the fact Maia looked like her mother and he wouldn’t change that for the world.

“Leo,” Lucia murmured still a little taken back, she really hadn’t thought that he would want them there in case they distracted him while he prepared for this.

Lionel was going to be busy since he was the captain of the national team and Lucia hadn’t wanted to cause problems by being there.

“You really want us there?” Lucia asked staring at him, she had been content just to go straight to Argentina and watch from their apartment or with his parents.

Lucia hadn’t even considered that Lionel would want her there with him in Brazil, she was touched that he wanted her to be there while he played for their country.

“Of course I want you both there,” Lionel said looking at his wife, he couldn’t think of having her anywhere else especially when he knew that this was an important time in his life.

Maia babbled making her parents look down at her, she would have no idea about what was going on right now but Lionel wanted her there so that he could feel close to her.

“I don’t think I can play without you and Maia there to watch me,” Lionel said the tournament wasn’t going to be easy, everything was going to be an uphill fight and he worried that he wasn’t going to be good enough.

Lucia smiled softly, she knew that he was nervous there was so much pressure on his shoulders to do well in this tournament and she had seen how Argentina had been knocked out of the 2011 Copa América by Uruguay three years ago.

Lionel hadn’t been captain back then but the team had put a lot of pressure on him to perform; something that was bound to happen this time since he was the captain now.

“We’ll be there,” Lucia said nodding her head, she was sure she could handle being in Brazil for the tournament; it was a few short weeks but she felt a little nervous about the media attention that there would be.

Maia would be nearly four months old and she wouldn’t have any problems with her little girl; it was the press that un-nerved her.

Lionel smiled as he looked at her, he was glad that she would be there; he would focus on the tournament better when he had them close to him.

***

Lionel smiled as he fed Maia her bottle, he loved moments like this and it distracted him from everything else that was happening; he still couldn’t believe that she as seven weeks old when it seemed like only yesterday that she had been born.

“I want another one,” Lionel said looking at his wife, he loved the idea of having one or two more and they had talked about this before.

Lucia chuckled and nodded her head knowing that she loved the idea of having another baby just not right now, Maia was still only young and there wasn’t any rush for them to have another.

“I’d like a little boy and maybe another little girl,” Lionel mused looking down at Maia, he loved the idea of having children with his wife and they would all be perfect in his eyes.

Lucia smiled sitting down beside him on the couch, she knew that they had talked about this and they wanted a big family.

Maia wasn’t going to be an only child like Lucia had been, she had been envious of Lionel having siblings since she was alone a lot and it wasn’t something that she wanted for her own daughter.

“Maybe in a year or so we could start trying,” Lucia said brushing her fingers through Maia’s blonde hair, she was a shade or two darker than her mother and Lucia didn’t mind.

Lionel nodded in agreement, he loved the idea of having children and he didn’t mind when they had them as long as Lucia wanted more with him.

“Besides we can’t have Lionel Messi not having a son to carry on his great footballing legacy,” Lucia teased pressing a kiss to Lionel’s cheek, she knew how much that would mean to him and she wanted to make that happen.

Lionel grinned at her words before he looked down at Maia as she finished her bottle, he moved to burp her knowing that he loved his daughter and he knew that she would love having siblings to play with when she was older.

“I don’t mind what they do as long as they are happy,” Lionel said knowing that while he would love any of his children to follow in his footsteps, he would be just as happy if they made a name for themselves.

Lucia nodded moving to take Maia, she couldn’t believe that she was getting so big and in a couple of months would be crawling around and causing mayhem for her parents.

Lionel watched Lucia with Maia, he wanted to win the world cup for them; he knew that they were the best things in his life right now and he wouldn’t change anything for the world.