The week is too busy for my taste. We are in the news all over the world, especially due to the fundraiser being the most significant success ever. The children will be able to keep calm for approximately a whole year.I still can't believe Stella Castellano asked me to lunch next week during the fundraiser! I just hope that assistant of hers doesn't come along. My first lessons at the community centre are better than I thought. The ten kids in the class are sweethearts.I currently relax on the jet as I watch the stewardess making the famous gestures of what to do in an emergency and all the blah blah blah. Hunter hasn't told me where we are going yet to celebrate my birthday, but everyone else certainly knows from the excitement my friends are oozing around me.The Barcelona team was given a break because of the two championships they will be playing simultaneously, and again I am luckier than the referee. It's a beautiful cold Friday in Barcelona and looking at this city from above
We park and visit a vast fountain to take pictures. It is already night, and when I hear an explosion, I get scared. I look back to find fireworks filling the sky, colours brightening the dark. About five minutes later, the magnificent fireworks cease. Hunter and I have to move along now, unfortunately for security reasons as people would spot us, point fingers and then come running towards us.“I love you,” he says as we stroll at another scenic place.“I love you too,” I say back.It is a strange and wonderful thing at the same time. We never walk hand in hand on the streets because I can’t even think about that possibility. But here we are, just Selena and Hunter, the best in the world, without being the soccer star.“I have a pre-birthday order,” I say, and he now hugs me as we walk.“And what would it be?” He already has that little smile.“When we can travel again, I want to go where Judas lost his boots and another ten kilometres ahead. That may even be in the middle of the for
I look at my body and see that I have gotten a nice tan.“Do you want to join me in the pool?” I invite her.“Come on,” she agrees.We swim in place and talk about how our lives have changed since college, when Valentina bounces off the porch in her pale blue dress.“Hunter is calling for you,” she tells me, grinning with delight.Joanna and I step out of the pool and put on our robes. We follow Valentina to the front of the house.“SURPRISE!” Everyone yells in unison and points to the car behind them. Holy crap. Damn! All the curse words in the world.“It's that car you liked, remember?”Hunter comes forward and hugs me, and I freeze, staring at the car. It's a white BMW. I can't speak. I hug my friends in automatic mode.“You got me a car.” I point to the big white thing parked before me. “And where do you buy judgment?” Everyone laughs with me.“All for you,” Hunter says in my ear. Somethin
I wake up startled by the heavy rain that hits the window. My head hurts, and my eyes are puffy from crying. I get up and look at the clock on the nightstand that says half-past ten in the morning. I grab my cellphone and text Joanna and Valentina for lunch. They respond quickly, confirming. I go to the door and step onto a piece of paper that was slid in from underneath the door."I went to train. I’ll be home in the afternoon. We'll talk later. Your car is already here. H."I feel a squeeze in my chest. He has never left me a simple note like this. At least he left one; that is a good sign, I think.I go into Hunter's room to get ready. The closet mirror is broken. I check the floor to see where some of the shrapnel is, but I think it's all been cleaned up. I put on the simplest outfit I have, but the broken mirror continues to have my attention. I hurry downstairs.“Good morning, Selena.” Maria smiles shyly.“Good morning, Maria. Sorry about last night,” I say.“It’s all right. Jus
HunterToday makes it two weeks since Selena has been in a coma. Every day I leave her bedside just to go to training and games that are a long journey. Eventually the president decides to leave me out of the team, and of course, it costs me fifteen percent less than my salary. It doesn't matter. I just want my Selena to come back to me.I am the only one responsible for her being in this situation. If I hadn't given her some reason to be suspicious of something, she wouldn't have gone off at high speed, causing the vehicle to flip over seven times and bashing her head in.I still can’t quite explain the shock I received when I got the call from the paramedics saying she'd been in an accident. It was a matter of minutes— I just had time to get her provisional driver's license to go after her, but the damage was done.It was most painful when I called our families. When I told her parents the state she was in, her mother passed out simultaneously. I had to tell them; they needed to kno
“Selena?” The doctor speaks to her softly. “Everything is all right. You were in a car accident and are in a hospital.” Dr Sheena presses a button to call some nurses and the psychologist. I marvel at her lost eyes.“Hi love, everything is fine,” I speak, leaning over her. I try to take her hand, but she refuses. I look at the doctor, not knowing what to do.I can tell Selena is panting and looking around suspiciously at the doctor and me.“You know who I am, don't you?” I ask her, starting to sweat.“I’m sorry.” Her voice sounds dry. “Sorry, but I don't know who you are.” She blushes and calls for her mother. Selena's mother instantly appears at the door, very emotional.I get out of there, running. My Selena doesn't remember me.“Mr. Blanco!” the doctor calls after me. I stop in the hall and she almost runs into me. “It’s alright. This happens in many cases.”“You said she was okay!” My screams echo down the hall.“Mr. Blanco, the brain is the most unstable and inconsistent part of
Dr. Sheena informs me I will be discharged now because my results were beyond her expectations. At least that's what my private interpreter tells me.Hunter leads me to a shiny black car. From what the doctor indicated, I have to return to my normal routine, and that it may help my memories return.Wow! I'm in awe of the car.“You like it?” he asks, opening the door for me.“It's beautiful!” He gets in and starts the car. “Where will we go?”“Home.” He looks at me smiling.“Do I live with you?” I speak, embarrassed. My father would never let me live with a man!“Technically not.” He looks at me a little distressed.“And what does that mean?” My mind is like a scene from a horror movie with barely visible smoke.“You wanted to do things by yourself without depending on anyone.”That suits me. I am silent again. It's so irrational for me to ride in a luxury car with a stranger who I'm told is my boyfriend. Boyfriend. I have, or at least, had one. Does he know I'm with someone else? Do I
Hunter“There is nothing to worry about.” Would I have had a chance with twenty-year-old Selena? My mind is already hammering away with the thought. “What else do you want to know?”“How we met.” The way she looks at me now seems like she can see into my soul. Chocolate brown eyes that don’t absorb memories.I start from the beginning. When I spilt my drink on her, the way she cursed me, when I took her home and when I went to return her cellphone, which led to my bullshit decision and biggest regret I felt: running away right after we had sex. It's more confusing for me to talk about it than for her to take it all in.“Our first time was not at the pool?” She runs a hand through her hair, putting her bangs back.“The stupid thing I did is not to be considered a first time. You told me yourself that I was an idiot. So, you excused me, and we didn't talk about it anymore. Even though you said it was the best orgasm of your life.”She widens her bright brown eyes. “Right! Let's skip t
One year later...You've been married for just over a year, and your children will complete one year. How has your life changed from then?I fiddle with my fingers that are resting on my now finely crossed legs.“I discovered myself as a woman,” I answer, facing Alice as she interviews me. “I found that I can really take care of someone, since I didn't even know how to take care of myself. And now I take care of four!”“How is the atmosphere in your house with your children?”I smile. “My house is the biggest mess ever. It's a minefield of toys everywhere. Every time I get home, my kids start waving their arms frantically and laughing nonstop to see me.”“And your husband, Hunter Blanco, is at home with his children?”I look at the camera nervously photographing me and then back at Alice.“He is an amazing father, and whenever he can, he is with his children and family.” I end it there and Alice tilts her head and looks at me.“Selena!” she scolds me. “This is a personal interview, so
I let him enter the dimly lit room. The quiet and peaceful environment, together with the image of Hunter kissing our children's foreheads, fascinates me. He cares about them fifteen thousand times more than he cares about me. Before, I didn't understand the reason for this exaggeration, but now I would watch over them as they sleep twenty-four hours a day if I could.“How did they spend these last few days?”My heart sinks, remembering. It’s been five days since we've seen each other, way too long!“The pediatrician said that Valeria should start taking half a dose of the medication,” I inform and he sighs. “The boys are missing iron. Did you see the size of Pedro's fat little hand and Liam's thick thigh?” I say, laughing.“There was no way not to notice it, it makes you want to bite it.”I feel like crying to see him so happy. I want to hug him and hold him so much that I have to hold back. I need him to keep me strong, and I like it better when I have more time, but now it doesn't
Hunter:"I know I'm stubbornBut I changed when I looked at youYou made me wiserAs much as I try to run awayI'm always led in your directionIt seems like I let go everythingAs I held your hand."“I Forgot to Forget You – Mr SantanaThe plane lands on the ground as the intense Madrid sun helps ease the short winter days it has been having lately. I smooth out my suit, ready to get off the plane. I become twice as nervous.I'm coming back from Germany after another game for the Champions League*. It was quite a game. I’m bringing another victory and two more goals in my career. Today I feel like no one can beat me. Nobody can beat me as the best player, as the best husband and as the best father, and that's why I feel powerful, having my family around.I quicken my pace, leaving my team behind. I hear protests, but I don't give a damn. I'm missing my family. It’s been two months since my two little surprises have been at home with my little princess ValeriaI get into my custom bla
I try to get comfortable in my hospital bed, but it's impossible. My stitches are sore, and my belly never seems to want to deflate. I want my tiny waist back and not get saggy!My two boys have just had their last hospital feed as tomorrow we are finally going home. After almost four days, we can go to our new house which I still haven't seen after the last details of the renovation. The hard part will be leaving my little one with the pink bow in her hair at the hospital. It won't be easy. After all, I have to feed three babies, and one of them will be far from me in that damn incubator.Hunter is hesitant after I mention Christiano's name, constantly dodging the conversation. Still, every time I look at him, I see his watery eyes for our daughter, who hasn't shown any improvement. I can't hide my crying spells. After all, I want my family back home and healthy. I can't believe that as soon as he learned more about the subject, he didn't think straight about his brother, who is too
“We have tested everyone in our family,” Hunter takes the lead. “Even Alice, Joanna, Stella, Fernando and Sophia volunteered. I realised that Sophia was on the list since she is not your blood sister. But none of them are a match,” he says, unsatisfied.I spend more time with my daughter, my beautiful little princess with blue eyes. She swallows stiffly every time she moves inside that warm bubble. She is so small, so white and almost bald.I head back to the bedroom, and soon they bring me my two boys. When I hold them one by one in my lap, already lying on the gurney, I almost fear I am going to drop them. Like their sister, they are so tiny, also white and bald. I can barely distinguish them from one another.First, I cuddle Pedro, who keeps moving his hands and making faces. And then it is Liam's turn, who keeps wiggling and blinking lazily. So beautiful.For the first time, I am going to breastfeed my children. The nurses watch me all the time to see if I am doing it wrong. And f
Life is sometimes so unfair but objectively correct. There are no pains that cannot be healed, no bonds that cannot be joined, people that do not come back—the concept of life and death. Widely known as the eminent pain after a person, who is deliberately said to set out on a better journey. Maybe not. Since no one has yet discovered what occurs after death, there are only scientific and religious theories to go by.I can say that experiencing death is neither painful nor sad. I don't feel like running out of the light and back to life. Peace. Perhaps the peace that everyone seeks is not in life itself. Never, ever, no matter how hard you try, you will never have any rest. As much as something is resolved well, another factor comes and shakes everything again. That may be the meaning of life. It’s not just you opening your eyes and feeling that your heart is still beating. It's a vicious cycle, where love and disagreement will always be present as a challenge, a challenge you face eve
I feel my eyelids getting heavier. It's too hard to keep my eyes alert. The doctors and nurses keep encouraging me to stay awake as I drift off. Sleeping at a time like this would complicate their work much more.They get to work with the scalpel. A rush takes place behind the door, and I am aware of what is happening. Hunter, my Hunter is in sterilised blue suits to match his blue eyes.My head starts to ache, and I close my eyes due to the sudden pain."Our first appearance together. There will be a lot of people.“If you get nervous and want to leave that's fine.""Let's see you soon, my beautiful. Just don't forget what we had together."More pressure in my head settles, and every time I open my eyes and blink, there’s a flash of memory.“I promise to never forget you,” I speak hoarsely, repeating what I told him on the day of the benefit ball.He takes my hand, and we both cry, and then he understands everything. Despite the rush to move my belly that occurs around us, we are obl
Losing him was something I've never imaginedMissing you was like the dark grey skies, I am here all aloneForgetting you was like trying to find out about somebodythat I never sawBut loving him was all redTouching him again was me realising that everything I ever wantedwas right in front of meRemembering it was as easy as knowing all the lyricsfrom your favourite songFighting with you was like trying to solve difficult crossword puzzlesAnd realise that there is no right answerMy regret for you was as though you wishedthat you had never discoveredThat maybe love could be this strong – Tay Swift – “Red”Contractions increase with every nanosecond of my breathing. I look at the car's dashboard and realise that Fernando is driving at 110 km/h on one of Madrid's busiest avenues. I let out one scream after another in pain, and with each one that is echoed by the car, I see the expression of agony on Sophia's face.I can't feel my hands or feet. My hair is plastered to my forehea
SelenaAfter our last fight at the end of last month it is like a burst of guilt. Guilt is now stuck between us and our relationship. He for talking to me about pessimism, and I admit that I'm pessimistic, but I didn't say that, and that's precisely my percentage of the blame.Despite what the doctor said, I was determined to fight the obvious consequence at all odds. I had to be positive, believe there was a calming light at the end of a tunnel, that it wasn’t a train which will crush me under it’s wheels of destiny.Snap! Someone makes a click with their fingers to bring me back to reality.“Stop thinking so much!” It was Sophia, my best friend soulmate.“I think the third baby's name is Theo,” I tell Sophia as she came to me to confirm that she chose her baby's name too. “And we'll have one more family man.”When we speak together, the same name is spelt out in our voices, making us laugh like crazy until she says I could put it on the third baby since I'm going to win first. It wa