Separate Spaces Chapter Ten : The End
“Yes, it’s another girl.” David pretended to roll his eyes. Everyone laughed; his family and Patricia’s family were here along with most of the Barca team, and Nando and Olalla. Their section of the waiting room was packed. Patricia had been in labor for almost sixteen hours, but luckily it went without complications, but she was about to pass out. David told her to sleep and she didn’t argue at all. He had walked out and announced to everyone the news.
Only two other people knew the personal problems going on at the Villa’s. When Patricia found out it was a girl, she had no doubt what she wanted to name her: Olalla. The reasons why were obvious. “We’ve decided it name her Olaya.” He said, smiling at his friend. Olalla’s chocolate eyes filled with tears. Fernando smiled at David.
“So obviously, Nando, we’d like you to be her god-father.” He continued. Fernando nodded and hugged his friend. Olalla’s eyes kept looking towards the hallway where Patricia was. David nodded his head and she was off.
Her flip-flops echoed in the silent and empty hallway. She tried to be quiet, but Patricia was at the very end of the hall.
“I can’t believe you named your daughter after me.” She whined at Patricia, appearing in the doorway. Patricia blinked away, hearing her friend’s voice.  “I need to have another girl so I cant return the favor.” She joked. Patricia smiled and sighed lightly. “I…” She walked over, her hands covering her mouth. But her tears still flowed. “She’s so beautiful.” She looked down at her goddaughter and another wave of tears fell. “She looks just like you.”
Patricia was still half asleep. “Thank you.” She whispered, only partially aware of what her best friend said. She sat up and repositioned the bed she so wasn’t lying flat anymore. “For everything.” She said when she was finally coherent.
“That’s why I am your best friend.” She smoothed Patricia’s hair down and smiled at Olaya. “David’s face… it’s like he was glowing when he was talking to us. He is so happy.”
“I’m hoping he stays like that.” Patricia mumbled, smirking. She was getting very tired from the long labor and drugs.
“Go to sleep, everything will be fine.” Olalla comforted, squeezing her friend’s hand.
“Stop.” Patricia ordered, softly. “You have to let the past go. Take it with you only a lesson. She is going to change everything. Remember how happy David and you were after Zaida was born? That’s going to be your life now.”
“You really are the best.” Patricia whispered after a few minutes. “You know me, I always plan for the worst. That way, when everything goes wrong, I’m not too hurt.” She looked down at her sleeping daughter. Her heart swelled in her chest as she watched Olaya breath and snuggle closer.
“I know, you’re Miss Realistic, but promise me something, from now on, you need to be Miss Optimistic.” Olalla looked into Patricia’s eyes and waited for her to say something.
“Promise.” She stuck out her pinky and Olalla wrapped hers around Patricia’s. She had promised and she had to honor that. Regardless of how hard it might be.
Patricia opened her eyes three weeks later, feeling the mattress shift under her. As she rolled over to face David, she sighed. So far, this was the first night since Olaya’s birth that the couple was about to sleep right through the night; if Zaida wasn’t having a nightmare, Olaya was crying for no apparent reason. David gently rubbed his thumb on his wife’s cheek.
“I’m sorry nena.” He whispered softly. She lifted her head just enough see the clock behind him. It was almost five A.M. and David would be getting up in an hour to go for a run before he started training. He offered to stay home for a few weeks, but Patricia knew that being off the pitch would drive him insane. And then the tension would start again. David could barely go a few hours without something today, let alone a whole day. A single week would make me lose his mind.
“It’s fine.” She mumbled, groggy. “I need to get up anyway.” She pushed the covers off her but continued to lay still. David laughed lightly and kept caressing her cheek.
“Say in bed today.” David offered. “I’ll stay home too and—“
“No. Go.” She opened her eyes. “You’ll go mad here.” She smiled to herself. David sighed, his lips twitching in an almost smile. “You want breakfast?” Finally, she propped herself on her arm and sat up. “I’ll make some French toast.”
He nodded and walked into the closet. Patricia finally pulled herself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen. Olaya was still asleep, thankfully. Patricia slowly and quietly turned on the stove and started to make breakfast. If she could even get in a mug of coffee before Zaida and her sister woke up, she would be happy.
“Ok, I’ll be back in an hour.” David said, grabbing a banana. “I love you.” he kissed her temple then cheek. She smiled and turned back to the stove.
She was able to finish making her French toast and a few cups of coffee. She went and checked on both children, who were dead asleep. She crept outside and watched as the bright sun rose. It was like a perfect scene from a movie. She sighed contently and melted into the chair.
“You’re going to get sunburn.” David joked, startling her. She jumped and hit the coffee mug. It nearly crashed onto the ground. “Sorry.” He laughed. He walked around to crouch in front of her.
“Oh God, Olaya.” She suddenly flashed back to reality. David grabbed her shoulders.
“She’s fine. I went to check on her, she was awake, but quiet. I fed her, played with her and set her back in the crib.” He comforted. “You’re not alone in this.” Since they got back from the hospital, they hadn’t talk about life before Olalla.Â
Things had started getting better, but right before she went to labor, she had exploded. David hadn’t told her, but he had talked to Fernando. He told him that he was also worried that he would end up in the guest bedroom again. Like Olalla, Fernando forced David to stop being so pessimistic.
 “I’m going to stay home today.” He said. Patricia shook her head. “Yes, I am staying. I want to be with my three loves.” He joked. “Besides today’s practice, is pointless, it’s just us messing around.”
He pulled up a chair beside Patricia’s and laced their fingers together. He too sighed contently and looked out at the view. “You’re the third love of my life, you know that.”
“Third?” She asked, looking at him. Her heart jumped a little.
“Olaya—ours not Nando’s—then Zaida and then you.” he smiled. “What, did you think I was going to say Barca?” Patricia shrugged and frowned. “Patricia, not matter what, you’re always going to come before football. I know that, for a while there, you wanted to leave.” She opened her eyes to argued, but closed he. He smiled, knowing he was right. “But I couldn’t leave you. I wouldn’t survive. You do everything for me, even when we were sleeping apart, you still did my laundry.”
“That’s because you can’t.” She teased.
“Exactly!” He joked. They fell quiet again. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t.” Patricia shifted to face towards him. “David, we both make mistakes. I don’t want to talk about it because then it will be on my mind and that part of our life, I don’t want to remember. I know you’re sorry. You know I am sorry.”
David leaned over and kissed her softly. He didn’t want to think about it either. He pulled away and was about to speak, but Zaida walked out, rubbing her tiny eyes.
“I got it.” David said, before Patricia could even think about moving. David quickly poked Zaida’s side, making her squirm and laugh lightly, before he darted inside.
“Mama,” Zaida bounced over and into her mother’s lap. “I had a nightmare.”
“Things were like before.” She said softly. “You and papa were fighting—“
“That was just a dream sweetie. That is never going to happen again, I promise.” She made sure Zaida understood that those days were behind them. For good. She had promised Olalla, but now she had also promised her daughter. There was no way she and David could slip back into old habits every again.Â