Part Two - Chapter Sixteen: Growing Stronger

                                    

                                          
“Thalia’s asleep,” Felisa murmured as she walked into the bedroom, her blue eyes looking at her boyfriend concerned; she was glad that Thalia now slept in her own bedroom since it gave the couple so space. 
                          
Cristiano nodded his head as he stared at the television as it showed replays of the match, he hadn’t spoken a word since he’d been red card and he knew there would be a backlash over what he had done. 
                          
Felisa sighed as she moved to get ready for bed, she glanced back at her boyfriend wondering how she could cheer him up for what he had done.
                          
 The brunette had heard why Cristiano had punched the other footballer and she couldn’t help but feel like it was her fault that he had gone and done something like that. 
                          
Felisa stepped into the bathroom as prepared herself for bed, she walked over to the sink and rested her hands on it as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. 
                          
The brunette sighed as she shook her head and started to remove her clothes, she moved away from the mirror knowing that Cristiano deserved someone a lot better than her.
                          
Cristiano wouldn’t have to punch another footballer if he was dating a model or a singer, someone that looked not only good on his arm but wasn’t causing him trouble in anyway.
                          
 Felisa messed with her silver fancy 12 point diamond solitaire ring as she set her clothes in the washing basket, she chewed on her lip knowing that she couldn’t allow her doubts to plague her; Cristiano had proven his love for her over and over again. 
                          
Pulling her white dressing robe off the back of the bathroom door and wrapped it around her, her fingers brushed along her toned stomach as she traced a scar that lay there. 
                          
Felisa hadn’t told Cristiano what had happened, she knew it was something that he wouldn’t have noticed yet since he hadn’t seen her naked; they were taking things slow right now even after two months tonight.
                          
***
                          
Cristiano looked up at his girlfriend as she padded back into the bedroom again, his eyes lingered on her long tanned legs as she walked passed him to the chest of draws. 
                          
The footballer sighed knowing that he had been taking his frustration out on her, he hadn’t spoken to Felisa at all and it wasn’t her fault; he had known that there were people that would try and bait him and he had fallen for it. 
                          
“Sinto muito,” Cristiano said as he looked at Felisa knowing that she was one of the best things in his life, he had only just proven to her that she was what he wanted. 
                          
The footballer knew she had doubts and he didn’t want them driving a wedge between them, he was determined to make this work for them. 
                          
Felisa turned to look at her boyfriend confused, she brushed some hair from her face as she stared at him a little taken back that he had apologised to her. Cristiano got to his feet and walked over to his girlfriend, he carefully reached for her and pulled her to him in comfort. 
                          
The brunette cuddled straight in his arms, she rested her head on his chest knowing that they would be okay; she closed her eyes feeling exhausted as she listened to the commentary that was playing in the background. 
                          
“I shouldn’t have punched him,” Cristiano said knowing that he deserved his match ban and whatever else they decided to slap him with. 
                          
Felisa brushed her fingers carefully down his back in an attempt to comfort him, she pulled back slightly so that she could reach up and kiss him; her fingers tangling in his hair as they kissed.
                          
The footballer carefully opened his girlfriend’s dressing robe and wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her flush against him; his lips tenderly caressing hers as they kissed. 
                          
“I love you,” Cristiano said as he pulled back from Felisa briefly, his eyes searching hers for a moment before he started to hiss down her neck as he removed her robe and allowed it to pool at her feet leaving Felisa just in her nude and black strappy mesh triangle bra and thong. 
                          
The brunette ran her fingers carefully through Cristiano’s hair as she smiled knowing that they were okay, she closed her eyes contently for a moment before her boyfriend’s fingers brushed against the scar that she carried on her stomach. 
                          
Cristiano stopped leaving a mark on the tanned skin of her neck as his fingers came into contact with something new, he pulled back a little confused as he moved his fingers carefully back on the raised skin that was on Felisa’s toned stomach. 
                          
Felisa stood still as she wondered what Cristiano would say about the scar, she swallowed as he looked down at it as he continued to brush his fingers against it. 
                          
“Isa?” Cristiano asked softly as he stared at the mark on her skin, it hadn’t been there the last time that he had seen his girlfriend naked; however that had been over a year ago and it frightened him that he hadn’t known about it. 
                          
Felisa shook her head as she stopped his hands brushing again the scar, it ran just under her bellybutton across her stomach and she was all too aware that it was still healing. 
                          
“It’s from when I had Thalia, there were complications,” Felisa whispered as she looked up nervously at him, she knew that it was nothing serious but she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed about it. 
                          
The brunette hadn’t gotten over the fact that she hadn’t been able to deliver her daughter naturally since things had gone very wrong. 
                          
“Complications?” Cristiano breathed as he eyed the scar concerned about what it meant, he swallowed knowing that his girlfriend and daughter were okay. 
                          
The two of them meant so much to him that he didn’t like the idea of anything happening to them when he wasn’t around. 
                          
Felisa nodded her head as she watched him, she swallowed as he moved to touch her stomach again as his eyes remained locked on the scar; she knew that he deserved to know what had happened. 
                          
“Thalia went into fetal distress and there was no other options so they were forced to do a caesarean section,” Felisa said as she looked down at her scar, she had felt so helpless and had no one by her side while it was happening. 
                          
Rhea had been at home looking after Fabio and Cristiano hadn’t even known that she was pregnant, she had been alone at her own choosing and she didn’t think that she would ever do that again.
                          
 “I should have been there,” Cristiano whispered as guilt filled him, he hated that he had driven Felisa away and that she had been too scared to come to him when she was pregnant. 
                          
The footballer would have never forgive himself if he had lost Felisa through this, he knew that the doctors wouldn’t have risked a caesarean if there was another option; Felisa and Thalia must have been in serious danger.
                          

                          
“Sinto muito,” Felisa whispered feeling guilty that he hadn’t been there with her, she had chosen not to tell him because of her own stupid fears that he’d steal Thalia from her and she wished she would have realised that he really did love her. 
                          
Cristiano shook his head as he pressed a kiss to her lips, he wasn’t angry at her for something that had both been their faults. 
                          
“Não me desculpe,” the footballer said knowing that they would grow stronger from this, he wasn’t going to allow anything to come between them and the sooner that the rest of the world understood that the better.