A Different Kind Of Talk
(@armanda-lucia-salazar I am operating as though this is a separate universe. I own Sofía, but in this story, she’s an only child. Not that something happened to Carolina, just operating with my own OC cause I wanted to experiment with something. Also, in this story Sofía is 9, not 5)
Guillermo Lesaro was experiencing something that was not common for him, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it if things didn’t go well. He was scared. He hated feeling scared, weak or helpless.
He had arranged things carefully and meticulously, but... he was still terrified that it would all be for nothing. It had to go perfectly.
But, the worst part was that there was a lot about this he couldn’t control. He couldn’t make anyone be happy about this, but he couldn’t bare the thought of anyone hating each other either.
“Are you alright Gui?” Armando asked from the seat next to him. He looked at Lesaro with concern written across his features. “Y-yes, I’m... I’m just a little nervous is all.” Mando just smiled at him, “Oh come now, it will be fine. I don’t see how this could possibly go wrong.”
Lesaro groaned. Why did he have to say that. Now something was definitely going to go wrong!
They arrived at Lesaro’s house a few minutes later, and they climbed out of the carriage. As soon as the carriage began to pull away, the door to the house opened and Sofía came running out to greet him. Even with his nerves, Lesaro couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as he leaned down and returned the hug.
“Welcome home, daddy! How was your trip? Who’s this man? Is he a friend from work? Did you kill a lot of pirates? I missed you so much!” Guillermo just laughed! She was such an energetic child, always had been.
“You’ve met him before mija. The trip was long, but successful. We killed many pirates!” He picked her up with a bit of effort as he spoke. Reminded that his daughter was still growing every day, even if he wasn’t here to watch it happen.
“This is my friend, Armando. Don’t you remember? He is the Capitán of the ship I work on. Can you say hello?” “Oh, right! Hi! Nice to see you again.” Armando was grinning like an idiot and fighting a laugh at her infectious energy, but didn’t forget his manners. With a little bow, he answered, “Well, hello there niña. It is very nice to see you again.”
His bow earned a giggle from Sofía, and a smile from her father. “Alright, let’s go inside shall we? Dinner shouldn’t be too long and I’m getting too old to be carrying you around mija.”
Armando didn’t bother to hide his laughter this time and it quickly got he and Sofía laughing too. Thankfully, Armando was more than happy to keep Sofía entertained while Guillermo went upstairs to unpack. He came back downstairs to find them playing very well together. The sight was so endearing that he ended up stopping partway down the stairs just to take it in a little longer.
Soon after though, dinner was ready and they all sat down to eat.
Much of dinner was spent hearing what Sofía had been up to since he was last at home. Every now and then he’d catch little glances from Armando that bordered on impatience, but he tried to ignore them. He understood why, and knows Armando is right; he shouldn’t keep stalling, but...
Instead he decides to continue the conversation with Sofía out of genuine interest and manners, ...at least, that’s what he told himself. Really, he was just afraid to start the conversation Armando was waiting for.
After dinner, Sofía ran upstairs to grab a painting she had made while her Papi had been away. As soon as she left the room, Armando turned to Lesaro and gave him a stern but sad look. “Gui? Are you ever going to tell her?”
Lesaro looked away from his gaze in shame. “I-I will, it’s just... what... what if she’s not happy about it?” Mando’s gaze turned sympathetic and he reached across the table to hold Lesaro’s hand. “We will never know, if we never ask her, querido.”
Smiling, Lesaro lets out a sigh, “Sí, Mando, I know you are right. I’m just... scared...” “Of what? A 9-year old?” “Yes. Wait! No! That’s not-...ughhhh.” Armando chuckles. “You aren’t helping.” “I know, I’m sorry. Look, Gui. I know you are scared, but I promise you it will be okay. Do you want me to leave the room when you tell her? Or do you want me to stay?”
“I-I don’t know... I’m not sure if-“ “Papiiii!” Lesaro quickly retracted his hand from Armando’s and put on a smile for his little princess. “Hello there mija! What a lovely painting that is!”
After about 15 minutes, Armando ran out of patience and decided to play dirty. “Sofía, your father has something he wants to talk to you about.” He eyes Lesaro’s now terrified face with his calm, but smug one.
Before anything can be said, he leaves the room so he has no other option, but to talk to her.
“What do you want to talk about?” Her eyes are big and full of happy curiosity as she eagerly waits for his answer.
After taking a deep, shaky breadth, he turns to look at her. “Y-yes, I-... Mija, do you... what do you think of Armando?”
She tilts her head and pauses a moment before speaking, “I like him. He’s nice and has a fun laugh. Why?”
“W-well... what would you say if I told you, that, I like him too?” “Well, it wouldn’t make sense if you were friends and didn’t like him.” “N-no mija...” he takes a very deep breadth. “I... love Armando... and... I would like him to stay and... be a part of our family... you... you could have a second padre... what... what do you say?”
At first, she’s confused. Slowly, recognition seeps in and her little eyes go wide in understanding. “Ooohhhh... hmmm...”
As Sofía collects her thoughts and tries to further comprehend what her father just told her, she unknowingly makes her father very anxious. As he waits, he delves into his own thoughts and starts to fear the worst.
“Okay.” “Wait! What-what did you say, mija?” “I said ‘okay’.” “Okay...what?” “You asked me what I say to him being a second padre, and I said ‘okay’. I would like that.”
Guillermo’s heart stopped, and, for a moment, he completely stopped breathing. Did she just say ‘yes’. He had no idea what to do now. He’d spent days thinking about what to do if she said she wasn’t okay with it. Thinking over all the possible reasons she would be uncomfortable and how to change her mind, but, now,... what was he supposed to do? He was completely unprepared for this turn of events.
“Papi? Are you okay?” Without a response from Guillermo, she asked louder, “Papi?! Papi answer me!” “Guillermo? What’s going on in here?” “I don’t know. He won’t answer.”
Armando suddenly came into his field of view and shook him lightly. Eventually, he ended up having to lightly smack him to snap him out of his trance.
“Ah! A-Armando? What-?” “Are you alright, Gui?” “Y-yes I-“ then he remembered why he’d been frozen and he tackled Armando in a crushing hug, “She said yes, Mando! She said Yes!!”
“W-what?... she-? She did? Amor! That’s Wonderful!” Immediately Armando was kissing Guillermo fervently, barely giving him any chance to breathe.”
“Ummmm... Papi?” Quickly, he pulled away from Mando, earning him an eye roll from the other man, and remembered the little 9-year-old was still in the room. “Oh! Ummm... sorry Cariño.” Lesaro couldn’t look her in the eyes, a light blush dusting his face in embarrassment.
He only looked at her again when he heard her giggling, “Wow, Papi. You really do like him!”
Armando barked out a laugh and couldn’t seem to stop. The situation too happy, too wonderful for words. Soon, Guillermo and Sofía were joining him.
All the anxiety Guillermo had been building for the past week or so was completely gone now. His mind finally free to ponder the wonderful future that awaited them.
Sitting up, Lesaro held a hand out to his little girl, “Come here, mija. Come give your new Papi a hug.” Armando easily hoisted the little girl into his arms and, shouldering her to one side, used his now free arm to pull Lesaro into the hug as well.
Armando ended up staying the night, and Guillermo had never slept so peacefully in his life. Everything was just... perfect.
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