Miguel Peña-Griffiths (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} djmaximus) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} 20somethings,@ 2022-04-09 12:38:00 |
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| Entry tags: | c: celestina knottingley, c: miguel pena-griffiths, d: 2028 04, ~ complete, Ω: rp |
RP: Happiness
Who: Miguel and Tina
What: An unplanned run-in with the baby in tow.
When: 9 April 2028
Where: Petals and Pretties
Warnings: None
Completion Status: Complete
It was still strange to be a dad, and yet there was something comfortable about it, as if he'd always been meant to be one. Mari was a wonderful baby, and he treasured every smile, her little giggles becoming more pronounced now that she was a few months old. And dios, she was growing fast! He would swear she was at least twice as big as she'd been when she was born! He was enjoying pushing her in her pram through Diagon Alley and Victory Road, doing a bit of shopping while Lyra indulged in some much deserved pampering.
"I think we should get your mum some flowers. What do you think?" he asked the infant as they neared Petals and Pretties. It was a shop he'd avoided to a degree since his and Celestina's marriage had dissolved, but it had been long enough, hadn't it? From what he heard, she was happily dating that Liam bloke, and even if that made his blood boil some, he was working hard to release any anger and resentment he felt about the whole thing. He knew that his marriage not working had nothing to do with her feelings for another man and everything to do with his own betrayal the first time they'd dated. They'd never been able to fully rebuild that trust, and you simply couldn't build a healthy marriage without trust.
But he wanted to do something nice for Lyra, as he knew she'd been particularly stressed lately, even though she'd not confided in him precisely what the issue was. When it came to Mari, communication was easy, but he was finding she was more difficult to get to know outside her role as the mother of his child. Opening the door, Miguel backed into the shop so that the door wouldn't swing closed on the pram, and as he turned, he stopped abruptly, coming face to face with Celestina. Dios, had he forgotten how beautiful she was?
Mum had called at the last minute, asking if she could cover a shift. She had the day off, and while lounging about the house with Liam was incredibly tempting, it had been ages since she'd worked at the store. With promises to meet her there for lunch, she had used the floo to arrive at the shop early that morning.
They had only been open a couple of hours when she heard the bells twinkle with noise for the first time. She was behind the counter, arranging flowers she was intending to take home with her for the kitchen. It would tie in the colors she had recently repainted with, and make it feel just a little more... Romantic. With thoughts on the blonde man that was waiting at her cottage for her, she lifted her eyes to greet the customer that had just entered. That dreamy far away smile slipped a bit when she saw Miguel. One hand came up to nervously tug at one of her braids. Why was he here? With... Her thoughts were cut short as her eyes fell to the pram that was coming in behind him. She choked on nothing, flushing immediately.
"H-hi," she got out, feeling her stomach drop. Once upon a time there had been a their baby, but they'd dodged that bullet. He still became a father however, with Lyra Malfoy. Gods, everything was so strange. He was her ex-husband.
It took longer than it should have for Miguel to notice the other customer in the shop, standing just inside the door waiting to leave. And there he was, blocking the thing with the pram. "Oh, sorry!" he said, bringing the pram further into the shop, relieved to have that moment to get his brain moving again. It was always a possibility, bumping into her here, but he'd truly believed it a slim one. And yet, there she was, with her hair vibrant and looking as if she'd rather be anywhere else in the world.
Guilt twinged through him, and he glanced down, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hi," he finally said in return. "Umm, I didn't think you'd be here. I'm sorry? Should I... Should I go?" he asked, hating feeling so awkward. It almost surprised him that they hadn't bumped into one another again after meeting to finalize the annulment, but that didn't make it any easier.
Tina had been working with her therapist, talking about just what to do when this moment happened. Her therapist had reassured her, she needed to ignore that guilty pit that always tried to swallow her whole. They were happier now, both of them. The father-life really suited him, he looked so handsome, happy. She was happy as well, experimenting with her own beauty products, and exploring her relationship with Liam. That guilty pit in her stomach was going away.
"No! I mean, no, you don't have to go. I just... This is the first time in ages I've picked up a shift here," she admitted, already moving so that she could come around from behind the counter. There was a curiosity in her, she wanted to see his daughter for herself. "How is she?" she asked, eyes moving from meeting his gaze, to looking towards the pram. Did she look like him?
How strange it was that she had picked up a shift for the first time in ages on the day he decided to finally pop in. Almost like they were meant to have this run-in. Miguel refused to let his heart write a deeper story than that they were meant to clear the air. Just because they were both here didn't mean it was some sign from the universe that they were meant to be together. He wanted her to be happy, and he knew that he wasn't the one to help her with that.
When she came around and looked in the pram, he couldn't help but look down at Mari as well, the smile stretching across his face so similar to what she would be familiar with, and yet it had a certain maturity to it, a note of pride he'd never really held before. "She's wonderful. We're having a stroll about the shops while her mum gets a bit of pampering in," he admitted, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. "Mari really wants to get her mum some flowers, something to cheer her up." He looked up at Tina again as he said that last bit, stumbling a little over his words. Would it upset her that he wanted to buy flowers for Lyra? They weren't a couple, and he didn't want to give her that impression, but he'd always had a huge heart and never shied away from showing affection.
The little bundle had his dark eyes, she noticed them immediately as the infant peered up at her from the warm little cocoon. "Really, Mari?" she asked the tiny baby, resisting the urge to touch tiny fingers. "Well, you're in luck. I've been putting things together all morning, I was just making something for my kitchen," she admitted, straightening up to finally look to Miguel again. There was something different about him, something... Distinguished. It looked good on him.
"You look good, very distinguished," she told him, hands slipping into the front pocket of the black apron she had wrapped around her waist. It held clippers for rose stems, rose thorn removers, and her favorite magical glitter that she enjoyed sprinkling on random daisies.
His stomach fluttered at the way she talked to his daughter, a twinge of pain at the reminder of what they could have had. He'd been so ready to start a family with her when they'd found out Lyra was pregnant with his child, but he wouldn't trade Mari for anything. She was his whole world now, and he couldn't regret her existence if he tried. "Well, you've always had a dab hand at it, so I think Mari will be safe going with whatever you suggest," he said, his grin going a bit crooked, relaxing a little now that it seemed clear she wasn't upset he was there.
And then she complimented him, and his smile went bashful. "Thanks," he said, leaning against the handles of the pram. "You look..." Lovely. Gorgeous. Brilliant. "...happy. Life's been good to you?" he found himself asking, truly hoping the answer was yes even if a part of him still wished that he could have been part of it.
Her own smile was a bit bashful at his compliment. She was never good at taking compliments, especially when it came to her talents. She never thought herself particularly good at it. "Thank you," she whispered.
He looked even more handsome leaning against the pram. Yet as she looked at him, she could only imagine how stunning Liam would look pushing their own pram. She couldn't wait to see that. It was that image she was imaging when he told her she looked happy. "It has been," she agreed. "I just moved into the cottage fully, we have been redecorating one space at a time," she said, not mentioning that part of her happiness was due to the blonde man that was sharing his life with her now.
We. Miguel couldn't help but wonder who the other part of that 'we' was. Was it her mother? Liam? Entirely without his permission, the memory of seeing her and Liam dancing at the gala last summer flitted through his mind, and he closed his eyes briefly, focusing on his breathing to try to push the memory away. He'd been wildly jealous at the time, but jealousy was inappropriate now. She wasn't his, and he'd mostly made his peace with that.
Thankfully, before he could formulate a response--and before the lack of response teetered into rudeness--Mari started fussing in the pram. If he wasn't mistaken, that was her hungry fuss. He came around the side of the pram and released the harness, picking her up and cuddling her against his chest. "I think the little miss is hungry," he said, bringing his finger to his daughter's lips, a tried and true test for hunger. She immediately tried to suckle at his finger, and he chuckled, squatting down to get her a bottle from the bag in the basket beneath the carriage.
"I'm sure it's feeling more like yours every day," he commented casually as he stood back up and gave Mari the bottle. She wasn't quite dextrous enough to hold it herself, though she enjoyed touching it.
Watching Miguel be a father just made her all the more wistful for when Liam would be doing similar things for their children. It was still at least a year, or more, off, but it was so nice to day dream about. She had found her forever in Liam, something she had come to realize just months before.
Her brows raised as he finished settling the infant, giving him that brilliant smile of hers. "Thanks, it really is. It doesn't feel so stuffy and like mum's anymore," she admitted, moving around father and child to get to a cooler that was just behind them. "Does mum have any favorite colors?" She asked, doing her best to not picture Lyra Malfoy standing at their table pregnant. Was he with Lyra? Maybe that's why he was so happy, she was happy for him if he had finally found love. She hoped he had.
Things were feeling more relaxed than he'd thought possible when he'd first come into the shop. The smile she was giving him wasn't her awkward, repressing feelings smile, it was her genuinely happy smile, and it reaffirmed that he'd made the right choice in letting her go, despite how much it had hurt to do so. "That's great," he murmured, turning to watch her go to the cooler.
"Oh, hmm, I'm not sure," he admitted, feeling awkward. There was still so much he didn't know about Lyra, but he wanted to do something nice for her. "I'm imagining something bright and cheerful, like..." he paused, considering. "Sunflowers and daisies? Is it the wrong season for those? I don't really know." Which wouldn't be a surprise to her. He really did trust her judgement in this, though, and was sure she would suggest something perfect.
Arranging flowers was a skill that Tina kept secret. Everyone knew she was fantastic at being a plant mum, but arranging a beautiful arrangement was something she kept to her closest friends and family. While Miguel had been talking, she'd been imaging just what she'd make for Miguel. "I think I've got it," she told him, before entering the cooler to gather herself the flowers she'd need. She kept Miguel and his beautiful little daughter in mind as she chose, taking an arm full of flowers to a back counter just outside the coolers, to the left of the check out.
Tina left Miguel to feed little Mari, while she went about cutting stems, filling the vase with water, and arranging each flower in the vase. After a few moments, Tina was finished with the arrangement. "What do you think?" she called out to Miguel, finally looking up from her work. She had let herself get a bit lost in arranging the flowers, the song "Hey Mr. DJ," by Madonna to herself.
As Tina worked on the flowers, Miguel walked slowly around the lobby of the shop, holding the bottle for Mari. His mind wandered, a certain sense of peace and contentment settling in him. This was right where he was meant to be, he was sure of it. Holding his daughter, feeding her, while the woman he'd thought he would spend his life with created something beautiful for the mother of his child. It was crazy, like those telenovelas he'd sometimes caught his mum watching when he was a kid, and yet it felt completely right.
When he heard her call out to him, Miguel turned toward Tina, his eyes falling on the arrangement. His smile widened. "It's perfect." Feminine and cheerful, and it reminded him of Lyra in a way. He hoped it would cheer her up a bit, perhaps even serve as a reminder that they were in this together even though they weren't a couple. He had plenty of money and would hate himself if Mari and her mother and brother weren't taken care of. Resting the bottle gently on Mari's chest, he reached into his pocket for his money bag, charmed bigger on the inside and to be feather light. "How much do I owe you?" he asked, setting the bag on the counter and opening it one handed so he could count out the correct coins to give her.
Money was exchanged, and Tina was using her wand to shrink and wrap it so that it'd be easier to carry with the pram. He was getting good at this dad thing, she thought. He had been able to continue feeding the little one, while digging out coins from his bag. Fatherhood agreed with her ex-husband.
"It was really good to see you. Don't be a stranger?" she asked quietly.
After passing the coins off, Miguel pulled the string on the bag tight again before putting it back in his pocket. Mari started fussing a bit, frustrated that the bottle had slipped from her mouth but her hands not quite strong enough to lift it back into place. He chuckled softly and brushed a hand over her head before picking the bottle back up for her.
"Thank you," he said at the way she'd shrunk and wrapped up the bouquet so he could transport it easier. "Yeah, you too, Les," he said, the nickname slipping through entirely without his permission. He ducked his head bashfully before looking back up at her again. "Sorry, Tina. It's good to see you doing so well. I'll see you around, yeah?" Without looking to see what her reaction would be, Miguel went back to the pram, buckling Mari back in place and then charming the bottle to stay in place for her. That done, he put the flowers in the bin of the pram, and started toward the exit.
For just one moment, Tina could see the future she would have had with Miguel. It would have been their baby in his arms, he would have leaned across the counter to kiss her goodbye. The flowers he would have been picking up would have been for their kitchen table. It would have been a good future, she might have eventually been happy.
In her heart she knew though, that she was happy now. There was no might to it.
Then it was gone as quickly as it had popped it up. Miguel was gone, and a new customer had just walked in. Bless, it was no one she knew. She could get back to work.
"I think we should get your mum some flowers. What do you think?" he asked the infant as they neared Petals and Pretties. It was a shop he'd avoided to a degree since his and Celestina's marriage had dissolved, but it had been long enough, hadn't it? From what he heard, she was happily dating that Liam bloke, and even if that made his blood boil some, he was working hard to release any anger and resentment he felt about the whole thing. He knew that his marriage not working had nothing to do with her feelings for another man and everything to do with his own betrayal the first time they'd dated. They'd never been able to fully rebuild that trust, and you simply couldn't build a healthy marriage without trust.
But he wanted to do something nice for Lyra, as he knew she'd been particularly stressed lately, even though she'd not confided in him precisely what the issue was. When it came to Mari, communication was easy, but he was finding she was more difficult to get to know outside her role as the mother of his child. Opening the door, Miguel backed into the shop so that the door wouldn't swing closed on the pram, and as he turned, he stopped abruptly, coming face to face with Celestina. Dios, had he forgotten how beautiful she was?
Mum had called at the last minute, asking if she could cover a shift. She had the day off, and while lounging about the house with Liam was incredibly tempting, it had been ages since she'd worked at the store. With promises to meet her there for lunch, she had used the floo to arrive at the shop early that morning.
They had only been open a couple of hours when she heard the bells twinkle with noise for the first time. She was behind the counter, arranging flowers she was intending to take home with her for the kitchen. It would tie in the colors she had recently repainted with, and make it feel just a little more... Romantic. With thoughts on the blonde man that was waiting at her cottage for her, she lifted her eyes to greet the customer that had just entered. That dreamy far away smile slipped a bit when she saw Miguel. One hand came up to nervously tug at one of her braids. Why was he here? With... Her thoughts were cut short as her eyes fell to the pram that was coming in behind him. She choked on nothing, flushing immediately.
"H-hi," she got out, feeling her stomach drop. Once upon a time there had been a their baby, but they'd dodged that bullet. He still became a father however, with Lyra Malfoy. Gods, everything was so strange. He was her ex-husband.
It took longer than it should have for Miguel to notice the other customer in the shop, standing just inside the door waiting to leave. And there he was, blocking the thing with the pram. "Oh, sorry!" he said, bringing the pram further into the shop, relieved to have that moment to get his brain moving again. It was always a possibility, bumping into her here, but he'd truly believed it a slim one. And yet, there she was, with her hair vibrant and looking as if she'd rather be anywhere else in the world.
Guilt twinged through him, and he glanced down, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hi," he finally said in return. "Umm, I didn't think you'd be here. I'm sorry? Should I... Should I go?" he asked, hating feeling so awkward. It almost surprised him that they hadn't bumped into one another again after meeting to finalize the annulment, but that didn't make it any easier.
Tina had been working with her therapist, talking about just what to do when this moment happened. Her therapist had reassured her, she needed to ignore that guilty pit that always tried to swallow her whole. They were happier now, both of them. The father-life really suited him, he looked so handsome, happy. She was happy as well, experimenting with her own beauty products, and exploring her relationship with Liam. That guilty pit in her stomach was going away.
"No! I mean, no, you don't have to go. I just... This is the first time in ages I've picked up a shift here," she admitted, already moving so that she could come around from behind the counter. There was a curiosity in her, she wanted to see his daughter for herself. "How is she?" she asked, eyes moving from meeting his gaze, to looking towards the pram. Did she look like him?
How strange it was that she had picked up a shift for the first time in ages on the day he decided to finally pop in. Almost like they were meant to have this run-in. Miguel refused to let his heart write a deeper story than that they were meant to clear the air. Just because they were both here didn't mean it was some sign from the universe that they were meant to be together. He wanted her to be happy, and he knew that he wasn't the one to help her with that.
When she came around and looked in the pram, he couldn't help but look down at Mari as well, the smile stretching across his face so similar to what she would be familiar with, and yet it had a certain maturity to it, a note of pride he'd never really held before. "She's wonderful. We're having a stroll about the shops while her mum gets a bit of pampering in," he admitted, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. "Mari really wants to get her mum some flowers, something to cheer her up." He looked up at Tina again as he said that last bit, stumbling a little over his words. Would it upset her that he wanted to buy flowers for Lyra? They weren't a couple, and he didn't want to give her that impression, but he'd always had a huge heart and never shied away from showing affection.
The little bundle had his dark eyes, she noticed them immediately as the infant peered up at her from the warm little cocoon. "Really, Mari?" she asked the tiny baby, resisting the urge to touch tiny fingers. "Well, you're in luck. I've been putting things together all morning, I was just making something for my kitchen," she admitted, straightening up to finally look to Miguel again. There was something different about him, something... Distinguished. It looked good on him.
"You look good, very distinguished," she told him, hands slipping into the front pocket of the black apron she had wrapped around her waist. It held clippers for rose stems, rose thorn removers, and her favorite magical glitter that she enjoyed sprinkling on random daisies.
His stomach fluttered at the way she talked to his daughter, a twinge of pain at the reminder of what they could have had. He'd been so ready to start a family with her when they'd found out Lyra was pregnant with his child, but he wouldn't trade Mari for anything. She was his whole world now, and he couldn't regret her existence if he tried. "Well, you've always had a dab hand at it, so I think Mari will be safe going with whatever you suggest," he said, his grin going a bit crooked, relaxing a little now that it seemed clear she wasn't upset he was there.
And then she complimented him, and his smile went bashful. "Thanks," he said, leaning against the handles of the pram. "You look..." Lovely. Gorgeous. Brilliant. "...happy. Life's been good to you?" he found himself asking, truly hoping the answer was yes even if a part of him still wished that he could have been part of it.
Her own smile was a bit bashful at his compliment. She was never good at taking compliments, especially when it came to her talents. She never thought herself particularly good at it. "Thank you," she whispered.
He looked even more handsome leaning against the pram. Yet as she looked at him, she could only imagine how stunning Liam would look pushing their own pram. She couldn't wait to see that. It was that image she was imaging when he told her she looked happy. "It has been," she agreed. "I just moved into the cottage fully, we have been redecorating one space at a time," she said, not mentioning that part of her happiness was due to the blonde man that was sharing his life with her now.
We. Miguel couldn't help but wonder who the other part of that 'we' was. Was it her mother? Liam? Entirely without his permission, the memory of seeing her and Liam dancing at the gala last summer flitted through his mind, and he closed his eyes briefly, focusing on his breathing to try to push the memory away. He'd been wildly jealous at the time, but jealousy was inappropriate now. She wasn't his, and he'd mostly made his peace with that.
Thankfully, before he could formulate a response--and before the lack of response teetered into rudeness--Mari started fussing in the pram. If he wasn't mistaken, that was her hungry fuss. He came around the side of the pram and released the harness, picking her up and cuddling her against his chest. "I think the little miss is hungry," he said, bringing his finger to his daughter's lips, a tried and true test for hunger. She immediately tried to suckle at his finger, and he chuckled, squatting down to get her a bottle from the bag in the basket beneath the carriage.
"I'm sure it's feeling more like yours every day," he commented casually as he stood back up and gave Mari the bottle. She wasn't quite dextrous enough to hold it herself, though she enjoyed touching it.
Watching Miguel be a father just made her all the more wistful for when Liam would be doing similar things for their children. It was still at least a year, or more, off, but it was so nice to day dream about. She had found her forever in Liam, something she had come to realize just months before.
Her brows raised as he finished settling the infant, giving him that brilliant smile of hers. "Thanks, it really is. It doesn't feel so stuffy and like mum's anymore," she admitted, moving around father and child to get to a cooler that was just behind them. "Does mum have any favorite colors?" She asked, doing her best to not picture Lyra Malfoy standing at their table pregnant. Was he with Lyra? Maybe that's why he was so happy, she was happy for him if he had finally found love. She hoped he had.
Things were feeling more relaxed than he'd thought possible when he'd first come into the shop. The smile she was giving him wasn't her awkward, repressing feelings smile, it was her genuinely happy smile, and it reaffirmed that he'd made the right choice in letting her go, despite how much it had hurt to do so. "That's great," he murmured, turning to watch her go to the cooler.
"Oh, hmm, I'm not sure," he admitted, feeling awkward. There was still so much he didn't know about Lyra, but he wanted to do something nice for her. "I'm imagining something bright and cheerful, like..." he paused, considering. "Sunflowers and daisies? Is it the wrong season for those? I don't really know." Which wouldn't be a surprise to her. He really did trust her judgement in this, though, and was sure she would suggest something perfect.
Arranging flowers was a skill that Tina kept secret. Everyone knew she was fantastic at being a plant mum, but arranging a beautiful arrangement was something she kept to her closest friends and family. While Miguel had been talking, she'd been imaging just what she'd make for Miguel. "I think I've got it," she told him, before entering the cooler to gather herself the flowers she'd need. She kept Miguel and his beautiful little daughter in mind as she chose, taking an arm full of flowers to a back counter just outside the coolers, to the left of the check out.
Tina left Miguel to feed little Mari, while she went about cutting stems, filling the vase with water, and arranging each flower in the vase. After a few moments, Tina was finished with the arrangement. "What do you think?" she called out to Miguel, finally looking up from her work. She had let herself get a bit lost in arranging the flowers, the song "Hey Mr. DJ," by Madonna to herself.
As Tina worked on the flowers, Miguel walked slowly around the lobby of the shop, holding the bottle for Mari. His mind wandered, a certain sense of peace and contentment settling in him. This was right where he was meant to be, he was sure of it. Holding his daughter, feeding her, while the woman he'd thought he would spend his life with created something beautiful for the mother of his child. It was crazy, like those telenovelas he'd sometimes caught his mum watching when he was a kid, and yet it felt completely right.
When he heard her call out to him, Miguel turned toward Tina, his eyes falling on the arrangement. His smile widened. "It's perfect." Feminine and cheerful, and it reminded him of Lyra in a way. He hoped it would cheer her up a bit, perhaps even serve as a reminder that they were in this together even though they weren't a couple. He had plenty of money and would hate himself if Mari and her mother and brother weren't taken care of. Resting the bottle gently on Mari's chest, he reached into his pocket for his money bag, charmed bigger on the inside and to be feather light. "How much do I owe you?" he asked, setting the bag on the counter and opening it one handed so he could count out the correct coins to give her.
Money was exchanged, and Tina was using her wand to shrink and wrap it so that it'd be easier to carry with the pram. He was getting good at this dad thing, she thought. He had been able to continue feeding the little one, while digging out coins from his bag. Fatherhood agreed with her ex-husband.
"It was really good to see you. Don't be a stranger?" she asked quietly.
After passing the coins off, Miguel pulled the string on the bag tight again before putting it back in his pocket. Mari started fussing a bit, frustrated that the bottle had slipped from her mouth but her hands not quite strong enough to lift it back into place. He chuckled softly and brushed a hand over her head before picking the bottle back up for her.
"Thank you," he said at the way she'd shrunk and wrapped up the bouquet so he could transport it easier. "Yeah, you too, Les," he said, the nickname slipping through entirely without his permission. He ducked his head bashfully before looking back up at her again. "Sorry, Tina. It's good to see you doing so well. I'll see you around, yeah?" Without looking to see what her reaction would be, Miguel went back to the pram, buckling Mari back in place and then charming the bottle to stay in place for her. That done, he put the flowers in the bin of the pram, and started toward the exit.
For just one moment, Tina could see the future she would have had with Miguel. It would have been their baby in his arms, he would have leaned across the counter to kiss her goodbye. The flowers he would have been picking up would have been for their kitchen table. It would have been a good future, she might have eventually been happy.
In her heart she knew though, that she was happy now. There was no might to it.
Then it was gone as quickly as it had popped it up. Miguel was gone, and a new customer had just walked in. Bless, it was no one she knew. She could get back to work.