[ siete ] 

Jessica returned to Madrid just as she had threatened. By that time, one whole month had gone by. It was on a day when Toni had football practice and Valerie was volunteering at the daycare again. She liked seeing Leon everyday, and though she would never admit it, she liked seeing Toni. 

And she had been told Leon felt more comfortable when she was there. She spent a lot of time with him and Toni anyway.

On that Monday afternoon, just as the daycare was bustling with children being picked up by their mothers, Jessica walked past the front door. Valerie greeted with a bright smile, "Welcome to Greene-Vazquez Day Care." And her smile completely left her face when she recognized her. She wasn't one of the regular parents that came to pick up their children, she was there for Leon.

Leon's mother made it all the way to the front counter and smacked her lips together, a sarvastic smile on her lip. "So you're Toni's new girlfriend and you work at the daycare where he leaves Leon." She concluded, her words laced with venom. "Isn't that convenient for him? Maybe he just seduced the daycare girl to get a discount." Jessica spoke to Valerie in english, her German accent thick, since she didn't speak any spanish and she was aware Valerie didn't speak any german.

Valerie nodded, playing along just as she had promised him. "Yeah, Toni is my boyfriend. Why do you insist on bothering him now that he's moved on? You broke his heart by leaving him alone with a huge responsibility when he loved you and needed your support. He doesn't love you anymore."

With her hands on her hips, Jessica continued, "You can keep Toni." She acted as though she didn't care, but Valerie noticed it in her eyes, she was fuming and she was jealous. "All I want is my son Leon to return to Deutschland with me."

"You don't deserve your son." Valerie pointed out.

"You don't know anything, so be quiet." Jessica spat, her anger coming out through her words.

Some of the other mothers watched them in worry, thinking a fight might break out between the two young women and they tried to leave as soon as possible. 

"I know enough." Valerie said, "Toni told me you abandoned your son."

"He only told you the story that was most convenient for him!" The German woman argued. "He never spent time with us, he was hardly ever around. I couldn't handle Leon all on my own."

"That's because he has a career to tend to. And even then, I doubt he never spent any time with Leon. With you, he's not forced to spend any time." Valerie defended Toni rather ardently. "In any case, he counted on you to be there to take care of your son, but you had to be selfish. You left him with such a big responsibility that was for the two of you to share. And he has been a great father to Leon, and Leon adores him. I know because I have seen it."

Jessica snorted. "Whatever."

"Now if there's nothing more you'll need, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Valerie gestured towards the exit.

"I came to take my son from here." She stated firmly.

Valerie let out an amused laugh. "You can't just take him. Its our policy. Only the parent that checked him in can take him, unless they personally came over and give verbal permission for the child to be released to someone else."

"But I'm his mother." Jessica said, outraged.

"How am I to know that?" Valerie asked innocently. Of course she knew Jessica was Leon's mother, but she wanted to annoy her. "For all I know, you could be a child kidnapper, out to make money at the expense of an innocent child. Toni is rich and famous, anyone could just come in here claiming to be a relative. I'm sorry," She shrugged, "but the only person who can pick him up is Toni." She told Jessica, but she was not sorry in the slightest.

"You can't do this." Jessica pointed her index finger at Valerie as she threatened, "Leon is my son, and I'll do anything to have him by my side."

"Are you threatening me?" Valerie gasped, but it was a mocking gasp. She wasn't afraid of Jessica and her threats. As the saying went: perro que ladra no muerde, a dog that barks doesn't bite. Jessica seemed to be all bark. 

"I demand that you give me my son." This time Jessica slammed her fist on the counter, her voice getting louder.

Valerie tried to remain calm, so as not to draw attention to the other parents who were with their children. "I'm going to ask you to leave once more, and you should leave this place within the next few minutes. My family owns this place and we don't want any trouble, but you're forcing me to have to call security."

Finally taking a deep breath to calm herself, Jessica shook her head. "That won't be necessary." She said, "I'll go, but this isn't over." Reaching for her bag and grabbing something from inside it, she slapped a closed envelope on the reception desk where Valerie stood. "Give this to Toni and tell him to read it as soon as possible." 

With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Valerie's eyes scanned over the top of the envelope. 

On it was an official government seal and the words: to Toni Kroos, from the Bavarian Court of Munich. 

Valerie picked the envelope up in her hands and watched it carefully. Whatever was inside, she knew it had to do with Leon and she knew it also was probably not something good. It was more than obvious she was going to take legal action against him.

She needed to let Toni know about it as soon as possible.

-

i finally updated this. i hope you like the chapter. thank you so much for reading and supporting. it means so much to me!

i love you.

-clary xx