Soccer/Football Imagines (Part 2)

James Rodriguez [~] Moving Forward

James Rodriguez

For DylanDauzatislife341:

Melanie was nervous beyond reason. Her boyfriend of nearly a year wanted her to meet his child for the first time. You hadn't wanted to meet the little girl early on in your relationship because you respected boundaries. You didn't want to step on Daniela's toes by stomping into her former home and trying to befriend her daughter.

James and Daniela's split had shocked the world and all of those who had known both of them. Melanie hadn't known James at the time but from what her friend Jessica Farber, Toni Kroos' partner, had told her, no one had ever had the impression that James and Daniela were splitting. It was also through Jessica that the two had met. Jessica had invited Melanie to join her to one of Real Madrid's matches and Melanie had accepted.

After Real had won, Toni insisted that Jessica bring Melanie down to meet all of the Real players. James and Melanie had instantly hit it off and it had been over a year since his divorce to Daniela had been finalized, leading the two to start hanging out and then start dating. James was able to maintain part time custody of his and Daniela's daughter Salome and had offered to Melanie the chance to meet the little girl.

Melanie had kept pushing it off until she finally couldn't come up with any more excuses to give her Colombian boyfriend and had accepted the invitation from James to meet Salome. Daniela had dropped the little girl off at her father's home in Madrid before heading to England to support her brother and Melanie was relieved that she wouldn't have to meet Salome and Daniela at the same time.

Pulling up to the familiar home, Melanie hopped out of her car and walked up to the front door. Knocking on the door, she waited patiently for the door to open. James opened the door wide before pulling his girlfriend into the home, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. Melanie giggled into the kiss before the two broke away. James closed the door before leading Melanie towards the kitchen.

"Salome is upstairs in her room. I'll go get her. Stay here," James said excitedly. Melanie smiled and nodded before watching James bound towards the stairs and up to his daughter's room. The smile dropping from her face, Melanie started to pace nervously again. It had been about two full years since Daniela and James had split but Melanie still didn't know if Salome was used to the change just yet and she didn't think her meeting Salome would help the little girl adjust any better.

Hearing James walking down the stairs, a high pitched giggle accompanying the sound of his feet on the staircase, Melanie grew tense. "I have someone I want you to meet, Salome," Melanie heard James say as he neared the kitchen once more.

"Who's that, Papa?" the girl asked, Melanie secretly cooed over how cute the little girl sounded and had no doubt that James was one of the best fathers on the planet.

"I want you to meet my girlfriend, Melanie," James introduced, entering the room with Salome in his arms. Melanie smiled at the little girl, who looked at Melanie confused.

"Hi, Salome. I've heard so much about you from your Papa," Melanie smiled, stepping closer to James and Salome. The little girl tilted her head, confused, causing Melanie's smile to falter slightly. The little girl turned to her father.

"Where's Mama?" she questioned. "I want Mama."

"Mama's in England visiting your tio," he explained. "Don't you want to hang out with me and my friend Melanie?"

"I want Mama," the girl repeated, causing the smile to fall completely off Melanie's face. The little girl wiggled out of James' arms and ran back upstairs to her room, leaving Melanie and James standing in the kitchen.

"I'm sure she's just a little jetlagged and tired after her flight yesterday. She'll warm up to you in a little bit, Melanie," James reassured, kissing Melanie softly. Melanie pulled away, her eyes cast downwards.

"James, I don't want to butt into your family. Your first priority should be the happiness and wellbeing of your daughter and I don't want to strain that relationship. Maybe we should just . . . stop seeing each other," Melanie sighed before walking towards the door, leaving a brokenhearted James standing alone in the kitchen. Melanie made it to her car before the tears started to fall.

It had been a little over a week since Melanie had walked out of James' house and therefore out of his life and Melanie couldn't help but slightly regret her decision. She knew it was probably best for the both of them to break up and it just had to be done before Salome became upset. A knock on her door prompted Melanie to haul her ass out of her bed, which she hadn't left for more than an hour for the past week, and towards her front door.

Opening the door, Melanie was surprised to see Daniela with Salome standing behind her on her doorstep. "Hello," Daniela smiled, causing Melanie to raise an eyebrow.

"Hello," Melanie replied, opening the door wider. "Come in." Daniela smiled in thanks before dragging Salome into the home behind her. "So how can I help you?" Melanie asked, trying to smooth down her bed head as she sat across from James' ex-wife and daughter.

"I just wanted to come here to say you shouldn't give up on James just because of how Salome reacted to you the first time you met. You make James happier than I've seen him in a long time. And I don't want the two of you to throw away your happiness because Salome hasn't been completely on board. It's been two years since James and I officially split and I'm glad he's moved on because I have too. Salome didn't really like my boyfriend first but she warmed up to him and I'm sure she'll do the same to you, Melanie. So I came here today to ask you to give James and Salome another chance," Daniela explained, causing Melanie's eyes to widen.

"Alright, I will," Melanie vowed. After Daniela left with Salome, Melanie called up James and the two were together again in less than a day. Melanie met Salome again a couple days later and as Daniela had said, the little girl eventually started to warm up to Melanie and James couldn't be happier. Melanie insisted for Salome to continue to call her Melanie and not any variation of Mama, accepting that she would never be Salome's leading female role model. But, Melanie also knew that in a few years, she'd have kids of her own with James to call her Mama.

Their mixed family was a little odd, especially after both Melanie and James as well as Daniela and her new husband were married and started to have kids within those relationships but Melanie never found herself questioning her relationship with James again. And life was finally somewhat perfect.