جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 80

The silence that followed the woman's words was deafening. She stood there, before me, elegantly dressed, her green eyes fixed on mine, waiting for an answer I wasn't sure I could give."Mrs. Foster," Marco began, his voice protective, his body still positioned in front of mine, "I think you should leave.""Marco." I touched his arm. "It's okay."He turned to me, his blue eyes full of concern."Alice, you don't have to…""I know. But I want to hear what she has to say."He hesitated, his jaw tense. For a long moment, I thought he would refuse. But then he nodded, kissed my forehead, and stepped back, not before shooting a warning look at the woman before me."I'll be right there," he said, pointing to the porch. "If you need me, just call."I watched Marco until he sat on the porch steps, still keeping an eye on us. Then I turned to Daniel's mother."Please, sit down," I offered, gesturing to one of the rocking chairs on the back porch, away from the party that was still slowly disper

The ranch's commotion faded behind us as Marco pulled me by the hand, dodging the last employees still clearing the lunch tables and following a trail I'd never noticed before. It wound between low trees and flowering bushes, gently sloping down toward the lake."Where are we going?" I asked, laughing at the mystery."Running away," he answered simply. "Just us two. We deserve it."The trail ended in a small clearing, hidden from the rest of the world by a circle of weeping willows. In the center, a blanket was already spread on the grass, with a picnic basket beside it. The afternoon sun painted the lake's surface in shades of gold and orange, and the silence was so perfect it felt sacred."Marco…" I murmured, emotional. "When did you do this?""Early this morning, while you were still sleeping." He smiled, that shy smile I loved. "I asked Rosa for help. She prepared the basket."I sat on the blanket with difficulty, balancing my big belly, and he settled beside me. We opened the bas

The night was quiet in the cabin, the kind of cozy silence that only exists when two people love each other and don't need words to fill the space. The moon streamed through the window, silvering the bedroom floor, and the only sound was the soft tapping of Alice's fingers on the laptop keyboard. I was lying in bed, watching her. The computer light illuminated her face, highlighting her concentration, the little crease between her eyebrows that appeared when she was focused on something. Her big belly formed a mountain under the blanket, and every now and then one of the girls would kick, creating waves under the fabric. "Watching me again?" she asked without taking her eyes off the screen. "Admiring the view." "The view is me in pajamas, disheveled, and looking like a hippopotamus." "The view is the most beautiful woman in the world carrying my daughters." I smiled. "There's a d

The day of the baby shower dawned clear and sunny, as if the sky knew it was a special occasion. I woke up to the smell of coffee and cake invading the bedroom, and to the unmistakable sound of Rosa commanding the troops downstairs. "No, Teresa, the balloons go over there! Maria, move that cake out of the sun! Dorotea, stop eating the cookies!" Alice laughed beside me, her hand on her belly. "She starts early." "She never stops." I kissed her forehead. "Ready to go down? I want to see the circus." We went downstairs and were greeted by a scene of organized chaos. The garden was unrecognizable: long tables covered with pink and blue tablecloths, balloons everywhere, a three-tiered cake in the center, and a crowd of people that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Employees, long-time guests, neighbors from nearby farms—everyone came. And in the middle

The morning was clear and warm when the ranch truck parked in front of the bridal shop in town. "Silk Dreams" was the name—a small place, but with a breathtaking window display, full of lace, tulle, and sparkles that would make any woman dream. I, however, was more terrified than dreamy. "Let's go, girl!" Rosa pulled me by the arm, her eyes shining with excitement. "My political granddaughter's dress won't choose itself!" "Political granddaughter?" I repeated, laughing. "I just invented it. Like it?" "Love it." The little old ladies were already at the shop door, Teresa with her nose pressed against the glass, Maria trying to open the sliding door the wrong way, and Dorotea watching them both with an expression of pure existential exhaustion. "Teresa, move your nose, you'll mark the glass!" Maria complained. "It