Chapter 7 - The "Almost Seven" Birthday
Three months later, the Montes estate was unrecognizable.
The imposing, silent fortress had been transformed. Brightly colored banners hung from the oak trees, balloons bobbed in the gentle breeze, and the manicured lawns were covered in children running, laughing, and eating cake.
It was Sofía’s "Almost Seven" birthday party.
Alejandro stood on the patio, watching the chaos with a look of pure contentment. He held a glass of sparkling water, his arm securely wrapped around his wife’s waist. Valeria was glowing, wearing a simple sundress, a delicate diamond ring sparkling on her left hand.
"I think the bouncy castle was a bit much," Valeria teased, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Nonsense," Alejandro replied, entirely deadpan. "I told Mateo to procure the finest bouncy castle in North America. The Montes family accepts nothing but the best."
Valeria laughed, the sound wrapping around Alejandro’s heart.
Out on the lawn, Sofía came running toward them, her face painted like a butterfly, holding a half-eaten slice of vanilla cake—with all the pieces perfectly intact this time.
"Papa! Mom!" Sofía yelled, skidding to a halt on the patio. "Mateo said I can push the button for the piñata!"
Mateo, the fierce, heavily scarred head of security, was currently wearing a tiny pink party hat and looking entirely defeated by a mob of six-year-olds.
"Go ahead, little one," Alejandro chuckled. "Have mercy on him."
Sofía beamed and ran back into the fray.
Alejandro watched his daughter laugh, surrounded by light, safety, and love. He thought back to that rainy day in the restaurant, to the little girl with the wet boots and the suspicious eyes, holding a maze she couldn't solve.
She had found her way out. They all had.
Valeria turned to him, her eyes sparkling with a secret. She took his hand and placed it gently over her stomach.
Alejandro froze. He looked down at her hand, then up into her eyes, his breath hitching. "Valeria... are you?"
She nodded, a massive, tearful smile breaking across her face. "Sofía is going to be a big sister."
Alejandro let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-disbelief. He spun Valeria around in his arms, holding her tight against him as the sound of their daughter’s laughter echoed across the lawn.
May you like
The storm was finally over. And in its wake, the Montes family had built a paradise that no one would ever tear down.
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