Page 2 of I Survived and will rise again

Elisa and Jo committed themselves to intensive therapy for several weeks, investing hours each day addressing their trauma. But their efforts paid off as they gradually began to reclaim their old routine that they thought had been lost forever. Elisa has already taken the first step toward her dream career by initiating the application process for social work courses.

To see Jo rise from the ashes of his broken past and take a leap of faith is truly remarkable. The pain of losing someone he thought he would never see again haunted him. He has a new beginning, a fresh start, and I couldn't be prouder of him.

The sudden sound of Sophia blowing a raspberry catches my attention. I turn to find her playfully reaching out to grab Jo's hat from his head. However, her attempt fails as Jo instinctively pulls away. Sophia's frustration boils over, and she smacks Jo in the face.

"Sophia!" Sadie scolds, causing Sophia to turn her head toward her mom. "Stop hitting people," she says gently as she takes Sophia from Jo's arms, who is shaking with laughter.

"Now that you and Elisa are doing better, you can give Mom more grandbabies and Abuela great-grandbabies," Sadie teases.

Laughter spilled from Jo's lips as he looked at Sadie, incredulous. "Are you high?" he asked.

With a playful shrug, Sadie retorted, "Well, I can't be the only one popping out kids, can I?" She winked mischievously at Jo, reveling in their banter.

Jo shook his head, a smile curling up on his lips. "Jesus, Sade," he said. "For now, I'm happy with being the best uncle."

"The best uncle?" I chuckled. "You do realize she hastwouncles, right? We all know I hold the title of the best uncle in this duo."

Sadie didn't miss a beat. "Technically, she hassixuncles," she said with a sly grin while bouncing Sophia in her arms.

But Jo wasn't fazed by her remark. "Pff," he laughed. "We're blood, they aren't." Then he turned to me and jokingly claimed, "I willalwaysbe the best uncle. You showed up late to the party, bro."

Before I could respond, Sadie spoke up. "It doesn't matter if they're blood-related or have the same last name," she said, ignoring our exchange. "When you accept someone for who theyare,that'sfamily. When they always want to be around you,that'sfamily. When they have your back, no matter what,that'sfamily."

We fell silent for a minute, soaking in the depth of her words and how true they rang. Her crew was always there for her whenever she needed them, no questions asked. It was no wonder she had survived some of the most challenging times in her life because of her family, who came in large numbers.

Jo couldn't resist teasing her and slowly clapped his hands in mock appreciation. "Wow, sis. Very poetic," he said with a grin, and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

Sophia squirms and wriggles in Sadie's arms, making it difficult for Sadie to hold her when Sophia throws her head back and lets out a high-pitched squeal, which makes me smile.

I extend my arms to take Sophia from Sadie as I ask, "Jo, have you thought about joining the police academy?” I ask as Sadie hands Sophia over. She looks adorable in her matching unicorn two-piece outfit and her sparkling Nike shoes.

“No, I haven’t,” he says, leaning back on the chair while I sit on the bed.

“I think you would make one hell of a cop,” Sadie says, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

Jo gave a little eye roll and scoffed. “Yeah, I was quite the protector, wasn’t I?” He said it in a way that made him doubt he was.

“Jo,” Sadie’s voice was soft and devoid of humor. “You werealwaysthere when I needed you. You were my protector then, and you are still here now,” she says, smiling at him as Sophia chimes in with her usual baby talk.

Jo’s expression turned serious, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. “I would do it all over again, Sade.”

“I know,” she responds.

The room's atmosphere has fallen into tense silence, and I feel the weight of unspoken emotions lingering in the air. After a few moments of hesitation, I decide to speak up.

"I really think you should consider looking into it more, Jo," I suggest, my voice breaking the stillness. "It couldn't hurt to explore your options."

"Yeah, I'll think about it," Jo says.

Sophia continues to babble, and I softly kiss the crown of Sophia's curly hair. She looks over my shoulder, and her little face lights up with joy. Her grin stretches from ear to ear, revealing two tiny, perfect teeth.

Sadie's eyes sparkle with adoration as she turns her gaze toward me. "You're getting pretty good at this uncle thing, huh?" she remarks.

"Yeah, I guess so,” I say, giving Sophia a little bounce on my knee. “I love spending time with her when I can." Sophia giggles, and I smile down at her, feeling a warm glow of affection for my niece.

“ButI’mstill the best uncle,” Jo reminds me, with a wide grin plastered on his face.

I throw my head back and laugh.

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