Page 118 of Worth the Fall

You're a lifesaver. Also ridiculously organized. I love you.

"Earth to Mia." Linda waves her hand in front of my face. "Meeting in two minutes."

"Right, sorry." I straighten my blazer, trying to look more put-together than I feel. "How's my hair?"

"Still sparkly, but now it looks intentional." Linda grins. "Very fashion-forward."

The morning passes in a blur of conference calls and contract reviews, but my mind keeps drifting to the organized chaos waiting at home. Our house has become a beautiful collision of my type A personality and the whimsical mess that comes with two little girls who believe glitter is a food group.

Just yesterday, I'd found crayon masterpieces decorating the hallway wall, courtesy of Esperanza's artistic vision. Miguel had found me staring at them, probably expecting me to freak out about property damage. Instead, I'd grabbed a crayon and added a few hearts to her creation.

"Look how far you've come," he'd said, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

He wasn't wrong. Three years of marriage and motherhood had softened my edges in ways I never expected. The woman who once color-coded her entire closet now regularly shows up to court with princess stickers on her briefcase and doesn't even mind.

My phone buzzes again—this time it's Celine.

Celine

Baby's doing somersaults today. Felicity's so excited to be a big sister again. Thanks for being so amazing with her through all this.

I smile, remembering how nervous I'd been when Celine first announced her pregnancy. But watching Felicity's joy at having another sibling on the way has been incredible. Our blended family might look unconventional from the outside, but it works perfectly for us.

By six o'clock, I'm pushing through our front door, greeted by the smell of Miguel's enchiladas and the sound of giggles from the playroom. I kick off my heels, letting my stockinged feet sink into the plush carpet that's currently dotted with what looks like an entire container of craft supplies.

"Mommy!" Esperanza comes barreling down the hallway, her dark curls bouncing and her unicorn costume slightly askew. She crashes into my legs with the force of a tiny hurricane. "Look! I dancing unicorn!"

"I can see that." I laugh, scooping her up. "Did you show all your dance friends your magical moves?"

She nods enthusiastically. "And Daddy, daddy did the unicorn dance too!"

"Oh really?" I raise my eyebrows, carrying her toward the kitchen where I can hear Miguel and Felicity talking. "I'm sorry I missed that performance."

The sight that greets me in the kitchen makes my heart swell. Miguel stands at the stove, his suit jacket discarded and sleeves rolled up, while Felicity sits at the island, carefully arranging place settings. She's gotten so tall lately, her legs swinging as she meticulously adjusts each fork.

"There's my girls," Miguel says, his face lighting up as he spots us. He crosses the kitchen to kiss me hello, and I breathe in the familiar scent of his cologne mixed with cooking spices.

"Daddy dance like a unicorn," Esperanza announces again, clearly determined to ensure this information isn't overlooked.

"With full commitment," Miguel confirms solemnly. "There may be video evidence on Taylor's phone."

"Oh, that's definitely going in the Christmas card this year," I tease, setting Esperanza down as she squirms to get to her sister.

"Felicity!" She runs to the island. “Surprise! Surprise! Mommy surprise?"

Felicity's eyes light up. "Oh yeah! Close your eyes, Mommy!"

I oblige, hearing the shuffle of papers and Miguel's soft chuckle. "Okay, open!"

They've drawn a family portrait—clearly a joint effort between Felicity's improving artistic skills and Esperanza's enthusiastic scribbles. There's Miguel and me, Felicity and Esperanza, and what appears to be Celine with a round belly and her husband.

"It's for the baby's room," Felicity explains proudly. "So he knows his whole family loves him."

"It's beautiful," I say softly, pulling both girls into a hug. "He's going to love it."

Over dinner, Felicity chatters excitedly about her upcoming role as big sister again. "I've been practicing with my dolls," sheinforms us seriously, "and I told Esperanza all about being the best little sister, because I'm basically an expert."

"You certainly are," Miguel agrees, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "Speaking of which, your mom called earlier. She's coming over tomorrow to so that you can help set up the nursery at their place. Want to help pick out the perfect spot for your masterpiece?"

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