Page 105 of Miguel

The words brought tears to my eyes. I reached for him blindly, twining our hands together. “I love you, too.”

“I want you to have my babies.”

I snort-laughed and finally found the energy to turn and face him. “What if I told you there’s already one cooking?”

His eyes widened, and I smirked at his reaction. “Are you saying–?”

I nodded “Yup.”

I’d taken my implant out months ago. When Miguel had found out, he’d gone almost feral over me and I’d been just as eager for him.

He looked down at my bare stomach now. I’d always been on the rounder side, always been proud of my figure and the stretch marks that painted my skin like the scars of a warrior on a battlefield. It was a symbol of my good health and happy life. And soon, more would spread as I grew bigger with the life I suspected was growing inside me.

Miguel closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine, breathing me in. “I wasn’t there for Zeke,” he whispered. I could feel the pain lanced through those words. “I didn’t even know.” His eyes opened. “I promise, I will be here every step of the way.”

I cradled his cheek in my palm. “I know, mi amor. I trust you. But how about you help me break the news to Zeke? Let him know he’s going to have a little brother or sister? Do you think he’ll be okay?”

Miguel smiled. “Zeke is a warrior. I know he can handle anything life throws at him and more. And, he’ll be a great hermano mayor. I know it.”

Epilogue

Miguel

“Wehavesomethingtotell you,” Lorena signed and spoke to Zeke.

He wasn’t wearing his hearing aids and couldn’t hear her, but she spoke to help him get the hang of reading lips. And it was also to help me get better at signing. Sure, I’d learned as had every single Diablo and their family members, but it took months, years of practice to get an understanding of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. Something I knew I’d never truly be a part of, but wanted to study anyway for him.

Zeke had shown remarkable progress ever since he started school at N.I.S.E. The education he’d been missing before had returned to him in spades. He was one of the smartest kids in his class and had immediately taken to signing.

I was proud of him. Proud to see him breaking out of the shell his mother had shoved him into and proud to call him my son.

“What is it?” he asked, his big eyes bright just like Camila’s got.

Lorena looked at me nervously, biting on her plump bottom lip. I had the urge to run my thumb across it, to trace every freckle with my fingertips until I drew constellations on her skin. She was afraid of saying the words. Afraid of how Zeke would react.

I drew his attention towards me. “You’re going to be a big brother,” I told him, hands moving as I spoke. “Lorena is going to have a baby.”

He broke out into an immediate grin and turned to Lorena. He threw his arms around her, hugging her tight. When he pulled back, his signing was wild with excitement. “I’m going to be a big brother!”

She smiled, and I could see her eyes gloss over with tears. “Is that okay?”

Zeke smiled. “Of course it is, mamá.”

At that, Lorena stilled.

So did I.

He’d never called her that before. He’d never called her by her name either, but this acknowledgment I knew was something Lorena had needed to hear. To know how he saw her. How I saw her. The mother of my children. My Viejita. My love.

When her eyes met mine, I gave her an encouraging, pointed look as if to say, ‘See? Told you so.’

Instead of poking fun at the bear, I drew Zeke’s attention once again. “So, want to go for some ice cream?”

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