She looks up, confused. “You already moved in while Mami was in the hospital. You make me snacks, watch movies with me, and check for monsters under my bed.”
“I know,” I say gently. “But I want to do something bigger. I want to adopt you. Legally. I want to be your dad forever. On paper. In name. In every way there is.”
Her mouth opens then closes again. She looks at Analyse. “Like, for real?”
Analyse’s eyes are glossy, her voice soft. “For real, mi amor. He wants to be your daddy.”
“Maya, I want you to know, I don’t want to adopt you so that you can feel like you’re my daughter. You already are my daughter. I want to adopt you because I love you very much, and it would make me happy for us to have the same last name. So, what do you say, kid? Can I adopt you?”
Tears spill before she even answers. She jumps into my lap, blanket and all, and buries her face in my chest. She nods so hard it shakes both of us. “Yes. I want that. I want you to be my daddy forever.”
My own tears break free. I kiss the top of her head, then her forehead, then her glitter-streaked cheek. “Thank you for letting me love you, Maya. I’ll never stop.”
“Can I still call you Mateo sometimes?” she mumbles.
I laugh, my heart cracking open wider than I knew it could. “You can call me anything you want, bebesita. I’m yours either way.”
She pulls back, eyes shining. Then she squints, serious. “Even if I call you Mr. Poopy Pants?”
Analyse loses it. Laughter spills from her like a wave, and I can’t help but follow.
“Maybe not that one,” I say through a grin.
Maya wraps her arms around my neck. “You’re gonna be the best daddy ever.”
And just like that, my nerves are gone. All that’s left is this girl—my baby girl—wrapped around me, warm and loved and safe. Analyse leans in and kisses my cheek, her eyes never leaving the two of us.
“I told you,” she whispers. “You’ve got this.”
She was right. I did.Wedo.
Maya hasn’t let go of me in ten full minutes, and honestly, I’m not mad at it. I hope she never does.
She’s curled up against my chest, her cheek pressed right over my heart, arms tucked tightly around my neck. I hold her just as close, my hand running slowly through her curls, the steady rise and fall of her little body grounding me.
Across from me, Analyse wipes her cheeks for the thirdtime. We’re all a mess, but it’s a mess I’d live in forever if it meant I get to keep this feeling. This family.
“Are you okay, Mateo?” she asks softly.
I glance at her, eyes burning, but my chest feels light. Full. “Yeah. I think I’ve never been more okay in my life.”
Maya shifts a little and looks up at her mom. “Can I tell people?”
Analyse nods immediately, reaching over to tuck a loose curl behind Maya’s ear. “Of course, mamita. Tell the whole town if you want.”
Maya squeals, throws off the blanket, and darts toward her bedroom like she’s on a mission—still wearing her unicorn pajamas and trailing the blanket like a cape.
I blink after her, stunned. “Where’s she going?”
Analyse leans her head back, grinning. “Probably to get her glittery tiara. The one she calls her important announcement crown.”
Sure enough, two seconds later, Maya storms back into the room like royalty. Crown askew, cheeks glowing, eyes wild with joy.
She climbs up on the couch and plants her feet. I’m calling it now, this kid is the next US President. “I have an announcement!” she shouts, arms spread wide. “I’m getting a new daddy and we’re gonna be the Rodriguez Family!”
I let out a strangled sound and clutch my chest like she’s just straight up slayed me. “You’re gonna kill me, princesa.”
“No dying,” she says with a stern finger pointed at me. “You have to be my daddy forever now.”
