“Hi,” I whisper. “It’s been a while.”
Analyse doesn’t say anything. Just kneels beside me, her hand on my back, grounding me. Maya settles on the grass and starts picking up a little bouquet of wildflowers.
I clear my throat. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come back. I couldn’t…I wasn’t ready. But I am now. And I wanted to introduce you to someone.”
My voice shakes, but I push through.
“This is my wife. Analyse. She’s…God, she’s everything. She’s strong, brilliant, and fiery as hell, and she loves me like she sees every broken part and wants it anyway.”
Analyse lets out a soft laugh. “High praise, Rodriguez.”
I squeeze her hand.
“And this,” I say, turning to Maya. “Is Maya. My daughter. She’s seven and smarter than I ever was. She loves glitter, pancakes, and asking a million questions at bedtime.”
Maya beams and runs over, wildflowers in hand. “Hi, Grandma and Grandpa, and Titi Maribel. I brought you these.”
She lays the flowers across the headstones, one for each, then settles between me and Analyse.
“I used to not have a daddy,” she says solemnly. “But now I do.”
My throat tightens. I don’t know how I got this lucky.
Analyse leans into me slightly, her voice soft. “They’d be so proud of you, Mateo.”
I nod, not trusting my voice. And then, like she planned itperfectly—which, knowing her, she probably did—she shifts, pulling a small envelope from her purse.
“I, uh, have something too,” she says, cheeks a little flushed.
I look at her, confused. “What’s that?”
She hands it to me without a word. I open it slowly, careful not to crease whatever’s inside—and stop cold. My breath catches in my throat. Inside is a black-and-white ultrasound printout. Grainy and small, but unmistakable. For a second, I just stare. My mind blank, the world narrowing to the tiny curve of life on that paper. A flicker of something brand new. Hope. A heartbeat. A beginning.
“Are you serious?” I whisper, voice cracked and hoarse.
Analyse nods, her eyes glistening. “Surprise, Papa.”
She laughs softly, a little breathless. “I didn’t think it’d happen so fast. We only took out my IUD a month ago—I wasn’t expecting this yet. But…here we are.”
I blink down at the print again. My hands are shaking. There are no words for this kind of feeling, the way joy can barrel through you like a freight train and still feel like flying.
Maya’s eyes go wide as she peeks at the photo. “Is that a baby?”
Analyse smiles at her. “Yep. In my belly.”
Maya squeals and claps her hands. “I’m gonna be a big sister!”
I let out a shaky laugh, tears slipping down my cheeks before I can stop them. I wrap my arms around them both, pulling them into me, kissing the top of Maya’s head, then cupping Analyse’s face in my hands as I kiss her.
“You have no idea how happy I am,” I murmur, forehead pressed to hers. “No idea.”
“I think I do,” she says, voice thick with emotion.
I stare at her, completely undone. “You’ve already givenme the world, and somehow…you keep finding ways to make it more beautiful. I don’t know how I got this lucky.”
Analyse leans in, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “You didn’t get lucky, Mateo. This is what you were always meant for.”
I lean back and turn toward the headstones again, lifting the ultrasound so they can see.
