The room falls into silence. Josy reaches over and wipesat her eyes. She’s crying softly now, trying to hide it behind her hands.
But Noah just stares at us, still and unreadable.
And all I can do is wait.
Noah sits there in silence, staring at some invisible point on the floor. Seconds pass, but it feels like hours.
Finally, he shakes his head and sighs. “Okay,” he says, voice low. “I understand everything now.”
I exhale quietly, my whole body loosening.
“You’re right, Esteban,” he continues, glancing at me. “You’ve been saying for a while that you wanted something real. A wife. A family. I just thought you were messing around, trying to get a rise out of us. I didn’t think you meant it.”
“I did,” I say quietly.
Noah nods. “I can see that now. And I only ask one thing from you; take care of her. Treat her right. I know she can be a pain in the ass sometimes?—”
“Hey!” Eva says, half-laughing, half-crying.
Noah smirks. “But if you really love her, just make her happy. That’s all I want for her.”
Eva lets out a soft sob and stands up. She walks over and gently sits next to him and Everly, pulling them both into a hug. I watch as my girl buries her face into her brother’s shoulder, and I see the shift happen, like the storm between us finally breaks.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “I love you too.”
Noah wraps an arm around her, careful not to jostle the baby, and presses a kiss to the top of her head.
The tension in the room melts away like ice under the sun.
Josy smiles, wiping under her eyes. “Uff, thankgoodness,” she says. “I never thought I’d seeyouin love, Esteban, but I’m so glad I was wrong. You two you make a beautiful couple.”
“Thank you, Josy,” I say, grinning. “And for the record, I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. I just disguised it with abs and sarcasm.”
They all laugh, Noah even lets out a reluctant chuckle.
Then he leans back and changes the subject. “So… what’s going to happen with McNeal now?”
Eva and I exchange a glance.
“We went to see him earlier today,” I say. “Told him everything. The lie, the truth, how we ended up here.”
“He listened,” Eva adds. “And he said he appreciated us coming clean, but he’s still thinking about the business side of things. We just have to wait now and see what he decides.”
“I’m feeling optimistic,” I say, shooting her a small smile.
“You always do,” she replies.
“Someone has to balance your dramatic energy, mi amor.”
Noah stands up, Everly happily playing with Noah’s shirt. “Alright, we’re gonna head out. I think we’ve traumatized the baby enough for one night.”
Eva and I take turns giving Everly lots of love and smothering her with kisses before they leave. Josy hugs us both tightly, whispering in my ear, “You better not screw this up, Romeo.”
“I won’t,” I promise.
When the door finally shuts behind them, Eva and I are alone again. The house is quiet. Peaceful.
Looking over at her, I see she’s already looking at me.
