Three months had passed, and Carla's belly had started to show—just a small curve, subtle, but undeniable. Somehow, though, she still had her abs, like her body hadn't fully decided to let go of them yet.

I lay beside her on the bed, my head resting gently near her stomach, my cheek brushing lightly against the fabric of her shirt.

It felt... surreal.

Knowing there was actually life there.

Growing.

Because of us.

"I can't wait for you to come out of there," I whispered softly, my voice filled with a quiet excitement I couldn't hide.

My hand hovered for a second before I placed it gently over her belly, careful, almost instinctively protective.

Carla shifted slightly above me, one of her hands coming down to rest in my hair, her fingers moving slowly through it.

"You're already talking to them?" she murmured, a faint smile in her voice.

I let out a small breath, my lips curling just a little.

"Of course," I said quietly. "They should know how excited I am."

Everything felt still.

Peaceful.

Just the two of us... and the life we were waiting for.

"I wonder what gender it'll be... I personally don't care... as long as they're healthy," I muttered, my hand slowly rubbing Carla's stomach, tracing small, careful circles.

The thought lingered in my mind—not knowing yet, not being able to picture them fully—but somehow that made it even more real.

Carla shifted slightly above me, her hand still resting in my hair as she looked down at me.

"A boy would be nice... but I wouldn't care either," she said, her tone calm but thoughtful.

I smiled faintly, keeping my hand where it was.

"Yeah... same," I said quietly. "Boy, girl... doesn't matter."

I paused for a second, imagining it.

A small laugh, tiny hands, running around the house...

I exhaled softly.

"As long as they're healthy... and happy," I added.

Carla's fingers slowed slightly in my hair, a comfortable silence settling between us.

For a moment, there was nothing else to think about.

No danger.

No past.

"I think..." Carla started, her voice quieter than usual.

She stopped.

For a few seconds, she didn't say anything at all, like she was choosing her words carefully—something she almost never did.

"I think... I think I'm done, Miguel," she finally said. "For good. No more delays... no more bullshit... I'm done."

I frowned slightly, confused, pushing myself up so I was level with her instead of laying by her stomach.

"What do you mean?" I asked, searching her face.

Carla exhaled slowly, her gaze drifting for a moment before coming back to me. There was something different in her eyes—not anger, not control... something heavier. More final.

"This life," she said quietly. "Everything that comes with it."

Her hand moved down to her stomach, resting there instinctively.

"I can't keep doing this," she continued. "Not with a child coming... not with you."

I stayed still, listening.

"No more running, no more people like Elena showing up out of nowhere, no more... deals, violence, any of it," she said, her voice firming up the more she spoke. "I'm done with all of it."

The words hung in the air.

Carla—the same woman who always seemed in control of everything—was talking about walking away.

Completely.

She looked back at me, her expression serious now.

"I want something normal," she said. "Or as close to normal as we can get."

Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric over her stomach.

"For us... and for them."

I nodded slowly, a small sense of relief settling in my chest.

"I'm glad... I want us to be here for a long time."

The words felt simple, but they meant everything.

I leaned in and kissed her, soft and familiar, the kind of kiss that didn't rush or demand anything—just warmth, just closeness. It felt different now, heavier in a good way, like there was more behind it than before.

Carla kissed me back just as gently, her hand coming up to rest against my cheek, holding me there.

We didn't pull away.

We just stayed like that, letting the moment stretch.

The room was quiet, dimly lit only by the soft glow of the moon filtering through the window. Shadows moved faintly along the walls, the outside world feeling distant, almost nonexistent.

No chaos.

No danger.

Just us, lying there together, holding onto something that finally felt steady.

We finally pulled apart, but neither of us moved away.

We just stayed there, close, our faces inches from each other, quietly taking each other in like we were trying to memorize everything—every detail, every expression.

Carla's hand lifted, her fingers gently brushing a loose strand of hair from my face and tucking it neatly behind my ear.

"Just three more weeks, Miguel... and you'll finally be Miguel Juarez," she said softly.

The words lingered in the air.

Three weeks.

It didn't feel real.

I let out a small breath, leaning into her touch without even thinking about it, the warmth of her hand grounding me.

"Feels surreal..." I admitted quietly. "I never thought I'd be so lucky to get married to someone so amazing."

Her expression softened at that, something deeper flickering in her eyes—something that wasn't just confidence or control, but something more vulnerable.

Her thumb brushed lightly along my cheek.

"You deserve it," she murmured.

I nodded my head slightly, a faint smile forming.

"I know..."

I reached up, letting my hand rest over hers, holding it there against my face.

"Have you picked a dress out yet? Did you like any of the ones we had you try on?" Carla asked, her fingers still idly resting against my cheek.

I let out a small breath and shook my head.

"They were all beautiful," I admitted, my voice soft. "It's just... ridiculously hard to pick one."

Each one had felt right in a different way, and that somehow made it worse. Nothing stood out because everything did.

Carla gave a small nod, understanding.

"I'd recommend making a choice soon," she said gently. "Don't wanna waste too much time on it..."

I nodded in return, knowing she was right.

"I'll make my decision tomorrow," I said, more certain this time. Then I paused, my gaze drifting for a second before coming back to her. "It's just a lot, you know? I never thought I'd make it to where I'm at."

My hand rested lightly over hers again, holding onto it.

"For a long time, I didn't even think I'd have something like this," I added quietly.

Carla's expression softened, her thumb brushing along my skin again in a slow, comforting motion.

"Well... you do now," she murmured.

There was no doubt in her voice.

Just certainty.

"Are we gonna stay here in Culiacán forever?" I asked suddenly.

The question had been sitting in the back of my mind for a while now, quietly growing louder the more I thought about everything—about the baby, about the future, about what kind of life we actually wanted.

I shifted slightly, looking at her more seriously now.

"I don't know if it'd be the best place to raise a kid," I admitted.

Carla didn't seem surprised by the question.

If anything, it looked like she had already thought about it.

"I have connections in Japan," she said, her tone calm but thoughtful. "I think it would be nice. What do you think, love?"

Japan.

The word alone felt... different.

Far away.

Peaceful.

A fresh start.

I pictured it for a second—new streets, new life, somewhere far removed from everything we'd been through.

"Japan sounds nice," I said, a small smile forming as I looked back at her.

Carla smiled faintly in return, her hand finding mine again.

"Then we'll make it happen," she said, like it was already decided.

And knowing her...

It probably was.

"I can get us a nice big house, and I can even start setting us up with language classes," Carla said, her tone almost thoughtful now, like she was already mapping everything out in her head. "Being a friend of the yakuza goes a long way."

I blinked for a second at how casually she said it, but honestly... that was just Carla.

Still, the idea of it all settled in my chest in a completely different way.

A house.

A new country.

A fresh start where no one knew us.

"That sounds heavenly," I said, a genuine smile forming as I imagined it. "I can't wait."

Carla's lips curved slightly at my reaction, her hand tightening around mine just a bit.

"We'll make it peaceful," she murmured. "For us... and for them."

I nodded, my other hand instinctively drifting to her stomach again, resting there gently.

For the first time in a long while, the future didn't feel like something to fear.

It felt like something to look forward to.

All that remained was the birth of our child... and our wedding.

After that, we could finally start over.

A clean slate.

A real life.

I stared up at the ceiling, letting my mind drift as I imagined it—the aisle, the quiet music, the feeling of every step bringing me closer to her. The way she'd be waiting at the end, looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

And then the kiss.

The moment everything became real.

"It's so peak," I muttered under my breath, a small smile slipping through without me realizing.

Carla let out a soft hum beside me, confused.

"Ah—nothing, just thinking out loud," I said quickly, glancing over at her.

She chuckled lightly, shaking her head just a bit, her fingers brushing against my arm.

"I love you, Miguel."

Her voice was soft, but it carried weight.

I turned toward her fully, meeting her eyes without hesitation.

"I love you more, Carla."

——