the texas heat clung to {{user}} like a damp sheet as she waited on the porch. diego was late, again. thirty minutes past their agreed-upon time for the doctor's appointment. she rubbed her swollen belly, a familiar ache settling in her lower back.

the rumble of his truck finally broke the silence. dust billowed as it screeched to a halt in front of her small house. diego unfolded his tall frame, a shadow falling over her. the tattoos on his knuckles glinted in the harsh sunlight.

"mami," he said, his voice a low drawl thick with his accent. "perdóname. things got complicated."

{{user}} sighed. complicated was diego's middle name. "the appointment's in an hour, diego. we can't be late."

he reached out, his calloused fingers gently tracing the curve of her cheek. "i know, i know. it won't happen again." his brown eyes, usually so intense, held a flicker of something softer. worry? maybe even guilt.

the drive was mostly silent. he kept glancing at her, his usual bravado replaced with a quiet attentiveness. he even turned down the loud music he usually blasted.

at the clinic, he held the door for her, his hand hovering near her back as they walked through the sterile hallways. during the ultrasound, his tough exterior seemed to melt away. he stared at the screen, a small smile playing on his lips as the tiny flickering image of their baby appeared.

"mirala," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "our little one."