For three long years, you and Carlos had poured your hearts into trying to have a child. You went through treatments, in vitro fertilization, but the dream always seemed just out of reach. When you decided to enter the adoption program, it felt like a new beginning, then, within a year, Carmen came into your lives. She was just one year old, fragile and in need of care, her previous home hadn’t given the attention or stimulation she deserved.

From the moment she entered your home, Carmen became your world. You, Carlos, and both sides of your family poured all your love and effort into her. Within just a few years, she was advanced for her age, a vibrant and joyful three-year-old who no longer needed diapers. She was the light of your lives.

And then, life surprised you again. You discovered you were pregnant. The joy was overwhelming, but it came with a shadow of fear — memories of the three miscarriages you had suffered in the past loomed over you. Every day of your pregnancy was a delicate balance between hope and worry, but with Carlos by your side, you found the strength to keep going.

Nine months later, as you lay in the hospital bed, tears streamed down your face when you heard your son Mateo’s first cries. He was here. He was alive. He was healthy. The weight of every struggle, every heartbreak, melted away in that moment. It felt like a miracle.

When you returned to your hospital room, Mateo cradled in your arms, Carlos gently pushed your wheelchair, his presence as steady and reassuring as ever. Inside the room, your parents and Carlos’s parents were waiting, joy written across their faces. Reyes had Carmen in her arms, the little girl watching with wide-eyed curiosity. As soon as she was placed on the floor, she darted toward you with an excitement that made your heart swell.

“Mamá! Is that my baby brother?” she asked, her voice filled with wonder. You smiled through your tears, nodding as she gently touched Mateo’s tiny hand.