He stepped closer, desperate.
“Help me fix this. I’m begging you. She’s already on her way here.”
For a split second, I wanted to tell him to get out.
But Mateo stirred, letting out a small sound, and reality grounded me. I wouldn’t allow a scene near my newborn.
“If she comes here shouting, security will escort her out,” I said calmly. “You will not use me to protect your lies.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“I just needed time,” he muttered. “I didn’t want her to find out like this.”
“You had eight months,” I replied. “Now answer me clearly: are you going to be a father, or do you only show up when it threatens your comfort?”
Footsteps echoed outside. The nurse peeked in.
“There’s a woman asking for you. She says her name is Lucía.”
I took control.
“Ask her to wait in the visitors’ room,” I said. “I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
Álvaro stared at me. “You’re going to talk to her?”
“I’m going to stop this from exploding in a maternity ward,” I answered.
I slipped a robe over my hospital gown and asked the nurse to stay with Mateo.
Lucía was standing stiffly in the corridor, phone clutched in her hand, eyes swollen from crying. When she saw me, she didn’t hesitate.
“Are you Sofía?” she asked. “Tell me if that baby is Álvaro’s.”
“Yes,” I said. “His name is Mateo. He was born today. Álvaro is his father.”
Her jaw tightened. She turned to him.
“You told me there was nothing left unresolved,” she said quietly. “You said your past was closed.”
He stepped forward, but I raised my hand.
“Let her speak. You caused this.”
Lucía faced me again.
“And what do you want?” she demanded. “Money? To ruin my wedding?”
I was too tired for drama.
“I want peace and responsibility,” I said. “While you were planning a wedding, I was in labor. Your relationship is not my battlefield. My concern is that Mateo has a present father—with a clear, written agreement.”
The hallway felt heavy with silence.
Lucía’s anger softened into something else—hurt.
“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “No one told me.”
“I believe you,” I said. “And you didn’t deserve to find out this way.”
Álvaro looked between us, defeated.
“I was scared,” he admitted. “I thought you’d leave me.”
“And by lying, you may have done exactly that,” Lucía replied.
