Sergio closed the book and leaned back on the couch, pressing his hands to his face.

There was something going on, he could feel it. He wasn't by far a good people's reader, but he had managed to read his girlfriend quite nicely by now. And Raquel was somehow off. She was acting normal in general but… He had seen her eyes glistening several times in the last couple days, with no apparent reason. He had caught her staring into void for several minutes. She had given him such a strong look when they were being intimate that he felt her staring into his soul. Maybe she was just emotional over Christmas, maybe the holiday was reminding her of how much her life had changed. Whatever it was happening, Sergio needed to get it right with her. That's how they were. Even if it meant a hard truth, they were true with each other.

Raquel had retreated herself to the bedroom, about ten minutes ago, and he could see the lights in their room still on. He braced himself and got up from the couch, turning off the Christmas tree lights before heading to the bedroom.

She was lying awake in bed, half covered by the sheet, only in a black tank top and panties, her golden brown hair sprawled across the pillow. Sergio marvelled at the sight. He removed his pants, and slid into bed next to her, spooning her. She sighed in contentment and clung onto his arm around her waist. They stayed like that for several minutes, enjoying the feeling of being in each other's arms. After a while he noticed Raquel taking a deep breath.

"Sergio?"

"Sì, cariño?" He said calmly, but deep down he was preparing for the worst. All those awful possibilities that haunted his worst dreams came to surface. What if she wanted to leave? What if she didn't love him anymore?

Raquel turned onto her back, and their eyes met. She opened her mouth to speak and he held his breath. She noticed his nervousness and stroke his cheek lightly, her eyes never leaving his. She took another deep breath before whispering: "I'm pregnant."

He felt his world stopping.

"De verdàd?" He asked in a whisper, and she nodded, not sure how to read his expression. "Oh Raquel…!" He crashed his lips on hers, hoping he could transmit all his emotions through that kiss.

Raquel broke the kiss breathlessly, a hesitant smile occupying her lips. "Are you happy?"

"Happy? Mi amor, I don't think I ever felt this happy." He kissed her again, and she put her arms around his neck. He broke the kiss to ask her hesitantly. "Do you want it?"

"More than anything. It's yours. It's ours." She said softly, as he rested his forehead on hers. "I was worried you wouldn't want it."

"It's everything I can think of since Paula's sleepy wish." They both chuckled as tears swam in their eyes. "Since when do you know?"

"I've been suspicious for a couple of weeks now, but I bought a test and did it after we got home from the market. I couldn't keep it in much longer."

He kissed her forehead and pressed a hand to his eyes. "I just didn't believe you would want to have a baby with me." He looked at her and she felt emotion overcome her once more: his eyes were full of hope, happiness and love.

"More than anything." She whispered through tears. "I could never imagine I'd be this happy again, Sergio. But you made everything go right. You make everything go right. And for that I love you with all my heart."

For the next few days, they were in their own little bubble of happiness. They couldn't stop smiling, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Even Paula and Marivì had mentioned it, but Raquel and Sergio could only laugh it off. "It's just Christmas spirit." She had said lightly, laughing at her mother and her daughter's suspicious face.

They prepared Christmas Eve dinner submerged in this utter happiness, surely leaving the poor nurse a bit scandalized.

Sergio just couldn't stop hugging Raquel, kissing her. She was the woman who had saved his soul, who had made him feel alive, who had showed how incredible it was to share a life with someone, and who now would give him the greatest gift of all.

They had a lovely dinner, and Raquel felt herself beaming: Sergio looked lighter than he had ever seen him, Paula was super excited with Christmas, natural as it was for a child, and Marivì was having a particular good week. Right now, grandmother and granddaughter discussed happily gifts from previous years. Sergio caught Raquel observing the scene, a mix of emotion and happiness in her eyes. He put a hand in her leg, and she looked at him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. They shared a loving look, before Paula interrupted them excitedly. "Can we please open the gifts now? Please?"

Sergio stroked her hand again in reassurance before getting up.

"I'll just put some of this food in the fridge. Paulita, will you help me? So we can get to the presents faster." The girl rapidly grabbed a pan from the table and hurried herself to the kitchen, while Sergio winked at Raquel and Marivì before grabbing two dishes and following Paula into the kitchen.

As Raquel dreamily watched him, Marivì went around the table and took a seat next to her daughter, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Mi hija, what's going on?"

Raquel looked at her mother in surprise. "What do you mean, Mama?"

"What I mean is the way you and Sergio look like two teenagers in love." The older Murillo said knowingly, and Raquel blushed. "Is there something to know?"

Before she could answer, Paula emerged from the kitchen, followed by Sergio. "Mama, abuela, let's go to the living room!" She managed to drag her grandmother, but the other two adults stayed behind. Raquel got up and put her arms around Sergio's neck. "Are you ready?"

"With you by my side, I could face a battlefront." He said, closing the distance between their mouths to kiss her sweetly. "I can't wait to see Paula's reaction."

"Me too. And my mother already figured something was up. So let's get to the presents before Paula opens everything, shall we?

Surprisingly Paula had waited patiently by the tree, although her face showed a big relief when the couple finally decided to join them in the living room.

She excitedly chose the gifts from under the Christmas tree and handed it according to the tags, then settled on the floor opening her own gifts.

They exchanged thanks and compliments as everyone opened their gifts: Paula was over the moon that she had received not only a pink Polaroid but also a set of pink speakers and headphones and a bracelet. Marivì was delighted with the big portrait of her, Raquel and Paula that Sergio had sent to print, while he was surprised that Raquel had managed to find a limited edition of a series of books he loved. He offered her a beautiful ring and a thin necklace with a family charm she almost teared up over.

Finally, after a nod of encouragement from Raquel, Sergio got up to grab a small box wrapped in a silver ribbon and handed it to Paula. "One last gift from me and your mother." He said, nervously, and took a seat next to Raquel again. He wrapped an arm around her as Paula opened the box, her eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"Oh, it's a polaroid picture." She said, holding the photo up to examine it.

It was not a polaroid picture. It was a picture Sergio and Raquel had obtained the day before, as they left the house for a couple of hours. He had held her hand nervously as they waited to be called, and as tears slid down the cheeks of them both when they first saw it on the screen. He had kissed her with so much love and passion that he hadn't bothered to feel ashamed by the third person in the room, who actually just smiled in awe. He had held her hand the entire way home, wanting to be connected to her forever, so he could always feel this happy.

It was an ultrasound.

Paula rotated the picture in her hands. "But I can't quite figure it out, it's kind of smudgy, it's-" She stopped abruptly and rotated the picture 180º. "AHHHHHHHHH! OH MY GOD!" Her scream startled Marivì and Sergio, while Raquel displayed a big mischievous smile. "Mama! Is this- Oh my god, papa…?! You're having a baby?" Raquel could only nod, tears of happiness sliding down her cheeks, as Sergio was apparently still dizzy from the screams. "SIIIIIII!" She screamed as she jumped up, throwing her arms around Raquel and Sergio's neck. "I'm so happy! This is so great! I'm so happy!" She kept repeating, kissing her mother and her stepdad all over their faces.

"My my, there was something to know after all." Marivi said, smiling openly at the couple. "Congratulations, cariño, Sergio!" She said, hugging them both.

Paula grabbed her grandmother's hands. "Abuela, you're not getting, this is all I ever wanted!" She said, and let go of her grandmother to jump around the table, chanting very loudly I'm going to be a big sister!

Surrounded by these chants, and the sound of Marivi's laughing at her granddaughter, Raquel and Sergio hugged each other. He put some space between them after a few moments to look her in the eyes and say, his voice tightened with emotion, just before he kissed her again: "This is all I ever wanted too."

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