There were too many people in the maternity ward that morning. It was rare for things to be quiet in a huge hospital in Mexico City. Dr. Alejandro had just finished a cesarean section when he got a call saying that a woman was in active labor and needed him immediately away.
He quickly changed out of his scrubs and went into the room where the baby was being born. But he stopped as soon as he noticed the patient’s face.
Valeria had been with him for seven years when she suddenly departed without saying anything. She used to be his girlfriend. Now she was lying there, sweating a lot, and her stomach felt tight and ready to give way. She had her phone in her hand, and her expression exhibited both fear and surprise.
“You’re the main doctor?” She said it in a quiet voice.
Alejandro didn’t utter a word. He swiftly nodded and moved the stretcher forward.
The job got risky. Valeria’s blood pressure fell, the baby’s heart rate reduced, and something had to be done right away. But Alejandro stayed calm, and even though his staff was uncomfortable, they worked together.
It took around forty long minutes for the baby to come out.
Alejandro froze again when he took up the kid.
The baby has the same dark, deep eyes and the same dimples that Alejandro had when he was a toddler.
His heart raced, and the sounds around him faded away. There was a little marking on the baby’s shoulder that appeared like a tear. His grandpa gave it to his dad, who then gave it to him. It was a family insignia that was very special.
The nurse held out her arms to take the baby, but Alejandro stopped for a moment before giving him to her. She gently touched the boy’s cheek before carrying him away to wash and swaddle him.
Valeria didn’t look at him when he got close since she was sleepy and resting on the bed.
“Why… why didn’t you ever tell me?” Alejandro said in a voice that was rough.
The tears made her lips shake.
I wanted to. But everything around me was broken. My parents were pushing me, and you were preoccupied with work… “I thought you would hate me and leave me…”
Alejandro stood frozen for a moment, then took the wrapped baby back. His hands were shaking. He felt a great sense of identification and revelation flood over him, awakening up a deep instinct: the instinct of a father.
—Valeria… He stated with conviction, “No matter what happened in the past, I will never leave you or our son.”
At last, she looked up, her eyes red but full of weak hope. The baby’s cry resonated down the hall, heralding not only his presence but also the return of two souls who had lost each other.
