When i woke, my head felt like it was cracking open.
I pressed a hand to my forehead, groaning. Every movement sent a stab of pain behind my eyes.
I lay there for a minute, eyes shut tight.
Bits of last night flickered, but nothing stuck.
How did i even get home?
My mouth tasted sour, and the sheet twisted around my legs felt too hot, too heavy.
I let out another groan, pulling myself up slowly.
"God..." I muttered hoarsely.
No answer.
Silence.
I rubbed at my eyes and forced my feet onto the floor.
Cold marble tiles greeted my bare soles, making me shiver.
The condo felt unfamiliar in the gray morning light.
I didn't remember coming in.
I didn't remember anything after...
Dinner.
Wine.
My stomach turned just thinking about it.
I pushed myself up, one hand against the wall to steady my balance.
The air felt stale, too heavy with regret.
Stumbling to the bathroom, I flicked on the harsh white light and winced at my reflection.
Hair tangled. Eyes bloodshot. Makeup smudged around my lids like bruises.
I closed my eyes, sighing shakily.
"Pathetic," I whispered.
I turned on the tap and splashed water over my face.
Cold. Sharp.
Waking me up, if only a little.
My temples still throbbed.
I reached for my toothbrush automatically.
The familiar routine felt grounding. Mechanical.
Toothpaste.
Water.
Brush.
Spit.
Rinse.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
There was something hollow in my gaze i didn't like seeing.
I didn't even want to remember what i'd said last night.
What had i said?
Bits of it came back.
Raphael's face.
That angry, pained expression.
His words blunt, raw.
I swallowed hard, but my mouth was dry.
I leaned over the sink and let the water run.
God.
I'd made a fool of myself.
A drunk, sloppy, embarrassing fool.
He must think i'm completely unhinged.
I dropped my head, forehead resting on the edge of the cool porcelain.
A beat of silence.
And then—
A noise.
I straightened, blinking.
There it was again.
A low clatter.
A faint scrape.
Voices.
My eyes snapped to the half-closed door.
Was someone in my kitchen?
My heart jumped, panic flaring.
I dropped the toothbrush into the cup and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
Barefoot, hair messy, headache pounding, I slipped out of the bathroom as quietly as i could.
The hallway was short.
I crept down it slowly, trying not to make the floor creak.
And then i stopped.
Because i saw them.
Raphael.
And Sebi.
My breath caught in my throat.
They were at my kitchen counter.
Raphael's back was to me as he lifted a pan carefully from the stove, turning it to pour something onto plates.
Sebastian was perched on a stool, legs dangling, kicking idly.
He was watching the sizzling eggs with big, curious eyes.
"Careful, Daddy," Sebi said seriously, in that crisp, careful tone he always used when he felt important.
Raphael let out a quiet huff of laughter.
"I'm being careful. Don't you worry."
He shifted the pan.
"Did you put enough cheese?" Sebi added, peering closer.
Raphael glanced at him, mock-offended.
"Did i put enough cheese? Excuse me, young man. When have i ever under-delivered on cheese?"
Sebi giggled.
The sound punched straight through my chest.
I hadn't even realized i was smiling.
But then the reality of it hit me, me standing there disheveled, half-dead from hangover, watching them in my kitchen.
This scene.
So normal.
So painfully domestic.
Like we were some family that had breakfast like this every weekend.
My throat tightened.
I shifted on the floor and accidentally knocked my heel against the doorframe.
The noise made them both turn.
Two pairs of eyes met mine.
Raphael's dark gaze.
Sebi's wide, bright one.
For a beat, no one said anything.
Then Sebi's face split into that gap-toothed grin i loved so much.
"Mommy!"
He scrambled off the stool and ran at me full-speed.
I dropped to my knees on instinct, catching him in my arms.
I buried my face in his hair, inhaling the sweet, warm scent of sleep and shampoo.
"Mommy," he mumbled against my shoulder, wrapping his arms tight around my neck.
"Hey, baby," I whispered, voice cracking.
I felt my eyes sting.
I blinked quickly, trying to pull myself together.
Behind us, Raphael cleared his throat.
I looked up, heart pounding.
He was watching us, expression unreadable.
He looked tired.
Worried.
But there was something else there, too.
Something softer.
I swallowed hard and stood slowly, Sebi's arms still looped around my neck.
"You're up," Raphael said quietly.
I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand.
"Yeah. Barely," I muttered, embarrassed.
His gaze softened a fraction.
"Hangover?"
I glared weakly at him.
"Don't start."
He actually smiled. Just a tiny, crooked thing.
Sebi wriggled in my arms.
"Daddy's making breakfast! I helped crack eggs!"
I tried to smile.
"I heard. You two are... very loud."
Sebi just beamed.
Raphael cleared his throat again, glancing away for a second.
"Coffee?" he offered.
I hesitated.
The idea of caffeine made my stomach roll, but i nodded anyway.
"Please."
He turned back to the counter to pour a cup.
I shifted Sebi onto my hip and walked closer.
The kitchen smelled warm, buttery, like melting cheese and toast.
Raphael set the mug on the counter in front of me without meeting my eyes.
I wrapped my fingers around it.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
Sebi was the one to break the silence.
"Daddy says we're going to his house later," he announced proudly.
I blinked at Raphael.
He met my eyes finally, careful.
"I thought... my parents might want to see him," he said gruffly.
I hesitated.
His parents.
Of course.
They'd want to meet their grandson properly.
And Sebi deserved that.
My chest felt too tight.
"Right," I managed.
Sebi twisted to look at me, big eyes bright.
"Can we go, Mommy? Please?"
My heart broke a little.
I kissed his temple.
"Of course we can go, baby."
He let out a happy whoop, making both of us wince at the volume.
Raphael actually huffed a tiny laugh.
The tension eased just a hair.
We had breakfast together, awkward, quiet, but real.
Sebi talked the whole time, explaining how they cracked eggs, how Daddy let him sprinkle cheese, how he almost spilled the salt but Daddy caught it.
I listened.
I smiled.
I tried not to cry.
Afterward, Raphael washed the dishes without being asked.
Sebi wiped the table with oversized enthusiasm.
And I...
I stood there feeling like i was watching someone else's life.
Something that could have been ours.
Something i hadn't let myself want for so long.
-
Finally, we got ready to go.
Sebi insisted on bringing his little backpack full of crayons and toy cars.
Raphael grabbed his keys and shot me a careful look.
"Ready?"
I nodded, even though my palms were sweating.
We left the condo.
Together.
-
I didn't realize how hard my hands were shaking until i tried to buckle my seatbelt.
The metal clicked too loud in the silence.
Raphael was quiet in the driver's seat, adjusting the rearview mirror so he could see Sebi in the back.
Sebi was humming to himself, oblivious.
I kept staring straight ahead, trying to keep my breathing steady.
My stomach was a tight knot.
I hadn't seen Raphael's parents in years.
I hadn't even saidgoodbye to them.
Five years ago, I'd left in the night like a thief, leaving them with nothing but questions.
And now i was bringing them their grandson for the first time.
My throat felt raw.
"Claudia."
His voice startled me.
I turned slowly.
He was watching me, one hand loose on the wheel, his dark eyes softer than i expected.
"You're going to hyperventilate," he said.
I tried to laugh.
It came out strangled.
"Shut up," I mumbled, but i couldn't meet his eyes for long.
He didn't say anything at first.
Just drove, the city blurring past the window.
Finally he spoke, low, firm.
"You don't have to be scared."
I swallowed.
My palms were sweaty against my skirt.
"You don't know that," I whispered.
His brow twitched.
"I do," he said. "Because i know them."
I shook my head hard.
"They have every right to hate me, Raphael. I left. I didn't just leave you, I left them. I didn't even have the decency to—"
"Stop."
His voice was sharper this time.
I shut my mouth.
Sebi was still humming.
Raphael exhaled carefully.
"They know why you left," he said, quieter.
I frowned at him.
He kept his gaze on the road.
"They understand. As much as anyone can."
That hurt even more, somehow.
My chest felt like it would crack open.
I pressed a shaking hand over my mouth.
Raphael's grip on the wheel tightened, knuckles pale.
"Look," he said roughly. "They're not going to be throwing a party for you, okay? Don't expect that. But they don't hate you."
I blinked fast, fighting tears.
He added, voice low, "They were angry. They were hurt. But they love Sebi already. They want to see him. That's what today is."
My breath hitched.
Sebi piped up suddenly from the back seat.
"Mommy?"
I turned, forcing a smile.
"Yes, baby?"
He was hugging his stuffed bunny tight.
"Are you crying?"
I wiped my face with my palm.
"No. Just itchy eyes."
Raphael snorted softly.
"Liar," he muttered.
I glared at him.
He didn't look back, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
We fell into silence again.
I stared out at the city i'd once called mine, feeling both like a stranger and someone who'd never really left.
By the time we pulled into their gated driveway, I was practically vibrating with nerves.
The house changed.
White stucco.
Large porch.
Flowers that his mother always tended herself.
It was almost insulting how good it looked.
Raphael parked and turned off the engine.
He didn't say anything at first.
I sat frozen.
Sebi was already trying to unbuckle himself.
"Mommy, help!"
My fingers shook as i freed him.
He scrambled over to Raphael, who hoisted him onto his hip like it was second nature.
Raphael looked at me.
"You ready?"
I gave a jerky nod.
"No you're not," he said bluntly.
I scowled.
But i followed him anyway.
His mother opened the door before we even knocked.
Her eyes went straight to Raphael first, relief flickering across her face.
Then to Sebi.
Her mouth fell open slightly.
And finally—to me.
My heart stopped.
"Ma," Raphael said quietly.
She didn't say anything at first.
Just looked between us all.
Then she spoke, voice tight.
"Come in."
I felt like i was walking to my own execution.
Inside, his father was waiting in the living room.
I remembered him as a big, warm man with a boisterous laugh.
Now he just looked... older.
He stood slowly when he saw us.
His eyes went to Sebi immediately.
"Is this him?" he asked roughly.
Raphael shifted Sebi higher on his hip.
"This is Sebastian," he said, voice gentling.
Sebi blinked at them, then offered a shy, careful "Hello po."
His grandmother's hand flew to her mouth.
His grandfather's eyes went glassy.
No one said anything for a moment.
Then his father let out a ragged breath.
"Well," he said, voice cracking. "Come here, boy."
Raphael set Sebi down, and Sebi walked over slowly.
His grandfather dropped to one knee and just gathered him up.
I turned away, pressing a hand to my chest.
I couldn't watch.
The afternoon was full of those silences.
Awkward. Heavy.
No one yelled at me.
No one even raised their voice.
But it felt like everything between us had been scraped raw.
They asked polite questions.
How old is he now?
How was China?
Is he in school?
I answered all of them with my voice shaking.
Raphael sat close to me on the couch, one hand resting against my back in quiet support.
His mother barely looked at me.
His father did, but it was guarded.
Viviena arrived later.
She stopped in the doorway when she saw me.
We used to be so close.
Shopping.
Coffee.
Confiding in each other.
Now she just pressed her lips together, eyes cool.
She walked over to Raphael and hugged him.
Then bent to Sebi's level, greeting him with a bright, too-careful smile.
"Hi, sweetheart. I'm your Tita V."
Sebi blinked, then offered her a polite little nod.
"Hello po."
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
I wanted to be sick.
-
Dinner was tense.
We sat around the big dining table like strangers.
Sebi chattered about his school in China.
About his favorite foods.
About how Daddy cooked eggs this morning.
Everyone listened.
Everyone smiled.
But when Sebi wasn't looking, they looked at me.
Not angry.
Just... distant.
Like i was a guest in a house i'd once lived in.
At one point, his father cleared his throat.
"So."
We all froze.
He looked at Raphael.
"At the risk of being blunt... what are you two planning?"
Silence.
My fingers twisted in my lap.
I couldn't look up.
I felt Raphael's gaze on me.
Under the table, his hand slid over mine.
Warm. Steady.
I startled a little, eyes jerking to his.
He didn't let go.
His thumb brushed over my knuckles slowly.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Then he looked at his father.
"We're getting married," he said.
My heart stopped.
He didn't even hesitate.
He squeezed my hand tighter.
"For Sebi. For us. We're doing this again."
His mother let out a quiet breath, like she'd been punched.
Viviena's brows shot up.
No one spoke for a moment.
Finally his father cleared his throat.
He didn't smile.
But he nodded once.
"All right," he said roughly.
He looked at me.
"Is that what you want, Claudia?"
My voice wavered.
I tried to speak.
Failed.
Then nodded shakily.
"Yes," I whispered.
Raphael's fingers tightened on mine, grounding me.
Sebi looked between us, confused but excited.
"You're going to marry? Like in fairy tales?"
I let out a strangled laugh, wiping at my eyes.
"Something like that, baby."