—No. The ceremony starts in ten minutes.
I thought she hadn’t understood. I begged her. I told her I needed a hospital. That it wasn’t a tantrum.
Then she came closer, took my phone from me, and gently pushed me farther inside.
—Hold it in for an hour. Today is Valeria’s day.
She locked the door.
I banged, screamed, cried. The wedding music covered my voice. No one came upstairs. No one heard me.
I was left alone, in labor, locked away as if my life and my daughter’s life were an inconvenience.
And when I felt my legs stop responding, I understood that maybe we wouldn’t get out of there alive.
I couldn’t believe what was about to happen…
PART 2
I woke up in a hospital bed with my throat dry and my body destroyed. The first thing I saw was Diego sitting beside me, crying like I had never seen him cry before.
My heart stopped.
I thought Camila hadn’t survived.
I tried to speak, but barely a sound came out. Diego took my hand and began kissing my fingers.
—They’re fine —he told me through sobs—. Both of you are fine.
At that moment, a nurse came in with a baby wrapped in a little pink blanket. When she placed her on my chest, the whole world went silent. Camila was so small, so warm, so perfect, that for a few seconds I forgot the fear.
But then everything came back.
