ONE SHOTS MARINA (ENGLISH)

23. Moments

P.O.V. CARINA DELUCA-BISHOP

The clock on the wall was just after 10 am, and the comfortable silence that filled the room was punctuated only by the soft sound of Liam's breath and his small movements as he snuggled in Maya's arms. I was sitting on the couch, watching them both, completely mesmerized by the scene in front of me.

That was the kind of moment that made me realize how much our life had changed, and at the same time, how much it had become exactly what I always dreamed. The blonde in front of me was exhausted, that was obvious.

She had arrived from another long and exhausting shift in the season not too long ago, her shoulders slightly bent under the weight of accumulated fatigue. But even so, there she was, sitting with him on her lap, holding the bottle with such affection that it seemed like a second nature to her.

Her eyes, though heavy, were full of tenderness as she looked at our son, as if he was the center of the universe. And to her, I knew he was.

- You're amazing, Maya - I murmured, more to myself than her.

My gaze did not leave the face of my wife, her traits so familiar and at the same time so different now that the maternity had molded parts of her I didn't even know existed. Maya looked at me over Liam, a soft smile forming on his lips.

- I'm just bottle-feeding, Carina - she replied in a playful tone, but I could see the understated pride behind the words.

- Not only that - I replied, without containing the smile that sprouted on my lips - You are always here for him, even when you are exhausted, even when you have just left a 12-hour shift. He loves you. You see it in his eyes, right?

She looked down again at the little one, who, with half-closed eyes, was concentrated on the bottle. He held her finger with his little hand, squeezing it gently as if he needed that physical connection to feel safe.

- I think I'm falling in love with him more every day - my wife said in a low voice, with her eyes shining with emotion - It's like... I don't know, babe. Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough, but when he looks at me like that...

She didn't have to finish the sentence. I knew exactly what she meant.

Being a mother was a constant game of doubts, asking if we were doing everything right. But looking at them together, I knew we were.

We were creating something special, something that went beyond our own expectations. I leaned a little more on the couch, leaning my legs in the backrest, watching both as if I were a spectator of an intimate spectacle. There was something so simple, but at the same time so deep in that scene.

- You know he's going to be just like you, right? - I commented, still with the look fixed on Liam, that now yawning while finishing the bottle - So stubborn, and in love with those damn fire trucks! I can already imagine you two running around, him trying to do everything you do.

Maya laughed softly, the sound warm and comforting.

- If he is as stubborn as I am, we are in trouble.

I approached her, feeling the heat in my chest increase every second that I looked at them. That was what we had built, what we always dreamed of.

A family. And no matter how tiring it was, no matter how hard some days were, it was all worth it when I saw the connection they shared.

- He loves you so much - I mouthed, feeling my eyes sear - He is a little piece of you, bambina. And that's so beautiful to see.

She tilted her head slightly, a soft gleam in her eyes as she looked at me.