𝐑 𝐔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄?¹ - juan soto

ᴇᴘɪʟᴏɢᴜᴇ

the afternoon sun poured through the living room windows, bathing everything in a warm, golden glow. lyra sat at the dining table, her laptop open in front of her, the cursor blinking at the end of her latest sentence. she leaned back, rereading the title of the chapter she'd just finished:

14: "How I Fell for Baseball's Biggest Brat."

a small laugh escaped her lips. she could already hear juan teasing her about it later.

for the playroom down the hall, lyra could ramón's laughter, high and bright. "¡mira mami! i made a home run!"

she turned her head to see her four-year-old son holding a foam bat, triumphantly running in circles around the couch. the pile of stuffed animals he had knocked over was apparently the opposing team.

"you're unstoppable, ramón!" she called back, her heart swelling at the sight of him.

ramón flashed her a grin that was the spitting image of his father's and then turned his attention back to the "game." lyra couldn't help but marvel at how much he was growing up—his boundless energy, his messy curls, the way he mimicked everything her husband did, right down to his taunting shuffle.

she turned back to her laptop, closing it with a satisfied sigh. the house was quiet except for ramón playful chatter, but it wasn't the kind of silence that made her feel alone. it was the kind that felt full—of love, of life, of everything she'd never expected to have.

the sound of keys jingling at the door made her sit up straighter.

"mami, papá is home!" ramón dropped his bat and sprinted toward the door, his small feet thundering across the hardwood floor.

lyra blinked in surprise. juan wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow.

the door opened, and there he was, his bag slung over his shoulder and a cap pushed back on his head. juan barely had time to drop his bag before ramón launched himself into his arms.

"whoa!" juan laughed, lifting ramón with ease. "¿que es esto? a surprise welcome committee?"

"you're home early!" ramón exclaimed, hugging his dad tightly.

juan kissed the top of his head. "i couldn't wait another day to see my little guy and my favorite girl."

lyra stood from the table, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow as she approached. "you didn't think to call and warn me?"

juan's grin was pure mischief. "and ruin the surprise?"

she rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling as he leaned in to kiss her. the warmth of his lips against hers made her heart flutter, just like it always did.

"you're lucky i missed you," she murmured, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes.

"good," he replied, setting ramón down but keeping an arm around her waist. "because i missed you more."

"papá, guess what!" ramón tugged on juan's sleeve, already brimming with excitement.

"what's up, champ?"

"i hit a home run! just like you!" ramón puffed out his chest, and juan knelt down to his level, ruffling his curls.

"you did? that's amazing!" juan said, his voice full of awe. "looks like i've got some competition. think you'll beat me one day?"

ramón nodded enthusiastically. "i'm gonna hit it out of the park, just like you did in the world series!"

juan laughed, scooping his son up again. "i don't doubt it for a second, buddy."

lyra watched them with a smile, her heart so full it felt like it might burst. she thought back to where they'd started—all the uncertainty, the push-and-pull, the doubts she'd had about whether she could ever really belong in his world. and yet, here they were, having built something more beautiful than she could have ever imagined.

"by the way," juan said, glancing at lyra as he carried ramón toward the couch, "what were you working on when i got home?"

"oh, just the book," she replied casually, though her smile was sly.

juan narrowed his eyes. "what's the new chapter called?"

"'how i fell for baseball's biggest brat,'" she said, trying not to laugh as juan groaned dramatically.

"you're never letting that go, are you?" he asked, flopping onto the couch with ramón still in his lap.

"not a chance," she teased, sitting beside him.

juan leaned closer, dropping his voice so only she could hear. "well, for what it's worth, i'm glad you did."

she kissed him softly, her hand resting on his cheek. "me too."

ramón wriggled between them, holding his foam bat like a trophy. "mamá, papá, let's play baseball!"

juan laughed, grabbing the bat and tapping it against his palm. "you're on. but don't go easy on me, okay?"

lyra leaned back, watching her husband and son with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. for all the twists and turns that had led her here, she wouldn't trade this—her family, her home, her love—for anything in the world.