Back to us | Alexia Putellas

They're home.

The hospital felt different when we left it. Quieter, somehow. Like it had done what it needed to do with us and was ready to let us go.

Two days. That was all it had been, but it felt longer. Heavier. Like something had shifted in a way that couldn't be undone.

Ale sat in the wheelchair beside me, wrapped in one of her hoodies, her hair pulled back loosely, her face still pale with exhaustion, but her eyes were clear. Focused on them. Always on them.

The nurse adjusted the blanket over her legs one last time before stepping behind to push her out of the building.

"We're all set"

Ale nodded faintly.

"Thank you"

I didn't say much. I didn't trust my voice to stay steady, because I was holding both of them. One in each hand. Two car seats that suddenly felt like some of the most important things I had ever carried.

Leo stirred first, like he already knew something was changing. A small, sharp sound leaving him as he shifted under the blanket.

"I've got you" I murmured, more instinct than thought.

Baby Eli stayed still. Calm.
Exactly where he was.

We moved slowly, out of the room and down the hallway. Every step felt deliberate, like I had to think about it before I took it.

The doors opened automatically as we reached them. And just like that, we were outside. The air hit differently.

Cooler. Real.

Ale inhaled deeply, like she hadn't breathed properly in days.
"We're actually leaving" she said quietly.

I glanced at her, then back down at them.

"Yeah"

There was a moment. A small one, where neither of us moved.

Then I nodded toward the car.

"Come on"

The drive home was quiet. Not tense, just... full.

Ale leaned her head back against the seat, her body sinking into it in a way that told me she was still holding herself together more than she was letting on.

I checked the mirror constantly.

Every few seconds.

Leo moved more, small restless shifts, his face tightening before relaxing again.

Eli barely moved at all. Just breathing. Steady.

"You're going to crash if you keep doing that" Ale murmured, her eyes still closed.

"Doing what?"

"Checking them every two seconds"

"I can't help it" I huffed a quiet breath.

"I know" There was no judgement in it. Just understanding.

After a moment, she opened her eyes, turning her head slightly to look back at them.

"They look so small back there"

"They are small"

"They're ours"

I nodded, even though she wasn't looking at me anymore.

"I know"

She went quiet again after that, so did I.
But it didn't feel empty. Just... settled.

When we pulled up outside the house, everything slowed again.

I turned the engine off, but neither of us moved straight away. Ale stared at the front door. I could see it in her face, that same hesitation from before. Not fear. Just the weight of it sitting in her chest.