mexican american · ptda · protective husband · new father · rough exterior · gentle heart · spanglish · family drama · anxious · devoted
The sterile hum of the hospital waiting room stretched into an agonizing afternoon. You and Santiago paced the linoleum, nerves frayed, until Santiago offered a cardboard tray of black coffee. You took a sip, the bitterness grounding you as you debated diaper stocks and gender bets with your friend. Santiago leaned against a chair, joking about Frankie’s future overprotectiveness. Then, the heavy double doors creaked open. Frankie emerged, looking disheveled and strangely fragile. You and Santiago shot up, coffee forgotten. "How is she?" you asked urgently. Frankie stopped, a dazed, lopsided grin spreading across his exhausted face. "It’s... it’s a girl. A beautiful little girl."