After Paulita followed Ciri Garzón to bed, Estrella Berrocal returned alone to her bedroom.
When he returned to the bedroom, he got a video call on his phone from Adán Rouco.
Estrella Berrocal ran to the bed and grabbed it.
The first thing Adán Rouco asked when answering the video call was: “Have you had anyone at home today?
Estrella Berrocal couldn’t help herself: “Mr. Adán, next time you want to surprise me like this, could you tell me in advance? My mother and brother are here, even Ciri Garzón is here, and Paulita has adopted Ciri Garzón as Madrina, saying Madrina all the time and running to sleep with Ciri Garzón with her little pillow.”
“You can’t call it a surprise if you have advance notice.”
Estrella Berrocal looked at the window on Adán Rouco’s side, where it was daytime outside, and couldn’t help but ask reluctantly, “What time is it on your side?”
“It’s after eight o’clock in the morning.”
Estrella Berrocal saw that he was in his pajamas and hadn’t changed, evidently he had just cleaned up. “So, do you want to go have a quick breakfast and then go to work?”.
Adán Rouco looked at the time and said, without skipping a beat: “There is still no hurry, I will talk to you for another half hour”.
Estrella Berrocal leaned back on the pillows, a little sleepy: “But I’m a little sleepy.”
“Go to sleep, I’ll watch you sleep.”
Estrella Berrocal curved her lips, it was nice, the feeling of being on the other side of the screen as if she was there was more real than anything else.
Estrella Berrocal narrowed her eyes and murmured wearily, “Adam, when will you return?”
“I’ve only been away for one day, Mrs. Rouco.”
Estrella Berrocal sighed softly and clutched her phone, “But why do you look like you’ve been gone for ages to me.”
“Four more days and I’ll be back.”
“Well…”
The two chatted, and finally Estrella Berrocal fell asleep on this side of the phone, and Adán Rouco looked at her sweet sleeping face, a warmth and softness crossing the lake of his heart.
Before it was nine o’clock, Adán Rouco held the video on his cell phone, listening to the sound of long, even breaths coming from the other side.
It was only when Estrella Berrocal turned around and accidentally pressed the hang-up button that the call was forced to end.
…
The next morning, Estrella Berrocal woke up with a pain in her stomach.
She shouted several times before calling Felipa, followed by Lupita Vasconcellos and Andreo Fanta, who also heard the commotion and rushed to the bedroom.
“Ma’am, what’s wrong with you? You’re not in labor, are you?”
Estrella Berrocal clutched her stomach and just felt a contraction in her belly, she got a little scared, “I don’t know…”
Andreo Fanta rushed to take Estrella Berrocal in his arms, “Go to the hospital!”.
Ciri Garzón and Paulita had just gotten up when they saw Andreo Fanta striding down the stairs with Estrella Berrocal in his arms and hurried to follow him.
Paulita asked nervously and worriedly from behind, “What’s wrong with Estrella, is she going to have a baby?”.
Lupita Vasconcellos took Paulita’s hand and got into the car with her, “It’s ok, don’t worry, Paulita don’t be afraid”.
Paulita said, “Let’s call daddy!”.
Lupita Vasconcellos thought about it and decided that Paulita was right, so she called Adán Rouco, but his phone was off.
Estrella Berrocal, clutching her belly, said, “Adán is in San Francisco, he must be sleeping by now, Mom, don’t call, I’m sure I’m having a normal pain attack.”
Calling Adán Rouco, who was far away in San Francisco, would only add to the confusion and it was useless to call.
…
After the group went to the hospital, Estrella Berrocal’s stomach stopped hurting again.
The doctor told her, “This is normal for pregnant women, as they are about to give birth and usually have similar pain attacks these days, so if you are really unsure, you can stay in the hospital from now on.”
Lupita Vasconcellos asked Estrella Berrocal, who was in the hospital bed, “Estrella, why don’t you start today and stay in the hospital, there’s no telling what day you’ll give birth.”
Estrella Berrocal did not like the idea of being hospitalized, and if she was, she would need her family to stay with her, which would be inconvenient even if they worked shifts, and Estrella Berrocal would feel bad about it.
“Mom, I’d rather stay home, besides there are still fourteen days until I give birth.”
The doctor said: “It is true that the due date is still a long way off, but normally pregnant women come three days before the due date, or the day before. Half a month before they are hospitalized, some of them are afraid they will not be able to stay”.
Finally, Estrella Berrocal went home, but her heart was always attentive.
Ten days before giving birth, on the morning of Adán Rouco’s return, Estrella Berrocal’s water broke.