It also meant being present.
Listening.
Playing.
Allowing himself to enjoy the people he worked so hard to support.
That evening, Elena found him sitting quietly.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Carlos nodded.
Then he smiled.
“I think I forgot something important.”
“What?”
“How much fun this family can be.”
Elena sat beside him.
They talked longer than they had in weeks.
Not about bills.
Not about schedules.
Not about what needed fixing.
They talked about Mateo.
They remembered funny things he had done when he was younger.
They recalled moments from the early years of their marriage.
And gradually, their conversation moved toward the future.
Not a future defined only by financial goals, but one that included the kind of family life they wanted to create.
That night, neither of them pretended their problems had disappeared.
But both went to sleep with a feeling that had become unfamiliar.
Hope.
Chapter 8: Happiness Was Never Supposed to Wait
The following morning, Carlos woke earlier than usual.
