I hear the rumble of his voice, but I can’t make out the words.

Mercedes presses a fist to her mouth, tears suddenly pouring from her eyes. I take the phone from her.

“Santiago? What is it? What’s happened?”

“She woke up. Ivy woke up.”

19

Mercedes

“How are they?” I ask.

I hear shuffling on the other end of the line before Santi answers distractedly. “They are both doing well. Keeping me busy. Ivy’s rehabilitation is progressing, and she’s improving every day.”

“That’s so great to hear,” I tell him.

The silence on the other end of the line makes me think Santiago doesn’t believe me, and he never will.

“When can I come meet my niece?”

“I don’t know yet.” His tone takes on a hard edge.

I swallow, and it feels like there’s glass lodged in my throat. I get why he’s so protective of them. They’ve been through hell, and part of that is my fault. He’s making it clear it’s not a matter of choosing sides anymore. His loyalty lies with his wife and daughter, and they are his family now.

It fucking hurts, but I get it. Oddly enough, I get it more than he could probably understand at this moment, with a child of my own growing inside me. I will always choose this child above anyone or anything.

“Santi—” My voice fractures, and I try to hold it together. “I know things have been tense. I know I’ve been awful. And you probably won’t believe me when I tell you I regret it, but I do. I want to be a part of your lives. I want to come see you and Ivy, and I want to meet Elena.”

“Mercedes.” He sighs, shuffling the phone again as Elena cries in the background. “I don’t know yet.”

“Please,” I beg. “I need to see you. It’s important.”

I don’t tell him that I want to have a conversation with him about releasing me from Judge’s care because he’ll think that’s my only motivation, and that’s not true. I really do want to meet my niece.

“Let me think about it,” he says.

The crying gets louder, and I can just imagine him picking up his baby daughter, and my heart squeezes at the thought of it. Not only because I’m missing it, but because I never thought I’d see Santi as a father. I never thought I’d see him love the woman he once talked about killing in cold blood. Yet he is.