The sun rose golden over the ranch, as if the sky knew it was a special day. I woke up before the rooster—something that hadn't happened since Alice arrived and I started sleeping like a normal man—and lay there in bed, watching her sleep. Her huge belly rose and fell gently, and the girls, by some miracle, were quiet.
I kissed her forehead without waking her and went downstairs to face the day.
The ranch was already an anthill when I set foot in the garden. Employees ran in every direction, the little old ladies shouted conflicting instructions, and Rosa commanded everything with a wooden spoon in each hand, like a general on the battlefield. Still, when she saw me, she stopped and smiled.
"Today's the big day, grandson."
"Today is."
"Everything ready?"
"The question is: are you rea
