The afternoon was already saying goodbye when we finally had a moment of peace. The festival still buzzed outside, with music and laughter in the distance, but inside Marco's cabin, the silence was cozy, intimate, perfect for what was to come.
My parents were sitting on the living room sofa, still somewhat dazed by everything—the trip, the ranch, their pregnant daughter, the cowboy. My mother held a cup of tea that Rosa had insisted on bringing, and my father kept his hands clasped in his lap, his eyes scanning every detail of the room with barely disguised curiosity.
I sat in the armchair across from them, my huge belly taking up space, and waited. Marco stood beside me, one hand resting on my back, a gesture of silent protection.
"So…" my father broke the silence first. "This is the f
