Another red light. Then another. Her heart tightened in her chest, and the baby stirred gently in her arms.
A soft click came from the other side. The door opened just a crack, and her husband Andrés appeared. But instead of stepping aside or reaching for the baby, he positioned himself firmly in the entryway.
The Words That Changed Everything
“You can’t come in right now,” he said, his voice oddly distant.
Sofía blinked, certain she had misheard him. She gently bounced the baby and tried to steady her voice.
“What do you mean? I just came home from the hospital. I need to rest. I need a clean place to feed our child.”
Andrés did not move. His eyes avoided hers as he explained that his mother had come to stay for a while. She needed quiet, he said. The sound of a baby might upset her nerves.
An Unthinkable Request
He then suggested she stay with her parents for the time being.
“For how long?” Sofía asked, her voice quiet.
“A year,” he replied. “Maybe two.”
From deeper inside the apartment, her mother in law’s voice rang out, strong and very much awake. It was not the weak voice of a woman in poor health. It was a confident, sharp tone announcing that she did not want any baby smells in the hallway.
