We go into the orphanage to pick up Max. I'm nervous about seeing him again after so long. Will he still want to come with us?

- This way, the director of the orphanage says. He's waiting for you in his room.

I enter the room and see Max running after a baseball. He bends down to catch it and rolls it in our direction. After chasing the ball once more, he finally grabs it and looks up.

He smiles when he sees us and hands us the ball.

- It's a gift! he exclaims with a smile.

I crouch down beside him and grab the ball, thanking him.

- Are you ready to go home with us? I asked, smiling at him. Do you want to come?

He nods and scurries off to his bed on his short legs. Gabrielo helps me up while Max walks towards me with his little backpack. I turn to the headmaster who sighs. According to him, Max had only decided to take his favourite baseball and his round sheep toy.

He had refused to bring anything else.

Max stops in front of us and raises his arms to be carried. Gabrielo goes ahead of me and picks him up. I roll my eyes and we get out before we start walking down the street. For once, I have convinced Gabrielo not to take the car.

Cordelia is at home with Meavy and Cole. She was still asleep when we left so she might be surprised. Max is enjoying the scenery and getting excited about every little thing he sees. Gabrielo can't help but smile at Max's amazement.

He was so excited that he couldn't stop wanting to touch everything he could find. After disinfecting his hands, we arrived in front of the house. Max is still full of energy. I open the door and Gabrielo lets go of his hand to let him in.

- Max? I asked as I saw him staring at the flat without daring to enter.

He slowly puts one foot inside before grabbing my hand. I stroked his hair before heading to the kitchen. As usual, Meavy and Cole are standing around the island eating something.

The amount of food they can eat will always fascinate me. Cordelia rushes towards us and stops when she sees Max. They both silently glare at each other until Max comes forward to give Cordelia a hug.

He wraps his arms around her awkwardly and Cordelia returns his embrace before leading him into her room. We follow them as they start to play together. I sit in the desk chair in Max's room and watch him play.

- If we keep up this pace, we'll be ten in this house before you've given birth," Gabrielo points out, joining me. I've got nothing against that, but if we add a baby to this, we'll start to struggle.

- I know, I suggest we stop here for now. Even if it's just until we get used to caring about Cordelia and Max.

Gabrielo nods and turns to the children. Suddenly our family has grown from two to four people in six months. I don't feel bad about it though. I've always wanted a big family so I think I'm getting there.

Little by little, the bird is nesting.

__________

A month and a half later

- They're coming," Rosaria exclaims, taking my hand.

Gabrielo and his father get up to leave the room.

- You two! Sit down," my mother-in-law orders, giving them a nasty look. You'd better get up and see if I am in the mood to joke with you. Especially you! They're your sisters and you don't even want them in your house.

- If they weren't so annoying, maybe I'd accept them in my house. As long as they're not," my father-in-law says, "they can stay away from my house where they won't destroy anything.

They both sit down and start to ruminate. It can't be that bad. The doorbell rings in the room. A commotion approaches the living room where we are sitting.

Four women enter the room and rush towards us. Gabrielo brings me closer to him and stops the women in front of me.

- Gabrielo! the smallest of them exclaims, kissing him on the cheek. What a pleasure to see you again!

The sound of her smack resounds in the room. I stop myself from wincing when I see the vermilion lipstick on her lips.

She moves away from him and leaves us to discover two huge lipstick stains on both of Gabrielo's cheeks. He is tense from head to toe and seems to be holding back from saying something.

- Even more so now that you're married," the taller one says, pulling at his cheeks. And to think we were changing your nappies just a while ago!

She pats him familiarly on the back and Gabrielo moves slightly. I'm surprised she managed to get him to move with his large build. He is not a pile of muscle either, but he is imposing enough that it is hard to make him move.

- Not to mention your wife! She had to be six months pregnant for you to deign to introduce her to us! writes the heavier woman, taking him in her arms and smothering him in a murderous embrace.

She releases Gabrielo who already seems to be on edge.

- What a brat! And to think that we were going to come and congratulate you much earlier," adds the only woman with pink hair. We were even planning to have a little party for the occasion.

She kisses him while talking without stopping. Gabrielo is shaken in all directions and she finishes by patting his cheek.

Gabrielo seems to be at his wit's end. He looks like he's literally going to explode since their arrival. Even more so now that they are touching him all over. He inhales and exhales deeply while squeezing my hand. Suddenly he stands up and rushes towards the exit. Before he can reach the exit, three girls appear and throw themselves into his arms.

- Alma, a little help, please," he asks, trying to free himself.

- Honey, they're your family," I say, watching him from a distance. And then it's just a show of affection. It's nothing too mean.

- Just say you're too lazy to get up.

- I'm exhausted," I said honestly, leaning back against the sofa.

The baby kept me up all night last night, and let's just say I haven't been in a very good mood since this morning. The lack of sleep is doing me anything but good. And I was hoping to get a bit more sleep this afternoon. Well, I guess I didn't.

- Welcome to the family," the smallest woman exclaims as she hugs me.

- What a beautiful young woman! the taller woman, whose name is Vita, exclaims as she touches my face.

- And so well formed," the plump woman, Berta, adds. Look at those breasts and her hips.What's wrong with these women? They really can't keep their hands to themselves, it's beyond belief!

- And that baby! He must be a sight to behold if he looks like them," the pink-haired woman giggles as she prepares to place her hands abruptly on my stomach.

Gabrielo appears in an instant near us and separates his aunt from me.

- Aunt Elisa," he begins, "you know I like you a lot, but don't throw yourself at my wife as if it was nothing. I'm really not joking. She's already six months pregnant and I'd like to avoid any trouble today, it's for all of you.

Aunt Elisa apologizes and sits down more gently next to me to touch my belly after asking my permission. All this noise is seriously starting to make me tired. Especially my husband's cousins who seem to be in ecstasy over Cordelia.

- Alma, you should go upstairs and rest for a while," my mother-in-law suggests. You look a bit pale.

I smile at her before going upstairs to a guest room and lying down. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The quiet feels so good. The door opens and Gabrielo looks exhausted. I take him in my arms and he lies down.

- What's up? Are you running away? I snarled, stroking his hair.

- I need to run away. My father will make it on his own one way or another. He's survived this for thirty years of marriage, I don't see why he would have a problem.

- If you say so. I'm going to sleep for a while before I eat. I'm so tired I could sleep standing up.

- Sleep tight then, I'll wake you up a bit before we have to go and eat," he says, taking me in his arms.

I thank him and finally close my eyes.

________________________________

As promised, I was awakened after a three-hour nap. It's almost 7pm. We're going to eat in an hour, but I'd better be awake now. Gabrielo has led me to the terrace where his cousins are. I sit down on a random chair next to Gabrielo.

His cousins give me strange looks and start talking amongst themselves. I turn to Gabrielo, not sure how to react. He shrugs innocently and glances in their direction. Rosaria calls my husband, who leaves me alone with his cousins. Great.

I start stroking my stomach nervously. The baby kicks, which makes me smile inside.

- So, you're Gab's wife? The only blonde in the group asks.

I nod and she continues.

- How did you get him to turn his head?

- I'm sure she bumped into him or something," the one on the left guesses. Just like in the shows!

- I'm sure she did too. Maybe he bumped into her and fell for her!

I watch them construct a totally crazy scenario about how I ended up marrying their cousin.

These girls have a wild imagination. I wonder how they came up with Gabrielo doing a striptease in the middle of a bar but hey.

Speaking of him, he comes quietly behind them. He raises his eyebrows with a smile and approaches me.

- I married my wife because I liked her at first sight," he says, taking me in his arms. She didn't want me, and I saw her again later, even more beautiful than ever. That was when we finally got married, because this time she was single.

He kisses me on the cheek and gives his cousins a defiant look. They finally shut up before starting again with their conspiracy theories. Rosaria arrives a little later with my husband's aunts. I get up to help them set the table against their will. Finally we all sit down at the table to start.

- I don't know if I asked you," Rosaria begins. You must know the baby's gender, right?

- We've decided to have a surprise at the birth," I announced.

- Did we? Rosaria insisted. I wanted to have a baby shower.

- Next time," Gabrielo replied.

- That means there will be another baby," Rosaria concluded in satisfaction. Good, I'll do the baby shower later.

- And the wedding," Aunt Elisa asks. When will the ceremony take place? I wanted to eat cake.

- Probably when the baby is old enough to walk," I replied, glancing at Gabrielo.

- That's a very good idea, I don't want to get married between two baby bottles or two nappies," he agreed.