Meavy is carried to the sofa by her... Boyfriend? Booty call? No idea. Things are starting to go a little too far for my taste. I clear my throat and they stop moving in a hurry.

Sorry lovebirds, but not in front of me. Meavy immediately stands up with her lipstick scattered around her mouth.

- Alma, since when did...?

- I've been here? At least twenty minutes. And this is?

- Er... . Alma, this is Liam. Liam, my best friend Alma.

He holds out his hand to me, smiling.

- Nice to meet you," I say, putting a fake smile on my face.

- Likewise," he replies embarrassed.

- Can I borrow Meavy for a few minutes?

- No problem," he says, walking out. I've got work to do, so I'll see you later, Meavy.

The door closes behind him and Meavy sits down in front of her desk. I take my place - hers, at last - and stare at her.

- Who? How? And where?

- Liam Narsher. He's a teacher at the university. We met during my internship. He's the one who validated my degree.

- A professor, huh? How old is he to teach at the university?

- He's 28. Believe me, once he takes his shirt off, he turns heads. I was gonna tell you about it on our Friday night out. What are you doing here by the way?

- Sit down, I've got some good news for you.

- We're going to get rich and go to France?

- No! Why France?

- It's the fashion capital of the world. And besides, it's the most romantic country in Europe," she says proudly as I sigh.

- I thought you were with your teacher. Besides, I'm married and my husband suits me very well.

- One of us has to keep an open mind. Have options. Especially when I'm not married.

- You really never stop," I chuckled.

- I love you too," she says with her hand on her heart. So, about that good news?

- I'm coming to that. I want to take a picture first.

- Let's do it," says Meavy, touching herself again.

She positions herself while I pull out my phone. I smile and activate the video.

- Say 'Alma's pregnant!', I say with a smile.

Meavy stops smiling and looks stunned. I burst out laughing and turn to her while she freezes.

- No!" she writes. No !

I already know which way this announcement is going. I nod as Meavy continues to deny it.

- I mean... Why? How? No, you're not! she wrote in panic.

- Meav', I'm pregnant," I laughed.

- Stop lying!

Okay, this is deserved after the bad joke I played on her a few months ago. I knew it was going to come back to me.

- I swear to God, it's true.

A shrill scream echoes through the room before Meavy picks me up and starts jumping up and down. She holds me in her arms as she jumps and I join her.

- I'm going to be an auntie! I want to be the godmother!

- What is it with you all wanting to be godparents?

- Who asked before me? Meavy replies on guard. I'll get rid of them.

- Gabrielo's best friend," I laugh at her reaction.

My phone vibrates on the desk. Gabrielo has come to pick me up. Two hours have already passed since I got here. Meavy is still in her world about the baby. I greet her and go out to the lift. Gabrielo is waiting for me in front of the building to go home.

- So ?

- So what? I asked, frowning.

- Have you finally accepted your situation?

- I've accepted it from the start. It's just that I'm having trouble getting used to it. All of a sudden I find out I'm pregnant. I've just started working and I have to stop. I've made so many sacrifices to get to this point that it hurts," I admitted, feeling tears about to break out.

- Alma. . .

- I know. It's for the baby's sake and mine. I'm just having a little trouble swallowing it all.

- It'll pass," he says, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

- Your mother is inviting us to her house for dinner next week," I say, remembering our discussion. We can tell her about the baby.

- That would be nice. She'd told me about it. You can meet the rest of my family.

- I'm looking forward to it," I replied, resting my head on her shoulder.

The only detail Gabrielo had left out of the story was that there was a charity dinner for the orphanage two days later. I had to get ready at the last minute to make sure we were on time. Once we got out of the limousine, we headed into the hall.

The reception room was already full of people drinking and talking. Gabrielo took me to greet various acquaintances with him. I forced my smile so much that my cheeks hurt. The children from the orphanage are in a room upstairs playing with each other from what I hear.

Gabrielo let me rest for a few minutes while he went to talk to other people. I'm already exhausted from being here and bored. I go upstairs to sit in the quiet. The children are in a hidden room at the end of the corridor. I enter the room after knocking.

- Hi, do you mind if I sit here?

The children shake their heads and I sit on the floor in the corner of the room. I take off my heels, which seem to hurt my feet more than anything else. Pumps really can be instruments of torture sometimes.

One of the younger children walks over to me with a book in his hand.- Shall I read it to you?

He nods and hands me the book. He moves a little closer to me and sits down abruptly on my lap.

- Slowly, with my belly, please," I ask, smiling at him.

- Boo boo in your tummy ? He asked in his small voice.

He raises his hand and touches my belly. He immediately raises his head to see my reaction. He then puts his head on my belly and kisses it.

- I kissed the boo boo better," he smiles before sitting back down on my lap.

He's so cute. I give him a kiss on the cheek before answering him. I want to adopt him but I don't think Gabrielo will agree. Even more so now that I have to rest.

- No, but there's a baby inside. You have to be careful that it grows as big as you do.

He frowns and touches my stomach again. It's true that it's a bit more visible now. Even through my dress you can see my belly forming. I put Max - that's his name - back on my lap properly and start to read him his story.

Other children join in the storytelling. The story of the 1001 Nights seems to interest a lot of children, even the older ones. I finish the story of Sinbad the sailor and everyone starts asking questions. Max thanks me and gives me a hug. He then gets off my lap and goes off to play with the other children.

- This is where you were," a voice whispers against my ear.

- Gabrielo! I exclaimed, startled. You scared me.

- Sorry, sorry," he laughed, intertwining our fingers.

He plays with my wedding ring, watching me.

- There's someone I'd like you to meet downstairs. Let's go.

- Gabrielo, I want to take a child with me, I asked in a soft voice.

- I asked in a low voice. First of all, I hope you meant to adopt because we're not stealing a child tonight. Also, why?

- He's so cute," I countered, pouting. Come on, please.

He sighs before putting his arm around my waist.

- We'll talk about it tonight.

I slip on my stilettos and lose my balance as I walk. Gabrielo barely catches me and puts his hand around my waist.

- You'll have to change your heels, Alma. You'll be crushed like a pancake otherwise.

- Ah, ah, ah. Thanks, Sherlock. I've hardly got anything else in my dressing room. I need to go shopping for a reasonable height and stop wearing stilettos. My back's bad enough as it is.

- We'll stop before dinner at my parents' tomorrow," suggests Gabo. For now, we have to go downstairs and join the others.

I wrap my arm around his and we go downstairs. The gala has officially started and everyone seems to be enjoying the food and drinks and chatting. We approach a woman dressed in a stunning salmon coloured dress. Even though she is from the back, you can tell that she looks good. A man approaches her and kisses her briefly.

- Steven, calls Gabrielo as the man in front of us turns around. So you don't greet me anymore.

- Gab, I haven't seen you for six months," he exclaims with a smile, taking my husband in his arms before turning to me. Who's this?

- My wife, Alma," he replies, smiling and taking me by the waist. Alma, this is Steven Clarks, my childhood friend. He's working as a sommelier in some major hotels at the moment.

- Pleased to meet you," I say, shaking his hand.

The young woman next to him finally turns towards us. I recognise her face immediately and we jump into each other's arms. We continue to exchange hugs until Gabrielo grabs me by the waist and pulls me towards him.

- What are you doing to my corazón? exclaims the woman as she takes me back into her arms.