Chapter 30 Don’t Leave Me Too
Chapter 30 Don’t Leave Me Too
POV: Valeria Cruz
The house is too quiet.
Not empty.
Not uncomfortable.
Just—
waiting.
Like something is sitting in the air, unspoken…
and no one wants to touch it first.
The twins don’t leave my side when we walk in.
Not even a step.
Mateo stays slightly in front of me.
Sofia pressed lightly against my arm.
Not holding.
Just close.
Like if they let space form between us—
something bad might slip into it.
Rafe closes the door behind us quietly.
The sound echoes more than it should.
Too final.
Nico and Elena drift into the kitchen without a word.
Giving space.
They always know when to do that.
But the twins don’t move.
Of course they don’t.
Their eyes go straight to the door.
To the two people still standing outside.
Watching.
Waiting.
“Who are they?”
Mateo asks it first.
Simple.
Direct.
Like it should have a simple answer.
I freeze.
Because nothing about this is simple.
Before I can say anything—
Daniel steps forward slightly.
“They’re here for Valeria,” he says gently.
The twins don’t look at him.
They look at me.
Always me.
“Why?” Sofia asks.
Soft.
Careful.
Like she already knows this matters.
I swallow.
My throat tight.
“They’re…” I hesitate. “…my parents.”
The words feel wrong coming out.
Too new.
Too unfamiliar.
Like I’m borrowing someone else’s life.
Silence.
Then—
“What?”
Mateo’s voice isn’t loud.
Just confused.
“You said your mom was—”
“She’s not,” I say quietly.
Faster this time.
Like I need to say it before I lose the courage.
Sofia frowns.
“But then… where were they?”
That question hits deeper.
Because I don’t know the full answer either.
Because I’m still trying to understand it myself.
I open my mouth.
Close it again.
Nothing comes out.
Daniel steps in.
Steady.
Measured.
“The woman you were living with,” he says, “was not supposed to have any of you.”
They both go still.
Mateo’s eyebrows pull together.
“What does that mean?” he asks.
“It means she wasn’t your legal guardian,” Daniel explains.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Sofia says quietly.
She looks down at the floor.
Then back up.
Like maybe it will make sense if she looks at it differently.
It doesn’t.
“And our parents?” Mateo asks again.
More serious now.
More focused.
Like he already knows this answer is going to change something.
Daniel pauses.
Just long enough for my heart to start racing again.
Then—
“They’re not here anymore,” he says gently.
Silence.
The words don’t land.
Not fully.
“What do you mean not here?” Sofia asks.
Her voice smaller now.
“They passed away,” Daniel says softly.
That lands.
Different.
Heavier.
Sofia blinks.
Once.
Twice.
Her fingers tighten slowly in my shirt.
Mateo looks down at his shoes.
Scuffs the floor once.
Twice.
Then looks back up.
“But… they’re coming back, right?”
My chest caves in.
Because I knew that was coming.
Because I didn’t know how to stop it.
“No,” I whisper.
The word feels like it scrapes its way out of me.
Barely there.
But enough.
That’s when it changes.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just—
quietly.
Sofia presses closer.
Her breathing uneven now.
Mateo’s shoulders go rigid.
He doesn’t speak right away.
Just stands there.
Still.
Thinking.
Processing.
“Then… who took care of us before?” he asks suddenly.
The question catches me off guard.
Because he’s not asking about loss anymore.
He’s trying to understand his life.
“Did they leave us?” Sofia adds.
Quick.
Fear creeping in now.
“No,” I say immediately.
Stronger.
“They didn’t leave you.”
I don’t know all the details—
but I know that much.
“They loved you,” I add.
Because they deserve that truth.
Even if it’s the only one I can give.
Sofia nods slowly.
Like she’s holding onto that.
Like she needs it to be true.
“So we don’t have parents?” she asks again.
Quieter now.
Not confused anymore.
Just… trying to accept it.
“You have me.”
The words come out before I can stop them.
Stronger than I feel.
Truer than anything else in this moment.
I lower myself in front of them.
Ignoring the pull in my leg.
Ignoring the sharp ache in my ribs.
Just to be closer.
“You have me,” I repeat.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
They both look at me.
Really look.
Like they’re searching for something.
For certainty.
For truth.
“For real?” Mateo asks.
His voice quieter now.
Not challenging.
Just hoping.
“For real.”
No hesitation.
No doubt.
“I don’t care what changes,” I say.
“I’m staying with you.”
Sofia leans into me again.
Careful.
Gentle.
But this time—
she doesn’t let go.
Mateo steps closer.
Still not hugging.
Still holding himself together.
But close enough to reach.
Close enough to believe me.
“I don’t want anyone else,” he mutters.
That—
that hits deeper than anything else.
Because it’s not fear anymore.
It’s choice.
It’s trust.
Behind them—
I feel Rafe move.
Just slightly.
Not interrupting.
Not stepping in.
Just there.
Like a quiet wall at my back.
Steady.
Unshaken.
“You don’t have to,” I whisper.
“Nothing’s changing between us.”
Even if everything else is.
The room stays quiet after that.
Heavy.
But not broken.
Because even though the truth changed everything—
this didn’t.
Us.
And I’m not letting that go.
Not for anything.