Chapter 1: Arrival in the Rain

The rain fell with an almost cruel persistence that afternoon as Lucía stepped off the bus. She held her belly in one hand, already swelling with the early signs of life inside her, and a small, worn suitcase in the other. Each drop that hit her skin felt like a reminder of everything she had lost—the apartment she had called home, the life she thought she had planned, and the people who had abandoned her without explanation.crsaid

The air smelled of wet earth and old memories, memories that weren’t hers but felt familiar somehow, like echoes of a past she had never known. Lucía had traveled hundreds of kilometers, fleeing a life that had crumbled without warning. Her heart was a fragile mix of fear and hope, barely staying afloat amid uncertainty.

She was pregnant, alone, and homeless.

The only person she could turn to was her Aunt Carmen, a woman she barely remembered from family gatherings long ago. From stories whispered over the years, she knew Carmen was strong, a widow for many years, and the owner of an old farmhouse on the outskirts of a small town forgotten by time. Lucía didn’t know what kind of welcome awaited her—but she had no choice.

The dirt road leading to the farm was slick with mud, making each step a struggle. Her shoes sank, her back ached from carrying the suitcase, and the early contractions in her belly reminded her that time was pressing. Every step felt like wading through an ocean of doubt and exhaustion.

Finally, she glimpsed the house. Her heart leapt, though not in relief. The house was older than she had imagined, weathered by decades of storms. Its walls were worn, paint peeling in long strips, and the roof sagged slightly as though burdened by years of neglect. Wide, unkempt fields stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with skeletal trees and overgrown bushes. The wind carried the scent of wet grass and soil.