CHAPTER 30
“Life is a journey of discoveries, and love is its greatest treasure…”
MARIA GAbrIELA
I burst out laughing when Carolina cracked one of her ridiculous jokes—the kind that only long-time friends find funny.
We were sprawled out on my living room couch, with Max bouncing from one side to the other, as hyper as ever.
He seemed to be having as much fun as we were, but lately, there was something about him that melted me even more.
Every time I laughed or made a sudden move, he’d come over and rest his head on my belly, like he somehow knew he had to protect the baby.
There was this quiet, unspoken bond between us.
Carolina noticed it and started laughing too.
“Max is more tuned in to your baby than the actual father!” she teased, her laughter filling the room.
“I’d say he’s the best bodyguard I’ve ever had,” I said, stroking Max’s head, feeling the softness of his fur beneath my fingers.
He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch, and for a few fleeting moments, all the chaos at work—and all the tension with Diego—just… faded.
Carolina looked at me, her laughter softening into something gentler.
“Gabi… I know you try to keep things light, but sometimes it feels like you’re carrying the whole world on your shoulders.”
I sighed but forced a smile, brushing off the heaviness in her tone. I didn’t want to ruin the night or drift back into the reality of how much Diego had turned my life upside down.
“Maybe I am. But hey, nobody gets through life without a few heavy burdens, right?” I said, keeping my tone casual, even though Carolina could always see right through me.
She tilted her head knowingly but didn’t push. Instead, she grabbed the remote and switched the TV to Friends—our all-time favorite show.
No matter how many times we’d watched it, the jokes always got us.
As laughter filled the room, Max curled up closer, pressing his snout against my belly like he was trying to listen in.
“Look at that,” I said, smiling. “Maybe it’s a sign he’ll make a great big brother.”
Carolina laughed so hard she nearly spilled her coffee.
“More of a big brother than the actual father, huh?” she teased, her eyes glinting with mischief as she fought to keep a straight face.
I rolled my eyes, pretending to be serious, though her joke hit closer to home than I cared to admit. I smiled faintly and shook my head.
“Pretty much.”
We’d started a contest of who could come up with the worst jokes, and Carolina—queen of bad humor—was determined to win. The rule was simple: whoever laughed first lost. But with Max wandering around, sticking his curious snout between us for attention, everything felt even funnier.
Carolina took a deep breath, clearly preparing her next big move.
“Okay,” she said, trying not to smile. “What did the tomato say when it walked into the bank?”
I squinted at her, already fighting laughter. “No clue. What?”
“It wanted to check its balance!” she said with deadly seriousness.
I snorted, trying to hold it in. It almost slipped, but I held strong.
“Alright, that one was pretty good,” I admitted, grinning.
She smirked, not giving me a break.
“What’s the ultimate example of stubbornness?”
“Hmm… no idea. What?”
“Going into school through a revolving door—and leaving through the same one!”
That did it. I broke into uncontrollable laughter so loud that Max perked his ears up, confused. Carolina threw her hands in the air like she’d just scored a winning goal.
“Knew I’d get you with that one!” she shouted triumphantly.
Still laughing, I wiped a tear from my eye.
“Okay, okay, you win. But my turn now. I’ve got one that’ll make you laugh.”
Carolina leaned back, arms crossed, smirking.
“Bring it on.”
“What’s a brown dot on an airplane?” I asked, trying to keep a straight face.
She frowned. “I don’t know. What?”
“A brownie on board!”
Carolina tried to keep her composure, but her lips twitched. A second later, she burst out laughing, throwing her hands up in defeat.
“That was so bad it looped back around and became good!” she said, laughing until she was nearly in tears.
“Told you I’d get revenge!” I said proudly, as Max jumped excitedly between us, barking like he wanted in on the joke.
Still laughing, Carolina leaned back against the couch and looked down at him.
“He’s our witness—this was an epic round of terrible jokes.”
I smiled, running a hand through Max’s fur as he nestled closer to my belly. These silly moments with Carolina were exactly what I needed.
Even with everything going on, I felt lighter—and that, right now, was enough.