Page 63 of Please, Forgive Me

“This is Max,” the worker said, opening the kennel. “He was rescued from an abusive home, but he’s incredibly gentle and well-behaved.”

I knelt in front of Max, meeting his gaze.

He stood there, calm and quiet, almost as if he knew he’d finally found a home. I ran my hand over his soft fur, feeling the tension inside me start to melt away.

“Hi, Max…” I whispered, already feeling an instant connection.

He stepped closer and licked my fingers, a simple, tender gesture that sealed it for me. Within minutes, I’d signed the papers and was on my way home with him, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

When we got to my apartment, Max walked in, sniffing everything, exploring his new space. I couldn’t help but laugh—softly, but genuinely—for the first time in what felt like forever.

Watching that innocent, lively creature filled me with an unexpected peace. I went to the kitchen, filled a bowl with water and another with dog food I’d picked up on the way home. Max trotted over and started eating, his tail wagging slowly.

“I think you’re going to like it here,” I said, petting his back. “The place is small, and you’re pretty big—but we’ll make it work.”

When he finished, he wandered into the living room and curled up on the rug.

He looked completely at ease.

And me… I felt lighter than I thought I could. I lay down beside him on the floor, gently stroking his fur as I watched his breathing steady into a calm rhythm.

The silence was comforting—different from the suffocating quiet that used to fill my apartment when I was alone. I stayed there for a while, lost in thought, trying to process everything that had happened.

The baby. The job. Diego. It all felt out of my control, but with Max by my side, for the first time in a long while, I felt like I had something—or someone—to hold on to.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with me. I stood, gave Max one last look, and headed to my bedroom. Before lying down, I paused by the window, staring out at the city lights glittering in the distance, and thought about how much more my life was about to change.

“I think the baby’s going to love you, Max…” I murmured as I lay in bed.

As surreal as it all felt, knowing I’d have his company—his quiet, loyal presence—brought me a sense of peace. I drifted offto sleep with a faint smile on my lips, feeling, for the first time in a while, something close to hope.

Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all.

CHAPTER 26

“The beauty of love lies in its ability to be reborn…”

MARIA GABRIELA

I inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the spreadsheets in front of me—but my mind was miles away.

Instead of finishing the reports, I found myself opening a new browser tab and typing: “condom effectiveness.”

I couldn’t help it.

Even with Diego’s constant pressure weighing on me, curiosity was eating me alive. The statistics told me the chances were minimal, almost impossible. Yet here I was—pregnant with a man who believed he’d taken every precaution.

“Ninety-nine percent effective… Guess I’m the unlucky one percent. Congratulations to me,” I muttered under my breath, letting out a sigh of resignation and trying to find some humor in the absurdity of it all.

Before I could spiral into conspiracy theories about how my body had decided to ignore basic probability, movement by the door caught my eye.

A little boy stood there, looking lost in the hallway, his wide eyes darting around anxiously.

I stood and walked over to him, crouching down to his level.

“Hey, are you lost? Do you need help finding someone?”

He looked at me with those big, innocent eyes, and my heart softened instantly.