Eli is tucked under Alex’s arm, casually leaning into him as Alex tells a story about meeting Cristiano Ronaldo at an Under Armour shoot—Eli’s father listens, enraptured, Francesca pretends she’s not equally impressed—and it’s just— It’s perfect. There are Christmas carols on, and Abuela is crocheting something and— He used to dream about this. About a “someday” in the vague and distant future. Where someone would love him as much as he loved them. And that’s— Well. That’s definitely what’s happening here. He looks up at Alex, and Alex is looking down at him with a half-smile, eyes crinkled
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