Poor girl gave shelter to a man and his son, not knowing that he was a millionaire and Seo was heartbroken. “You can’t stand here with the child in this storm,” Camila shouted through the icy wind that whipped through the town square.

“Are you crazy or what?” The tall man with a dark beard looked at her with desperate eyes, pressing the crying baby to his chest. The snow was falling so hard that I could barely keep my eyes open. All the hotels are full,” he replied, his voice almost lost in the roar of the wind. “My car broke down and I don’t know what to do.” Camila watched the stranger for a moment.

His coat was clearly expensive, but his expression was that of a completely lost man. The baby in her arms wouldn’t stop crying and her little hands were red from the cold. “Come with me,” he finally told her, turning to his cafeteria. I’m not going to let a child freeze on Christmas Eve.

It had been a terrible day for business. Only three clients in the whole day and the accounts payable were piling up on his desk like an impossible mountain to climb. The bank’s eviction notice had been burning his apron pocket for two weeks, constantly reminding him that he had 14 days to save his parents’ coffee, but none of that mattered.

Now a baby was crying in the storm and she wasn’t the kind of person who could ignore that. “I’m Sebastian,” the man said as they climbed the stairs to their small apartment above the café. “Camila Torres,” she replied opening the door. “And don’t worry about the mess, I wasn’t expecting visitors.”

The apartment was tiny, but cozy. A room that also served as a dining room, a kitchen the size of a closet and a bedroom that barely fit a double bed. Everything was clean, but clearly worn out by the years. “How many months is he?” asked Camila, extending her arms towards the baby. Six,” Sebastian murmured, hesitating before handing it to him. “His name is Diego.

As soon as Camilla took the child in her arms, something changed in her expression. His eyes softened and he began to rock him gently, humming a song his mother used to sing to him. “Poor thing, it’s soaked,” he murmured. “Do you have dry clothes for him?” Sebastian opened an expensive leather backpack and pulled out baby clothes that he clearly hadn’t bought in any store in town.

Everything seemed to be branded, from the small shoes to the embroidered shirts. “I’m going to prepare something hot,” Camila said, handing the baby back. “Coffee or chocolate, whatever you have is fine,” he replied looking around the modest apartment. I don’t want to bother you. It’s not a nuisance. Camila put an old pot on the stove.

My parents always said that the house where you can’t receive a stranger is not really a home. While he was making hot chocolate with what little milk he had left, he watched Sebastian out of the corner of his eye. Her manners were refined, and that watch on her wrist seemed to cost more than anything she had in the apartment.

But there was something broken in his eyes, as if he were carrying an invisible weight. Where do you come from? he asked, pouring the chocolate into his two least chipped cups. “From Bogotá,” he replied quickly. “I’m between jobs and the baby.” The question seemed to hit him like a punch. Sebastian pursed his lips and looked out the window where the storm was still raging. It’s a long story.

Well, it looks like we’ve got all night. Camila sat down on the worn sofa. This storm is not going to stop until tomorrow and maybe not even then. Diego began to cry again and Sebastian tensed up, clearly not knowing what to do. Camila stretched out her arms without saying a word.

I don’t know why she calms down with you, he admitted, handing her the baby. With me she cries all the time. Children feel things, Camila said softly, wiping the baby’s face with her sleeve. Maybe you just need to feel like you’re safe. While rocking Diego he noticed something that froze his blood. On the baby’s small wrist was a hospital bracelet that clearly read: “Diego Restrepo Herrera.

“Restrepo, the same last name of the company that wanted to build a luxury resort in his town, the same company that was going to displace all the local families, including his own. Her eyes were raised to Sebastian, who was looking out the window without noticing her discovery.

Camila’s heart began to beat faster. Who really was this man? And what was he doing in Snowy Village just as his village was about to be destroyed? The storm outside was raging harder, but the real storm had just begun inside Camila Torres’ small apartment.

Camila did not sleep at all that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the hospital bracelet with that cursed surname, restrepo, the same name that appeared in all the legal documents that threatened to destroy his town. Sebastián slept on the sofa with Diego curled up in an improvised crib made of cushions. The baby had stopped crying only when she had calmed him down and that calmed and worried her at the same time. At 6 a.m. he got up to make coffee.

The storm was still raging outside, perhaps worse than the night before. There was no way anyone could leave the village today. Good morning. Sebastian’s voice startled her. She turned around and saw him sitting on the sofa with Diego in his arms. The baby was awake, but calm, looking at everything with those big, curious eyes.

Good morning, she replied trying to sound normal. “You slept well. Better than I’ve slept in months, really. There was something in her voice that sounded sincere, vulnerable. Camilla reminded herself to be careful. If this man was really a restrepo, he could be playing with her.

Do you have formula for Diego?” she asked, pointing to the baby. Yes, but I’m running out. Sebastian rummaged through his backpack. I only have two cans left. Let me see. Camila took the can and frowned. This one is very expensive and also very watery for a 6-month-old baby. Aguada. Diego needs something thicker.

It is seen that he is still hungry after eating. Camila went to her little girl for dinner and brought out normal powdered milk. My neighbor has twins. He taught me this trick. She mixed the expensive formula with some regular powdered milk and gave it to Diego. The baby took it all non-stop and then was satisfied for the first time since he had arrived.

How did you know that? Sebastian asked, clearly impressed. In a small town, we all help take care of everyone’s children. Camila shrugged. Don’t you have a family to help you? The question struck him like a slap in the face. Sebastian looked away and his jaw tightened. Not anymore. Camila felt a twinge of guilt.

There was something genuinely painful about that answer, no matter what his last name was. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. I didn’t want to. Do not worry. Sebastian got up and walked to the window. Do you know anything about cars? Mine made a strange noise before it died completely. A little bit. My dad had a small workshop before the café opened. Camila left Diego on her lap.

When the storm stops, I can take a look at it. I’d pay you well for that. You don’t need to pay me, she replied quickly. The neighbors help each other. Sebastian looked at her with a strange expression, as if he had never met someone who refused money. The second day was easier.

Sebastian turned out to be surprisingly helpful. He fixed the coffee machine that had been making strange noises for months and managed to stop the sink faucet from leaking. Where did you learn to do that?, Camila asked, seeing how she repaired the fume extractor with tools she had found in her father’s workshop. “My grandfather was a mechanic,” he replied without looking up.

He taught me that a man must know how to fix things with his own hands. Your grandfather sounds like a good person. It was. Sebastian wiped his greasy hands on a cloth. He was the only one who stopped abruptly. The only one that nothing. Never mind. That night, while Diego slept among them on the couch, Camila taught Sebastian how to make Santa Fe chocolate the traditional way.

You have to move the spoon in circles, not from side to side,” he explained, guiding his hand. And the secret is in the ground cinnamon at the end. Their hands touched as he stirred and they both felt an electric spark. Sebastian looked her in the eye and for a moment Camila completely forgot her suspicions about her identity. “Why are you so good to me?” he asked softly. You don’t even know me.

Why do you have a baby who needs you?” she replied. “And why? Because you look like someone who has lost a lot.” Sebastian’s eyes filled with tears that he tried to hide. “You don’t know how long, on the third day Aunt Hope appeared.” “Camila,” he shouted from below, “open the door, I came to see if you were okay.

Camila ran downstairs and found her aunt shaking the snow off her coat. Auntie, how did you get here with this storm? In Don Manuel’s tractor, Esperanza climbed the stairs with surprising energy for her 55 years. I was worried about you. And Sheab stopped in his tracks when he saw Sebastian. Auntie, he’s Sebastian and this is Diego.

Camila took the baby in her arms. They were stranded by the storm. Esperanza looked Sebastián up and down with those eyes that could see people’s souls. Nice to meet you,” he finally said. “I am Esperanza Torres.” The taste is mine, ma’am. Sebastian stood up respectfully. Her niece has been very generous with us. My niece is generous to everyone.

Esperanza continued to study it. Sometimes too generous for its own good. That night, while Sebastián was bathing Diego in the kitchen sink, Esperanza pulled Camila into a corner. “What do you know about him?” he whispered. he says that he comes from Bogotá, that he is in between jobs. Camila looked towards the kitchen, where Sebastian sang softly while drying the baby.

But auntie, I think there’s something you’re not telling me. Like what? Camila told him about the hospital bracelet and the last name Restrepo. Esperanza frowned. Are you sure? Completely. But Camila sighed. Look at his face when he’s with Diego. Look at it when it thinks no one is watching.

That man is really suffering. Suffering does not excuse lies, mija. I know, but it does not automatically condemn them either. Esperanza watched Sebastian for a long moment. He saw him make funny faces to make Diego laugh. She watched him carefully clean every little finger. She saw him whisper words of love that clearly came from the heart.

That man wants that baby,” she finally murmured. “Yes.” Camila smiled sadly. “And Diego loves him, but he also loves me.” It was true. Diego had begun to stretch his arms towards Camila every time he saw her and instantly calmed down when she carried him. He seemed to have decided that he needed two parents instead of one.

“Be careful, Camila,” Esperanza warned her. Your heart is too good. You’ve already been hurt once. That night, when the storm finally began to subside, Sebastian walked over to the window and sighed. “Tomorrow I may leave,” he said, “but his voice did not sound happy. Are you in a hurry?” asked Camila without looking up from Diego. “No, he admitted.

The truth is that these have been the best three days I’ve had in a long time. For me too,” she whispered. They looked into each other’s eyes in the silence of the apartment as Diego slept peacefully among them. Outside, the snow had stopped falling, but neither of them wanted the sun to rise.

“My car is going to take a week to fix,” Sebastian lied on the fourth day after talking on the phone with someone who was supposedly a mechanic. Camila looked at him suspiciously. He had seen the car from his apartment window and it didn’t look as damaged as he claimed. A full week? He asked, “Yes, a special piece has to come from Bogota.” Sebastian avoided her gaze. I hope it is not a problem.

I can stay at the village hotel. The village hotel has cockroaches the size of mice. Esperanza intervened, who had decided to stay a few more days to monitor the situation. Stay in the guest room of the Morales house, Doña Carmen, the cheap rent.

That’s how Sebastian moved two blocks away, but he continued to spend the whole day at the café with Camila and Diego. “Do you know how to make real coffee?” asked Camila the first morning. “I know how to make instant coffee,” he replied, carrying Diego. That’s not coffee, that’s an offense to humanity.” Camila laughed. “Come, I’m going to teach you.

” showed her how to select the beans, how to grind them to the exact point and how to use the Italian coffee maker she had inherited from her grandmother. ” The secret is in time,” she explained as he watched every move. “Very little and it is watery, very much and it is bitter.” Sebastian turned out to be a diligent student.

In three days he was already making coffee almost as good as hers and the few customers they had began to ask for Camila’s boyfriend. He’s not my boyfriend,” she clarified, but with less and less conviction, because the truth was that Sebastián was becoming part of her daily routine. He opened the café in the mornings while she prepared breakfast for Diego.

He helped her clean the tables while she served the customers. He carried the baby while she cooked. It felt like a real family. “Did you notice anything strange?” Esperanza asked him one afternoon when Sebastián had gone for a walk with Diego.

Like what? Like yesterday a huge box of gourmet coffee arrived and no one knows who sent it. Like Don Raúl came to fix your espresso machine without you calling him. Like the electricity bill arrived marked as paid when you haven’t paid it. Camila frowned. He had noticed these things, but had assumed that they were coincidences or acts of kindness from the neighbors.

Do you think I think your mystery guest has more money than he says. Esperanza looked at her seriously and I think she’s trying to help you without you noticing. That night Camila confronted Sebastián directly. It was you who paid the electricity bill. He almost chokes on the coffee. How did I go to Sebastian? I’m not stupid. Camila crossed her arms.

Things don’t appear out of nowhere. Who are you really? For a moment, he seemed to be about to tell the truth, but then he looked at Diego, who was sleeping in Camila’s arms, and his expression closed. I am someone who appreciates kindness when he finds it, he finally said, and who wants to give back a little of what he has received.

It wasn’t really an answer, but there was something so sincere in her voice that Camila decided not to insist for now. The following days were the happiest Camila had had in a long time. Sebastián learned to make arepas. She taught him how to change diapers properly. He told her stories of his travels around the world.

She taught him traditional Colombian songs. One night, while they were walking through the town square with Diego asleep in his stroller, it began to snow softly. “It’s beautiful,” Sebastian murmured, watching the snowflakes fall on the Christmas lights. Yes. Camila looked at him instead of looking at the snow. It is.

They stopped under a lantern and he slowly approached. Her eyes asked for permission and she nodded almost imperceptibly. Their first kiss was soft, tentative, full of questions that neither of them dared to ask out loud. When they separated, they were both smiling. Camila, I started him. Sh, she put a finger on her lips.

Don’t say anything you might regret later. But he took her hand and kissed her softly. He would never regret this, he whispered. That night Sebastian stayed in Camila’s apartment. Nothing happened but kisses and whispers, but it was enough. Diego slept among them and for the first time in months, Sebastian had no nightmares.

However, the phone did not stop ringing. Sebastián, Sebastián Restrepo. Camila managed to hear a female voice on the other end of the line. Thank goodness, we’ve been looking for you everywhere. The board of directors is Sebastian hung up quickly, but it was too late. Camilla had heard enough. Sebastián Restrepo asked in a trembling voice.

Camila, can I explain? Do you own Restrepo Industries? Her eyes filled with tears. The one who is going to destroy our people is not that simple. Did you know who I was when you came here? His voice was getting louder. Did you know that I own the coffee that is going to be demolished? No, I swear I didn’t know. But Camila no longer listened to him. All the distrust I had been harboring for days exploded at once.

This is a game for you, he shouted. Have fun with poor people before destroying their lives. Camila, please. Sebastian tried to get closer, but she backed away. How much of what you told me is true. Tears ran down his cheeks. Something, even if it’s something. Diego began to cry frightened by the screams.

Camila instinctively took him in her arms and the baby calmed down immediately. This is true. Sebastián pointed out to Diego, what I feel for you, for him, for this life that we have built together. That’s the truest thing I’ve ever felt in my life. But you lied to me. Camila pressed Diego to her chest.

You lied to me, mostly because I knew that if I told you the truth, you would never have given me a chance. And he was right, wasn’t he? Camila did not respond, but her silence was a sufficient response. I want you to go, he finally said. Take Diego and go. Do what you came to do. Destroy our town and get on with your life. Camila, go, he shouted.

Go before I do anything I regret. Sebastian picked up his things in silence with Diego crying in his arms. Before leaving, he turned to her one last time. “This is not what I want,” he said. None of this is what I want. Then stop. Camila looked at him with eyes full of pain. If you really love me, stop all this.

I can’t, he whispered. I wish I could, but I can’t. And he left, taking Diego and Camila’s heart with him. Esperanza showed up an hour later and found her niece crying on the couch. “Mija, what happened? You were right, auntie,” Camila said. “My heart is too good and I was hurt again.

“But this time the pain was different. This time she had not only lost a man, she had also lost a baby she had come to love as her own. And in two weeks he would also lose the last of his parents. Sebastian did not sleep for the entire week that followed. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Camila’s face when he discovered the truth.

The betrayal in her eyes, the pain in her voice, the way she had pressed Diego to her chest as if she were trying to protect him from him. Diego wasn’t well either. The baby cried constantly and refused the bottle. Sebastian knew why. Diego missed Camila as much as he did. Mr. Restrepo, your assistant Patricia had arrived from Bogotá that morning. The board of directors is furious.

They have been trying to locate him for two weeks. “Wait,” Sebastian murmured, rocking Diego without success. They can’t wait any longer. The resort’s investors are threatening to pull out if he doesn’t show up for Friday’s meeting. And there’s something else. Sebastian looked at her for the first time since he had arrived. Mrs. Elena’s parents have hired lawyers.

Patricia took some documents out of her briefcase. They want custody of Diego. The world came crashing down on him. Sebastian took the papers with trembling hands. On what basis? They say his two-week disappearance proves he is an irresponsible father, unable to properly care for his grandson.

Sebastian plopped down on the hotel bed. Within a week he had lost the woman he loved and now he could lose his son as well. What possibilities do we have?, he asked. Few. Patricia looked at him with compassion, unless she can demonstrate stability and a strong family life. A solid family life.

Exactly what he had had with Camila during those two perfect weeks. Meanwhile, at the café, Camila tried to keep the composure in front of her customers, but inside it was falling apart. “When is your boyfriend coming back?” asked Doña Carmen, the owner of the boarding house. He is not going back, Camila sec replied. And he wasn’t my boyfriend.

Well, the baby did look like your son, the lady insisted. There was never a child so attached to someone other than his mother. Camila felt her throat close. It was true. Diego had adopted her as his mother in a way that had been both beautiful and terrifying. Esperanza entered the café with a worried expression. My daughter, we need to talk. What happens now? The machines arrived.

Esperanza sat down heavily. Bulldozers for the resort are camping on the grounds next to the church. Camila felt her stomach turn. As soon as they seemed to speed everything up. Don Miguel says they were given only one week to vacate their land. Camila looked around her small café, the tables where her father had carved his initials, the coffee machine her mother had bought with her life savings, the photos on the walls of three generations of the Torres family. Everything was going to disappear. It’s my fault, he murmured. If I hadn’t let

would have stayed here, if there hadn’t been Don’t talk nonsense. Esperanza interrupted her. Sebastián Restrepo was going to do this with or without knowing you. You are not to blame for anything. But Camila couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been used, that Sebastian had played with her feelings while planning to destroy her life.

That night, as she cleaned the empty tables of the café, she heard baby cries outside. His heart raced, he looked out the window and saw Sebastian walking in circles through the square with Diego in his arms. The baby was inconsolable. Without thinking twice, he ran downstairs. What’s wrong with him, he asked, forgetting his anger for a moment. She doesn’t stop crying.

Sebastian looked desperate. He’s been like this for three days. He doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep. Camila instinctively extended her arms and Sebastian gave Diego to her without hesitation. As soon as the baby felt her arms, he immediately calmed down. “I missed you,” Camila whispered, kissing the boy’s little head. “We both missed you,” Sebastian said softly.

Camila looked at him with tears in her eyes. “How can you say that when you’re destroying my life? Because I don’t want to destroy anything. Sebastian ran his hands through his hair. Camila, if I could stop all this, I would, but I can’t. Why not? You own the company. Because it’s not that simple, he exploded.

There are investors, contracts, people who have put millions of dollars into this project. And what about the people who live here? What about the families who are going to lose their homes? Sebastian did not answer, he had no answer. Diego had begun to fall asleep in Camila’s arms and she realized that he was rocking automatically while they argued. “Do you know what’s the worst of all?” asked Camila in a broken voice.

“That you made me believe that the three of us could be a family together.” “We can be,” Sebastian said desperately. “Come with me to Bogotá. You, me and Diego can, can we?” What? Camilla laughed bitterly. Be your secret family while destroying other people’s lives.

To be your comfort after you wipe out entire villages. It is not like that. So what is it like? Camila handed her back to Diego, who immediately began to cry again. Explain to me what it is like, Sebastian. He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out, because the truth was that he did not know how to explain the inexplicable. You can’t, Camila said sadly, because you know I’m right.

She turned to leave, but Sebastian took her arm. Camila, wait. There’s something else you need to know. What else can there be? Sebastian took a deep breath, as if he were about to jump off a cliff. The resort was not my idea, it was Elena’s, my wife. Camila froze. your wife. My wife dead.

The words came out as a confession. She grew up in these mountains. He always dreamed of building something beautiful here. It was his last wish before he couldn’t finish the sentence. My god. Camila covered her mouth with her hands. That’s why you can’t stop it.

How can I betray his memory? Sebastian’s eyes filled with tears. How can I destroy his dream? But Sebastián Camila felt his heart break for him. She’s not here anymore. The people who are going to suffer are there. I know, Soyoso. Believe me I know, but every time I think about canceling the project, I feel like I’m killing her again.

Camila then understood the true tragedy of the situation. Sebastian was not a heartless villain. He was a broken man, caught between honoring his dead wife and protecting the living people he loved. How did he die? he asked softly. Car accident. Sebastian looked at the ground. He came to meet me for dinner. If I hadn’t, if she hadn’t had it wasn’t your fault.

How can you be so sure? Because I know her. Camila gently touched Diego’s cheek. Any woman who has raised a child as beautiful as this, any woman who has made a man like you love her so much, she would not have wanted you to destroy innocent lives in her name. Sebastian looked at her with eyes full of pain and hope.

You think? I’m sure. For a moment, it seemed that they were going to find a solution, that love could overcome all obstacles. But then Patricia came running through the square. “Mr. Restrepo, thank God I found you,” he shouted. Elena’s parents arrived with the lawyers. “They want to take Diego right now.” Sebastian’s world collapsed again.

He looked at Camila in despair. “Don’t let them take him,” she whispered, “Fight for him.” “Will you come with me?” he asked. “Would you help us?” Camila looked at Diego, who had momentarily calmed down when she heard her voice. Then she looked down at her café, where the lights were still on waiting for her. “I can’t abandon this,” he finally said.

It’s all I have left of my parents and Diego is all I have left of Elena, Sebastian replied. They looked into each other’s eyes, understanding that they had reached a point of no return. “So, I guess everyone has to fight for their own,” Camila said with a broken heart. Sebastian nodded, kissed Diego’s forehead and walked away towards his uncertain destination.

Camila stood in the square watching the man she loved take the baby she had come to love as her own, knowing that she would probably never see them again. And within a week the machines would begin to demolish everything she had loved as well. Two. Two. Bogotá had never seemed so cold to Sebastián.

His penhouse on the 40th floor had the best views of the city, but it felt like a glass prison. Diego cried day and night and nothing he did consoled him. She doesn’t like the milk she’s drinking, she told Patricia, who had hired three different nannies in a week. Camila gave it a special mixture.

Want us to ask you for the recipe? Patricia suggested carefully. Sebastian looked out the window at the distant mountains. I’ve hurt him enough. The nannies quit one after another. Diego only calmed down when Sebastián carried him, but he had constant meetings with lawyers, investors and the board of directors.

“The resort must continue,” the board president told him. “We’ve invested too much to back down now.” “What if we found another location?” suggested Sebastian weakly. “Impossible. The feasibility studies took two years, Sebastian. I understand you’ve been through a lot, but you can’t let feelings cloud your business judgment.

Meanwhile, in Villa de los Nevados, Camila packed her parents’ last belongings. Bulldozers roared outside, waiting for the order to begin demolition. “Are you sure you don’t want to fight this in court?” asked Esperanza, wrapping her grandmother’s plates in newspaper. With what money? Camilla laughed bitterly. Besides, I have already signed the papers, there is no going back.

Sebastian offered you money for the coffee. More than it’s worth. I don’t want your money. Camila closed a box with more force than necessary. I don’t want anything that comes from him. But it was a lie. He wanted a lot of things that came from him. She wanted his arms around her at night. I wanted to hear his laughter when Diego did something funny.

I wanted that feeling of full family that I had had for two perfect weeks. The phone rang. It was Doña Carmen. Camila, there’s a man here asking for you. He says he is a lawyer. Lawyer. Camila frowned. From which company? He doesn’t say it, he just says that he has something important to discuss with you about Sebastián Restrepo. Camila felt her blood run cold. I’m going there.

The lawyer was a distinguished-looking older man carrying an expensive briefcase. Miss Torres, I am Eduardo Herrera, legal representative of the Herrera Quintero family. The last name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t locate it. What do they want from me? We understand that you know Sebastián Restrepo and his son Diego intimately. Diego. Camila’s heart began to beat faster.

What does Diego have to do with this? Diego is our grandson, Miss Torres. We are the parents of Elena Herrera, the late wife of Mr. Restrepo. Camilla sat heavily in a chair. What do you want? We want custody of Diego and we need your help. My help for what.

The lawyer opened his briefcase and took several photographs. They were photos of her and Sebastián walking through the town, kissing in the square with Diego in their arms. Where did they get these photos? We have been investigating Mr. Restrepo since he disappeared with our grandson for two weeks. The lawyer smiled coldly.

Imagine our surprise to discover that he was living in concubinage with a woman he barely knew. exposing Diego to an unstable and immoral situation. That’s not true. Camila got up from her chair. Sebastian would never do anything to hurt Diego. No. So why is the child malnourished and sick since he returned to Bogotá? Camila felt her stomach turn. Sick. You can’t keep food down. You’ve lost weight.

The doctors say that he is suffering from severe depression due to maternal abandonment, but I am not for him. Yes, it was. The lawyer closed the briefcase and when he realizes that you have abandoned him as well, the psychological trauma will be irreversible. Camila put her hands to her face. Diego was suffering because of her. What do you want me to do? Testify on our behalf.

Tell the judge that Sebastian Restrepo is a neglectful father who exposes his son to dangerous situations. That’s a lie. It is, Miss Torres. You yourself can confirm to us that Mr. Restrepo lied to you about his identity for weeks, that he used his son as an excuse to approach you while he planned to destroy your town.

Does that seem like the behavior of a responsible parent to you? Camila did not respond because she had no answer. Think. The lawyer handed him a card. If you really love that child, do the right thing. That night Camila could not sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Diego’s little face crying, wondering why the woman he thought was his mother had abandoned him.

At 3 in the morning he made a decision. he took all his savings out of the bank, bought a bus ticket to Bogotá. If Diego needed her, she would be there. It didn’t matter what had happened between her and Sebastian. An innocent child was suffering and she couldn’t live with that guilt. In Bogotá, Sebastián was walking around his apartment carrying Diego, who had cried for 4 hours straight.

“Please, my love,” he whispered, “eat something, anything.” But Diego refused the bottle, refused food, refused everything except physical contact with his father. The phone rang. It was Patricia. “Sir, there is a Miss Torres at the front desk. he says he needs to see Diego urgently. Sebastian’s heart stopped. Camila. Yes, sir.

I let her go up. Sebastian looked at Diego, who had stopped crying for the first time in days, as if he had sensed Camila’s presence in the building. “Yes,” he whispered. “Let it go up.” 5 minutes later, Camila was standing at her door with a small suitcase and her eyes full of tears. I came for Diego, he said simply. You came for him.

They told me that he is sick, that he does not eat, that he has lost weight. Camila entered the apartment. Where is he? Sebastián took her to the room where Diego was in his crib. As soon as the baby saw Camila, he stretched out his arms towards her and smiled for the first time in a week. “Hello, my love,” Camila murmured taking him in her arms. Mom is here.

And for the first time since he had left Villa de los Nevados, Diego laughed. Sebastian stood there watching how the woman he loved comforted the son they both adored and knew that the time had come to make the most difficult decision of his life. Camila, he said softly. We need to talk. Elena’s parents are going to try to take it away from me.

Sebastián sat on the sofa watching Camila feed Diego with a mixture of formula that she had prepared from memory. They say I’m an irresponsible father. And what do you think? Camila asked without looking up from the baby. I think maybe they’re right. Sebastian’s voice broke. Look. In a week without you he is dying of sadness.

Diego was eagerly taking his bottle for the first time in days, his little hands clutching Camila’s fingers, as if he was afraid it would disappear again. That doesn’t hurt you, Father Sebastian. It just means that he needs his whole family. His entire family. Camila finally looked him in the eye. You, me, and him, the three of you together, as it should be.

But the resort, your town, there is no town to save anymore. Camila smiled sadly. The machines arrive tomorrow. In a week there will be nothing left of Villa de los Nevados. Sebastian felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. Camila, I never wanted to. I know. She came over and sat down next to him. Now I know. How can you forgive me? Because I understand the pain you carry.

Camila took his hand and because that baby needs us both. Sebastian began to cry. Tears of guilt, of relief, of love, of despair. I don’t deserve your forgiveness. Forgiveness is not something you deserve, Sebastian. It is something that happens when you love enough.

That night, while Diego slept with each other for the first time in a week, Sebastian told Camila the whole truth. Elena died because she was going to meet me for a surprise dinner,” he whispered in the darkness. “If I hadn’t worked so late, if I had gotten home on time, she wouldn’t have had to go out that night.

How long have you been blaming yourself? Since the day he died 8 months ago. And do you think she’d want you to punish yourself forever? I don’t know what I wanted. I don’t know her anymore. Sebastian looked at the ceiling. Sometimes I feel like I’m betraying their memory to love you. Sebastian, look at me. Camila sat up. Elena gave Diego the most beautiful gift a woman can give a man.

Do you think she would want that gift to grow up without love, without a full family, just because you can’t forgive yourself? But the resort was his dream. It was their dream to destroy families, to displace innocent people. No. His dream was to create something beautiful in the mountains where he grew up. So, let’s do that. Camilla got up suddenly. But let’s get it right.

What do you mean? And if instead of a resort that destroys the town, we create something that preserves it, something that gives jobs to the local people instead of displacing them. Sebastian sat up on the bed. Ecotourism. Exactly. Small cabins that respect the environment. Restaurants that use local products. Activities that celebrate the culture of the region.

Camila began to walk around the room excitedly. Elena wanted to create something beautiful, didn’t she? What is more beautiful than preserving culture and giving hope to families? Investors will never accept. Then we get other investors, people who understand that true luxury is not to destroy nature, but to live in harmony with it.

For the first time in months, Sebastian felt hopeful. Would you do that with me? Would you fight to save your town? I would do anything for our family. Camila returned to bed and took her hand. But first we have to win custody of Diego. The next day they appeared together at the office of the Herrera family’s lawyer.

Elena’s parents were just as Sebastian had described them, elegant, cold, and completely convinced that they knew what was best for their grandson. “Mr. Restrepo,” said Elena’s mother. We see that she has brought her friend. She’s more than my friend. Sebastian took Camila’s hand. She’s going to be my wife. Camila looked at him in surprise, but she didn’t let go of her hand.

His wife. Elena’s father laughed. Isn’t it a little early? Elena died less than a year ago. Elena died 8 months and three days ago. Sebastian looked directly at them. And every one of those days I’ve blamed myself for his death. But Camila has taught me that Elena would not have wanted Diego to grow up without love because of me.

Diego needs stability, Elena’s mother insisted. Not romantic experiments. Look at his grandson. Camila spoke for the first time pointing to Diego, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. When was the last time you saw him this calm? The grandparents did not respond because they knew he was right. Diego knows me, Camila continued.

He loves me and I love him as if he were my own son. Isn’t that what Elena would have wanted, for her son to be loved? “You can’t replace our daughter,” Elena’s mother said with tears in her eyes. I don’t want to replace her. Camila approached and handed Diego to him. I want to honor her.

I want this beautiful baby she left us to have all the love she deserves. Elena’s father held his grandson for the first time in months. Diego looked at him curiously, but when he began to get restless, he extended his arms towards Camila. He needs her, Grandpa finally admitted. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he needs it.

We all need each other, Sebastian said. Diego, Camila, me and you too. We want them to be a part of Diego’s life, but as grandparents who love him, not as surrogate parents. After two hours of conversation, tears, and shared memories about Elena, they came to an agreement.

Elena’s parents would drop the custody lawsuit in exchange for regular visits and the promise that Diego would know his mother’s story. A week later, Sebastián presented his new proposal to the board of directors of Restrepo Industries. “Instead of a traditional resort, I propose a sustainable ecotourism project,” he explained with Camila by his side.

We will preserve the existing village, employ local people and create a model of responsible tourism. “That sounds very noble, Sebastian,” said the chairman of the board. But it will be profitable, more profitable than the original resort. Camila presented the numbers they had worked on together. Because we will have lower construction costs, cheaper local labor, and a niche market that is growing rapidly.

And current investors, those who want to stay, welcome, those who do not return their money. Sebastian looked around the table. This project is not just about profit, it’s about creating something that lasts, something we can be proud of.

After three hours of debate, the board approved the new bill by one vote. Six months later, Sebastián and Camila married in the square of Villa de los Nevados, in a ceremony that combined Colombian traditions with personal touches. Diego, already a year old, crawled among the guests, laughing and being pampered by the whole town.

During their first dance as spouses, Sebastian whispered in Camila’s ear, “Do you think Elena would have approved?” I’m sure Elena would be happy to know that the son she loved so much has a family that adores him. Camila kissed him softly. And I’m honored to love the family she started. At that moment, Diego let go of Aunt Esperanza’s hands and staggered towards them.

Her first independent steps went straight into her parents’ arms. “Mom, dad!” shouted Diego. His first clear word. Sebastián and Camila looked at each other with tears in their eyes. It didn’t matter how his story had begun, full of lies and misunderstandings. What mattered was how he had ended up with a family united by true love.

As they danced under the stars with Diego laughing in their arms, Sebastian knew that Elena would be smiling from heaven. Love had not replaced love. Love had built on love, creating something stronger and more beautiful than any of them had imagined.

And in Villa de los Nevados, the lights of the new ecotourism project shone like promises of a future where tradition and progress could walk hand in hand. 5k years had passed since that Christmas storm that changed everything forever. Camila woke up in her new house, built on the hill that overlooked all of Villa de los Nevados.

Through the window I could see the ecotourism cabins scattered harmoniously among the trees, the Corazón Cafetera café turned into the gastronomic center of the project and the local families who now worked as guides, artisans and administrators of the most successful tourist complex in the region. Mommy, mommy.

Diego ran into the room when he was already five and a half years old, speaking perfectly. Dad says that today tourists from France are going to arrive. Seriously. Camila picked him up and kissed him on the cheek. And you’re going to help Dad receive them? Yes. I’m going to teach you how to make arepas like you taught me. Diego had grown up being completely bilingual, speaking Spanish with Camila and the townspeople and English with Sebastian and the international tourists.

But more importantly, he had grown up knowing that he was deeply loved by a family that had chosen to be together. Sebastian appeared at the door, already dressed for work, but with a smile that still made Camila’s heart jump. Good morning, my love. He kissed her softly.

Ready for another crazy day? Always, she replied by kissing him back. The project had exceeded all expectations. Villa de los Nevados had become an international model of sustainable tourism. Families who had been on the verge of losing their land were now owning thriving small businesses. Young people who used to leave the village to look for work in the cities, now stayed to study ecotourism and hotel management. Abuela Esperanza is making tamales for French tourists, Diego said

excited. Can we go help her? Of course, my love. Camila got up and put on her favorite dress, the same one she wore when she worked at the original café. But first let’s have breakfast. While they prepared breakfast together, as they did every morning, Sebastian told Camila about the new projects they were considering.

A hotel chain in Costa Rica wants us to help them develop a similar project, he said, pouring coffee from the cups that Camila had inherited from her grandmother. They say we are the perfect example of how tourism can benefit local communities rather than displace them. And what do you think? I think Elena would be proud. Sebastian looked out the window at the mountains.

Her dream of creating something beautiful in these mountains came true, but in a way that she would have loved even more. They had visited Elena’s grave the month before, taking Diego to lay fresh flowers and tell his birth mom about his new baby sister. Because yes, Camila was three months pregnant. A secret that only the three of them and the village doctor knew.

Have you already decided when we’re going to tell your family?, Sebastian asked, putting his hand on his belly to a shot of Camila. At dinner tonight, she smiled, after Elena’s parents arrived for their monthly visit, Diego’s grandparents had fulfilled their promise to maintain a loving relationship with their grandson. They came once a month and Diego adored them.

They had also learned to love Camila, recognizing that she had not tried to replace Elena, but to honor her memory, giving Diego the maternal love he needed. Mum. Diego tugged at Camila’s skirt. We can go see the place where Dad fixed your coffee machine. It was their favorite story, how Dad had come in a storm, how Mom had saved them, and how they had fallen in love while learning to take care of each other. Of course, my love. They walked together to the original café,

which was now the main restaurant of the complex. The walls were decorated with photos of the town’s history, including some of Sebastian, Camila, and Diego during those magical early days. Look, there’s the picture of when Dad didn’t know how to make coffee. Diego pointed to an image of Sebastian with a face of extreme concentration while Camila taught him how to use the Italian coffee maker.

“Your dad was terrible at making coffee,” Camila laughed, “but he was very good at fixing broken things.” “Like what things?” “Like my heart.” Camila looked at Sebastian with love and as her own. Aunt Esperanza appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of tamales that smelled delicious.

Diego, come here, I need an official assistant. Diego ran to his adoptive grandmother, who had spoiled him from day one. Esperanza had become the cultural coordinator of the project, teaching tourists about local traditions and ensuring that the culture of the village was preserved and celebrated.

“How are the lovebirds?” asked Esperanza, winking at Camila. Happy,” Sebastian replied by putting his arm around his wife’s waist. “Very happy and with news,” Camila added with a mysterious smile. “What kind of news?” The kind of news that makes Diego go to be an older brother. Sebastian couldn’t contain himself.

Esperanza screamed with joy and hugged Camila so tightly that she almost lifted her off the ground. Oh, my daughter, what beautiful news. What’s going on? Why does grandma scream? Diego appeared running from the kitchen. Camila knelt at his height. Diego, would you like to have a little brother or sister? The boy’s eyes lit up like fireworks.

Seriously, is there going to be another baby in our family? Seriously. Sebastian knelt next to Camila. What do you think? I think it’s great. Diego hugged them both. I’m going to be the best big brother in the world. I’m going to teach him how to make arepas and how to speak French with tourists and how to take care of the people we love.

Camila felt tears of happiness running down her cheeks. This child, who had come into her life in a snowstorm, had become the sun that illuminated each of her days. That night, during the family dinner with Elena’s parents, they officially announced the pregnancy. There were tears, hugs and plans for the future.

Diego’s grandparents were excited to have another grandchild to love and promised to help with anything they needed. After everyone went to sleep, Sebastian and Camila went for a walk in the town square, as they did every night before going to bed. Do you ever regret it, Sebastian asked, “That you made the decision to be with me in spite of everything.” Never. Camila stopped and looked him in the eye.

You know why? Why? Because I learned that true love isn’t perfect from the start. True love is choosing to work together to build something beautiful, even when you start with broken pieces. Sebastian kissed her under the same stars where they had kissed for the first time 5 years ago.

I love you, Camila Torres de Restrepo. I love you, Sebastián Restrepo. To you and Diego, to this baby on the way, and to the beautiful life we have built together. As they returned home, holding hands, they could see the lights of the village shining like terrestrial stars.

Each light represented a family that had found hope, a dream that had come true, a community that had learned that change doesn’t always mean loss. Sometimes change means that life gives you a second chance to be happy. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, that second chance comes in the form of a snowstorm, a crying baby, and a woman with a heart big enough to save an entire family.

In Villa de los Nevados, where the mountains touched the sky and dreams came true, a family slept peacefully, knowing that they had found something that would last forever. A love built on the solid foundation of honesty. Forgiveness and the promise that no matter what storms came in the future, they would face them together. And somewhere in the sky, Elena was smiling, knowing that her greatest gift had found exactly the home she would have wanted for him.