Chapter 10: What the Settlement Said
The agreement was signed on a Tuesday morning, six weeks after Sofia was born.
Camila sat at a long conference table with her lawyer on one side and a glass of water she hadn't touched on the other.
Mateo sat across from her with Fuentes.
Two other lawyers were present, one from each side, handling the documentation.
Nobody made small talk.
Fuentes slid the final draft across the table.
Camila's lawyer reviewed it page by page, quietly, while the room waited.
"The mansion," her lawyer said.
"Full transfer of title.
No encumbrances."
"Agreed," Fuentes said.
"Primary custody of Sofia, with Mateo having scheduled visitation every other weekend and one weekday evening per week, supervised by a neutral third party for the first six months."
Fuentes glanced at Mateo.
Mateo gave a small nod.
"Agreed."
"Monthly support payments as specified in Schedule B.
To be reviewed annually."
"Agreed."
"And the clause regarding public statements." Camila's lawyer looked up.
"Neither party will make public statements disparaging the other in any forum, including social media, press, or public appearances.
Violation results in financial penalty as specified."
Fuentes looked at the page.
"We'd like the word *disparaging* defined more specifically."
"We can add a definition clause," Camila's lawyer said.
"Standard language."
"Fine."
The lawyers continued.
Camila watched the pages move across the table.
She had read the agreement three times the night before.
She knew every clause.
She had approved every word.
But sitting here, watching it become real, was different from reading it alone.
Mateo was looking at the table.
He hadn't looked at her since they sat down.
"Mateo," Fuentes said quietly.
"We're at the signature page."
Mateo picked up the pen.
He looked at the line with his name printed beneath it.
He held the pen for a moment without writing.
Then he looked up at Camila.
"I want you to know," he said, "that I'm going to be a good father to her.
Whatever happened between us.
I'm going to show up for her."
Camila held his gaze.
"I hope so," she said.
"She deserves that."
He looked at her for one more second.
Then he signed.
Camila signed below him.
The lawyers gathered the pages.
Copies were made.
Hands were shaken across the table — not warmly, but correctly.
Fuentes and Mateo stood to leave.
At the door, Mateo stopped.
He didn't turn around.
"The video," he said.
"The one from the club." He paused.
"I saw her name on the screen.
I want you to know that I know that you know that." Another pause.
"I don't have anything to say about it that would make it better.
I just didn't want to leave this room pretending I don't know what I did."
The room was very quiet.
He walked out.
Fuentes followed him without a word.
Camila sat at the table for a moment after they left.
Her lawyer was organizing the documents.
The other lawyers were talking quietly near the window.
"Are you alright?" her lawyer asked.
"Yes," Camila said.
"It's a strong agreement.
You should feel good about it."
"I do." She picked up the glass of water and finally drank from it.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Did Alejandro contact you at any point during the negotiation?
About the terms?"
Her lawyer looked at her carefully.
"He provided the original documentation to Gerardo, who shared it with me as part of the case file.
Beyond that, no.
He had no involvement in the negotiation itself."
Camila nodded.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I needed to know it was mine," she said.
"The outcome.
I needed to know I did this."
Her lawyer looked at her for a moment.
"You did this," she said.
"Every decision was yours."
Camila set the glass down.
She picked up her copy of the signed agreement and held it for a moment.
Twelve pages.
Every clause she had approved.
Every term she had negotiated.
She put it in her bag.
Outside, the elevator opened and Alejandro was standing in the lobby.
He hadn't been in the building during the signing.
She had asked him not to be.
He looked at her face when she came out.
"Done?" he asked.
"Done," she said.
He nodded once.
He didn't ask for details.
He didn't ask what the terms were.
He just looked at her the way he had looked at her in the hospital — with the kind of steadiness that didn't require anything back.
"Sofia is with the nurse at the house," he said.
"She's been awake since seven.
Apparently she has opinions about her morning routine."
Camila almost laughed.
It surprised her — the sound of it, sudden and real in the lobby of a law firm.
"She's four weeks old," Camila said.
"She's very advanced," Alejandro said seriously.
This time Camila did laugh.
Fully.
For the first time in six weeks.
Alejandro held the door open for her.
She walked out into the morning.
The city was loud and bright and moving in every direction at once.
She stood on the steps for a moment and let the sun hit her face.
"Alejandro," she said.
"Yes?"
"Thank you.
For all of it.
For the first night.
For the documentation.
For the house.
For not making any of it about you."
He was quiet for a moment.
"You called me," he said.
"That's all."
"You answered."
"Yes," he said.
"I did."
She looked at him.
He looked back.
Something passed between them that neither of them named, because it was too early and there was too much still settling and they were both, in their different ways, people who understood that some things need time to become what they are.
"Let's go see Sofia," she said.
"Yes," he said.
They walked to the car together.
The driver held the door.
Camila got in.
Alejandro followed.
The car pulled into traffic.
Behind them, in the lobby of the building, Mateo stood at the window watching them go.
His signed copy of the agreement was in his hand.
He watched the car until it turned the corner and disappeared.
Then he looked down at the papers.
He stood there for a long time.
May you like
Then he walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.
The doors closed.
