“Yes,” Carmen said, now crying. “It was you, Diego. You gave me life. That’s why, when I saw you on the highway that day, I knew I had to do something. But it wasn’t just escorting you.”
Carmen pushed the letter towards him.
—When I found out about Luna… I looked to see if we could be compatible. I couldn’t let the man who saved me lose what he loved most.
Diego read the letter. His hands trembled so much the paper rustled. He read the words that confirmed Carmen Ruiz was the bone marrow donor.
The silence in the room was absolute, dense, laden with twelve years of history, pain and miracles.
Diego looked up. His face was bathed in tears, an expression of wonder and love so pure that Carmen’s chest ached.
“You…” Diego’s voice was barely a whisper. “You saved my daughter. You’re the donor.”
“You saved me first,” she replied. “I just returned the gift.”
Diego collapsed. He leaned forward and hugged Carmen with desperate force, burying his face in her neck, sobbing like a child. Carmen hugged him back, stroking his hair, feeling her own tears soak his shirt.
“Thank you,” he repeated over and over. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“We are at peace,” she whispered.