Slowly, painfully, they found their rhythm. Sofia started sleeping for longer stretches at night. Maya learned to read her cries—hungry, tired, uncomfortable. Ethan got better at soothing her, developing his own techniques that somehow worked when Maya's didn't.
They celebrated their courthouse wedding when Sofia was six weeks old. Maya wore a simple white dress that hid the fact that her body hadn't fully recovered from pregnancy. Ethan wore the one suit he owned, bought secondhand for the occasion. Sofia slept through the entire ceremony in Linda's arms.
"I, Ethan Michael Carter, take you, Maya Isabel Rodriguez, to be my lawfully wedded wife," Ethan said, his voice steady despite the tears in his eyes. "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."
Maya repeated her vows, her voice breaking on the words "for better, for worse." They'd already been through so much worse than most newlyweds. But they'd survived it together.
When the judge pronounced them husband and wife, Ethan kissed her softly, and Maya felt a sense of rightness settle over her. They were a family now. Officially, legally, completely.
The lunch afterward was at a small Mexican restaurant, Sofia sleeping in her car seat beside the table. Maya's parents seemed to have softened toward Ethan, seeing how devoted he was to Maya and Sofia. Her father even pulled Ethan aside at one point.
"You're a good man," Roberto said, his hand on Ethan's shoulder. "You stepped up. Not every man would have. I respect that."
"I love them, sir. They're my whole world."
"I can see that. And that's all a father can ask for his daughter—someone who loves her and treats her right."
As spring turned to summer, life became more manageable. Sofia started smiling, then laughing, then reaching for toys. Every milestone felt like a miracle. Her first time sleeping through the night, they both woke up in a panic, rushing to her crib to make sure she was still breathing. She was, sleeping peacefully, and they'd laughed at themselves, giddy with the luxury of six consecutive hours of sleep.
Maya enrolled in online classes for the fall semester. It wasn't ideal, but it meant she could continue her education while staying home with Sofia. She'd study during nap times, write papers late at night after Sofia went to bed. It was exhausting, but she was determined not to give up on her degree.
Ethan got a promotion at the shop—not a huge one, but enough to ease some of the financial pressure. They started saving, slowly, for their own place. Living with Linda had been a blessing, but they wanted their own space, their own home.
On Sofia's first birthday, they threw a small party in Linda's backyard. Both sets of grandparents came, along with a few close friends. Sofia sat in her high chair, cake smeared all over her face, laughing as everyone sang to her.
Maya looked around at their little gathering—their families, who'd supported them through everything; their friends, who'd stuck by them; and most importantly, Ethan and Sofia, her husband and daughter, her whole heart.
"We did it," she whispered to Ethan as they watched Sofia destroy her birthday cake. "We made it through the first year."
"We did," he agreed, pulling her close. "And we're going to make it through all the years to come."