The labor quickly turned dangerous. Valeria’s blood pressure plunged, the baby’s heartbeat weakened, and immediate intervention was required. Yet Alejandro remained steady, guiding his tense but coordinated team through the crisis.

After nearly forty grueling minutes, the baby was born.

As Alejandro lifted the child into his arms, he froze again.

The infant bore the same dark, deep-set eyes and identical dimples Alejandro himself had as a boy.

His pulse thundered. The sounds of the room seemed to fade. Then he noticed it—a tiny teardrop-shaped birthmark on the baby’s shoulder. The rare family mark, passed from his grandfather to his father, and to him.