The Call That Changed Everything
“Hello?”
“Dad…”
“Santiago? What happened? Why are you calling from another number?”
“Dad… Alma won’t wake up.”
Tomás froze.
“What? Where are you? Where’s your mom?”
“She’s not here. Not since Friday. I’m hungry… there’s nothing left to eat.”
Tomás’s heart dropped.
“What do you mean she’s not there? Have you been alone this whole time?”
“Yes,” the boy whispered. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
For a brief moment, Tomás couldn’t breathe.
Then he exploded into motion.
A Father’s Race Against Time
He shoved his chair aside, grabbed his car keys from the desk, and ran out of his office without saying a word to anyone.
Inside the elevator, he immediately called Leticia.
Her phone was off.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Nothing.
“Damn it!” he muttered as he jumped into his car.
The engine roared to life as he dialed her number once more.
Straight to voicemail.
He pressed the accelerator to the floor.
The House of Silence
Tomás reached Leticia’s house in less than thirty minutes.
He slammed the car door and ran to the entrance, pounding on the door.
“Santiago! It’s your dad! Open up!”
No answer.
He tried the handle.
The door wasn’t even locked.
A cold silence filled the house.
Inside the living room, he saw Santiago sitting on the floor, hugging a pillow.
The boy’s face was dirty. His eyes were swollen.
He looked painfully thin.
“Dad… I thought you weren’t coming.”
Tomás knelt in front of him immediately.
“Where’s Alma?”
The boy slowly pointed toward an armchair.
And Tomás’s stomach twisted.
A Child on the Edge
Little Alma lay motionless in the chair.
Her skin was pale.
Her lips were dry.
When Tomás touched her forehead, his heart nearly stopped.
She was burning with fever.
And she wasn’t responding.
He scooped her into his arms instantly.
“Let’s go. Quickly.”
Santiago stood up.
“Is she asleep, Dad?”
Tomás forced his voice to stay calm.
“No. But she’s going to be okay.”
Then he added urgently:
“Come on. We have to go now.”
The Drive to the Hospital
Within seconds they were in the car.
Tomás switched on the hazard lights and sped toward the hospital.
His phone rang again as he tried calling Leticia.
Still voicemail.
From the back seat, Santiago asked quietly:
“Is my mom angry?”
Tomás tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“No, son,” he said softly.
“Your mom isn’t well right now.”
Then he glanced in the mirror at the frightened little boy.
“But I promise you something.”
“I’m going to take care of you.”
Emergency Room Panic
The hospital doors burst open as Tomás ran inside carrying Alma.
A nurse rushed toward him with a stretcher.
“How old is she?”
“Three. She hasn’t eaten properly for two days. She had a fever and wasn’t waking up.”
The medical team immediately placed Alma on the stretcher.
“We’re stabilizing her. Please wait here.”
As they rushed the little girl away, Santiago clung tightly to his father’s leg.
Tomás knelt and hugged him.
“She’s going to be okay,” he whispered.
“She’s not going to die, is she?” the boy asked.
Tomás swallowed hard.
“No, son. I promise.”
A Disturbing Realization
While Alma was being treated, Tomás spoke with the hospital staff and social workers.
He explained everything he knew.
“They were supposed to be with their mother. She told me she was going somewhere with no phone signal for the weekend.”
“And when did you hear from your son?”
“Today. He said Alma wouldn’t wake up… and that they hadn’t eaten.”
The social worker frowned.
“And where is their mother now?”
Tomás shook his head slowly.
“I don’t know. Her phone has been off since Friday.”
Another note was written down.
“We’re going to have to file a report for child abandonment.”
Tomás didn’t hesitate.
“Do whatever you need to do.”
“I just want my daughter to survive.”
A Narrow Escape
A doctor returned shortly afterward.
“The girl is stable,” he said.
Tomás felt the tension leave his body all at once.
“She has dehydration and a mild intestinal infection from not eating,” the doctor explained.
“But you arrived just in time.”
“One more day, and the outcome could have been very different.”
Santiago squeezed his father’s hand tightly.
“Can I see her?”
“Soon,” the doctor said gently.
“She’s sleeping now.”
The Shocking News
Hours later, a nurse approached Tomás.
“Mr. Gutiérrez… we received information from the police.”
Tomás stood up immediately.
“Your ex-partner was admitted to the General Hospital early Saturday morning after a car accident.”
Tomás stared at her.
“What?”
“She was with a man who fled the scene. She had no identification at the time, so she was admitted as an unknown patient.”
“Is she alive?” Tomás asked.
“Yes. Stable, but sedated. She has fractures and a head injury.”
Tomás closed his eyes.
Everything suddenly made sense.
A Decision No Father Wants to Make
After hearing the news, Tomás stepped outside and called his lawyer.
“Carlos, we need to start custody proceedings immediately.”
“Send me everything,” the lawyer replied. “We’ll begin tomorrow.”
When Tomás hung up, Santiago was watching him carefully.
“Can I stay with you forever?”
Tomás looked at his son for a long moment.
Then he pulled him into a tight hug.
“From today on,” he said quietly,
“I’m not letting you go.”
The Truth Behind the Accident
Later that day, Tomás went to the hospital where Leticia was recovering.
She looked weak, bruised, and ashamed.
“The children are alive,” he said.
Leticia’s eyes filled with tears.
“What happened, Leticia?” he asked.
She hesitated.
“I just went to a party,” she whispered.
“I thought nothing would happen.”
Tomás stared at her in disbelief.
“You left them alone for three days.”
“Alma almost died.”
Leticia began crying.
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