“I know.”
“I was exhausted… I needed to clear my head.”
Tomás shook his head slowly.
“That doesn’t justify abandoning your children.”
A Mother’s Regret
Leticia wiped her tears.
“The man I was with… Ricardo. We started fighting in the car. He got violent. I wanted to go back home.”
“He left you there,” Tomás said coldly.
“And you expect me to trust you again?”
“I’m not asking you to,” she whispered.
“I just want to know if the kids are okay.”
Tomás crossed his arms.
“Alma is stable.”
“And Santiago…”
He paused.
“He saved his sister’s life.”
A New Beginning
When Tomás returned to the children’s hospital, he found Santiago and Alma watching cartoons.
Alma had an IV in her arm and a small doll beside her.
Santiago looked up.
“Did you see Mom?”
“Yes,” Tomás said calmly.
“She’s alive.”
“Is she coming to get us?”
Tomás sat down beside them.
“No.”
“You’re coming home with me.”
Santiago didn’t look sad.
He looked relieved.
“Are we going back to the big house?”
“Yes,” Tomás replied softly.
“I’m going to take care of you.”
The Hardest Job of His Life
The first night at home was chaotic.
Alma refused to sleep alone.
Santiago woke up crying twice.
Tomás barely slept.
He had never spent more than two days alone with both children before.
Now everything depended on him.
Cooking.
Bathing them.
Comforting them.
Listening to their fears.
But he didn’t complain.
Because he had nearly lost them once.
And that was enough to change a man forever.
The Hidden Scars
The next day, a child psychologist visited.
She spoke with Tomás privately.
“Both children show signs of stress,” she explained.
“Santiago especially feels responsible for what happened.”
Tomás frowned.
“He only did what he could. He saved his sister.”
“Yes,” she said gently.
“But now he feels like he must protect her all the time.”
“That’s a heavy burden for a six-year-old.”
“And Alma?”
The psychologist sighed softly.
“She doesn’t trust adults anymore.”
“She only feels safe next to her brother.”
Tomás looked through the doorway at his children sitting quietly together.
And for the first time, he truly understood.
Saving them was only the beginning.
Now he had to help them heal.
Tomás nodded, memorizing everything.
“What do I have to do?
” “What you’re already doing: be there for them, establish a routine, don’t yell. Explain what’s going to happen, but don’t promise them things you can’t deliver.”
Later, the psychologist spoke privately with Santiago in the garden. Meanwhile, Tomás took the opportunity to do laundry and prepare something for them to eat. He wasn’t exactly feeling like dad of the year, but he was trying his best. After the conversation, Santiago went into the kitchen.
“Dad, the lady told me I can tell you if I’m scared of something.
” “You can always tell me what you’re feeling, champ.
” “What if my mom doesn’t change?”
Tomás crouched down to his level.
“That’s not up to you or me, but we’ll be okay, no matter what.
” “Really?
” “And if she really tries and changes, then we’ll sort it out with the doctors and the judge. What matters here is that you’re safe and at peace.”
Santiago nodded. Then he went to check on Alma, who was asleep on the couch hugging her doll.
Later, Tomás received a call from the General Hospital.
“Mr. Gutiérrez, Mrs. Vargas requested to begin therapy. She said she wants to cooperate fully with the judge’s requests.”
“And what does the medical report say?”
“She’s recovering well. She’ll soon be able to walk without assistance. The psychiatrist has already examined her and says she’s ready to begin psychological treatment. Can I put you through to her?”
“Of course, if you give the go-ahead, she’s awake and willing.”
Tomás hesitated for a moment.
“I’ll go tomorrow, but don’t tell the children yet.”
That night, Tomás sat alone in the dining room. He didn’t turn on the TV; he just listened to the hum of the refrigerator. He was afraid. Afraid of messing things up, afraid of not knowing how to handle the whole situation. But he also felt something different, as if he were finally doing things right. He checked the time. It was late. He got up, went to the children’s room, and saw them sleeping together. Santiago was holding Alma, as if he still couldn’t believe they were safe. Tomás gently stroked their heads. “No one is going to leave you alone again. That’s it . “
The next day, Tomás arrived at the general hospital with a strange feeling.
It wasn’t anger, nor was it pity. It was something in between, somewhere between distrust and duty. He knew that seeing Leticia wouldn’t be easy, but he had to do it. He found her sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown, her hair tied back. Her gaze was fixed on the floor. When she saw him come in, she barely glanced up.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, her voice very subdued.
“I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing it for my children.”
“I know. And you’re absolutely right.”
An awkward silence fell. Tomás crossed his arms.
“I heard you’re starting therapy.
” “Yes. I know it doesn’t erase what I did, but I need to get my life back on track. I’ve felt like I’m drowning for months.
” “That doesn’t excuse what happened.
” “I’m not trying to excuse it. I just want to be honest with you. I lost myself, Tomás. Between the grind of work, the kids, the guilt… and that idiot, I became a different person.
” “That idiot who abandoned your children and left you bleeding out on the side of the road.”
“I don’t even want to talk about him anymore. I blocked him everywhere. I don’t want to know anything about him.”
Tomás took a deep breath.
“Thank God the children told us.”
“I know. Santiago called me ‘Mom’ for the last time on Wednesday… when he was three. From then on, I felt like I was doing everything wrong.
” “You still have time, but you’re going to have to earn it.”
Leticia nodded without making excuses.
“Can I see them?
” “No. They’re very sensitive right now. Santiago still wakes up in the middle of the night thinking you’re not coming back. Alma won’t leave his side, not even to go to the bathroom. They’re in therapy.
” “I’m going to therapy too.”
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