Millionaire visits an orphanage and a girl shouts “Dad!” in front of everyone. What he does next is going to leave you in shock.

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Millionaire Eduardo Ramírez arrives that morning at the Alegría de Niños orphanage with all his security and his driver. The filthy smell of freshly brewed coffee mixes with the smell of new paint on the walls.

Eduardo gets out of the truck with a determined step and you can see the excitement on his face because he brings a large donation for that place. The director, Doña Margarita, approaches and receives him with a big smile, her voice almost trembles from so much nerves and joy. He greets her with a kiss on the cheek and tells her that he wants to meet the children before handing over the check.

She accompanies him through the corridors, the children making noise, running, jumping, while the nuns call them to calm down. Eduardo asks them how they are. Some look at him curiously, others hardly look at him, focused on their games.

Suddenly, Doña Margarita takes him to a room where they have set up a long table with balloons and cupcakes, and a canvas behind it that says “Welcome Eduardo Ramírez”. Everything is ready for the ceremony. In the center, a lot of boxes with toys and school supplies. The filthy smell of new paper and cheap plastic reaches Eduardo, and he smiles because he knows that it will change the lives of those children.

He takes the microphone and says:

“Good morning everyone.”

And some answer in a shy voice, others shout at him:

“Good morning!” with energy.

Eduardo says that he has brought help so that they can study better and play more. The room is full of children who stop to watch it. Some, wiping their snot, sticky hands. You can tell that they are not used to receiving someone like that, a man with an expensive suit and a large watch.

Eduardo distributes the toys little by little and gives away backpacks, pencils, notebooks. Everyone crowds to the front, trying to see what they get. Some cry with emotion, others simply stand still, attentive.

Suddenly, when Eduardo announces that he is going to read a letter he wrote for them, a loud and clear scream is heard that stops him in his tracks.

A little girl, 8 years old, raises a hand with a crumpled photo on it and shouts:

“Dad!”

Time freezes without him noticing. Everyone stays silent: the nuns, the children, the people who help. Doña Margarita makes a face of panic and surprise.

The girl’s name is Valeria, she has long dirty hair, her eyes shine with excitement and fear at the same time. She holds an image of a man sitting in a suit, looking straight ahead with that serious but kind countenance.

Eduardo looks at the girl’s face and then at the photo. That image is so familiar to him that his heart beats very strongly, as if someone had pushed him from behind. He thinks it’s his daughter. Perhaps the voice in his head tells him that it can’t be, that he doesn’t know about that girl, that his life never put him in front of an 8-year-old baby. But there is something in that look that confuses and attracts him at the same time.

Valeria stops sobbing for a second, hides the photo against her chest and looks at the man with hopeful eyes, saying:

“Is that you? Truth? My mom told me to go back.”

Then, Eduardo feels a lump in his throat. The silence in the room is total and everyone is waiting for his reaction. It’s not just a donation, it’s a moment that can change everything. None of the spectators know what is going on in his head, not even him.

Valeria didn’t talk much with the other children, she always walked around with her notebook under her arm and that photo folded inside a secret bag in her backpack. When they played outside, she would sit alone under the big tree in the yard and draw in silence. She liked to imagine that her dad was watching her from somewhere, that maybe he was famous, that he was driving a very luxurious car, or that he was busy saving the world and that’s why he hadn’t come for her yet.

No one knew about the photo, not even the nuns. Once, a girl saw her take her out and wanted to see her, but Valeria got angry and ran away. That photo was the only thing he had left of his mother. Well, and a teddy bear all frayed that I had stored in a drawer. The photo was a little broken in one corner, it had stains like coffee and was half faded, but you could see the man in the suit well. Her mother gave it to her before she died, hugged her very tightly one night when she couldn’t stop coughing and, in a low voice, said:

“If one day you see him, if you recognize him, tell him that you are his daughter.”

Valeria asked her who he was, and her mother only managed to say:

“Your dad.”

Before falling asleep forever.

Since then, every time an adult arrived at the orphanage, Valeria would take their photo and observe them carefully. He would look at his nose, his eyes, the way he walked or greeted. But no one looked alike, until that day, when that elegant gentleman arrived. Something inside her lit up. He didn’t know how to explain it, but his heart began to beat very fast and he felt his chest tighten. She watched him move, smile, talk to the other children, and she couldn’t take it anymore. When he approached the front and took a closer look, he knew it was him. Maybe she wasn’t 100% sure, but the resemblance was so strong that there was no way to ignore it. It was as if the photo came to life. That’s why he screamed, that’s why he called him “dad” without thinking about it, with that strength that came from who knows where. And that’s why, when he looked back at her, she didn’t look down. He showed her the photo, trembling, afraid, hopeful. It was dirty, wrinkled, but it was still his greatest treasure. She expected him to say yes, it’s me, to hug her and get her out of there. What she didn’t know was that this moment was going to shake her life, not only for her, but also for that man who was barely understanding what was happening.

Everything was progressing as planned. Mr. Eduardo smiled, talked to the children. Some already had their gift in their hands and did not stop moving it, as if it were the best day of their lives. The director, Doña Margarita, adjusted her glasses all the time, happy that everything was going well in front of such an important man. The air was filled with noise, laughter, footsteps, crossed voices. Eduardo could barely hear his assistant, who told him that it was time to deliver the check.

It was just as he turned to the microphone to give the last words, that everything changed. In the midst of the bustle, a high-pitched scream was suddenly heard that broke everything. It was not a cry of fright or pain, it was a word that stuck like a knife in the air.

“Dad!”

Everyone was left in their tracks, literally, as if someone had paused the scene. The children fell silent, the principal turned around confused, the nuns looked at each other not knowing what to do, Eduardo also stood with his hand still on the microphone, the voice came from the background of a girl who was now walking towards him with short steps clutching something to her chest, she did not blink, she looked at him as if she had been waiting for him all his life, everyone present turned to her, but it was he who felt the strongest impact, that word was not common, not in that place, not in that situation, Dad, it is not something that someone says by mistake, Eduardo swallowed hard and for a moment thought it was a confusion, again the girl repeated:
“Dad, is it you?” That second time her voice did not tremble, she said it as if she was convinced, he took a step towards her without thinking about it, he wanted to say something, but his voice went away, then she took out what she had stored and held up a photograph, everyone present stretched their necks to see, but only he knew what he was seeing, it was an old photo, half torn, but his face was there, he in a chair with the same A costume that she remembered wearing years ago at a party, her heart skipped a beat, she didn’t understand anything, What was that girl doing with that photo
, who was she, why did she call him Dad, suddenly the past fell on him like an avalanche, the principal approached him carefully, she asked him in a low voice if he knew the girl, but he didn’t answer, the girl was standing there with her photo held high, waiting A reaction, no one dared to move, even the most restless children sat looking with their eyes wide open, the silence lasted several seconds but it felt like an eternity, Eduardo looked down at the photo and then something on the girl’s face seemed too familiar, he had the same eyes as
someone else, but he couldn’t remember who the air got heavy, his assistant touched his arm As if wanting to help him, but he was still frozen, the only thing he could do was look at that girl and try to understand how it was possible that he had her photo, no one said anything else, everyone expected him to speak first, but he couldn’t, it felt like the floor had been ripped out from under his feet, Eduardo wasn’t moving, he was standing there, as if his body had been turned off inside, the photo was still in front of him. to him the
girl had not gotten off her place, not an inch, she continued with her gaze fixed on him, waiting for something, the murmur of the children reappeared, first soft, then louder, some asked who she was, others just looked at each other without understanding anything, Doña Margarita did not know what to say, her hostess smile was completely erased, Eduardo’s assistant spoke in her ear, she told him that maybe it was a confusion that he didn’t worry but he didn’t hear it, he couldn’t he was seeing that face, that little girl’s face with huge eyes that had him trapped, something inside him told him that he couldn’t

Ignoring her, he felt a strange tingle in his chest, as if memories had been stirred up that he didn’t know he had stored for a second, he thought about denying everything, saying that he didn’t know anything, turning around and continuing with his speech, but something stopped him, the girl’s face became so familiar to him, so full of something that he couldn’t explain as if he had known her before, as if he had already seen her in the Somewhere his hands began to sweat, it was not normal that a man like him, so confident, so used to being
in control, would feel that way, but that moment was not like any other, it was too personal, too direct, there was no way to pretend, Eduardo stared at the photo for several seconds, his face was there, it was him, there was no doubt, but how, why, who had given it to him, why a girl that she didn’t know, she called him dad, with such confidence in her head began to turn questions like whirlwind, what if it was true, what if that girl was his daughter and if he had left someone behind without knowing it, she began to remember faces, moments, places
, as if her memory was suddenly activated, at that instant the girl lowered her hand slowly, but she did not stop looking at him, her eyes were no longer full of emotion Now there was some fear, as if he were regretting having screamed, Eduardo took a small but clear step forward and everyone present noticed it, the director swallowed hard, the assistant stepped back a little, the girl did not move, Eduardo had a lot of things to say, but no words came out of him, he just took another step, he crouched slowly without speaking until he was at her height, they stood face to face Silence
took over the room again, the girl showed him the photo, once again he took it with trembling hands, he couldn’t believe it, it was a copy of a photo that he had kept for years, exactly the same, there he was at a party at his university, smiling, half serious, he didn’t understand how that girl could have that, no one else should have that image, no one turned his stomach, he got up Slowly, without saying anything, he turned to look at his assistant, made a very slight sign with his head, then he looked at the girl again, she looked down for
the first time, people were still waiting for something, but he didn’t say anything, he just took a deep breath, closed his hand with the photo inside and finally understood that something very big was happening and that he could no longer continue to act as if he had not done anything. Eduardo had the photo in his hand, looked at it as if it were the first time he had seen something like this, held it carefully, almost with fear, as if it were something fragile that could be broken just by squeezing it a little around him, people were still silent, although some children were already beginning to move to talk softly among themselves without
understanding what was happening, Doña Margarita was still there, but she no longer dared to interrupt Eduardo didn’t hear anything, not the murmur or the footsteps, he only saw that photo, it was him in a place that he perfectly recognized, a meeting from many years ago at a friend’s house, that photo was not public, he had never uploaded it anywhere, it was not even a photo that he considered important, but there it was in the hands of an unknown girl, he remembered that night, the clothes he was wearing of how tired he was because he had come straight from work, he remembered that someone asked him to pose

next to an old lamp and he simply sat in the nearest chair and let himself take the photo, a friend of his, Laura, had been there that night, he did not see her again, after a few months he remembered her vaguely, there was no drama, there were no painful goodbyes, they just stopped seeing each other, it was erased little by little, as happens with people who you think you are not going to leave Footprint, but now everything made sense, it was that photo and she was the only person with whom he had shared it, the only one Eduardo, felt as if he was short of breath, passed his hand over his face, looked at
the girl again, she was nervous, she was not crying, but you could tell that she did not know what to do, he bent down again and this time he asked her in a low voice: “Who gave you this photo?” Valeria pursed her lips and replied: “My mom told me that it was you, that I should look for you if I ever saw you.
Eduardo was cold, the girl was not lying, she did not seem to be making anything up, there was not a drop of doubt in her voice, he got up again with his head full of questions, his assistant approached him, said something to him, but he was still gone, the principal tried to break the silence saying that perhaps they needed a little space, Eduardo only nodded as if by reflex, he walked a few steps to a corner where he could not see him Everyone looked at the photo again, the light in the image, the angle, even the background, everything matched his memories, there was no way it was a fake copy, it couldn’t be a coincidence, he
took out his phone and searched his old photos, it took a few minutes, but there was the same image, although in better quality, the same one that girl had, only more worn, more wrinkled, it was scrambled her stomach again, her heart was pounding in her throat, what if Laura had been pregnant and I never know, she said it and if that girl was really her daughter, she didn’t want to get excited or draw conclusions, but there was no turning back, that photo was real, that girl had her gaze, and that day that began as a simple act of charity had become something that was going to change her whole life a long time ago. 9 years old
, Eduardo was different, he didn’t have the same beard perfectly trimmed, nor the expensive suits, nor the chaer waiting for him outside every meeting, he was a young guy who was just beginning to make his way in the business world, he lived in a small apartment with borrowed furniture and a coffee maker that sometimes exploded, he worked all day, he slept badly and ate what he could, his dream was big, but it still seemed far away, he was in that time he met Laura he met her at a meeting of former students of the university, one of those where no one
wants to go but you end up going so as not to look bad, she approached without fear with a beer in her hand and a smile of those that you don’t forget, easy they talked all night, they laughed about silly things, they remembered classes, teachers, things from the past, there were no promises or romantic phrases, just Pure chemistry that he feels without thinking, that night they ended up in the same taxi and then in the same armchair and then everything became a habit, they began to see each other more and more, they didn’t even talk about it, it just happened, sometimes she would arrive with a bag of sweet bread, other
times with a pirated movie and they would curl up in the same old blanket, he felt comfortable and that was already a lot. He was simple, he didn’t complain about his lack of money, he didn’t care that he didn’t have a car or that they ate tuna with crackers, he liked to listen to him, he gave him advice, he motivated him to continue, Eduardo told him everything, he told him that one day he would have his own company, that he was going to stop being an employee, that he wanted to give his mother a better life, she only looked at him with eyes that believed in him unconditionally, But as with many stories like that, things went away

Cooling down, he became obsessed with growing, with working more hours, with making contacts, he began to cancel outings, not answering messages, being late, Laura did not complain much, but you could see in her eyes that something was not right, until one day she simply did not return, there was no fight, just a message saying that he needed time for her, that he wished her the best, Eduardo read that and thought for a few minutes, but no He insisted, he had his head on other things, he thought that with time it was going to pass and it did, or at least that’s what he
thought, he never found out about anything else, he never looked for it years later, with more money, with large offices and employees under his command, he did remember her a few times, but it was always a blurred memory, like an echo that goes until that day in the orphanage, until that girl with his photo until that sharp blow in the heart that told him that maybe just maybe there was something that he had left behind without knowing it and that now she was there looking at him with the same eyes of a woman who was no longer there, Eduardo left the orphanage with his head in a mess, got into the truck without
saying anything and stared out the window without really looking at his assistant Daniel noticed that something was wrong but he didn’t dare to say anything, he still knew him well, he knew that when Eduardo remained silent, it was not out of anger, it was because something strong was eating his head inside on the way back to the city, Eduardo took the photo of the sack and saw it again, it was not a coincidence, it could not be that girl, she looked so much like Laura that she was The serious gesture made her skin crawl, when she frowned, the way she tilted her head to listen to even the mole near her right eye was like
seeing a small version of that woman she met years ago, her heart tightened just thinking about it, she remembered the last time she saw Laura, one rainy afternoon where she had brought him coffee and he barely let her in because he had pending calls, she She had told him that she was tired, that she needed to feel seen, and he only replied that this was not a good time, so she left, he never heard from her again, Eduardo never imagined that anything else had remained of that relationship, he never suspected that she could be pregnant and now, without
warning, with everything she had built with the life so different she had, suddenly her past was back, but not in form of memory or nostalgia, but in the form of a girl with a photo in her hand who called him dad, when he arrived at his apartment he dropped down on the couch without even taking off his shoes, he did not turn on the TV, he did not touch the cell phone, he stayed there alone with his head on Laura and on that girl he thought of calling someone, asking for her, looking for data on the internet, but no he knew where to start
, he no longer had contacts from the past, he had cut everything off, when he began to grow up in business, he thought about his mother, about what he would say if he knew that maybe he had a granddaughter hidden, he thought about what Laura would have done, why didn’t he say anything, why keep something like that to himself, and if he had looked for it and he didn’t notice it, maybe he had left signs and he was so involved in it. his things that he didn’t want to see, everything hurt him, the guilt, the doubt, the surprise, the past came over him like a heavy wave and there was no way to avoid it because it wasn’t
just a memory, it was a life, a girl who deserved answers, a story that had gone on without him and that now he was knocking on her door that same night, Eduardo couldn’tShe tossed and turned in bed as if she had ants on her back, she got up to drink water, then coffee, then she sat in front of her computer not knowing what to look for, she opened the browser, she wrote Laura’s full name, then she deleted it, then she wrote it again, this time with her second surname, she got many lauras, some lived in other cities, others had photos with doggy filters, one was even a DJ, but None was her
, Eduardo got frustrated, he felt as if the world was playing with him, how was it possible that he couldn’t find anything, Laura was not a woman who showed herself much on social networks, he already knew that, but she must have kept looking, he put the name next to the word obituary and there his soul went to the ground, a name appeared that matched along with a small note from a local page he said that Laura, 35, had died almost two years ago after a long battle with cancer, there were no photos, only words, he said that he left a daughter, he said that she was a fighting woman
, loved by the neighbors, Eduardo froze, his eyes hurt from reading that note over and over again, his chest tightened as if a stone had been thrown on him, confirming it was as if he had been beaten Straight on the forehead, there it was, it was true, Laura had died and yes she had a daughter, Eduardo got up from his chair, walked around the apartment, felt anger, sadness, helplessness, complained to her in silence, why didn’t you tell me, Laura, why did you keep it to yourself, why did you never look for me, but deep down I knew that the answers were not going to come, not anymore, so he decided not to,

he could sit idly by, he called Daniel early the next day, he told him that he needed to find out everything about that girl, but without anyone noticing, Daniel who already sensed something serious, he didn’t ask much, he just said that he did move quickly, he contacted a friend who worked in an IVD office and began to look for records, it took a couple of days but they finally found him, the girl’s name was Valeria Soto Ramírez was 8 years old and had been admitted to the Alegría de Niños orphanage two years ago, just after the death of her mother Laura Soto
, Eduardo did not need any more tests, his heart told him the entire surname, Ramírez had been given by her, his mother, although he did not know anything, Laura wanted her daughter to carry her blood, her name, that broke her soul because she understood that she had thought of him, that I hadn’t forgotten it, that maybe although she didn’t look for it, she had kept it in mind until the end, Eduardo asked for a copy of the file, read it in its entirety, it was there, everything was there, date of entry, place of birth, medical details, follow-up notes and between the pages a letter
was a handwritten note by Laura, signed in blue ink, addressed to whoever takes care of my daughter, if I am no longer there, Eduardo no she could believe what she had in front of her eyes, Laura’s words were simple, clear, she said that the girl had no other family than the father, she didn’t know anything because she decided it, so she only asked that they take care of her, that they give her love, that one day if the opportunity was given they look for the man in the photo, that’s what she said, the man in the photo is her dad, I didn’t hate him, I just didn’t want to To get in her way, but my daughter deserves everything
, Eduardo burst into tears, he couldn’t help it, it was a dry cry in silence, only with his face covered and his body corbled as if he were a child, because he finally understood everything, the truth was there and now he had to do something with her, Laura’s story began to be painted with colors that no one noticed at first, but that became more intense With time and pain, Laura was a strong and simple woman who worked in a small clinic to pay the rent and have enough to live without asking anyone for
anything, she had a passion for painting, so every picture that hung on the walls of her apartment had life, although most of them were crooked for lack of a decent hammer, when she found out she was pregnant there were no screams of joy but a sparkle in her eyes that said it all, she had not planned to tell Eduardo, she was not yet afraid of what they will say to ruin what was still beginning, but the brightness was short-lived because cancer appeared months later, it was not front-page news, it was that horrendous
word that bursts into nights of long silences and that forces you to stop believing in coincidences, Laura faced it As she could, with a talk with her doctor, whom she asked not to use bombastic words, to speak straight ahead, he told her that she had to attack quickly, that it was not the time to give up and she responded while passing her hand over her head, do what you have to do but don’t take this away from me, this was referring to pregnancy, minutes later she was crying in front of the mirror, but not because of what she was doing. It was not because of what could happen to his daughter,
whom he already loved without having seen her, it was there that he decided that he was not going to find out, not because he did not feel anything for Eduardo, but because he believed that giving him reasons to stay, that he would tie him up with a Secreto was selfish, she thought that the best thing was to hide everything and do it alone, as she did since she was a child, when the town fair was bad and no one was looking for you to play, so that whole part of her story was covered with silence: the visits to the hospital were done alone, the ultrasounds were done alone, she looked at them with him and her best friend Olga told her what she saw,
no one else knew when the chemotherapies began to take away she looked at herself in the mirror and touched her belly, she said: “Hold on, little girl, we’re going to be fine.” Once she dared to send a message to Eduardo to warn him that something was wrong, but she deleted it before sending it, she did it because she didn’t want her world to turn upside down again, she didn’t want him to feel weak or lost, she didn’t want to pass that burden on her, so she was wasting away little by little in the hospital gown, with the pain in her stomach from the chemicals, with the pictures that she no
longer hung up but kept because they were secrets of hers and with the illusion of having a daughter who would one day meet her father and receive love from both sides, that dream was the last thing that kept her standing, what lifted her up when she woke up when she was still tired of the IV tubes, in a letter she had written that she wished she had a good father who would not be missing in her life and that she was not alone as she once was days before she died, she put Eduardo’s photo in an envelope and told the girl that if at any time a similar man appeared, she should look at him and if she felt anything, she should tell

Dad, that was his most valuable inheritance, the final gift was no longer the woman in the paintings, but the mother who had given a whole life in hand to a girl who was now there waiting for him, now the photo was in the hands of the daughter, but the story behind it was that of a woman who wanted to love unconditionally and protect even in sickness, and that love moves in every Valeria’s tears and in Eduardo’s every doubt because Laura left, but she left something that no one else can erase, after reading Laura’s
letter, Eduardo sat in his office with his elbows on the desk, his face covered with his hands and his chest trembling inside, he felt a lot of things scrambled that he didn’t know how to order, he knew that letter was real, that it was not an invention that no one bothered to write something like that just for the sake of it, but he also knew that he couldn’t take the next step without being completely sure, because it wasn’t just a suspicion, it was a life, a girl who deserved clear answers, so he took
a deep breath, took his cell phone and sent a message to Daniel: “get me someone you trust for an urgent DNA test without them finding out at the orphanage, Daniel he answered her immediately with a simple I go on that, the next day Eduardo received a doctor from a private clinic in his office, they showed up quickly, without beating around the bush, he explained that he needed them to take a saliva sample from a minor without raising suspicion, without scaring her and that it should seem like a simple medical check-up, the doctor accepted but warned him that he would have to go with a
Credible excuse, Eduardo was left thinking and then called the director of the orphanage, she told her that he wanted to do a small health campaign for the children, that he was going to send a team to check their eyesight, the pressure, basic things, Mrs. Margarita accepted delightedly, not knowing what was really moving behind, two days later the doctor went to the orphanage with a nurse and they went child by child checking the minimum doing questions measuring height and when it was Valeria’s turn they checked her like the others but asked her to allow them
to take a small saliva sample to see how she was doing with vitamins, the girl did not suspect anything, she did it without problem while all that was happening, Eduardo did not stop thinking: “What if in the end it was not his daughter, what if it had been a chain of errors, what if Laura had used that photo as a symbol not as proof and if he was getting into something without really knowing what it entailed?” Each question attacked him like a hammer blow to the head, but there was something that did not leave him alone: the resemblance, the gestures, the way he looked at it
, that was not false, that could not be invented, a week later the envelope with the results arrived at his house, he did not dare to open it immediately, he left it on the dining room table, looked at it for hours, touched it with his fingertips as if it burned, then he plucked up the courage and opened it, the letters were clear, there was no error, genetic coincidence of ’99.
9% Eduardo felt that the floor was moving, it was his daughter, it was the girl from the orphanage, with Laura’s eyes, with her voice that trembled when she said: “Dad was his, his.” He sat with the envelope in his hand, not knowing whether to scream, cry or run away, suddenly there was no longer any doubt, now came the difficult thing, what to do with that truth because the papers confirmed it, but life was not an archive, it was a path that he was going to have to walk step by step, with fear, with nerves, but also with something that was beginning to grow in his chest and that he did not feel for a long time a rare new love that

he trembled inside and told him that he had to do it right, without mistakes, this time since he knew the truth Eduardo was not the same again, something inside him had moved, as if a sleeping part had suddenly woken up and began to push him inside, he could no longer continue with his routine as before, meetings seemed eternal, business calls sounded empty to him and even his own reflection in In the mirror he felt strange, as if he were looking at himself for the first time, he spent a lot of time thinking about Valeria, he couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like
to live with her, what he liked, what scared him, if she slept hugging a pillow or if he dreamed ugly things, it was hard for him to imagine that such a young girl had gone through so much without him knowing anything and there was the guilt biting his heels every day, that’s why he decided to go to the orphanage more often, no longer as the elegant businessman who arrived with gifts, but as someone who needed answers, even if he could not ask for them directly, he spoke with Doña Margarita and told her that he wanted to offer art, reading workshops and even math classes if
necessary, she gladly opened the doors to him without imagining his real reasons and so he began to spend time with the children, but especially with Valeria At first she was shy, she looked at him curiously, but without getting too close, she was not an easy girl to open up, Eduardo noticed it and did not want to force anything, he just sat close when they drew he asked her simple questions and little by little he began to see her smile more, the first time she showed him a drawing was a small moment, but he felt huge, it was a house with windows, a tree and two people Hand in hand with a girl with braids and a man in
a suit, there were no names, but they were not necessary, Eduardo kept that drawing in his briefcase as if it were a millionaire contract, then came more moments, board games, riddles, until one day when she asked him to read her a story, they sat in a corner of the living room and while he read she was getting closer until she fell asleep with the Head on his arm, Eduardo didn’t move for more than half an hour, he stayed there feeling that slight warmth that a child leaves you when he trusts you, that night he cried in the car, not of
sadness, but of something stranger, of tenderness, of nostalgia, of that which has no name but that squeezes your chest, the connection between them was not all at once, it was not one of those things in a movie that They go by quickly, she was slow, quiet like a seed that comes out of the ground, he talked to her about simple things like what food she liked or if she preferred cats or dogs, and she responded with her head, first with short words and then with laughter, once he told her that he dreamed of having a purple bicycle, another time he told her that he missed his mother every time he saw butterflies and butterflies.
Eduardo just listened to her without interrupting her, as if every word was a jewel that he had to keep in his heart, no one in the orphanage suspected what was happening, everyone believed that he was just a millionaire with a good heart who had become fond of one more girl, but inside he knew that it was not like that, every day that passed Valeria got more into his life without asking permission, without making a noise and he did not I just accepted it, I needed it, because for the first time in a long time I felt that my life had something more than numbers, meetings and expensive watches, it made sense, it had a name and that

His name was Valeria, the routine in the orphanage changed since Eduardo began to go more often, at first everyone saw him as the important gentleman who arrived from time to time with toys or books, someone who spoke nicely, greeted politely and left without making much noise, but as the days went by, he was no longer just the lord of the gifts, now he stayed longer, he helped to serve the food, he carried boxes with materials, he crouched on the floor to put together puzzles with the children and above all he spent a lot of time with Valeria, that
closeness did not go unnoticed, the caregivers began to notice how the girl looked for him more than any other adult, laughed more, ate better and even dared to participate in activities where the director, Doña Margarita, who had known Valeria since she was a child, did not say a word before. arrived and realized that something strange was happening, one afternoon she called one of the social workers and asked her if she had noticed anything strange, the other told her that yes, that the girl was different, but that it seemed for the better,
that perhaps Eduardo had motivated her in some way, Doña Margarita, without wanting to sound meticulous, began to observe more closely, every time Eduardo went, she stayed a little closer, pretending that he was reviewing papers or that he was arranging things, but really what he did was watch how they interacted, what he saw left him with a strange feeling, it was not just affection, it was not just sympathy, there was something else, there were long looks, soft gestures, a connection that was not common one day, without thinking about it so much, he approached Valeria while she was drawing and asked her: “You like Mr. Eduardo very much, right?” Valeria just smiled and
nodded her head, “and do you like it when she comes often?” she insisted, the girl said yes again, but then, without anyone expecting it, she blurted out a phrase that made Doña Margarita’s back freeze, my mom said that he was my dad, she said it quietly, without drama, like someone who tells a secret, without knowing the weight that Doña Margarita has, she didn’t know what to say, she smiled at her. nervously, stroked her hair and went straight to her office, locked the door and sat at her desk without moving, she began to remember that first day when the girl shouted “Dad!” in front of everyone, at
that moment she thought it was a confusion, an illusion of a girl she missed a lot, but now she had that phrase in her head, spinning non-stop, she didn’t know if she should ask Eduardo If she had to talk to the DIFE, if she had to make a report, what she did know was that this was no longer a common visit, it was something more delicate, more profound, that same week another caregiver noticed that Valeria had a backpack stored with a folded jacket, a notebook and a photo of Eduardo, when she asked her why she had it
ready, the girl said: “In case one day he tells me that he has already I can go with him.” The news reached the director quickly and this time she could no longer remain silent, she called the DIF to ask for a routine check, she did not want to accuse anyone, she only said that she needed to make sure that everything was fine, she did not want a scolding to fall on her later for not having done anything, the DIF said that they would go in a few days, Eduardo did not know anything about this, he continued to go as always with his smile kind with his routine questions and with that silent affection that
they were giving him without realizing it, but the atmosphere in the orphanage was no longer the same, the looks followed him more, the half-voiced comments becameSome defended him, others began to suspect him, no one accused him directly, but the air was no longer so light, Doña Margarita, meanwhile, went through Valeria’s files at night, looking for clues, trying to understand if all that made sense, and although she didn’t say anything, she already sensed that the truth was going to come out sooner or later and that when nothing came out in that place it would be the same again, Laura did not take the decision to leave Eduardo out of the

Her daughter’s life overnight was something that was forming inside her with each day that passed, with each medical check-up, with each silence that Eduardo gave her without knowing it, when she found out that she was pregnant, the first thing she thought about was him, how she would tell him, how she would react, she thought of calling him, of going to pick him up at work, of writing him a letter, but every time she was pregnant. If I tried to end up in the trash can, I saw him so involved in his world, so focused on growing up, so obsessed with not wasting time that he was afraid to interrupt his
life with such great news, it wasn’t that I didn’t trust him as a person, it was that he felt that he no longer had a place in his plans, Eduardo was no longer the guy on the weekends watching movies on the couch, now he was the one who answered Emails at 3 a.m. The one who hung up calls saying “Then I’ll call you, I’m busy.
“Laura loved him much more than he could notice and that is why she decided to move away so as not to force him, so as not to carry him with something she was not looking for, but the strong blow came later, when she was given the diagnosis, the doctor with that neutral face of whom she has already said the same thing, many times she spoke to him of a tumor, of treatments, of possibilities, she only thought about the baby, her first reaction was fear, of course, but then something else came, a tremendous instinct to protect that life that was growing inside her, she knew that her body was going to change, that it was going to weaken, that the medicines were not
going to forgive, but she didn’t care, she just wanted the girl to be born, to have the opportunity to live, she didn’t tell anyone but her friend Olga, who became her support, in her family Improvised, Olga was the one who accompanied her to appointments, the one who held her hair when she vomited from chemo, the one who prepared soup for her when she didn’t even have the strength to lift the spoon, Laura kept going, worked as much as she could until her body told her: enough, she sold things, she asked for small loans, she moved to a smaller room, but the girl
never thought about giving up Valeria was born on a quiet afternoon, without complications, as if the world was giving her a break, Laura looked at her for hours, hugged her as if it were her last day and promised her in a low voice that she would always take care of her, even if she didn’t know how, later, when Valeria was just a few months old, Laura wrote several letters, one to Olga, another to whoever would take care of the orphanage if something went wrong, and a last one without an addressee, that it was not for anyone in particular, it was rather a discharge, an outlet, in that letter she spoke of Eduardo, she said that she never blamed him, that she never hated him, that she only wanted to

to avoid a problem that if one day he found out about everything he hoped he would understand his reasons but the letter he kept most carefully was the one he prepared for his daughter in that next to Eduardo’s photo he wrote in his somewhat trembling handwriting if one day you see him look at him well if you feel something in your heart like a warmth tell him that you are his daughter do not be afraid, he is not bad just no she knew you existed, that note she folded it and put it in a plastic envelope and stuck it inside Valeria’s backpack, the one she used when
they took her to the park or to the doctor, no one knew that that backpack hid so much, when cancer no longer let her get up, when her strength ran out at night, Laura only asked that they take good care of her daughter, Olga, she promised to take her to the orphanage where she knew to someone she trusted, and Laura without tears just said thank you, that was her last big decision, to leave her daughter in the hands of people who could protect her in the hope that one day fate would do its thing and put her in front of that man she never stopped loving even if she had left in
silence, Eduardo couldn’t stop thinking about Laura, every corner of his house, every street for wherever she passed she brought back memories that she thought she had forgotten, the café on the corner where they once laughed until their belly hurt, the small park where he once saw her running in the rain because she had forgotten the umbrella, until the apartment where she lived was gone, but in her mind she still remembered the long corridor, the old door that got stuck, the smell of paint and sweet bread, she decided that she had to go back looking for clues, understanding why she had taken him out of her life without a word, she took the car
without telling anyone and went to the area where Laura lived, it was a quiet, simple neighborhood, with cracked concrete streets and small shops on the corners, she asked for her in a grocery store, the lady who attended told her that she remembered her well, that she was quiet, that she always carried the girl in her arms, who sometimes seemed to be that carried the world on top of him, Eduardo listened attentively, the lady did not recognize him, he was just talking like someone who needed to take out what he had stored, he told him that Laura was very kind but that she never
accepted help, that one day he simply did not come back, then he went to the building where she lived, at the entrance there was a man who sold newspapers and when she showed him a photo of Laura, the man became serious He told her that he did, that he knew her, that she was a good neighbor, that she once helped him, when he fell, Eduardo asked if he knew anything about her before she died, the man paused for a long time and then said that the last few months he spent going in and out of the hospital, that he always brought the same backpack with a girl’s blanket and a bottle of water that
once he heard her tell someone that he couldn’t stand it anymore but that he couldn’t leave without knowing that his daughter was going to be okay, Eduardo felt a lump in his throat, it was like putting together a puzzle of moments, pieces of a life that he didn’t see, he walked through the building, went up to the floor where Laura lived, the door was closed and there was already another family there, but when he knocked, a young woman came out that she said yes, that years ago there lived a very brave woman with a little girl who when they moved left a small wooden box behind the
closet, Eduardo did not know why, but asked to see the box, the young woman confused went for her, she was small, with a blue ribbon inside, there were loose papers, drawings of Valeria, a list of medicines and a note that said: “Yes, someday someone finds this should be known that we did the best we could.

“Eduardo left with the box in his hands, got in the car and stood there without starting, staring into space, he couldn’t stop thinking about everything he didn’t know, everything he wasn’t to blame, squeezed him tightly, but also something else, a giant desire to repair, to do something, not to stay in the past, tonight when he got home he opened a folder on his computer and he began to keep everything he had of Valeria, his drawings, the photo, the DNA test, Laura’s letter, and now the box was like starting an album of a life that had begun without him, but that he was determined to continue, because the past could no longer
change it, but the future was still in his hands, Eduardo knew that he could not continue carrying all that alone, every time he saw Valeria was moving something inside him that he didn’t know how to control, it was no longer just emotion, it was a different fear, one that mixed joy with anguish because on the one hand he wanted to hug her and take her away at that very moment and on the other he felt that he was not ready, that he did not know how to be a father to someone who already had a whole history without him for days, he thought about it, he meditated on it in silence while driving while eating without him. He was hungry while looking at the
ceiling of his apartment in the early morning until one afternoon he couldn’t take it anymore and asked Daniel to come to his house after work, Daniel, as always, arrived on time, he was used to last-minute calls, but something in Eduardo’s voice that day made him arrive more serious than usual, when he entered, Eduardo already had two beers open on the table, he didn’t say anything At first he just made a sign for her to sit down, he was silent for a few seconds looking at the ground and then he dropped the bomb bluntly, Valeria is my daughter Daniel was silent, he opened his
eyes as if he had not understood well, what do you mean that your daughter asked with a mixture of confusion and surprise, Eduardo nodded his head, he explained the whole story with Laura, the past that he had buried the photo the DNA test, the letter he found in the box, everything didn’t hide anything, Daniel listened without interrupting, with his arms crossed but without judgment on his face, when Eduardo finished there was a long silence, Daniel stood up, walked a little around the room, then turned around and said something that fell on Eduardo like a blow
, so what are you going to do, it wasn’t a curious question, it was more of a challenge Eduardo stared at the bottle not knowing what to answer, I don’t know, he admitted, I don’t want to scare her, I don’t know if I should tell her now, and I don’t know if she wants to have me close either, Daniel came up again, sat next to her and said something he didn’t expect, you’re not a man who stands still, if you know the truth, then you have to act with fear and everything, but act those words, They shook not because they were tough but because they came from someone who had been with him in everything since he could barely afford his first suit until now

that he had a fortune, Daniel was more than an assistant, he was his friend, his bloodless brother, and hearing him say that without filters made him land, Eduardo remained silent, but inside he had already made a decision, he could not continue to hide behind excuses, he could not wait for someone else to solve what was only his, Valeria was his daughter and although he did not know how he was going to do it, he was clear that he was not he was going to let her go that night for the first time in a long time, he slept a little better because he was no longer alone with his secret, because now he had someone to face it
with, because finally, after so much running in life, he was starting to walk towards something real, when Eduardo received the results of the DNA test, he felt his hands tremble as if he were a child, in his first important exam, the envelope It was locked, perfectly sealed, with his full name written in black letters, he looked at it for hours before opening it, he left it on his desk, then he passed it to the dining room table and then he had it in the seat of the car while he wandered aimlessly around the city, it was not fear of
the answer, it was fear of everything that came next, because if it came out positive, as he already suspected, it meant that his Life was going to change forever and if it came out negative, all that jumble of emotions was going to have to bury it again, finally one night alone and in silence he opened it, the page was simple, without many embellishments, Eduardo read each line of space, stopping at each word as if he had to confirm three times what it said: result 99.
9% genetic match, Eduardo dropped the paper and put his hands to his face, he didn’t know whether to cry, laugh, scream or remain silent, it was his daughter, there was no longer any doubt, it was no longer just a suspicion or a premonition, it was his daughter, he said it in a low voice several times, as if by repeating it he could assimilate it better, it is my daughter, he stayed there for a long time with the sheet in his hand, the heart beating strongly and mind racing like crazy, he thought of Laura, what it would have been like to receive that news at another time, when they were still together
, when there was still time to share it, he imagined himself in the hospital carrying Valeria as a baby, changing diapers, singing songs to her, taking her to the park, but he had already missed all that, the only thing he had now was the present and the future called Daniel In the early morning he told him that he was positive, Daniel only told him: “I already knew.
Eduardo laughed, a tired laugh, like someone who finally stops carrying a huge sack, the next morning he went to the orphanage as if nothing had happened, he greeted everyone, joked with the children, handed out cookies, but inside he was burning with emotion, he looked for Valeria with his eyes, when he saw her he felt a blow in his chest, she ran to hug him as if she had been waiting for him all his life, he returned the She hugged tightly, holding back tears, she didn’t say anything yet, it wasn’t time, she knew that she couldn’t let go of that truth, just like that, in front of everyone, she needed to prepare, look for the right words

make sure she felt it too, but that day, while they were playing at guessing animals and she was painting her face with washable markers, he already knew everything, it was his daughter and that gave her a new reason to breathe, to change, to start over that night back home, he taped the results sheet to the wall right next to his desk, looked at her for several minutes, then he sat down to write something he had never written, a letter for his daughter, he still didn’t know when he would give it to her, but he had to start there, because now more than a businessman
, more than a millionaire, he was a father and that changed everything, the sheet with the DNA result was still stuck on the wall of Eduardo’s study, as if it were a trophy, but also as a reminder that there was no longer any That same night he placed it there, he knew that the moment to release the news was near, he couldn’t keep hiding something like that inside, it didn’t leave him alone, it was like having a scream stuck in his throat that he wanted to come out by force, he thought it through, he wrote a list of pros and cons, he even tried to rehearse what he would say, but in the end he understood that those
things are not planned, they are felt, they are done, and that’s it, so she decided that the best thing to do was to tell Doña Margarita first, it was not just anything, she had to know before everyone else, out of respect, care and because she was the one in charge of Valeria, she went to the orphanage on a Wednesday afternoon with her heart beating in her ears, she carried the papers in a simple folder, without stamps, without marks, she asked to speak in private with her and they entered the office as soon as they sat down, he did not beat around the bush, took out the sheet, put it on the desk and said
: “It’s my daughter.” The director stared at the paper, then looked at him, then went back to the paper, didn’t say anything for several seconds, Eduardo explained everything, told him the story with Laura, how he had gotten to the girl, how the test had been done, how the whole process had been, Margarita listened to him with her eyes wide open, then took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses, said something that Eduardo is not going to do. Forgetting, I never knew, since the girl looked at you the first time, the confession fell like a block of concrete, Eduardo felt uncovered, as if all that time she had known something

And he was just waiting for him, Margarita told him that she had suspected him but that she had no evidence, that she did not want to make her positions meaningless, then she asked him what he was going to do and then came the strongest thing, Eduardo said: “I want to take her with me.
“Just like that, without disguising it, the director was serious, she told him that it was not so easy, that there were procedures, investigations, rules, that the DIF had to intervene, that it was not enough to say that it was the father, Eduardo nodded, said that he understood, that he was not in a hurry, but that he was not going to give up, that he wanted to do everything as it should be, without shortcuts, but with the truth ahead of him, Margarita told him that then he had to speak with the authorities that the best thing to do was to make everything official and so he did, the next day Eduardo went to the DIFE office with the envelope in his hand, asked for an appointment, delivered
the DNA test, told his story from beginning to end and asked for advice to start the legal process of recognition and custody, the social workers looked at him with surprised faces, some as if they did not know if it was a joke it is not every day that a millionaire comes to say that he found his daughter lost in an orphanage, but the story was real and was supported by documents, a few days later the news exploded not because of Eduardo, but because someone in the system leaked the information, a local media published a note that said: “A Mexican businessman discovers that a
A girl in an orphanage is his daughter and from there it went viral in less than two days he was already everywhere, social networks, newspapers, radio programs, everyone was talking about the case, some called him a hero, others said that he surely wanted to clean up his image, there was no shortage of those who doubted the story, but Eduardo did not respond to anyone, he did not give interviews, he did not publish anything, he just went to the orphanage as he always sat with Valeria, as he always played with her, as always, the difference was that now everyone looked at him differently, the bombshell news had already exploded and the whole world
had their eyes on that story that until recently was only his, Laura’s and a girl’s who did not stop smiling when she saw him arrive after the news was made public, Eduardo felt that the world was coming down on him not out of fear of what they will say, because over the years he had already become immune to gossip and criticism, what really had him trembling inside was that there was no turning back, now everyone knew, now Valeria could find out at any time and not as he had planned, not with his words or with
a quiet conversation, but with a scandalous headline that could appear in a screen or in the mouth of another child, that idea was bad that morning, while he was having breakfast alone in his kitchen, he could not even pass the coffee, the only thing he did was look at his cell phone and read the messages that did not stop arriving, well-known journalists, even distant relatives with whom he had not spoken for years, everyone wanted to know, everyone had an opinion, everyone felt entitled, Eduardo turned off the phone, put it in a drawer and he left his house as if the
fire was chasing him, he arrived at the orphanage without warning, with a tense face and hurried steps, Doña Margarita received him at the door, she had already read the news, of course she only told him: “Nothing has happened yet, no one has said anything to Valeria, but you better talk to her soon.
Eduardo nodded but didn’t say anything, he walked straight to the patio where Valeria was playing.Walking with two more children, she saw him and ran to him as if nothing had happened, she hugged him tightly as always, Eduardo bent down and hugged her tighter than ever, his hands were shaking inside, he felt a strange mixture of guilt, fear and love, he thought about telling him everything himself, but he couldn’t, it wasn’t the time, so he just told him that later he would tell him an important secret, the girl told him He looked curiously but didn’t ask any more, he trusted him and that hurt him even more because he knew that soon that look could change

That afternoon was not like the others, Eduardo could hardly play or speak, he stared at her, memorizing her gestures, her laughter, the way she talked to others, it hurt her to think that in a few days she might not see him the same again, that night back at home he locked himself in his study, he did not answer calls, he did not check emails, he just sat in front of his laptop and opened a folder that he had named Valeria, there she had photos, documents, letters, everything she had been saving since she knew the truth, she opened a blank sheet of paper and began to write what she wanted to say
, it was not a speech, it was not an excuse, it was something that came from her heart, she wrote that she had not been in her life before because she did not know that she existed, that if she had known he would have done everything to be with her, that His mother was a brave woman who protected him in a way that he did not deserve, Lari said that he was afraid, that he did not know if he was doing the right thing, but that the only thing he felt clearly was that he loved her, that he loved her, since he heard her say Dad, with that trembling voice, that letter he did not print yet, he saved it on the computer, but he knew
that one day he would give it to him, maybe not that week, maybe not that month, but when she was ready, when the two of them were ready, the next day when he returned to the orphanage, everyone was looking at him with different eyes, some congratulated him, others avoided him, but he no longer hid, he sat next to Valeria in the same corner as always, and for the first time in days he smiled with his soul, because Although the whole world had an opinion, he already knew what he had to do and was willing to face everything so as not to lose, what mattered most to him: it was
Saturday morning and the sky was completely clear, as if even the weather knew that this day was not going to be just any day, Eduardo woke up earlier than usual without alarm, with his head full of ideas and his heart racing he opened the closet, took out the shirt that Valeria once told him she liked because it was the same color as the sky put it on and went down to the kitchen without even looking at his cell phone, he didn’t want distractions, he prepared a simple breakfast but he didn’t eat, he had a knot in his stomach that wouldn’t let him drink, not even drinking water, quietly, it was
the day he had been postponing because he didn’t feel ready, but that’s it he couldn’t wait any longer, he knew he had to talk to Valeria, tell her everything bluntly, without fear, so he grabbed the letter he had written days before, folded it carefully and put it in a white envelope, he also grabbed a small gift that he had had made: a red string bracelet with a small charm that always said something simple together, but that carried everything he felt, he got into the truck and he asked the driver to take him to the orphanage, but before they passed by a bakery, he bought
vanilla shells, Valeria’s favorites and two mango juices, he didn’t want to arrive empty-handed, he wanted the moment to be beautiful, not something that scared, when he entered the orphanage, Margarita received him with a serious but understanding look, there was no need to say much, she knew that this was the day, she told him that Valeria was In the reading room alone, drawing, Eduardo walked there with the bags in his hand, feeling how his palms sweated and his heart pounding in his ears, when he opened the
door Valeria looked up and smiled as always, with that confidence that was already natural to her: “I brought you bread,” he told her intrying not to break her voice, the girl laughed, wiped her hands on her skirt and went to hug him, they sat on the floor with a blanket that she had spread, they began to eat without saying much, but it was not an awkward silence, it was one of those silences that weigh nicely, when they finished, Eduardo took out the box with the bracelet, gave it to him without saying anything, Valeria opened it, saw the charm and his little eyes lit up, is it for me?” asked
Eduardo, nodded, “yes, and I also have something I want to tell you.” That’s when she took a deep breath, took the envelope out of the bag, put it in front of her, and said, “But first, I want you to read this.” Valeria took it carefully, opened the envelope and began to read the first lines, read them quietly, but then she stopped reading aloud, she just moved her lips, Eduardo couldn’t stop looking at her, every gesture, every change in her face was like an earthquake in her chest, when she finished Valeria looked up, she didn’t cry, she didn’t scream, she just asked then
Are you my dad, really, Eduardo came over, took his hand delicately and said, “Yes, daughter, I’m your dad.” Valeria was silent for a few seconds, then she hugged him, not like a girl hugging a visitor, but like someone who finally found her place, she didn’t say anything else, it wasn’t necessary, Eduardo felt that the world was stopping, that everything he had done in his life made sense, just for that moment, outside the sun was still shining, but inside, in that corner of the reading room, two lives were They were uniting forever after that first talk between Eduardo and
Valeria, where the truth came out with all its letters, everything changed between them, but not in a scandalous or fast way, it was like when a stone falls into a lake, waves are made, but the water does not break, the following days in the orphanage were different, with more looks than words, Valeria did not need time to accept it from the beginning, she did it. He felt but now that he knew the truth he began to see him differently, he looked at him as if he wanted to learn his face by heart, as if he didn’t want to forget any detail, he touched his watch, he asked him what he ate as a child, if he also

He was afraid of thunder or if he had ever broken a bone, Eduardo answered everything with patience, happy that he could finally be honest with her, but outside the room where they played, things were not so simple, the DIF team was already aware, Margarita had warned them that the truth had already been revealed, that Eduardo had done well, without pressure, without forcing the moment, however, now it was coming the most difficult thing to make the whole process official, it was not enough for them to say father and daughter to each other, they had to sign papers, open folders, present evidence, answer questions
, Eduardo was summoned to a DIF office for a more formal interview, there he had to tell the whole story again, from how he met Laura to Elico Centor, the day Valeria screamed dad for the first time, the psychologists in the case asked him if he was conscious of the responsibility involved in raising a girl, if she knew how to handle emotional changes, if she was willing to attend adaptation sessions, Eduardo said yes to everything, without thinking about it, he was decided, meanwhile Valeria was also interviewed, but in a gentler way
they asked her how she felt with Eduardo, if she felt comfortable, if she wanted to live with him, the girl did not hesitate, she said yes, she felt happy, that with he laughed more than when he was sad, he knew how to calm her down, he said that he was the first in a long time that he did not see her as just another one, but as someone special, that answer was enough for the social workers to understand that the connection was real, one afternoon in the middle of that process, Margarita gathered the entire team of the orphanage and told them the truth, she told them that the story was true, that the DNA test was legal

that everything was being done carefully, some were surprised, others simply confirmed it with their eyes, as if they had already known about it for a long time, but what was most surprising was when Margarita said that by Eduardo’s decision she had also committed to help the other children, not only was she going to take care of Valeria, but she would also finance scholarships, medical treatments and improvements to the orphanage, she did not do it to show off, she did it because he understood that Valeria did not grow up alone, that it was that place that protected her, the one that kept her safe
when no one else did, a week later Eduardo returned to the orphanage with a paper in his hand, it was the formal request for custody, that day he did not carry it in his elegant briefcase, nor dressed in a suit, it was in jeans, with a simple t-shirt, like any father on a normal day he told Valeria, who had already started everything so that they could be together legally, she just smiled and told him that she already knew, how did he ask, why do you hug me as if I already lived with you, she replied with that naturalness that only children have, Eduardo remained silent, swallowing the
knot that had formed and that was the last sign he needed, because in that hug, in those words, it was no longer necessary no signature, the truth was already said and the hearts of both had already understood it, after the truth came to light and the custody process began, everything around Eduardo and Valeria began to move faster, the visits to the orphanage were no longer as before, now they were full of expectations, looks, comments and a mixture of emotion and tension that enveloped everything, the social workers of the DIF
began to make surprise visits to observe the relationship, talk to Valeria and make sure that everything was genuine, they were not looking for mistakes, but they did want to be clear that this union went beyond a media story, Eduardo understood that and accepted it, although inside he was tired of feeling that he still had to prove something that was already obvious, that he did not expect, it was the reactions from outside, the press continued to insist with interviews, reports Documentaries wanted to make him a hero in the father who got his daughter back as if she had been lost because of him

He rejected every offer, he didn’t want to turn his story into a cover story, for him it wasn’t a show, it was his life, but not everyone thought the same, some businessmen with whom he made deals began to distance themselves, they didn’t tell him directly that it was because of the scandal, but it showed, the meetings were colder, the answers shorter, the agreements slower, Eduardo was not surprised, he knew how that world worked, people who embrace when everything shines but that turns its back when a shadow appears,
even so he did not care, he was clear about what he wanted and what he wanted was to be with Valeria, personally there were also changes, close friends began to call him to tell him that they admired him, that he was brave, that they were moved by the story, but over time those calls became less Eduardo, he did not resent him, he knew that people got excited easily, But he forgot quickly, what did surprise him was his mother’s reaction, she lived in another state, withdrawn from the noise, away from public life, when she told him the truth, she remained silent
for a long time on the phone, then she told him: “If she is your daughter, then do what you have to do, but do it well, son.” And he hung up days later, he sent him a box by parcel with photos of Eduardo when he was a child, toys saved and a note that said: “So that you can tell him who you were before the world changed you.
“That detail made him cry as he had not since Laura died in the orphanage, things also changed, Valeria was no longer just another child, she became an example for others, some envied her, others admired her, she was still the same, but there were days when you could tell that she was tired of the questions, of attention, of not being able to play quietly, Eduardo talked to her every night Sometimes in person, sometimes by video call, I asked him how he felt, what he dreamed if he wanted them to stop visiting her for a couple of days, but she always said no, that she wanted to see him, that she needed him

Nearby, the only thing he asked was one thing: when we live together, can you promise me that you will read me stories every night, Eduardo laughed tenderly, he said yes and that every night his voice would be the last one he heard before going to sleep, while all that was going on, the legal process was advancing, the psychological reports had already been delivered, the interviews had already been carried out, there was already a judge reading the file, there were days to go maybe weeks, but the truth was already said, the decisions made and the consequences began to
take shape, some were difficult, others beautiful, but all, absolutely all were worth it, everything was almost ready, there were a few days left for the judge to sign the papers that would make official, what was already evident, Eduardo would legally be Valeria’s father in the orphanage, the girl was counting the days as if she were waiting for Christmas, she already had her suitcase List with the few toys she had lovingly kept, her backpack with her mother’s photo, the letter of the aura folded several times and the red string bracelet that she did not take off even to sleep, Eduardo had prepared a room in his house especially for her
, he had the walls painted lilac, filled the shelves with children’s books and hung a sign on the headboard that said: “Welcome home.” Everything seemed peaceful, but one Thursday afternoon, just as Margarita was going to close the orphanage office, the doorbell rang, she was not expecting anyone, but she opened it, in front of her there was a young woman with a serious expression and a backpack on her shoulder, she said her name was Monica and that she needed to talk to someone urgently, Margarita made her look a little suspicious, as soon as they sat down the woman blurted out something that fell
As a bombshell I think Valeria is my sister, Margarita was shocked, Monica explained that she had been looking for clues about her maternal family since she turned 18, she had lived in different foster homes, she did not know her mother and only had an old photo that had been given to her by a lady who took care of her as a baby, in that photo appeared a woman identical to Laura hugging two babies, Margarita, still with the doubt on her face she asked to see the photo when she saw it she did not know what to say it was Laura without a doubt and there were two identical babies it was impossible not to notice it Monica said that
she never knew why she was separated from her sister but that by fate when she saw the viral news about Eduardo and the girl in the orphanage she felt an emptiness that did not let her sleep, something inside her told her that she had to go, Margarita, shocked, called Eduardo, immediately asked him to go to the orphanage, urgent, that there was something he couldn’t explain to her on the phone, Eduardo arrived half an hour later without imagining anything, when he saw Monica he thought she was just another journalist, but when he heard her say: “I think I’m Valeria’s sister
” his blood froze, they showed him the photo, Eduardo stared at her for minutes in total silence, then he ran his hand over his face, took a deep breath, and said, “We need to do another DNA test.” In the days that followed, everything was confusion, tests were done, documents were reviewed, lost records were searched and yes it was true, Valeria had a twin sister, they had been separated at birth by a mistake in the hospital, Laura could only stay with one, no one knew how it was possible, but there were
the papers, the truth and two lives crossed by a story that seemed impossible, Valeria did not understand it at first, Eduardo explained calmly he showed her the photo, he told her that he had a sister who had been looking for her without knowing her name, when Valeria met Monica, he didn’t speak, he just looked at her, touched her as if he wanted to prove that she was real and then hugged her, no more was needed, Eduardo, with a scrambled heart, understood that his life was about to change again, because now he not only had one daughter, he had two
And although the road ahead was uncertain, I also knew that for the first time in a long time I was not alone, I had a family and with that the rest would fall into place