WHOEVER MAKES MY SON SPEAK WILL MARRY ME! SAID THE MILLIONAIRE... AND THE EMPLOYEE SURPRISED EVERYONE

During a luxury party, the millionaire issued a challenge. Whoever gets my son to speak will marry me. No one believed it until a simple cleaning worker stroked the boy’s head and the silence of 2 years was broken. Everyone was shocked. Since Clara died, the house of the people of the valley became silent.

Before, you could hear laughter, running steps through the corridors, songs in the kitchen, voices on the phone. But since she is gone, everything feels dull, as if the air weighs heavier, as if time passes slower.

Julián, her husband, the owner of that huge mansion with windows overlooking the garden full of expensive flowers, has never been the same again. Sometimes it looks like a ghost. Sometimes it seems like you’re just breathing because your body still allows it. But his soul went clear. Benjamin, her 6-year-old son, did not speak again, either. Not a word, not a syllable. The day his mom closed her eyes for the last time in the hospital, Benjamin let out a scream so loud that it made even the nurses cry. After that, total silence, as if something had broken inside.

They took him to doctors, psychologists, specialists. They said that he had no physical damage, that everything was emotional, but nothing worked. Benjamin watched, listened, walked, ate, but did not speak. And that broke Julián’s heart every damn day. On the outside, Julián was still the millionaire that many admired or envied.

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They say that his technology company moves millions of dollars a month, that he is one of the most important men in Guadalajara. that he travels by private plane, that he has investments in Miami, that his fortune is assured for generations, but all that did not matter to him. The money did not help him to save Clara and he could not buy a word for his son. Two years passed like this.

Two years of pretending that everything was fine at social events, of greeting with an empty smile, of entering meetings with a knot in the stomach. Every time someone asked her about Benjamin, she felt like a needle was stuck in her chest. I couldn’t help it. His son was the only thing that was clear to him. And seeing how it went out little by little was the worst thing that could happen to him.

The house had service personnel who hardly spoke because they knew that there was no shouting, no music, no jokes. It was an elegant atmosphere, yes, but sad, cold, as if everyone knew that at any moment someone could break. One afternoon, Julián’s assistant reminded him that he had to organize an important party, a meeting with businessmen from Monterrey, Mexico City, San Diego, strong investors who wanted to get into his new line of medical software. Julián hesitated. He didn’t want to deal with people, but he accepted on business,

because he had to stay on his feet, because he couldn’t let the company collapse. It was the only way to feel like he was still in control of something in his life. That party was scheduled for a Saturday night. Exclusive invitations were sent.

A high-level event agency, international chef, open bar, live music, huge floral arrangements were hired. Everything had to go perfectly. Although inside Julián felt torn to pieces, on the outside everything had to shine. And so it was. That night the house was filled with noise again. Luxury cars arrived one after another. The lights at the entrance illuminated as if it were an award.

Men in expensive suits, women in elegant dresses and perfumes that smelled of another world. Soft music hung in the air, wine glasses clinked. There was talk of business, travel, contacts, future contracts. No one spoke of pain, no one spoke of Clara. Benjamin was in the house. Julian didn’t want to leave him alone, so he had him in a corner of the main room, sitting in a special armchair with a nanny nearby.

The boy watched everything with his big, dark eyes, saying nothing. Some guests looked at him out of the corner of their eyes, others pretended they didn’t see him. It was the child who did not speak, the child who used to run around that same house laughing and who now seemed frozen in time. While this was happening in the main room, in the kitchen and in the back hallways, the cleaning crew moved like shadows, invisible people who cleaned trays, collected glasses, emptied ashtrays, mopped without making a sound.

Among them was Elena, 34 years old, dark-haired, thin, with hair tied back with an old garter. He worked for a cleaning company that sent staff to large events. He had touched that house almost by chance. I barely knew the owner’s history, just the basics. He was not interested in the rich. She just wanted to do her shift and go home to her younger sister, whom she had been caring for for years.

Elena did her job without looking up. He cleaned, swept, organized, didn’t talk to anyone, wasn’t there to attract attention. But at one point, while she was picking up some drinks near the area where Benjamin was, something made her turn around. The boy was alone for an instant. The nanny had gone to the bathroom. Elena didn’t think much about it. Maybe it was instinct. Perhaps it was customary to have raised nephews or to take care of other people’s children in other houses.

He approached slowly, said nothing, just passed by him and, without thinking too much, stroked his head carefully, as if it were an automatic gesture. And then something happened. Benjamin raised his face, looked her straight in the eye and in a small, soft voice, which had not been heard for two years, said something that made time stop. Do you want to be my mom? Elena was paralyzed.

I didn’t understand what I had just heard. He thought he had imagined it, but no. He repeated it. Do you want to be my mom? Several people heard it. First a lady who was nearby, then a man who dropped his glass. The music stopped. Julián turned immediately. He walked towards his son unable to believe what he had heard.

Benjamin, what did you say? The boy didn’t look at him, he just kept looking at Elena and smiled. A small, shy smile, but a smile nonetheless. The whole room was silent and in that silence Benjamin was born again. From early on, the house was filled with movement, employees coming and going with boxes, decorators hanging lights, technicians testing microphones, cooks taking out steel trays full of fine ingredients that no one in that house ate on a normal day. Everything had to be perfect.

That was not just any party. It was an important move by Julián to close millionaire deals with powerful people, people who had the habit of measuring the value of a person by the size of their house, the wine they serve and what they wear on their wrist. The main hall was transformed.

The curtains were changed for new ones brought from Italy. The carpets were so soft that it made you want to take off your shoes. The walls were adorned with arrangements of white orchids and warm lights. Everything was planned to look elegant, but without falling into the exaggerated, as if luxury was natural, as if they were not trying to impress anyone, when in reality that was exactly what they wanted to achieve. Impress.

Julián did not get into the details, he just made sure that they did not ask him anything. His assistant, Rodrigo, was the one who coordinated everyone. A fast, young guy, always with his cell phone in his hand. She had worked with Julián for years and although she had respect for him, she also knew that since Clara’s death her boss had less patience than ever.

A misplaced word, a question out of place and you could go straight to the street. In one of the side rooms, Benjamin was sitting in his favorite armchair. He had a tablet in his hands, but he didn’t use it, he just held it. He didn’t look at anyone. He was wearing beige pants, a white shirt and a light blue sweater. It looked like a framed photo.

The nanny was with him checking his cell phone while drinking water. He didn’t stray far, but he didn’t pay attention at all, either. When the first van with guests arrived, the employees stood firm. Nobody wanted to make mistakes. At 7 o’clock women in designer dresses began to come down, men with shiny watches, greetings with tight smiles.

Forced laughter, hugs of commitment, people who spoke loudly, who blurted out brand names as if they were normal words. In 5 minutes the house had been filled with people who did not live in it, but who acted as if they did. The music began to play. Modern Jaz, the one that looks like a movie, that makes everything look fine.

In the kitchen, the waiters were leaving with trays full of canapés that tasted nothing, but that everyone accepted because they were good in the hand. Elena, in her dark gray uniform and her hair tied back, had already been inside for a while. He got the dining area and the corridors on the first floor. He walked in silence, discreetly cleaning up what others inadvertently soiled. He didn’t look anyone in the eye.

I had already worked in many houses like this. She knew how to move without being noticed. Julián went downstairs around 8 o’clock. He was wearing a dark suit without a tie. He was always bothered by ties. His white shirt was impeccable, his hair well combed. He had a straight face. He greeted everyone politely, but without warmth.

Some tried to joke with him, but Julián did not lend himself. They looked for him, surrounded him, congratulated him for his company, for his house, for his success. But no one asked him about Benjamin. Everyone knew, but no one wanted to bother him. Or maybe they didn’t care. He was already used to that.

In the middle of a conversation with three partners from the north of the country, one of them, a bald guy with a forced smile, told him something about his son. Your kid is very serious, Julián. Don’t like parties? Julián looked at him, didn’t say anything at first, then let out a half-smile, the one he used when he didn’t want to talk about something.

He hasn’t spoken since his mother died, he replied like this, bluntly. The silence was uncomfortable. The other man tried to change the subject, but Julián interrupted him as if he suddenly didn’t care about everything. “If any of you can get me to talk again, I’ll marry her,” he said, taking his drink. The three men laughed. as if it were a joke. One even patted him on the shoulder.

Julián didn’t laugh, he continued drinking his wine. He had been serious, although he himself did not know why he said it. Maybe because I was tired, maybe because I didn’t have faith in anything anymore. Or perhaps because deep down he still had a shred of hope. But no one took him seriously, not his friends, not the guests, not even himself.

Lorena arrived later, tall, thin, in a bright red dress and perfume that filled the place. She was one of those women who enter a room and everyone turns around. I had worked with Julián on some projects, but since Clara died his interest beyond the professional was noticeable.

He always sought to be close, to touch his arm when he talked, to ask him about personal things, to bring him coffee without being asked. Julián did not encourage her, but he did not push her away either. Sometimes because I didn’t want to be rude, sometimes because I needed support, even if it wasn’t emotional. That night Lorena arrived determined. You could see it, he looked for Julián as soon as he entered. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek, longer than necessary, and stayed by his side. He laughed loudly.

He talked about things that were not relevant. I asked him about the wine, about the catering, about how adorable Benjamin looked sitting there quietly. Julián smiled at her out of courtesy, but in his head there was no party, only that emptiness that became bigger when everything seemed perfect on the outside. Elena walked past them with a tray of empty glasses. Lorena barely looked at her.

To her she was just another employee, like a chair, like an invisible lamp. But at that crossroads, Julián did notice it. He looked at her for a second, not because she was pretty or because she stood out. He looked at her because she seemed like the only person in the whole house who didn’t pretend anything. He was there doing his job without a mask. At that moment, Benjamin got up from his chair.

He didn’t run, he didn’t scream, he just stood up and started walking towards where Elena was. No one noticed at first. The nanny was talking to another employee. Benjamin walked slowly, as if he knew exactly who he was looking for. Elena stopped when she felt something on her back. She turned around and there was the boy standing in front of her, looking at her with an intensity that gave her shivers.

She didn’t know what to do. She was not supposed to interact with the guests, much less with the family, but something in that child’s eyes made her stay still. And that’s when, without knowing why, seeing her little face so serious, so fragile, she caressed her head. Just that, a caress. As if he were his own nephew, as if he knew him from before.

Then, without warning, without music, without script, Benjamin’s voice filled the room. Do you want to be my mom? At first it was heard only in the corner where they were, but then, as if in slow motion, it expanded. Some listened to him, turned around, then others. In seconds the whole room had fallen silent, the glasses stopped crashing, the music stopped, the eyes were fixed on the child.

Julián also heard him, turned around, put down his glass, walked towards his son without understanding. Benjamin, what did you say? But the boy didn’t look at him. He kept looking at Elena with an expression that no one had ever seen before, as if he had found something he had been looking for all along. Do you want to be my mom? Elena couldn’t move.

I felt a lump in my throat. I didn’t understand anything. She felt like everyone was staring at her, but her mind was blank. The boy’s voice had stuck inside her like a knife. It wasn’t fear, it was something else. Julián came to them, knelt in front of his son, touched his arms, looked at him with eyes full of tears that refused to come out.

Benjamin looked at him for a second, but then he saw Elena again and in that second everything changed. For a moment, no one knew how to react. It was as if the air had stopped, as if the sounds of the party had died out of their own. No one moved a finger. Everyone looked at the same thing. The child who for two years had not said a single word speaking.

Benjamin was still standing, looking at Elena as if he had known her all his life, with that calm so rare in a child of his age and at the same time, with a silent urgency that only those who have lost something very big can understand. Elena froze. He felt everyone’s gaze fixed on the back of his neck. His hands trembled. He held the tray as if his balance depended on it.

She wasn’t sure what she’d just heard, but she didn’t dare to ask, either. He didn’t want to say anything that would break that instant that didn’t seem real. I was afraid to move and that everything would disappear as if it were a dream. Benjamin spoke again. The same phrase, the same soft voice, but clear, very clear. Do you want to be my mom? Elena swallowed, she didn’t know what to answer.

He wanted to bend down, but his knees didn’t respond. He carefully lowered the tray, put it down on a nearby table without taking his eyes off the child. His eyes were beginning to fill with tears, but he didn’t know why. It was not sadness, nor happiness. It was something different, something I had never felt. Julián was already with them. He had approached with quick steps, but without running.

She stood in front of her son, looked him in the eye, took his cheeks carefully. Benjamin, can you repeat that to me? The boy looked at him as if he was barely aware of his presence. Then he looked back at Elena and pointed with a small, steady finger. To her. I want her to be my mom. Julián could not speak, he just hugged him. He pressed it tightly to his chest, as if he was afraid it would disappear.

The tears she had held back for so long finally came out. There were not many, but enough for his face to change, for his mask of a strong and cold man to break in front of everyone. The murmur began to grow among the guests. First some soft whispers, then loose phrases in a low voice but full of amazement. Did you hear that? It’s true that he spoke, Mom said.

That woman is the mother. No, it can’t be. Who is it? They know it. No one really knew what was going on, but everyone was watching it and couldn’t stop looking. Lorena, who until that moment had remained in the spotlight, tried to get closer. He carried his cup in his hand with his fingers clenched. His lips were tightly pursed too, as if it contained something he didn’t want to let go.

His fake smile faded as soon as he saw the scene. He walked a few steps and feigned a worried grimace. Is everything okay?, he asked as if he hadn’t heard anything. Julián ignored her. She only had eyes for her son and for Elena. Elena, still not moving much, finally bent down, got to the boy’s level and looked him straight in the eye. It was the first time I had seen him so closely. She had the same eyes as her mother.

He knew that at that moment without having met her. Eyes that spoke without the need for words. Hello, little one,” he said in a low voice. “What’s your name?” “Benjamin,” he replied. And can you repeat what you told me?” Benjamin nodded. Do you want to be my mom? Elena felt a knot in her chest. He took a deep breath. It was not a yes that meant or a no. It was something else.

Something that could not be explained in words. He stroked her hair with the same tenderness as the first gesture. This time with more intention, more awareness. It wasn’t just instinct, it was affection, real. Benjamin closed his eyes for a second, as if that caress was just what he’d been waiting for all along. Rodrigo, Julián’s assistant, approached quickly with a confused face. Julián, everything is fine.

We need to move the child. No, Julián replied without hesitation. Let. Don’t touch it. Elena looked at Julián again as if asking permission to stay there. He looked back at her, but no longer with that tough man face, but with a mixture of surprise and gratitude that he didn’t know how to handle. “Did you do this?” he asked without shouting.

“I just stroked his head,” Elena said with a broken voice. “And did you know him before? Had you been here?” “No, sir.” First time. Julián looked at his son again, crouched down beside him. Benjamin hugged him as if he barely remembered his dad being there.

Julián squeezed it tightly and there, in the middle of that room full of rich and powerful, a boy and his father were crying silently for something that seemed impossible. The music was still off. No one dared to speak out loud. Some recorded with their cell phones hidden. Others just watched as if they were witnessing something sacred. Lorena, for her part, crossed her arms and turned her face. I couldn’t believe what was happening.

Rodrigo looked at his boss waiting for instructions. Julian just raised his hand as if to say, “It’s all good.” Benjamin let go of the hug and looked at Elena again. Do you want to be my mom? He repeated for the third time. Elena didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t say yes, I couldn’t say no either.

He was a child, a broken child, a child who had spent two years silent and who just at that moment in front of her, had decided to speak again. “I’m not your mom, sweetheart,” he told her slowly. “But thank you for loving me like that.” Benjamin didn’t answer, he just hugged her. A short hug, but strong, one of those that are never forgotten. And then, as if that were all he needed, he sat on the floor smiling, calmly, as if he had just let go of a huge weight he was carrying.

The nanny finally approached scared, tried to take the child, but Julian raised his hand again. Let. The party as such no longer existed. It had become something else. An unexpected moment that no one planned, that no one thought possible. Julián stood up, looked at the guests.

My son just spoke for the first time in two years,” he said without a microphone, without raising his voice. And he did it for her. He pointed to Elena. Everyone looked at her, some with respect, others with distrust, Lorena with hatred. Julian looked at her again. Thank you. Elena just nodded. I didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t ready for what was coming, but by that time something inside her had already changed forever.

Not even 5 minutes had passed since Benjamin had spoken, when the murmur began to spread throughout the house, as if someone had let loose an unmissable gossip. But this wasn’t gossip, it was something no one dared to say out loud. Julián del Valle’s son, the boy who had not spoken since his mother died, had just broken his silence with a phrase that no one at the party could forget.

Do you want to be my mom? That single sentence had messed up the balance of everything that had been planned there. The investments, the glasses of wine, the alliances between businessmen, or the suits of thousands of pesos did not matter. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was that child hugging a cleaning employee, as if he had found a refuge that no one else had been able to give him. And of course, it didn’t take long for people to start giving their opinions.

Did he really speak? Yes, yes, I heard it clearly. Who is that lady? They say it’s from the service. Is it the mother’s family? Of course not. If it were family, we would already know. So what? Now he is going to marry the maid. That last sentence was said by a woman in her 50s wearing a necklace that seemed to outweigh her common sense.

She was standing by the drinks bar and didn’t bother to speak softly. Some laughed, others pretended not to listen, but no one could pretend that nothing was happening anymore. The music that had been paused played softly again. Someone reactivated it from the control panel, as if that could restore the night to its elegant atmosphere. But it was too late. Although soft jazz filled the atmosphere again, the tension had already taken over the whole place.

No one danced, no one laughed, they just pretended to talk by looking sideways at Julián, Elena and especially Benjamin. Lorena, who was still close to Julián, had stiffened, her stomach burned. Her cheeks were red, but not from shame, but from contained fury. She had spent months trying to get closer to Julián.

I had accompanied him at events, in meetings, even in meetings with difficult clients. She brought gifts to Benjamin, though the boy didn’t even look at her. And now a woman who wasn’t even invited, who didn’t even know where in the city she was standing, appeared out of nowhere and got everyone’s attention. Not only that, he took the only thing that Julián really cared about, his son.

Lorena tried to keep her composure. He approached with a forced smile. What an unexpected moment, isn’t it?, he said looking at Julián. I mean, how nice that Benjamin spoke, but you think it was because of her. Julian looked at her expressionlessly. It was not for games or double intentions. Yes, Lorena, it was for her. Nobody

more has achieved it in two years. Nobody. Well, but it’s a coincidence, don’t you think? Maybe he was ready and it just happened when she was around. We can’t know. Certainly. It is no coincidence. he said more seriously than ever. Benjamin was clear, he pointed at her, he hugged her, he spoke to her. Lorena wanted to say something else, but she swallowed the words. At that moment, Rodrigo appeared again, this time with a face full of tension.

Julián, there are several guests who are asking uncomfortable questions. Some want to leave, others, well, there are weird comments about all this. Strange how? Julian asked without turning his head. Well, if it’s a set-up, if it’s a strategy, if it’s a joke and you also know what people are like, if you’re going to hang out with an event worker now, if she’s a gold digger.

Julian closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath. He knew that this was going to happen, that this social circle of his did not forgive anything that went out of the mold, people who applauded when someone made millions, but who criticized when someone went out of the unwritten rules. And now his son had chosen with a single sentence to break all those rules.

“I don’t know her,” she said out loud, more for everyone than just for Rodrigo. But I know he did something that no one else did and that’s enough for now. Elena, meanwhile, was still by Benjamin’s side, but she was already beginning to feel uncomfortable. He had completed his shift, but he couldn’t just leave. Not after what happened. Even so, she noticed how some looked at her with distrust, as if her presence bothered, as if she were invading a place that did not belong to her. A woman with the face of a boss approached and spoke to him in a curt voice. “You are from the

cleaning crew, right?” “Yes, ma’am,” Elena replied respectfully. “Your shift ended half an hour ago. You can withdraw. We will take care of the child.” Benjamin listened to her and squeezed Elena’s hand. I don’t want him to leave,” she said in a low but firm voice. The lady was cold, looked at Julián waiting for him to do something, but Julián didn’t say anything, he just looked at the scene analyzing everything, thinking, seeing how his son, who never said anything, now had such a clear opinion. Elena crouched down next to Benjamin. “I have to go, little one, I just came to work. No

I can stay. Are you going to come back?” That question shook her. I don’t know. Please, Benjamin hugged her again. People murmured again and what was once only surprise, now began to transform into discomfort, into scandal.

A man in a gray suit, an investor known for his cruel way of speaking, spouted his opinion without filters. This already looks like a circus. What’s next? The wedding in the middle of the garden. The laughter that came later was not many, but it was enough for Julián to turn and look at him with that face he used only when he was about to say goodbye to someone.

Do you have a problem with my child? No, no, of course not. I’m just saying that this matter is getting out of control, Julián. There are ways, there are limits. And what are those limits? Should my child remain mute as long as everyone is comfortable? Or that it doesn’t occur to you to talk to someone approved by your members’ club? The room fell silent again.

No one dared to intervene. Elena stood still. Rodrigo looked at her as if asking for patience. Lorena bit the inside of his cheek so as not to explode. Julián looked at his son again. Benjamin was still hugging Elena with his head resting on his shoulder. The businessman ran his hand over his face.

He knew that nothing would be the same anymore, that that night had marked a before and after. And although he didn’t quite understand what role Elena would play in all this, something inside him told him that he couldn’t just let her go. “Mrs. Elena, can you join us tomorrow?” he asked in a clear, blunt, blunt. Elena was surprised. “Tomorrow?” What does he mean? Benjamin is at ease with you. I want him to come. Not as an employee, as a guest. It is accepted.

The murmurs shot up again. Guest. But who thinks this is not right? he’s crazy. Elena didn’t know what to say, she just nodded very slowly, very doubtfully. And there, while everyone continued to speak softly, while the glasses continued to fill with trembling hands, one thing became very clear. The party was no longer a party, it was a scandal with a name and surname. And it had just begun.

The sound of heels and glasses was no longer heard. It was as if after what had happened the house had been enveloped in a kind of tense calm. Not that pretty calm that gives peace, but one that seems to be full of unsaid things. Most of the guests left early. Some did so in silence, others with comments in low voices, but they all left with the same feeling.

That night was not like the others. Rodrigo was the last to close the door. As soon as he did so, he rested his forehead on the wood as if he had finished a marathon. He was exhausted. He looked at Julián, who was still standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on his son, who was now sleeping in an armchair, hugging a cushion that smelled of the band. Julian said nothing, but his eyes were full of questions.

What do we do with this?, Rodrigo asked without wanting to sound loud. Nothing. Nothing for now, Julián replied without moving and the woman is coming tomorrow. Rodrigo hesitated whether to continue talking. He scratched the back of his neck, looked down at the floor, and finally decided not to speak his mind. he just nodded and left. The next day, the house woke up quieter than ever, but not in that cold silence that had already become customary, but in a different one, like when you know that something is about to happen and everyone is waiting for that moment without wanting to admit it. Benjamin woke up early, didn’t say anything, just got up, changed his

pajamas for a t-shirt with dinosaurs and sat at the breakfast table. The babysitter was so nervous that she dropped the juice twice. Julián entered the kitchen and froze when he saw him there, sitting as if it were any other day. He approached slowly, as if afraid of breaking the moment.

Are you hungry? Benjamin nodded. He did not speak, but he did not avoid eye contact either. That was already a lot. What do you want for breakfast? Hotcakes said softly. That single word was enough for Julián to put his hand to his chest. He didn’t know if it was the heart that was coming out or the relief that ran through his whole body. He looked at him in silence.

He didn’t say anything else, he just turned around, went to the kitchen and started preparing them himself. He wasn’t a chef, but he knew how they were made. Clara made them every Sunday and now he would do it too. Benjamin ate slowly, calmly. He didn’t say much, but he was no longer the mute child. From time to time he would drop single words, more honey, that little no juice. Nothing far-fetched, nothing long. But there it was.

Returning. After noon, the doorbell rang. It was Elena. She was dressed in a simple blouse, jeans and loose hair. She looked nervous. I didn’t know if it was a good idea to be there. She accepted because Benjamin asked her to, because she felt she couldn’t just disappear after what happened, but inside she was full of doubts.

I knew I didn’t belong in that world and still, there I was. Rodrigo received her, who did not hide his surprise at seeing her so different, without a uniform, without a tray, without being passing through. He invited her in with a courtesy that sounded more like commitment than kindness. Julián immediately got out when he heard her voice. Thank you for coming,” he said. “Serious, sincere.

I’m not quite sure what I’m doing here,” Elena replied. Neither did I, “but Benjamin did.” At that moment, the boy appeared coming down the stairs. She didn’t run, she didn’t scream, she just went down step by step until she was in front of her. He looked at her, smiled at her and raised his arms as if waiting for a hug. And Elena, without thinking, hugged him. Hello, little one.

“Hello,” he said in a firmer voice than the day before. Julian looked at them without saying a word. I felt something in my stomach that I didn’t know if it was nerve, excitement or fear. But what she did know was that it had been a long, long time since she had seen her son like this. The rest of the day was strange, but beautiful. Benjamin showed his toys to Elena.

He showed her a photo album where he went out with his mother. He didn’t say much, but he talked. Simple, sincere things. And every word that came out of his mouth was like an electric shock for Julián, who every now and then had to move away a little to breathe. And why do you think he spoke to you?, he asked Elena when they were alone in the kitchen.

I don’t know. I didn’t do anything special. You made him talk. I just stroked his head. And why? I do not know. It was instinct. He looked so lonely. Julián nodded. He did not want to pressure her. The only thing that was clear to me was that for some reason that woman had touched something in her son that no one else had achieved and that could not be ignored.

When evening fell, Julián asked Elena to stay for dinner. She hesitated, but accepted. The three of them ate together. Nothing fancy. Pasta with sauce, salad, lemon water. But that table that had been empty for years, was filled with something that had not been felt in that house for a long time. Life. Benjamin was encouraged to tell a short, invented story about a dragon and a castle.

Elena listened to him attentively, Julián too. And when the boy finished, with a proud smile, there was no applause or exaggeration, only silence and shining eyes. After dinner, Elena prepared to leave. Thank you for letting me be here. Thanks to you, Julián said. Really, I don’t know if I should go back. Benjamin is going to ask for it.

And you want me to come back? The question hung in the air for a few seconds. Yes. Elena nodded. He said nothing more. He walked out the door with a strange feeling. It was not discomfort, nor emotion. It was something in between, a dangerous mix of hope and fear. In Benjamin’s room, before falling asleep, Julian sat on the edge of the bed, looked at him, stroked his hair just as Clara did.

Are you happy? Yes, the boy replied. Why? Because she came. Julian closed his eyes and at that moment he understood something he hadn’t wanted to accept since the night before. Not only had Elena brought back her son’s voice, she had also awakened something in him that he thought was dead, something that had no name yet, but was beginning to feel dangerous.

Monday dawned with the house of those from the valley more alive than normal. From early in the morning, footsteps could be heard in the corridors, phones ringing, conversations in low voices. Julián had an important meeting with executives from San Diego, who came to close a proposal and although he tried to focus on work, his head was elsewhere.

I kept thinking about what had happened over the weekend, about the way Benjamin talked more with each passing day and, above all, about Elena. After Sunday dinner, Benjamin fell asleep without needing to be convinced, without complaining, without turning off the light in fear. She just lay down, gave her dad a kiss, and closed her eyes as if everything in her world was in order. And since then, something inside Julián did not leave him alone.

There was something about that woman, something that could not be explained with logic, or with reasons, or with psychological studies. It was something simple, almost invisible, but it made a brutal difference. Elena didn’t talk too much, she didn’t ask for anything, she didn’t try to approach with interest and yet she was there inside her mind, tucked into every corner of her thoughts. But while in that house there was a new air, on another side of the city someone was boiling inside.

Lorena hadn’t slept well since the party. The humiliation she felt was greater than she was willing to admit. He had invested time, presence and even patience in being close to Julián. He never pressured him directly, but everyone knew that his interest was clear. And it wasn’t just for him, it was for everything it meant to be with a man like Julián del Valle, power, respect, status.

And suddenly everything was slipping out of his hands because of a woman with no last name, no jewelry, no connections, someone who came cleaning floors and ended up at the dining room table. That could not be. Not in their world. Lorena had a group of friends with whom she had breakfast every Tuesday in an expensive restaurant in the most exclusive area.

That morning he arrived with dark glasses, his double coffee in hand and a face of few friends. Oh, mana, still with a long face from the party. Mariana, one of the most foreheaded, blurted out. I’m not in the mood. Yes, you should be because you are the talk of half of Guadalajara. Everyone is talking about the scandal. That if Julián fell in love with the employee, that if the child already has a new mother, that if they left you standing like a stick.

Lorena gritted her teeth, took a deep breath. That was just a show. The boy had a strange reaction. That’s all. Weird, mana. He spoke for the first time in two years. and with her. And that doesn’t mean she’s special. It may be a coincidence. Let’s see, do you know where that woman came from? Who is it? What background does it have? The others looked at each other. Nobody knew anything. That’s exactly what I say.

Those people appear out of nowhere and get in where they shouldn’t. Julián is vulnerable. They are manipulating it. Someone has to open his eyes before he does something stupid. And that someone is going to be you, obviously. After breakfast, Lorena made up her mind. He went straight to his office, locked himself in and began to look for information.

He called an acquaintance at the cleaning company who worked at the party. He took Elena’s full name, her address and some personal information. Then he called an old contact. A private investigator who had helped her with a jealous ex-boyfriend years ago. asked him for a detailed report. I want to know everything.

Where he comes from, who he lives with, what he has done, what he hides. He told him everything on the phone. And why so urgent, because he’s messing with the wrong person. Meanwhile, at Julián’s house, Benjamin asked his father for something he hadn’t done since before his mother’s illness, to go out to the park. Just like that, Julián was so surprised that he didn’t know what to answer at first.

Do you want to go to the park? Yes. And let her come. Who? Mrs. Elena. Yes, I like it when it’s there. Julián did not know how to refuse that. He called her. Elena answered in a nervous voice, thinking it was for something formal. Hello, Elena. I’m Julián. Oh, hello. It’s all right? Yes, very well. It’s just that Benjamin wants to go to the park and he wants you to go too. There was silence on the other side. I want that? Yes.

He just asked me. But only if you’re willing. Sure, I don’t want to pressure you. No, it’s okay. I can. I’ll give you the location. See you there in an hour. The park was one of those with large games, old trees, and iron benches that creaked when someone sat down. It was not a place for the rich, but it was not dangerous either.

It was the kind of place where ordinary families spent their weekends with cakes in aluminum foil and orange juice in recycled bottles. Elena arrived on time. He was wearing a thin sweater and worn jeans. Benjamin ran to her as soon as he saw her. Julián stayed behind watching the scene as if he were just another spectator.

They played on the swings, on the slide, even on the handrails. Elena didn’t pretend to be interesting, she was just present, she laughed with Benjamin, she listened to him, she encouraged him. Julián sat on a bench watching his son laugh out loud for the first time in years and something inside him broke.

He didn’t know what it was exactly, but it felt like glass breaking inside. Because seeing his son so happy with someone who was not clear, with a woman he barely knew, made him feel many things at the same time. Relief, jealousy, hope, fear, all together. Elena sat next to him when Benjamin went to play with other children.

“Thank you for coming,” Julián told him. “Thank you for having me. I never thought I would go back to a park like this. Do you have children?” No, but I raised my nephews and now I take care of my younger sister. My parents died years ago. I didn’t know. There is not much to know. We are ordinary people who don’t appear in magazines and yet you achieved what no one else could. Elena didn’t know what to answer. He did not like flattery.

They made him uncomfortable and even more so if they came from someone like him. I don’t know if it was luck, Julián. Maybe he just needed a caress. Sometimes that is enough. Benjamin came running back with dirt in his pants and a huge smile. Can we buy ice cream? Julián looked at Elena. She nodded. Of course. Let’s go. They bought three sitting on the sidewalk in the park like any other family.

He didn’t look like a millionaire with his son or a woman invited out of pity. They seemed like three people who were giving themselves a second chance to live, to laugh, to feel again. And in some dark corner of the city, Lorena already had in her hands the first file of Elena’s report. She smiled when she saw a piece of information that, according to her, changed everything. “I’ve already found you,” he said quietly.

And there, under the skin of privileges and appearances, things began to move that were about to explode. That night Elena arrived home more tired than usual. It wasn’t just the body, it was the head, the heart, everything. He closed the door carefully, left the keys hanging on the usual hook and took off his shoes as if they weighed tons.

She stood like that for a while, staring into nothingness. The television was on, but the volume was low. On the couch, half asleep, was Lety, her younger sister. How did it go?, he asked without opening his eyes wide. Well, did you go with the child again? Yes. So what? Do you talk all the time or was it pure luck about the party? Elena sat down next to him and stroked his hair. Lety was 17, but she looked even younger when she snuggled up on the couch with her favorite blanket.

It wasn’t luck, Let. That child has something broken inside, but he also has a strong heart. It reminds me of you when you were little. And the dad, what’s up with him? I do not know. He’s good people, I think, but he lives in another world.

Everything is perfect around him, but you can tell that he is empty inside, as if he does not know what to do with what he feels. Let sat up a little. And you, what do you feel? It took Elena a few seconds to answer. I don’t know, it’s weird. It’s like being involved in a story that doesn’t belong to me, but at the same time I don’t want to run away. Well, just take care of yourself.

There are people who use others as handkerchiefs and when the tears dry they throw them away. Elena didn’t respond, she just kissed him on the forehead. Sleep, tomorrow I have to get up early. He went to his room, closed the door, and for the first time in a long time thought about something he had kept for years. his past, the things that no one knew, the things he never mentioned in job interviews or casual chats, the things he hid because he knew that people don’t forgive or forget.

Elena had grown up in a complicated neighborhood of Zapopan. His father worked as a bricklayer and his mother in an inexpensive kitchen. They had little, but there was never a lack of food or love. Until one day everything changed. His older brother, Samuel, began to hang out with people who did not suit him. He was 19 years old when he was arrested for robbery.

They say it was an assault on a store with violence. They put him in prison for 3 years. It was a very hard blow for the family. The father was never the same again. He died months later of a heart attack. The mother endured what she could, but the stress made her sick. And Elena, who was 22 at the time, dropped out of college to care for her sister and ailing mother.

he became the head of the house in which he solved everything, in which he kept quiet so that others would not suffer. Eventually, Samuel was released, but his relationship with Elena was never the same. She didn’t blame him completely, but she couldn’t trust him either. I knew I had stolen, but I also knew I wasn’t a monster, just a desperate guy, without opportunities, without direction. He went to work in Tijuana and cut off almost all contact.

He didn’t get into trouble again, at least that she knew. What hurt Elena the most was the judgment, not of the judges or the police, but of the neighbors, of acquaintances, of people who see you differently just because you have a surname related to something dirty. Many times they closed the door in her face when looking for a job.

Many times they looked down at him when they knew where he came from. That’s why, when he got that job at the cleaning company, he didn’t say anything about his past. He did not lie, but he did not offer it either. She simply dedicated herself to doing her job well, punctual, clean, quiet, without messing with anyone. And now, without having sought it, without having done anything more than a caress on a child’s head, she was wrapped up in something that had the potential to change her life, for better or worse.

The next day, Julián called her again. It was Wednesday morning. She had just come off her shift at another event with sore feet and a crushed back. Elena, good day. Do you have a few minutes? Yes, all good. Benjamin asked for you. I wanted you to come and dine with us tonight. To dinner.

Yes, just a quiet dinner, nothing formal. Mm. Are you sure? I’ve never been so sure about anything lately. Elena didn’t know if that was good or dangerous, but she agreed. That night he showed up at the house with a bag of sweet bread that he bought at a bakery on the way. Rodrigo received it with the same face as always, professional, but tense.

I no longer saw her as an employee, but I didn’t know how to treat her either. Julián got off as soon as he was told that he had arrived. It’s good that you came. I brought this. “It’s not a big deal,” he said, showing him the bag. It’s perfect. Benjamin loves chocolate bread. Benjamin appeared running. He hugged her. Elena felt something that she was already beginning to recognize. Natural, effortless connection. Dinner was quiet. Soup, rice and chicken.

No international chefs or complicated menus. The three of them ate in the kitchen, not in the elegant dining room. Reron, they talked and at times they felt like a normal family. Later, while Benjamin was drawing in the living room, Julián poured himself a coffee and sat with Elena on the terrace.

Can I ask you a personal question? It depends on which one. You have a partner. Elena laughed softly. No, it hasn’t been years ago. Why? Because life didn’t leave me space. Because taking care of others took time away from me. And because, to be honest, I learned not to trust so easily. Julián looked at her with respect. You have had a difficult life like millions of people. I’m not complaining. I just learned to endure. There was a long silence.

Julián observed her not as an interested man, but as someone who begins to see beyond the obvious. I don’t know how to thank you for what you did for Benjamin. I did nothing more than be at the right time. He is the one who is healing alone. I was just a push. You were more than that. Well, then thank you for letting me be close.

And there, without wanting to, without looking for it, without planning it, the two looked at each other with an intensity that lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to leave something floating in the air. A promise without words, a question without asking, a story that was just beginning. Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Lorena was looking at Elena’s complete report.

He had everything in his hands, Samuel’s story, the background, the addresses, the dates and on his face a crooked smile began to grow. “Perfect,” he said quietly. “Now let’s see what this little woman is made of.” The relationship between Elena and Benjamin was growing as fast as anyone expected.

They didn’t talk all day or make big plans, but every time they were together the atmosphere changed. Benjamin began to drop complete sentences. She no longer only asked for things, now she told small memories, things she lived with her mother, things she felt. Julián couldn’t believe it. It was as if her son’s soul had been hidden and suddenly, little by little, it began to come to the surface.

My mom would take me around the side after the dentist, she told Elena one afternoon as they colored in the room. And you behaved well with the dentist?, she asked him smiling. I didn’t cry, but she told me that if I cried softly, there would still be ice cream. Julián listened to these things from the door without interrupting.

His eyes filled unintentionally. I knew there were moments I couldn’t get back. But watching Benjamin talk about his mother without breaking, without his eyes going out, was like seeing a wound that was finally beginning to heal. Deep down, Julián did not know what he was feeling for Elena. I couldn’t name it yet.

She only knew that it was becoming harder and harder for her to let go when she said goodbye. He was looking for excuses for him to stay longer and his eyes would go out when he spoke, when he laughed, when he concentrated on small things like making a drink or helping Benjamin with a drawing. But not everyone saw him with tenderness.

Lorena continued to watch from afar with a rage that was no longer concealed. I had Elena’s full report stored in a black folder with her name handwritten. He had read it so many times that he already knew it by heart. He knew the brother’s name, the years in prison, the rumors in the neighborhood, the old addresses, and although none of that directly connected Elena to a crime, he knew he could use it. I just had to find the right way to let go.

Without getting dirty, without getting your hands directly dirty. That Friday night, Lorena went to a dinner with a group of businessmen and businesswomen from the same social circle as Julián, influential, wealthy people with power in the city. And as always, she knew how to move in that environment like a fish in water.

Dressed in black, elegant, with a glass of wine in her hand and a smile ready for each person who approached her. As soon as someone mentioned Julian, she raised her eyebrow in feigned surprise. They have already found out what is happening in their house. Once again. What did he do now? Well, it seems that his son is already talking, he said as if in passing.

But don’t think it’s thanks to an expensive treatment or a European specialist. It was thanks to a woman who works as a cleaner. Those present looked at her interested. Gossip was pure gold. A worker. Yes, a very simple lady. Apparently she became fond of the boy and he called her mom.

Since then she comes and goes as if she were part of the family. Oh, how strange all that, isn’t it? Very strange, especially because no one really knows who he is. I only know that her name is Elena. But notice that I started to investigate. Lorena paused for a long time, leaving the comment floating in the air and her brother was imprisoned for several years for theft.

There are antecedents, dark things. Silence set in immediately. A woman lowered her glass. Another looked at his wife. The bomb was already planted. Sure, one shouldn’t judge for the family, but you would let someone like that be so close to your child. I don’t, but everyone. The conversation turned to another topic, but the seed was already planted and Lorena leaned back on the back of the chair, satisfied. He knew how that world worked.

It was enough to drop something in the right place, in front of the right people, and the consequences came by themselves. On Monday morning, Julián arrived at his office and was greeted by one of the assistants with a face of discomfort. Julián, I wanted to tell you something. What happened? Last night I received several strange messages.

from well-known customers to one from the press asking for the lady who now lives in your house. What? Who? Elena. Julian felt his jaw harden. What did they say? Things without proof. That her brother is a delinquent, that she comes from a dangerous environment, that perhaps she is close out of interest, but they do not say it directly, they only insinuate. Who said it? No one gives names. But you know what this circle looks like. It spreads like wildfire.

Julián gritted his teeth. I knew perfectly well where that came from. It was not difficult to imagine. That same day he asked Rodrigo to confirm everything that was being said. Rodrigo, although he did not agree with the gossip, obeyed, searched, asked and confirmed that the information had come from a dinner party that Lorena attended.

They did not mention her as a direct author, but everyone knew that she had been the one who broke the news. Julián locked himself in his office, read the report that Rodrigo got. Yes, Elena’s brother had been in prison, but she had not. Elena had nothing to hide. There was not a single charge, not a single complaint. All she had done was work, raise her sister, and get ahead. That was all.

But he still understood the danger. His world was unforgiving of those things. I knew it. I had seen him a thousand times. People canceled for much less serious things. That afternoon, when she got home, she found Benjamin in the garden with Elena. They played with water balloons, got wet, laughed. He stayed for a few minutes watching them from the terrace without interrupting. Elena didn’t see it. Benjamin does. Dad, we’re playing.

I saw, he replied smiling. Want to play? Julián shook his head. Then, give me 5 minutes. He went up to his office, sat in the reading chair, took out his cell phone, I doubt. Then he sent a message. We can talk when you have a moment there’s something I need to tell you.

Elena read the message an hour later, already dry and with her clothes changed. She went up to see him without fear, but with some concern in her eyes. All right, yes, or almost, Elena. I want you to know that I really appreciate what you’re doing for Benjamin and me, but I think there’s something you should know. She looked at him silently.

There are people saying things about you. What things? About your brother, your past. Where do you come from? Nothing new to you, I guess. But they’re using that to attack you, to make me doubt. Elena lowered her gaze. She didn’t look surprised, just tired. I knew this would happen. It never lasts long. People like me don’t fit in houses like this. Don’t say that. I don’t care where you come from. I care about who you are now.

And do you think that matters to your circle, to your investors, to your rich friends? No, but it doesn’t matter to me and I’m the one who makes the decisions here. And if this costs you something big, I’ve already lost it all once. I’m not afraid of losing again.

What does scare me is to remain silent watching someone good being destroyed by people who know nothing. Elena was silent for a moment. I don’t know if I can stay, Julián. I want you to think about it. Just that. But don’t run away. Not again. She nodded, said no more. He left the office with a heavy heart.

And that night, while Benjamin slept with a smile on his face, Julian stared out the window, feeling for the first time in a long time that he was about to have to fight for something worthwhile, although he did not yet know that the hardest blows had not yet come. It was Sunday morning and the sky was completely clear.

Julian had gotten up earlier than usual, not because he had work or pending, but because he couldn’t sleep. He had spent the whole night thinking about the same thing. He had to protect Elena from criticism or keep her away from being destroyed. And the worst thing was that I didn’t have the answer. Benjamin, on the other hand, continued to sleep like an angel.

Since he spoke again, he rested better. He didn’t have nightmares, he didn’t wake up crying, sometimes he even talked in his sleep, but no longer with fear. Now he said things like, “Let’s play or that’s my place, happy kid stuff.” Elena had decided not to go that day, not for lack of desire, but because of the need to put distance.

He had felt too many dangerous things coming and needed air. He wrote Julián a short message. “Today I’m staying at home.” Tell Benjamin that I love him very much. Julián read it without getting upset. He understood her and still felt alone. Benjamin woke up mid-morning and went downstairs for breakfast. Since it was Sunday, Julián made her pancakes. He was almost running out of cooking tricks, but Benjamin was eating with gusto.

Whatever it was, if they both shared it. After breakfast, the boy went straight to the room where his mother used to store things. It wasn’t a closed room, but no one went in there often. It was full of boxes, books, clothes that Clara never wanted to throw away, and some memories that hurt just to see. Where are you, son?, Julian shouted from the kitchen. I’m seeing mommy stuff, Benjamin replied from inside.

Julián left the cloth he used to dry his hands and walked there. He stopped at the door when he saw the boy sitting on the floor, surrounded by boxes. I had one of those open photos of those old ones with white edges and muted tones. Julian felt a small knot in his chest. He didn’t like opening those boxes, it hurt.

And yet he stared. Benjamin took out one by one and looked at them as if they were pictures from another planet. There were photos of Clara as a young woman, photos of her wedding, photos of her pregnant and also of Benjamin as a baby. Julian bent down to sit with him. Do you remember all this? a little bit. Who took these? Your mom. She loved to take pictures. He always said that time went fast and you had to catch it on paper. Benjamin did not answer.

He took another photo. It was one where he, his mother and a man that Julián did not recognize instantly. Benjamin stared at her. Who is this? Julián came closer. It was a photo taken in a park. Clara had Benjamin in her arms and the man was next to them with his hand on Clara’s shoulder.

It seemed like a quiet afternoon, one of those, without pose, without makeup. I don’t know, let me see well. Julián took her in his hand, frowned. It was no one he remembered. At that moment, his mind searched among friends, cousins, acquaintances, but no, it was no one close. And then he realized something.

Clara had the same clothes as in a photo that was framed in the bedroom, one where she was alone with Benjamin, without that man. How strange, he murmured. Who will it be?” the boy insisted. I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. That afternoon Julián took out an envelope with more photos of Clara that he kept in his office. Some had dates written on the back, others did not. He checked each one carefully.

And there was another, similar to the one in the park, clear with Benjamin and that same man, only this time his face was clearer. He had short hair, a thin mustache, and a plaid shirt. Julián couldn’t shake the feeling of having seen him somewhere. He wasn’t a relative of his, that was for sure. And if he were someone so close to Clara, he would have known him. Clara had no secrets, or at least that’s what she had believed.

It was then that he made a decision. He called the only person who could know who that man was. Elena. Well, she replied in a soft voice. Excuse me for bothering you, Elena. Are you busy? No, tell me. We found a photo. Benjamin took it out of one of Clara’s boxes. He comes out, his mother and a man I don’t recognize. A man. Yes.

Can I send you the photo? Maybe you know him. Of course. Julián took a photo of the paper and sent it to her by message. A few seconds passed, then another one, until his cell phone rang. Elena was calling. Did you recognize him?, he asked as soon as he answered. Yes, she replied in a different, more subdued voice. Who is my brother-in-law? Julián remained silent.

How? Well, it was my brother-in-law. He was married to a cousin of mine many years ago. His name is Raúl. I didn’t know I knew Clara. Are you sure? 100%. I saw him for years at family gatherings until he disappeared. They had an ugly separation. He was troublesome. Julián felt that something was accommodating and at the same time it was disarranging inside him.

Problematic as he was, one of those who are always involved in shady things, not necessarily illegal, but obscure. I never dealt with him much, but my cousin broke it because she found messages with other women and because he once pushed her in the middle of a meeting. Violent, yes, but disguised. He talks to you nicely, he convinces you and suddenly you realize that you are involved in something ugly. And didn’t you know that I knew Clara? Never.

Julián looked at the photo again. Clara’s face didn’t show fear, but it did show something strange, like discomfort, as if she didn’t want to be there, but didn’t dare to say it. Benjamin, on the other hand, had a normal expression. He was playing with something out of frame.

Can I ask you a question, Elena? Tell me, do you think that man had anything with Clara?” Elena didn’t immediately reply, “I don’t know, but if Clara was like Benjamin, like the image you’ve given me of her, I don’t think she got involved with someone like that, unless she’s been confused or weak, sometimes when a woman is alone, those guys come along who take advantage.

And what happened to him afterwards?” “Nothing, he disappeared. He left the state. We never heard from him again. Do you think he’ll come back?” “I don’t know, but if the photo was in Clara’s things it’s because something happened. Maybe she looked for it, maybe not, but she didn’t burn it and that says something. Julián hung up the phone with his heart racing. He didn’t understand why that photo aroused such strong distrust in him.

It was just an image, a moment, but something didn’t fit. That night, after putting Benjamin to bed, Julián reviewed the photo again, scanned it, enlarged it and noticed something he hadn’t seen before. In the lower corner, almost hidden, there was a keychain hanging from Clara’s backpack, a keychain with the initials RA, they were not his.

And that, for the first time since Clara died, made her think that perhaps she did not know her whole story and that that forgotten story was about to return. Lorena always knew how to move. She knew what to say, when to say it, how to stand, how to look. She had that security that cannot be bought. But behind all that, what she mastered most was the art of looking good without being one.

He never yelled, he didn’t make a fuss, he didn’t arouse suspicion. His way of attacking was silent, with fine smiles and words that sounded like advice, but were actually daggers in disguise. That week, after he gossiped about Elena at the businessmen’s dinner, he began to notice that the effect was working.

People from Julian’s circle began calling her to ask for details. She pretended not to know much, but she would blurt out phrases like, “I’m only worried about the child, nothing else.” Or, “I hope Julian isn’t as blind as he seems.” Then she would cut off the calls with a satisfied grimace, but it wasn’t enough for her. Lorena didn’t just want to sow doubt, she wanted to regain her place.

He felt that it was being taken away from him, that everything he had worked for since Clara died was getting out of hand and that is why he decided to play his most delicate card. A dinner, a quiet dinner without so many guests, he told Rodrigo on the phone in a friendly tone. Just a few people close to the company. I want to organize something to show Julián that we are still thinking about the project.

It would also be good for Benjamin. Rodrigo hesitated. He didn’t like Lorena, but he couldn’t ignore her. He knew she had power and contacts. He told Julián, who accepted without much interest. Not out of desire, but because the pressure was great. He wanted to avoid more tensions and if that meant enduring an elegant dinner, so be it. But come on, just you, Benjamin and me, he warned Rodrigo.

No inviting Elena. Are you sure? Yes. I don’t want to expose her. When Benjamin found out, he didn’t like it. Is she going to go? No, son. Not today. So, I don’t want to go either, Benjamin. It’ll just be a dinner. A little while. She makes me feel good. Julián crouched down at her level. I know, but there are people who don’t understand that and I don’t want them to make fun of you. Me.

Why? Because there are adults who think they are better just because they have more things. Benjamin looked down, crossed his arms and remained silent. In the end it was, but he did it with a serious face, that expression that Clara used to call stone mode. Lorena’s house was large, modern, all in white, marble and steel.

There were works of art on the walls that no one understood, but everyone pretended to admire. The table was set with very expensive dishes that seemed to be ornaments. The glasses were thin, the candles scented, the wine imported. Everything was set up to look perfect. Lorena received Julián with two kisses on the cheek, something she had not done since Clara was alive.

She stroked his arm gently as she led him into the living room. “It’s nice to have you here again,” he said in a soft voice. “Thank you for the invitation. And you too, Benjamin. You are very handsome.” The boy did not respond. he only hid a little behind his father. Lorena pretended she didn’t notice.

During the dinner there were soft jokes, business talks, indirect questions about the future of the company. Everything sounded good on the surface, but underneath the tablecloth there was another intention. Lorena led the conversation as if she were moving pieces on a board. Julián, lately you haven’t been seen much at events. All good at home. Yes, thanks.

I’m spending more time with Benjamin. Of course, of course, it is the most important thing. It’s good that you have it so present. Although they told me that you now have help, right? Julián looked at her knowing where she was going. Yes, a person who has connected with him. Oh yes, Mrs. Elena, right? That’s right. Lorena smiled with that smile of hers that was never sincere. I think it’s very noble of you.

Give someone like her a chance. Not everyone would. like her. What does that mean? Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m just saying that not everyone takes the time to look at those who are in other realities. You do it and that speaks well of you. Julián did not answer. His gaze hardened. Benjamin, who did not fully understand, but felt the tense atmosphere, stopped eating. Lorena continued.

And speaking of realities, are you sure you know who you’re dealing with? Sometimes you want to help, but you inadvertently get into trouble. People come with their history, with their past. Are you hinting at something, Lorena? Of course not. You should just know that some people aren’t as transparent as they seem.

Julián left the cutlery on the plate. You investigated Elena. Lorena made a gesture as if I was forced. It was not personal, I just had doubts and a person gave me information. What I found was troubling. What did you find? His brother was in trouble with the law. He was imprisoned and she, well, comes from an area with fame. I’m not saying that makes it bad, but you have to be careful. Benjamin listened to everything.

He didn’t understand many things, but he knew that they talked about Elena and he didn’t like the way they did it. She’s good, he said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. It was the first time he had spoken out loud in front of more than two people. She is good, he repeated, she takes care of me, listens to me, loves me. Lorena tried to soften her face, but she couldn’t. Sure, my love, no one says otherwise.

If you said so, Benjamin blurted out with a frown. The atmosphere froze. Julián put his hand on the boy’s to calm him down. Benjamin, don’t worry, I don’t want to be here. Lorena tried to laugh. It’s normal. Children are uncomfortable with adults. It doesn’t bother me, it bothers me. Julián stood up.

Thanks for dinner, Lorena, but we’re leaving. So soon. Yes, I think that’s enough. Don’t be angry, I just wanted to warn you as a friend. So, I don’t need any more friends. He took Benjamin by the hand and walked out without saying anything else. Rodrigo caught up with them at the door. Not knowing what to say. Julián glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. You knew.

I imagined I would try, but I had no proof. Now I have them. That night Julian came home with a tight stomach, not from the food, but from disappointment. I knew Lorena could be tough, but I didn’t know she would go so low. He laid Benjamin down, who was still frowning, but calmer. He kissed her on the forehead.

Don’t worry, she’s not going to separate us from Elena. Are you going to tell her? Yes, tomorrow. And while Benjamin closed his eyes, Julian sat in front of the window with a whiskey in his hand and his head full of decisions, because that night it was clear that the game was no longer elegant, it was war.

Elena woke up with that feeling in her chest that one has when one knows that something is falling apart, even if it has not yet happened. It was as if the body knew it before the mind, as if something inside was warning it. Get ready, today is going to hurt. I hadn’t slept well. She had been thinking about Julián, Benjamin, about the dinner to which she was not invited, about the awkward silence of the day before. She didn’t like to imagine things, but she wasn’t stupid either.

She knew that in that world everything was measured with a magnifying glass, that people like her, with a common past and a simple life, were not allowed to make mistakes, that any detail was enough to make them look at her with suspicion. And now his story was out.

She didn’t know how or who, but she was sure that they had already found out about her neighborhood, about her brother, about what she preferred to keep quiet. And if that had reached the ears of Julián’s friends, there was nothing more to do. He bathed slowly, without haste. She dressed in simple clothes, without makeup. While making coffee in the kitchen, Leti came out of her room with a sleepy face. Aren’t you going today? No, not anymore.

You don’t get involved for better. Did something happen? Elena hesitated. I didn’t want to talk much, I just realized that I don’t fit in there. Did they make you feel bad? Not directly, but sometimes it is not even necessary. Lety didn’t say anything else. He approached, gave her a hug from behind, short, but strong, and then went to finish getting ready for high school.

Elena was left alone, looking at the steaming cup of coffee, as if she could read the future there. On the other side of the city, Julián was preparing to go and look for her. I had been writing and deleting messages all morning. Can we talk? Are you ok? I can see you. None seemed enough to him. He knew she must be hurt.

Not only because of what Lorena said at dinner, but because he didn’t defend her before, because he left her out. Benjamin, on the other hand, was upset. He didn’t talk much, but you could tell it in the way he shuffled, in the way he pushed the chairs as he passed, in how he responded with monosyllables. When Julian asked him what he wanted for breakfast, he just said, “Nothing, is something wrong with you?” “No, are you angry?” Yes, with me.

Benjamin didn’t answer, just crossed his arms and stared at the window. Why are you angry? Because you let them say ugly things to Elena. Julián took a deep breath. I knew he was right. It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have left her out. I wanted to protect her, but I hurt her. And you have already asked him for forgiveness. I’m going there.

Benjamin turned and looked at him with a seriousness that didn’t seem his age. Don’t delay, because if he doesn’t come back, I’m not going to talk either. That phrase left him cold. Julián hugged him without saying anything else. Then he grabbed the car keys and went straight to Elena’s house. When he arrived, he rang the doorbell with his heart pounding in his throat.

It was several seconds before she opened the door. He wore a simple T-shirt and his hair tied back with a clip. He looked tired, but also that he had already made up his mind. Hello, he said as soon as he saw her. Hello, can I come in? No, the silence that followed was uncomfortable, but necessary. I understand that you are upset. He started. I’m not upset, Julián. I’m disappointed. It’s different. I didn’t want to leave you out.

I just thought that if you didn’t go, no one would attack you. And did it work? No, I failed. Yes, you failed. Lorena was the one who let everything go. I didn’t ask for it, but I had to stop it at that moment. I know. I don’t care who said it, I care that you were there, listened and did nothing. Julián lowered his head. I thought I could handle it later, but I was wrong.

Julián, you live in a world where people like me don’t have the right to make mistakes, where my last name weighs more than what I do, where if my brother made a mistake years ago, they already carried it on me forever. And you, who claimed to understand that, remained silent. I didn’t know how to act. That’s the problem. It’s not about acting, it’s about being, choosing which side you’re on.

Julián wanted to get closer, but she took a step back. Now what? He asked. Now I’m going to take care of myself because I learned to do it alone and because I’m not going to let them ruin my life again because of decisions that I didn’t make. Benjamin needs you and I love him with all my heart, but I can’t be in a war that isn’t mine.

I’m not going to fight for a place that from the beginning many believe I don’t deserve. And if I ask you to stay, I’m not a thing to stay or leave as it suits you. I am a person, Julián. I don’t need you to bail me out. I just wanted you to respect me. Julián felt that the words hurt him more than any blow.

He stood there in front of her not knowing what else to say. Elena took a deep breath and closed the door slowly, not suddenly, with sadness and so, like someone who leaves unintentionally, but knowing that it is necessary, she withdrew from the story. For now. That afternoon Julián returned home empty-handed. Benjamin ran to the door as soon as he heard the car, hoping to see Elena behind him.

But when he saw it empty, he knew everything. He is not coming. No. Benjamin said nothing. He climbed the stairs without looking back. He did not cry. He just went into his room and closed the door. Julián went up shortly after. She found him lying face down with his face hidden in the pillow. I can pass. Do what you want. She didn’t leave because she doesn’t love you. She left because I hurt her.

Benjamin didn’t answer, just clenched his fists. You’re going to bring it back. I’m going to do my best. But this time I’m going to take care of her as she deserves. Benjamin turned slowly and looked him straight in the eye. So, hurry up, because if I don’t I’ll go with her. Julián felt a lump in his throat, not because of the threat, but because of the truth that those words carried.

That night the house felt as it had before, silent, cold, broken. And for the first time since Clara died, Julián understood what it was like to lose someone for not knowing how to support him when he needed it most. The morning after Benjamin’s silence and Elena’s farewell was different. Something felt heavy in the air.

It wasn’t just sadness, it was a mixture of emptiness, anger, regret and an urgency to fix what has already been broken. Julián woke up not wanting to get out of bed, opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling for several minutes and then sat down as if he were carrying all the weight of the previous day on his shoulders. Benjamin still did not speak.

It was not like before, when silence came from sadness for the loss of his mother. Now it was another kind of silence, upset, hurt, firm, as if to say, “Don’t talk to me until you do the right thing.” Julián tried to talk to him while they were having breakfast, but he did not get a response. I’ll make your smoothie with strawberry. Benjamin just hung his head and didn’t answer.

Would you like to go out to the park for a while? Not a word. I know you’re upset with me and you’re right, but I’m not going to stay that way. Benjamin looked at him for a second, a serious, deep look, and then he looked at his plate again. Julián sighed, put the juice on the table and went straight to his office.

He turned on his computer, opened his mail and wrote a message to his personal lawyer. Assunto: I need an urgent meeting. Message. It’s about a person who is attacking someone close to me personally. I need to know if there is a way to act legally. I don’t want any more games. Within 20 minutes, the lawyer had already called him back.

Do you mean Lorena? Yes, she started it all. I can’t prove that it was directly, but the rumors come from people who were at that dinner. Do you have any kind of proof that it was her? testimonies, some messages. Rodrigo heard something. Look, legally it will be difficult to prove defamation without direct evidence, but you can face it in another way. If it is part of your company or a project, you can remove it.

You decide who stays and who doesn’t. That I will do. And the other person, the affected woman, walked away because of me. So, this is not only a legal issue, it is an emotional one. Yes, but I need to fix both. I don’t want my son to continue paying for my mistakes, nor do I want someone good to have to hide because of a social class that believes it has the right to judge everything.

When he hung up, Julián already had a clear decision. He was not going to allow Lorena to continue to put her hands in his life as if she were an invisible owner of everything she touched. And he wasn’t going to sit idly by waiting for time to heal what he had broken. Marcó a Rodrigo, brings together the partners of the medical software project.

Today at my house at 7, everyone, everyone. Include it. Rodrigo asked no more. I knew that when Julián spoke with that voice there was no going back. While that was happening, Elena returned to her routine. she returned to cleaning events, to salons where no one looked her in the eye, to long hours, to hard shoes, but it was no longer the same.

Something had broken inside, or rather, something that had begun to heal, broke again. While cleaning a wedding hall, a colleague approached her cautiously. “You’re the one at that businessman’s party,” he told her as he swept. “What? Yes, you know, the one that made the child talk. Everyone is talking about it. Well, about that and other things. Elena stopped.

What things? Well, that you came out on the radar of an important lady, that they are looking for your paws even under the water, that they already found out that your brother was in jail and that according to you you are interested. Elena closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath. Of course, it’s true. What part? That of the brother. Yes, but it has nothing to do with me. I believe you, but you know how this world is.

One thing is said, another is enlarged and from there everything is ruined. And the boy’s father defended you. Not in time. The companion put a hand on his shoulder. Take care, Elena, don’t let them sink you. That afternoon, when she left her shift, Elena went straight home. He had no head to run errands or to distract himself.

He locked himself in his room, turned on the fan and threw himself on his back on the bed. He did not cry. Not anymore. I felt something uglier than sadness, helplessness. That feeling that no matter how much you do things well, there is always someone up there waiting for you to fail to point you out.

In the house in the valley, Rodrigo had already set up the table for the meeting. It was a large space of fine wood overlooking the garden. At 7 o’clock sharp, the members began to arrive. Everyone greeted them politely, as always, but the discomfort in the air was noticeable. They knew something was about to happen. Lorena was the last to arrive. She wore a plain, tight dress, perfect makeup and that smile of hers that seemed to never break. Good evening, gentlemen.

Julián, thank you for coming, Lorena, he replied. Serious. Everyone sat down. They talked for 15 minutes about normal topics, project updates, upcoming deliveries, suggestions for improvement, all very technical, very professional. And then Julián took the floor. Before I close this meeting, I need to talk to you about something important.

It has nothing to do with the business, it has to do with me, with my son and with someone who has been the victim of dirty comments in this same circle. Everyone looked at each other, some uncomfortable, others attentive. Elena is not part of this company, she is not part of our decisions, but she is part of my life, of my son’s. And although none of you have to know, I will say it.

Benjamin spoke again thanks to her, not to a doctor, not to a therapist, to an ordinary woman with more heart than all those who have come to give me their condolences in these two years. Absolute silence. Things have been said about her, about her brother, about her past, but no one has said anything about what she does today, about what she has healed in this child.

Not one of you ever came up to me to ask if I needed anything, but it only took her 15 minutes to stay at my house for Benjamin to speak for the first time since his mother died. Rodrigo looked at everything with pride from a corner. I knew that it had been a long time since Julián had spoken like that. And now I want to make something clear. Whoever speaks badly of Elena or anyone who is part of my environment again without evidence, without respect and with the intention of destroying, is left out of any project with me, directly, without discussion. Lorena let out a soft, ironic laugh. That’s it

a threat, Julián. It is not a decision. I just told the truth. You said what could do the most damage and you did it on purpose. You can’t imagine the mistake you’re making. Yes, I imagine it and I prefer to make a mistake defending someone than to continue doing business with people who hide behind a drink to dirty the lives of others. The partners remained silent. Some nodded, others avoided looking at her.

Thanks for coming. The meeting is over. One by one they came out. Lorena was the last. This is not going to stay like this, Julián. You’re right, it’s not going to stay like this because now it’s my turn to fix what you broke. And when the door closed behind her, Julián took his cell phone, wrote to Elena, “I have to see you, not to convince you of anything, just to tell you something that I don’t want to get lost in the air. Tell me where and at what time.

“And now the real attempt to recover it began. Not out of obligation, but out of conviction. Elena read Julián’s message while waiting for the truck. She was sitting on a metal bench with her legs crossed and her headphones on, but without music. I just had them there so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.

It was Friday afternoon and I had just left an event where I had been cleaning up a room full of rich kids and screaming daddies who left trash everywhere and never said thank you. His back was tense, his hands were dry, so much disinfectant, and his soul was in balls. And right there, when he didn’t expect it, his cell phone rang.

When she saw Julián’s name on the screen, her first impulse was not to open it, but her curiosity was stronger. I have to see you, not to convince you of anything, just to tell you something that I don’t want to get lost in thin air. Tell me where and at what time. Elena thought for a few seconds, then wrote, Parque de los sauces, today at 6 o’clock, where the old benches are. I’m going alone.

he didn’t say, “See you” or okay or wait for you anything. It was just that, direct, simple, clear. It arrived ahead of time. He walked slowly through the park with a small bottle of water in his hand and his mind spinning. He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing, he didn’t know if he wanted to hear it, but something in his chest was telling him that he needed it.

Not for him, for her, for Benjamin, for everything that was not said. She sat down on one of the old benches, those made of iron that have the letters of the municipality engraved on them. The paint was already peeling, but it was still firm like her. At 6 o’clock, Julián appeared walking. He did not come in a suit or elegant clothes, jeans, a T-shirt and tennis shoes.

He seemed like another, a more human one, a more tired one, one who was no longer playing to have everything under control. When he saw her, he lowered his head a little, not out of shame, but out of respect, like someone who enters to ask for permission, not to demand entry. “Thank you for coming,” he said when he arrived. Elena only nodded. “Can I sit you down?” “Yes.” He sat down next to her, leaving a space between the two. He didn’t want to invade her.

I didn’t want to screw up again. “I’m not going to beat you around. I just came to tell you something I should have told you from the beginning.” Sorry. Elena didn’t look at him. She kept her eyes straight ahead. I don’t ask you to forgive me, he went on.

Just know that what you did for Benjamin is priceless and I spoiled it because I didn’t know how to live up to it. I know, she replied softly. It wasn’t cowardice, it was custom. To live according to the rules of a circle where everything is measured by what you’re worth, but not on the inside, but by what you have. And you showed me that there’s another way of looking at things and I watered it. Elena took a deep breath. I didn’t come for forgiveness, Julián.

I came because I needed to look you in the eye and see if what you told me was true. And I’m still not sure. Julián clenched his hands on his legs. You could see the tension in his fingers. Elena, I’m not going to justify what happened, but I do want you to know that it wasn’t just you who felt judged. I also realized how easy it is to be surrounded by people and still be alone.

It took me years to understand it. It took me to lose you to feel it on my skin. She turned her face slightly. Now what? Do you want me to come back as if nothing happened? No, I didn’t come to ask you to come back. I came to ask you if you want us to start over. Calmly, without silly promises, just with the truth on the table. Elena was silent thinking, looking at his hands.

They were a little dirty, as if he had been working. He no longer had the usual perfume, nor the businessman’s bearing that he imposes. He had the face of a man who had had a hard time. “Do you know what hurt me the most?” she told him.

“What? That you didn’t say anything? Not that you walked away, but that you kept quiet when I needed you to speak the most. I know. And it was a serious mistake. And neither you nor Benjamin have to carry that.” Benjamin didn’t understand it, but he felt it. And that’s the worst thing with children. They don’t understand logically, but they feel with their souls. Julián looked straight at her. He’s fine, yes, but sad. Have you seen him? No.

Since I left I wanted to give him space. I didn’t want him to think that I abandoned him, but I also didn’t want to appear as if nothing had happened. He doesn’t want you as a visitor, Elena. He loves you as family and I love him. But the family takes care of itself, protects itself and at that moment I felt unprotected. There was a long silence, one of those that don’t bother but weigh.

Julian stood up slowly, took something out of the back pocket of his pants. It was a folded sheet. This was written by Benjamin. He didn’t do it with help. He went alone. He left it on my pillow one night. He said it was a secret letter, but I think he wanted me to give it to you. He handed it to her. Elena took it carefully, unfolded it slowly.

It was written in childish handwriting, with some misspelled but clear words. Dear Elena, I miss you very much. I like it when you read to me and when you make me bread and cheese. I don’t like that you left. My dad loves you even if sometimes I don’t speak. I love you in my life forever too. Do you still love me, Benjamin? Elena felt her throat tighten.

She didn’t cry, but she got a knot so tight that she had to close her eyes for a few seconds. He wrote it by himself? Yes. He hid it in my room. He’s braver than the two of us put together. Julian sat down closer again. I can ask you something, tell me. Don’t leave again without telling me how you feel. Not because you owe me, but because I want to learn to listen to you.

And you’re going to speak when it’s time to defend me. Not only that. I’ve already started. Yesterday I had a meeting with all the partners, including Lorena. I confronted her, I took her out of the project. Elena opened her eyes, surprised. Seriously, yes. I don’t want any more people like that near me, or Benjamin, and much less you. And the others, I made it clear that whoever speaks badly of you without knowing your story is out.

I’m no longer afraid of losing things. What scared me was losing you. Elena remained silent. he folded Benjamin’s letter carefully, as if it were a treasure. He put it in his bag. I’m not ready to go back to that house, I know, but I do want to see Benjamin again. He’s going to be happy with that. Me too. I don’t promise anything, Julián. I don’t ask for promises. Only truth.

Elena nodded. She looked at him for the first time with a soft expression, a mixture of affection, doubt, respect, and a little hope. Then tell your child that we’ll see you this Sunday at the park with bread and cheese. Julián smiled for the first time in days, it was noticeable in his eyes, not in his lips.

He got up, nodded to him and left without a kiss, without a hug, just walking. He left space. And Elena sat on that bench alone, but for the first time in a long time, without feeling like she was completely alone. Now, the traces of truth could no longer be erased. It was Sunday and from early in the morning the sky was cloudy, but with no signs of rain.

The perfect weather to walk without breaking a sweat, to run without suffocating, to meet someone without the sun burning your face. In the park of the willows there were families playing, potato vendors, couples on benches with their fingers intertwined, children on roller skates, grandparents walking slowly, the usual.

But in a corner of the park, between two large trees and an old bench that already had its edges peeled by the sun, Julián was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking at the clock every 2 minutes. Benjamin stood beside her with a bag of bread and cheese in his hands, squeezing it as if it were the last gift he had to give. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with a drawing of a robot and short jeans. He was nervous, but he didn’t say anything.

He just pursed his lips and looked everywhere. Every time a woman with long hair passed by, she stretched a little, as if waiting for it to be her. “Do you think so, come on?” he asked without looking at him. Julián lowered his gaze towards him. He said yes. Elena doesn’t say things she doesn’t think.

Benjamin didn’t say anything, he just nodded slowly with that serious gesture he’d used since he lost his mom. He was a small child, yes, but for a long time he had a sadness on his shoulders that did not correspond to his age. 5 minutes, 10, 15 and then there it was. Elena came walking from the entrance of the park with a firm but calm step.

She wore a simple, peach-colored blouse, light jeans, and loose hair, something she didn’t usually do when she worked. She didn’t come wearing makeup, she wasn’t carrying anything, other than a small bottle of water and a cloth bag slung over her shoulder. When Benjamin saw her, he dropped the bag of bread suddenly and ran towards her as if his body had caught fire.

Elena! He screamed and she, without a second’s hesitation, crouched down with her arms outstretched, ready to catch him. They hugged each other tightly, really strong, with those hugs that break something in the chest. He squeezed her back, hid his face around her neck, as if he wanted to make sure she didn’t slip away again. I missed you,” he said softly.

“Me too, little one.” “A lot,” she replied with her eyes full of tears that she didn’t intend to let go of yet. Julián looked at them from afar, without moving, as if it were a scene he didn’t want to interrupt. He ran his hand over his face, swallowing saliva, with that mixture of relief and guilt that he had been feeling since everything got complicated.

It was like seeing something fragile rebuilding itself piece by piece. Benjamin let go of the hug, but took his hand. You’re not angry anymore. No, but it hurt. Me too. And are you going to continue loving me? Yes, even if you leave again, I’m not going to leave again, Benjamin. No, without telling you. She took him by the hand to where Julián was.

There was no kiss, no hug, just a long, long, direct look. “Thank you for coming,” he told her. I didn’t do it for you, I know, but I’m glad you’re here,” she added softly. Benjamin took the bag of bread he had dropped again. “I brought you bread and cheese.” I asked for it. I didn’t let anyone touch it. Elena laughed. It was a small, nervous, but sincere laugh. So, it sure tastes better.

The three of them sat on the bench, with space between them, but with another energy, one that was not forced, that was simply there, as if that place were theirs and no one else. They ate slowly. They commented on small things, the crunchiness of the bread, the man who sold balloons, the child who shouted too much on the swing. Nothing important and at the same time everything was important.

Have you drawn anything new?, Elena asked, wiping herself with a napkin. Yes. I made a drawing of you. Seriously, I’ll bring it to you next time. I’m going to love them. Julián watched them talk and felt something that was difficult for him to recognize. Happiness.

Not that exaggerated happiness of the movie, but a softer, calmer one, as if his heart were loosening little by little. Benjamin, will you give me a moment with Elena?, he asked him carefully. The boy looked at them, hesitated. Are you going to fight? No, Julián said. I just want to tell you something. You can stay here. I’m going there nearby. It’s okay, but don’t delay. They took a few steps away. Just enough to talk without anyone hearing, Elena crossed her arms, not defensively, but to contain herself.

I’m not going to pressure you, he said. I just want to tell you something that won’t let me sleep. Tell me. Everything that happened helped me realize the person I had become. I was so afraid of losing everything that I ended up losing the only thing that really mattered to me. You didn’t lose yourself, you just got confused. I don’t want to get confused anymore.

I need you close, Elena. Not as a favor, not as a solution for Benjamin, as what you are, someone brave, sincere and who taught me that the heart has no social class. Elena lowered her gaze. It’s not that easy. I know. There are people who continue to see me as a threat, as a mistake. They are not going to decide for me anymore.

That’s over. And you’re ready to defend that always, because it’s not going to stop happening. There will always be someone who criticizes, who invents, who tells you that you were wrong. So, let them say it, I don’t care, because for the first time in years I feel that I’m where I should be.

Elena looked at him long, her eyes moist, but firm. I’m not ready for a relationship, or to live in your house, or to take care of what I don’t know if it’s going to last. And I’m not asking you, but I do want to be close. I want to accompany them. I want to share moments without promises, but with affection. Really, Julián nodded. He smiled without showing his teeth. For me that’s more than enough. They went back to the bench.

Benjamin looked at them like someone watching a movie he likes a lot and doesn’t want to miss the ending. Have you talked yet? Yes, Elena replied. And they’re fine. We’re better. Benjamin took a bite of his last piece of bread. Then, we can play. The three of them went to the playground.

Julian pushed Benjamin on the swings and Elena watched them from a bench, laughing at how the boy screamed louder, louder, as if he were on a roller coaster. And in that park, with the sky still cloudy and the earth smelling of wet leaves, something was born again. It wasn’t a love from a novel or an ending from a story, it was something more real. It was a reunion with what really matters.

From that Sunday in the park something changed, not only in Benjamin, who spoke again as before, or in Julián, who no longer walked as if the world weighed on him, but also in Elena, her way of seeing things, her way of listening, of looking at Julián without so many barriers, of smiling at Benjamin without fear of becoming more attached.

It was as if the guilt was slowly loosening, as if the wounds were beginning to heal without stopping hurting, but without bleeding. They did not talk again about what we are or what is going to happen. They just saw each other, shared moments and let life speak to them without so much plan. Sometimes she would come home in the afternoon, help with Benjamin’s homework, have dinner together, watch a movie, and then leave.

Other times they went for a walk, the three of them to a square, to the park or simply to walk without photos, without ads, just together, just them. But Julián had something inside him that stung him to say himself, something he hadn’t wanted to push, but that he couldn’t keep anymore.

One night, after Benjamin fell asleep earlier than usual, Julian stayed with Elena in the living room. They were sitting in the armchair, each with a cup of tea in his hand. Outside it was raining lightly and inside there was that calm that only comes when no one is pretending anything. Elena had her bare feet on the couch, wrapped in a thin blanket. Julián was wearing a gray sweatshirt that was a little loose. The TV was on, but silent. None of them looked at her.

It was just background noise to accompany a conversation that needed no distractions. Today Benjamin said something to me. He started bluntly. Elena looked at him. What? He asked me if you were my girlfriend. She laughed softly. And what did you say to him? I told him not yet, but I wanted him to be. Elena looked down, turning her fingers around the rim of the cup. And you do want it to be a lot.

She didn’t answer immediately, just staring at the steam of the tea as if she could read the correct answer there. I’m scared, he finally confessed. Not about you, about me, about what can happen if I let myself go and then everything breaks. I’ve already lived through that and I don’t know if I have the strength to go through it again.

Julián put his cup down on the table, turned to her, didn’t take her hand, didn’t hug her, just looked her in the face with a calmness he had no intention of convincing. but of sharing. “I’m scared too,” he told her. “But I’m even scarier to live without feeling anything, without giving myself the opportunity to start something beautiful with someone who doesn’t demand anything from me, but who gives me everything without realizing it.

Elena swallowed, closed her eyes for a moment. You come from a very different life, Julián. It’s not just the money, it’s the world around you. The people who are always watching, giving their opinions, judging. I’m not made for that. I carry things that are not erased. And I don’t want you to see me one day with shame or to be embarrassed to introduce me.

Do you really think I could be ashamed of you? Not from you, from what I carry, from the surname, from the neighborhood, from the scars. Elena, we all have scars. Some are more noticeable than others, but what matters is what we do with them. She finally looked at him and there was something new in her eyes, as if she were giving up, but not because of weakness, but because her heart could no longer stand silence. “I don’t know what you’re giving me,” he told her.

“But every time I’m here I feel like I can trust again.” “Then stay. Not forever. Not with promises, just for today and tomorrow, if you want too.” Elena smiled slowly, one of those smiles that are felt more on the chest than on the face. And if I break again, I broke too and here I am. I don’t promise you not to fail, but I will be there when it happens.

And there, without script, without drama, without musical background, they kissed. It wasn’t a kiss from a novel, it was a soft one. One of those who do not seek to impress, but to feel, one that needed only two people who no longer wanted to flee. After the kiss they didn’t say anything, they just stood there hugging, listening to the rain outside, without haste, without the need to explain themselves.

When she left, Julián accompanied her to the door. Are you coming tomorrow?” he asked. Yes, he answered, but as always, slowly, that’s perfect. She came out with an expression that mixed fear and tenderness. She felt light, as if something inside her had given up. For the better.

The next day, Benjamin greeted her with a drawing. It was a large red crayon heart, with three dolls inside, him, Julián and Elena. And next to it, in crooked letters, it said: “That’s what my heart sounds like when we’re together.” She bent down, hugged him, and couldn’t help crying. And without knowing it, that child had told her everything she needed to hear with his voice, with his drawing, with his heart in his hand.

On Thursday morning, Julián’s face no longer had the tranquility it had before. The lines of silence and tension were noticeable in his eyes. He entered his office with his cell phone burning. The messages he had received made him feel as if a dark cloud was weighing down on his head. Important people, partners, acquaintances, asking, “What about her? Isn’t he coming back? What do you know where it comes from?” All whispers with intention, all sharp knives.

But he was no longer afraid. He sat down, took a deep breath and began to write. “Thank you all for your messages. I want to clarify something. Whoever spreads rumors about Elena again or even comments badly about her without knowing it, will be excluded from my projects and my life. It’s that simple. He sent the message and read it several times.

Then he sent it to the company’s WhatsApp group. He overcame the fear of confrontation, but he did not celebrate it. It felt like a commitment he couldn’t avoid. In the middle of the afternoon he received a call from Rodrigo. Julián, I just got out of a meeting with the partners. Lorena is no longer in the project. No one dared to defend her. Nobody. Good job, he replied.

In addition, several of them admitted that they knew about the rumor, but no one questioned it. Until you did. It was what had to happen, Julián said in a tired voice. That night he organized an informal dinner, this time five key people from the team and an atmosphere far from luxurious, but necessary.

He did it because he knew that he had to convince with gestures, not just with rules. When they arrived, the first thing they noticed was that there was no host or hostess in a suit and no high expectations. Just him with the back wall, the simple table, homemade food, soda bottles and common glasses, and the chairs surrounded by respect, but without formalities that freeze. Elena didn’t come either. He accepted lunch afterwards.

They agreed to meet the next day, but they hadn’t talked about anything else. Their silences were strong, but this time they were no longer of rejection, but of caution. Suddenly, all eyes were on the door when she appeared. He did not speak, he just entered with a firm step, without makeup, with simple clothes, but with a look that denoted that he knew his value. He sat at one end of the table. “Thank you for coming,” Julian said.

“I want this dinner to be different, not about apologies, but about building. If anyone has doubts, questions, go ahead.” No one moved. Only Lorena entered then with a surprised face, as if she had forgotten that she was invited. She walked towards the table with measured steps trying to stand firm. “I thought not,” Julián replied before he finished.

“This is not a space for your wounded ego. This is for people who support without destroying.” Lorena tried to react, but some spies made her empty. No one was looking at her. “Words are superfluous,” she thought and left. Silence. The sound of a door sparkled in the dining room and went out.

It was a cleaning without shouting, without scandals, a subtle sweep that left the atmosphere lighter. Everyone breathed. It was not about revenge. It was about respect being the limit from that moment on. No more lies, no more knives hidden between kind lips. The next day, Julián was waiting for Elena in the park again, but this time there was no hurry or tension, just an old bench, two cups of coffee and a small gift, a cookbook with homemade photos, with recipes he knew she liked, bread and cheese, pancakes, cakes, everything that

she had shared with Benjamin. When she saw her arrive, the book was in her lap, unhurried, without noise, just with a soft smile. She saw it, opened it, read the dedication. To the one who makes bread with cheese, true love. And that was the small sign that although the enemy had been exposed, the real challenge began now, to heal together.

And that night, while the park was empty, the two cups were left intact, but Julián’s heart was no longer empty, it was full. Elena woke up before the alarm clock rang. It was still dark and the city hadn’t begun to make noise, but she already had her eyes open, riveted on the ceiling, with that knot in her stomach that appears when a decision has been haunting you for days. She hadn’t spoken to Julián from the park.

After he gave her the book, they said goodbye with a long, strong hug, without saying goodbye, but we won’t see you tomorrow either. Benjamin had sent her two audios in the following days, one telling her that he had gotten 10 on an assignment and another telling her that he was saving his drawings in case they ever lived together.

Elena was moved by everything inside and the truth is that she didn’t know how to handle it. She loved him. She loved him with a tenderness that came from her chest as if he were part of her own blood. But she also knew that a child is not a game, that you can’t appear and disappear, that you can’t make half-promises to him. That’s why, that day, she had to do something, not to stay or go, but to stop postponing a truth that no longer fit inside her. She got dressed without thinking much.

Jeans, a blue blouse, sky, her hair tied with a simple garter. She left her house with a bag in her hand. Inside she carried a jar with homemade cookies that she had made the night before and a handwritten note. She got into the truck and the whole journey was silent. She didn’t look at her cell phone, nor did she listen to music.

He only thought about what he was going to say, how he was going to say it and what could happen next. When he arrived at the house in the valley, Rodrigo was the one who opened it. He was not surprised to see her, he just smiled with that way of saying, “It’s about time. Julián is, yes, in the living room with Benjamin. Come in, please.

She walked in with slow steps. The house smelled of freshly brewed coffee and toast. Benjamin was the first to see her. He dropped what he had in his hand, a wooden toy, and ran towards her. “Did you come?” “Yes, my life, I brought you cookies. What are they for? Oatmeal with banana. The way you like them. Benjamin hugged her by the waist. Julian, who had been coming out with a cup of coffee in his hand, stood still when he saw her.

He said nothing. He just waited. Do you have a minute?, she asked. As many as you want. Alone. Benjamin looked at the two. They are going to fight. No, son. We’re just going to talk, Julian said. The boy nodded, grabbed his cookies, and went to the kitchen with Rodrigo. Elena and Julián stayed in the living room. They sat face to face.

There was no music, just the soft ticking of a clock and the noise of the street coming in through the half-open window. I’ve been thinking a lot, she said. Me too. And I want you to know that what we are experiencing makes me happy. But Julián looked at her attentively, without interrupting. It scares me too.

About what? of not being ready, of getting him excited more than he should, of one day waking up and saying, “This is no longer good for me.” And go back to that world where I should never have entered. That is not going to happen. You don’t know. No one knows. But I don’t want that to happen. Elena swallowed, took the note out of her bag and attended to it. What is this? A letter. Not for you, for Benjamin.

I don’t want to read it out loud, but I want you to know what I feel, what it means to me, and also what I need from this step I’m about to take. Julian read the letter in silence. Benjamin, you are a very brave child. Not only because you spoke when no one expected it, but because you know how to love without fear. I love you very much too, but I need you to know that to be with you I have to take care of my heart and also yours.

If one day you decide that you love me like your mom, I’ll be here. But I don’t want you to say it on impulse. I want you to say it because you feel it with your soul. I don’t have all the answers, but I have sincere affection, arms that take care of you and words that don’t lie. I’m learning like you.

And if you accept me, I also accept myself in this new place, that of someone who wants to be for you without condition. With love. Elena Julián closed her eyes when she finished reading. I read it to him, I don’t want him to read it with you, to talk about it, to feel it as something worthwhile. He already loves you, he already sees you as something more than a visitor. But I want him to be the one to say it, not you, because this time I need him to be the one to take the hard step. Julián looked at her with respect.

He knew that it was not fear that he spoke in it. It was courage. It was real love. And you? What happened are you going to take? Elena looked at him long. He smiled painfully, but hopefully. I already gave it by coming here. This time I didn’t come to run away. I came to still be left with doubts, even with everything that I have not resolved, but I came to stay with the truth.

Not with the beautiful story, with the truth, Julián approached, not to kiss her, only to hold her hands. So, the next step is mine. She squeezed her fingers and then it will be Benjamin’s. Rodrigo entered with the boy who had a cookie in his mouth. Can I read my letter now? he asked with emotion.

Of course, Julián said. Benjamin sat between the two, opened the envelope carefully, didn’t read aloud, just quietly, slowly, and when he finished he stared at Elena. This is serious, yes. So, can I say it again? What? Benjamin swallowed hard with his eyes shining.

Do you want to be my mom? Elena hugged him tightly, this time without fear, without doubts, with all her heart. And that was the difficult step, not the biggest, not the most striking, but the most sincere. It was Sunday afternoon and the sun was streaming through the living room windows with a warm, golden light, like soft arrows caressing everything. The three of them were together, Elena, Julián and Benjamin.

They were not a typical family in a novel. They were a royal family, made of irregular pieces, but truly united. That day they had prepared pancakes, as Clara used to do. They savored them with honey and banana while they arranged some boxes that they found at the back of an old cupboard.

They were things of clarity, his notebooks, clippings, a penrive that no one had paid attention to until that moment. “What’s that penrive doing there?” Julian asked, holding it carefully. I think he was next to his things. I never opened it, Elena said in a soft voice. We connected him, Benjamin interjected, curious as always. Of course, Julián replied, but carefully. Yes.

They connected it to the computer in the room. A folder called Letter for the Future appeared on the screen. Elena took a deep breath and clicked. A text file was opened with the lyrics clear, neat, sincere. The message read, “If you’re ever reading this, it means I’m gone.

But I want you to know what I always wanted to say, that my greatest wish is that Benjamin is happy again, that his dad doesn’t carry only the pain that I feel led him to get lost a little. If a simple woman comes along, with a clean heart, who makes him laugh, who spoke to him again, let her in. Let him want him without fear to stay if he wants to stay.

It is not a replacement, it is a new beginning. True love does not erase the past, it respects it, sustains it, allows it to heal. If she is with you, it is the gift I never imagined I could give you. The silence fell, but it was not heavy. It was as if they could hear Clara’s voice again, soft, loving, giving them permission to love. Benjamin walked over and hugged the monitor. Elena approached.

The three of them hugged each other and then, speechless, as if someone pressed a button inside each one, tears began to roll. It’s like a knot that finally loosens, Elena whispered as she rested her head on Julián’s shoulder. She saw us coming, he said in a muffled voice.

He saw us meet again and told us to move forward together. Benjamin looked at them, hugged them tightly, and said between childlike sobs that he couldn’t contain anything prettier. So, we are going to be family. Elena kissed him on the forehead. Julián hugged her and in that embrace was all the peace, all the forgiveness and all the future that they had not been promised, but that they were building at that very moment.

The final revelation was not a dramatic twist or a secret that blew through walls. It was a gentle gift. Left by those who knew them best so that they could move forward without guilt. Without a doubt. It was the closure they needed. It was not losing Clara, it was making room for something new with her silent blessing. That was written in that file. That was being felt in every heartbeat.

That was love that does not complicate, but liberates. And there, in that house of broken silences and words that sprouted again, they began to walk forward with a clear heart. The end. also and above all a new beginning.

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