The old fishing boat rocked gently by the dock as Lucas tied the last knot. His cottage on the village’s edge awaited, as it had since Maria passed—quiet, no laughter or warmth, only the silent company of his memories.
He gazed at her portrait. “Should’ve listened when you wanted children,” he muttered. “I always thought we had time. Now I’m talking to your picture.”
A faint cry broke his thoughts, carried by the wind. His heart skipped when he saw a basket on the porch, blankets stirring inside.
“Dear God,” he whispered, pulling the bundle close. A baby boy, no more than a few months old, stared up at him. The basket held a note: “Please take care of him. Love him as your own. Goodbye.”
Tears filled his eyes as he remembered Maria’s words: “A child’s love is the purest thing in this world.”
“Matias,” he whispered, naming the child after Maria’s father. “Would you like that, little one?”
That night, Lucas made a crib from an old crate and set it beside his bed. “I’ll be the father you deserve,” he whispered, touching the baby’s cheek. The child’s small hand clung to Lucas’s finger, as if it knew it was home.
Seventeen years passed. One day, Matias asked, “Dad, were you ever sorry someone left me here?”
Lucas pulled him close. “You weren’t abandoned. You were given to me. The greatest gift.”
Suddenly, a red Mercedes pulled up outside. A man in a suit knocked at the door. “I’m Elijah,” he said. “I’ve come for the boy.”
Lucas stiffened. “What do you mean?”
Elijah explained: Matias’s mother had run away years ago, and after her death, he’d been searching for Matias ever since.
“She wanted you to have a better life,” Elijah said. “We can offer him everything—opportunities, a better future.”
Lucas’s voice cracked. “You deserve more than this life. More than an old man’s company.”
After a long pause, Matias said softly, “I want to go.”
The goodbye was swift. Lucas helped pack a bag, his hands shaking as he folded Matias’s favorite sweater. He watched the Mercedes drive away, taking his heart with it.
Days passed in silence, until one night, Matias returned. “They’re nice,” he said, “but you’re my dad. You’re the only one I need.”
“This time, I’m not leaving,” Matias declared, gripping Lucas’s hand.
And in that moment, they knew they were all they needed.
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