Mother

Chapter 18

Dominic's POV*

The house was quiet when I walked in with Teo beside me. Too quiet. I knew they were all here. Lorenzo, Enrique, Julio and  Ivan. They  were probably in their rooms, or maybe still avoiding me after this morning's mess. I couldn't blame them. I'd been gone for years, and now I was trying to fix it all at once.

I glanced down at Teo, who was walking a step behind me, his small frame almost swallowed by the backpack he was carrying. He hadn't said a word all day, which wasn't surprising. His therapist said we needed to be patient, but it didn't make it any easier. The silence between us was heavy, filled with everything I should've been there for, but wasn't.

I glanced up after hearing footsteps and caught Ivan standing at the bottom of the stairs. For a moment, neither of us said anything. The air between us felt thick.

"Ivan," I said, finally breaking the silence. My voice calm, trying to stay cautious. "Hello son, how was school today."

"School went well. How was therapy?" Ivan asked softly, more to Teodoro than to me. Teodoro didn't look up. Ivan looked unsure about continuing.

Teo still didn't answer, his eyes fixed somewhere far away. I gave Teo's hand a gentle squeeze before turning back to Ivan again. "It'll take time," I said quietly.

Ivan nodded but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned around and headed back up the stairs. We walked further into the living room.

Maria, the head maid, was already waiting for us in the hallway, her usual stern expression softening just a little when she saw Teo. She'd been the one to take him to therapy for years, the one who made sure the boys had food on the table, clothes that fit, and someone to talk to when I wasn't around—which was always. I owed her more than I could ever admit.

"Teo," she said gently, "how was therapy today?"

Teo didn't answer, just shuffled past her, eyes focused on the floor. I watched him go, a knot tightening in my chest.

Maria turned to me, her face unreadable. "He's been like that for a while now, hasn't he?"

I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah. Hasn't said a word in years. I thought... I thought maybe if I started working harder, it'd help."

Maria raised an eyebrow, her arms crossing over her chest. "Working harder? You were never here for them."

I bristled at her tone, but I knew she had a right to be blunt. She'd seen more of my boys than I had. "I'm trying, Maria. I know it's late, but I'm here now."

She sighed, shaking her head. "These boys have been raising themselves for years, Dominic. You can't just waltz back in and expect everything to be fine. They're not the same kids you left behind."

Her words stung because they were true. I had left. I'd thrown myself into work, convinced that providing financially was the best way to care for them after their mother... after she left. But that had been a mistake, and I was paying for it now.

Teo's small footsteps faded as he disappeared down the hall, and I could feel the weight of Maria's gaze on me.

"They've all changed," she continued, her voice softer now. "Lorenzo has been trying to hold this family together with an iron fist, but he's not their father, Dominic. He shouldn't have to be."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I know. I'm trying to fix it. I'm bringing the twins back. I will start taking Teo to therapy. I'm—"

"Fixing this won't happen overnight," Maria interrupted, her tone sharp again. "And the boys are too old for empty promises. Especially Lorenzo and Enrique . They've been watching, waiting. They're not going to open up to you just because you're here now."

I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling up inside me. She was right, but it didn't make it any easier to hear. "What do you expect me to do, Maria? I'm trying."

"Keep trying, then," she said, her eyes softening slightly. "But you need to be patient. You can't force them to trust you again."

Before I could respond, she turned and walked toward the kitchen, leaving me standing alone in the hallway. I stared after her, feeling the weight of my failure hanging over me like a shadow.

Teo,Lorenzo, Julio, Ivan, Enrique, Juan and Raul. All of them were  left to fend for themselves, and I had no idea how to fix it.

But I couldn't stop trying.

I'd already failed them for years. I wasn't going to do it again.