Mother

Chapter 17

"Ivan," Lorenzo said, his voice as calm and controlled as ever. "Can we talk?"

I sat up, nodding slightly. Lorenzo stepped inside and closed the door behind him, leaning against it as if he was carefully weighing his words.

"You asked about Teo earlier," he  began, his voice low. "He's doing okay, but you know it's going to take time. He's been through a lot."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I just... I don't know what to do anymore.

Lorenzo's expression softened, just a little. "It's not your fault, Ivan. You've done more for him than anyone else has. More than Dad, definitely. But Teo's dealing with things in his own way. He's older now, and sometimes that means pushing people away, even the ones he cares about."

I looked down at my hands, the words hitting harder than I expected. "But what if I can't get through to him anymore?"

Lorenzo sighed, walking over to sit on the edge of my bed. He rarely ever got this close, and it threw me off for a moment. "You will. Teo trusts you, Ivan. More than he trusts anyone else. But you can't force him. You just have to be there, even when he pushes you away."

I glanced up at him, surprised by how genuine his voice sounded. Lorenzo wasn't usually the comforting type. He was more of  the "toughened up" kind of brother. But right now, he wasn't just being cold or intimidating, he was being real. And it felt... strange.

"I'm trying," I muttered. "But it feels like everything's falling apart."

Lorenzo looked at me for a long moment before nodding. "Yeah, I know. But you're not alone in this. We'll figure it out together. Dad's trying to fix things, but we've got each other. We always have."

I felt the weight lift off my chest, just a little. It wasn't a solution, but it was something.

Lorenzo stood up, heading toward the door again. Before he left, he turned back to me. "Teo will come around soon. Just give it time."

And then he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again. But for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel so alone.

I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling again. Things weren't perfect, not by a long shot. But maybe, just maybe, there was a chance  we could figure this out.

Lorenzo's POV*

I walked down the hallway, leaving Ivan behind, my hands tucked into my pockets as I headed toward my room. The weight of the conversation lingered, but I pushed it aside. I didn't have time to let emotions cloud my judgment. Not with everything going on. Not with the way Dad was acting like he could just swoop in and fix things with some half-assed promises.

Teo will come around, I had told Ivan. Maybe I believed it. Maybe I didn't. It didn't matter. What mattered was keeping everyone steady, especially Ivan. He always carried too much weight on his shoulders for someone his age, trying to keep all of us together like it was his responsibility. But in the end, it was me who should have kept everything under control.

As I reached the door to my room, I paused, glancing back down the hallway where Julio's door was still shut. He was angry, fuming, and I didn't blame him.

The truth was that, what Julio said about dad was right. Dad wasn't going to change overnight. Hell, I wasn't sure he'd ever really change, but it didn't matter. We'd survived without him before, and we'd do it again if we had to.

I opened my door and stepped inside, the cool air of the room hitting me like a wall. Everything in here was neat, orderly, the way I liked it. It was the one place I could control. I sat down at my desk, the silence settling in like an old friend. This was how I dealt with things, keeping my head down, staying focused, making sure everything ran smoothly for the rest of them.

I glanced at the clock. Dad and Teo had just returned from therapy. I didn't bother getting up to see them, I wasn't in the mood for a fake reunion The fact that dad had taken Teo to therapy himself was... unexpected, to say the least.

Normally, it was the maid who handled all of that. Dad barely knew anything about what Teo needed, and now he was acting like he could just show up and play father of the year? I scoffed to myself, leaning back in my chair. It was pathetic, really. The man had been absent for most of our lives, and now he thought he could just waltz back in, say a few words, and everything would be fine. As if we hadn't spent years picking up the pieces he left behind. But for now I will let them figure it out for themselves. When the time came, I'd step in where I needed to.

Still, I couldn't deny that it was better he was trying something, if not for us, then for Teo. The kid deserved better, all of my brothers did. They've always been quiet, and overlooked, especially by Dad. But now? Now hey were older, and whatever walls they've built up, are stronger than ever.

I didn't blame them for it. In fact, I respected it. At least The boys knew how to protect themselves from this bullshit. The problem was, I wasn't sure how much longer they could keep holding on.

Especially Teodoro he was only a year old when mother left, and ever since he was old enough to understand things, he started keeping to himself. No six year old should have to protect themselves. But Teo has always had Ivan to turn too.

Ivan had been Teo's shadow for as long as I could remember, always looking out for him. But lately, I'd noticed the cracks in Ivan's armor too. He was trying, sure, but even he had his limits.

And that's where I came in.

I wasn't the soft, comforting type. Never had been. But I knew how to keep things in line. I knew how to get people to fall in line. That was my job. Keep the family together, keep things from falling apart, even when everything around us were chaotic.

For now, though, I sat in the silence, my mind running through all the things that needed to be done. The twins coming back, the shift in the family dynamic, everything that was about to happen. We were walking into something new, something none of us were prepared for.

And I'd be damned if I ever let my brothers fall apart.