Chapter 5 - The Man Who Walked Into My Warehouse Called Me DadWe found Mateo in an underground warehouse.
He stood across from me.
Older.
Scarred.
Confused.
But alive.
I couldn't move.
He stared at me.
“Who are you?”
I swallowed.
“I'm your father.”
His face changed.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I don't remember you.”
I stepped closer.
“You used to hate broccoli.”
He blinked.
“You loved dinosaurs.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“You slept with a baseball glove under your pillow.”
He took another step backward.
“You called me Superman.”
His breathing became unsteady.
Then I said the words only my son knew.
“After your mother left, you told me you didn't need a superhero.”
Mateo stared at me.
“And I asked you what you needed.”
His lips trembled.
“You said…”
I couldn't speak.
He whispered,
“A dad.”
I broke.
I pulled him into my arms.
For three years, I had imagined holding my dead son.
Instead, I held my living one.
And Mateo cried against my shoulder.
But the reunion lasted only minutes.
May you like
Because gunfire erupted outside.
Nico had found us.
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