Alejandro again felt that mix of admiration and shame. Lupita was right. Mateo had every advantage in the world, and yet he was sad and lonely because he lacked what mattered most: attention and love from his parents.

At that moment, Mateo appeared in the kitchen, still in his pajamas and with his crutches. «Dad!» he shouted in surprise. «You didn’t go to work?»

«Good morning, champion. I’m staying here today to watch your exercises, remember?»

Mateo grinned from ear to ear. «Really? You’re going to see how strong I am!»

«Of course I am, but first, let’s have breakfast. Lupita made special pancakes for you.»

During breakfast, Alejandro watched the interaction between Mateo and Lupita. They talked like old friends, laughing at inside jokes and planning the day’s exercises. Mateo was beaming, talking nonstop about things he wanted to show his father.

«Dad, did you know I can already go up three stairs without my crutches?»

«Three stairs? That’s incredible!»

«And I know how to do stretches like a grown-up.»

«What kind of stretches?»

«Aunt Lupita taught me. She says it’s important to prepare your muscles before exercising.»

Alejandro looked at Lupita, impressed. She really knew what she was doing. At eight o’clock sharp, they went out to the garden. Gabriela had also come down and was watching from the kitchen window. Alejandro noticed that she seemed curious to see how he would react to the exercises.

«Okay, Mateo,» Lupita said, spreading a mat on the grass. «Let’s start with the stretches.»

«Yes! Dad, sit here next to me to watch.»

Alejandro sat on the grass, something he hadn’t done in years. Mateo lay down on the mat and began to do stretching movements that surprised Alejandro with their precision and seriousness.

«Very good, Mateo. Now we’re going to work on balance,» said Lupita. She helped Mateo stand up and placed his crutches beside him. «Remember what we practiced. You’re going to try to stand without crutches for thirty seconds. If you do it, tomorrow we’ll try for forty-five.»

«Can I try a whole minute?»

«Let’s take it easy. Thirty seconds is very good.»

Mateo let go of his crutches and stood on his own. Alejandro held his breath. The boy was shaking a little, clearly straining to stay balanced, but he was doing it.

«Fifteen seconds,» Lupita counted. «You’re doing very well.»

«Dad, are you watching?» Mateo asked without taking his eyes off a fixed point in front of him.

«I’m watching, son. You’re incredible.»

«Twenty-five seconds,» Lupita continued. «Almost there. Thirty!»

Mateo shouted, and at that moment, he lost his balance and began to fall. Lupita quickly held him, preventing the fall.

«I did it! I made it to thirty seconds!» Mateo was radiant.

Alejandro was emotional. He got up and went to hug his son. «Mateo, that was fantastic. I’m so proud of you.»

«Now you understand why I love exercising with Aunt Lupita!»

«I understand perfectly.»

They continued with the exercises for another thirty minutes. Lupita guided Mateo through different activities: walks with his crutches, leg-strengthening exercises, and balance practices. Alejandro was impressed with her knowledge and infinite patience. When they finished, Mateo was tired but happy.

«Aunt Lupita, tomorrow can I try forty-five seconds without crutches?»

«Of course, but now let’s go get you bathed and ready for online classes.»

«Dad, are you going to be here tomorrow too?»

Alejandro looked at Lupita and then at his son. «Yes, I’ll be here. In fact, I was thinking, what if I stayed here every morning to watch your exercises?»

Mateo hugged his dad so hard he almost knocked him over. «Really? Every day?»

«Every day.»

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That afternoon, after Mateo finished his online classes, Alejandro called Lupita for a private conversation in his office. «Lupita, I want to make you a proposal.»

«What kind of proposal, sir?»

«I want you to become Mateo’s official therapeutic companion.»

Lupita’s eyes widened. «Sir, I… I don’t have a diploma.»

«You have knowledge of physical therapy. You have a special connection with my son, and he trusts you completely. I would like to formalize this.»

«But, sir…»

«We’ll solve that. Would you like to take a physical therapy course?»

Lupita was silent for a long moment. «Mr. Alejandro, that would be a dream, but I have no way of…»

«If I paid for the course, would you do it?»

«You would pay for my studies?»

«I would pay for the course, the books, the transportation, and you would continue to receive your regular salary. In fact, I would increase your salary since your responsibilities would be greater.»

Lupita started to cry. «Mr. Alejandro, I don’t know what to say.»

«Say yes. Mateo needs you, and you deserve to have the opportunity to study what you love.»

«But what about the housework, the other tasks?»

«We’ll hire another person for the housework. Your focus would be exclusively on Mateo.»

Lupita couldn’t stop crying. «Why are you doing this?»

«Because last night I realized I almost lost the opportunity to get to know my own son, and this morning I saw that you were giving him something that I didn’t know how to give him: hope and confidence. I want you to continue doing that, but in an official and recognized capacity.»

«What if I don’t pass the course?»

«You will. I’m sure of it.»

Lupita wiped away her tears and looked at Alejandro with determination. «Then I accept, Mr. Alejandro. I will study hard and do the best job I can with Mateo.»

«I know you will.»

In the days that followed, the routine of the house changed completely. Alejandro started leaving the house later, participating in Mateo’s morning exercises. He canceled several meetings to be present for his son’s important moments.

Mateo was radiant with his dad’s presence. His progress in the exercises accelerated, motivated by the attention he was receiving. In one week, he managed to stand for a whole minute without crutches. In two weeks, he managed to take five steps in a row without support.

Gabriela watched these changes with a mixture of joy and caution. She was happy to see her husband more present, but she was still afraid that it would be temporary. One morning during the exercises, Mateo achieved something no one expected. He let go of his crutches and walked eight steps until he reached his dad.

«Dad, I walked! I walked by myself!» Mateo shouted, throwing himself into Alejandro’s arms.

Alejandro was crying with emotion. «You did it, champion. You really did it!»

Lupita was also crying, proud of Mateo’s progress. «Aunt Lupita, did you see? I walked!»

«Yes, I saw, my warrior. You are incredible.»

Gabriela had run out of the house when she heard the shouts and arrived just in time to see Mateo take a few more steps without support. «Oh my God, Mateo!» she cried, hugging her son.

That night, after Mateo fell asleep, Alejandro and Gabriela talked about the changes that were happening. «Alejandro, I need to admit something,» Gabriela said.

«What?»

«I was thinking about leaving you.»

Alejandro felt his world collapse. «What?»

«I felt lonely, Alejandro. I felt like I was raising Mateo alone while you lived for your work. I couldn’t take it anymore. And now, I see a different man. I see the father I always wanted you to be, the husband I married. But I need to know if this is going to last.»

Alejandro took his wife’s hand. «Gabriela, I almost lost the two most important people in my life because of work. That’s not going to happen again, I promise you.»

«How can you be sure?»

«Because I discovered that nothing is worth more than seeing my son walking towards me, smiling. No business deal, no money, nothing is worth that.»

A few weeks later, Alejandro made another discovery about Lupita. He came home early and found her crying in the garden. «Lupita, what happened?»

«Nothing, Mr. Alejandro. Everything is fine.»

«Clearly it’s not. What happened?»

Lupita hesitated before answering. «It’s just that one of Mrs. Gabriela’s friends came this morning. She wasn’t very nice to me.»

«What do you mean?»

«She said that I was taking advantage of your kindness, that I was trying to get involved where I wasn’t wanted. She said that an employee should stay in her place.»

Alejandro felt anger rising within him. «Who was it?»

«It’s not necessary, sir.»

«Lupita. Who was it?»

«Mrs. Sofia, a friend of Mrs. Gabriela’s.»

Alejandro knew Sofia, an arrogant and prejudiced woman who always strove to show her social superiority. «What else did she say?»

«She said I was confusing things, that Mateo wasn’t my son, and that I should stop acting like his mother. She said that people like me should know our place.»

Alejandro was boiling with rage. «Lupita, you know that’s not true, don’t you?»

«Yes, sir, but it hurt to hear it. And the worst thing is that Mateo was nearby and heard everything. He got very upset and defended me. It was embarrassing.»

«Mateo defended you?»

«He told Mrs. Sofia that I was the best person in the world and that she couldn’t be mean to me. He got very upset.»

Alejandro smiled despite his anger. «He was right, and I’m going to resolve this situation.»

«Mr. Alejandro, please don’t make a big deal out of this. I don’t want to cause problems between Mrs. Gabriela and her friends.»

«Lupita, you are not causing any problems. The problem is a lack of education from people who think they are superior to others.»

That night, Alejandro talked to Gabriela about the incident. «Gabriela, Sofia was here today.»

«Yes? Why?»

«She was disrespectful to Lupita.»

«What do you mean?»

Alejandro told her what had happened. Gabriela was visibly annoyed. «I didn’t know that. If I had, I would have kicked her out of the house immediately.»

«Mateo heard everything and felt very bad.»

«My God, poor Mateo. He adores Lupita.»

«Gabriela, I don’t want this kind of person in our house anymore. If your friends can’t treat our employees with respect, they are not welcome here.»

«I completely agree. I’ll talk to Sofia tomorrow and make it very clear that this behavior is not acceptable.»

The next day, something unexpected happened. Alejandro was in his office when he received a call from an acquaintance, Enrique Gutierrez, the owner of a rival company.

«Alejandro, I heard that you have an exceptional housekeeper over there.»

«Why do you want to know that, Enrique?»

«Sofia told me she is very good with special needs children. Coincidentally, my grandson has cerebral palsy, and we are looking for someone qualified to take care of him. I’d like to make her a proposal.»

Alejandro felt a pit in his stomach. «What kind of proposal?»

«Double what you pay plus benefits. A car at her disposal. Full health insurance for her and her family. What do you think, Alejandro?»

«Lupita is not for sale.»

«Alejandro, be reasonable. Everyone has a price, and from what I heard, she’s just a housekeeper there. For me, she would be an official therapeutic companion.»

«She is already our official therapeutic companion.»

«Oh, really? Sofia didn’t mention that. Well, even so, my proposal still stands. Can you give me her number?»

«No, Enrique.»

«Alejandro…»

«The answer is no. Lupita is part of our family.»

«If you change your mind, call me.»

Alejandro hung up the phone, worried. He knew Enrique would not give up easily, and he also knew that the proposal was truly tempting for someone in Lupita’s financial situation. He decided not to comment on the call but was attentive in the following days.