Lucas could not shake Lucas for a quiet, moon evening.
The village seemed to be almost too calm, as if holding her breath. The wind whispered a secret that could not completely decrypt, and there was a strange feeling of expectation in the air. It was a night like any other since I was going through Maria,
but Lucas couldn’t help, but he felt that his life was on the verge of a significant shift. He knew a little that this night would bring an unexpected, life -changing turn that would change everything he had ever known.
The confused fishing ship gently swinging against the dock when Lucas tied the last knot …
The old, weathered fishing boat gently swung against the dock when Lucas secured the last knot.
His modest cottage on the edge of the village awaited him, as always from Mary. There was no child’s laughter, no warm hug, only quiet loneliness of his thoughts and memories of a woman he loved and could never replace.
He looked at Maria’s portrait on the cloak. “I was supposed to listen to when you wanted children,” he murmured. “He always thought we had time.” Now I’m talking to your picture as if it could react. ”
Suddenly he broke through a slight noise. It sounded like a soft whisper, carried on the cold wind.
His heart almost stopped when he saw it: woven porch basket, and the blankets moved in.
“Dear God,” he whispered, picking up the bundle in his arms. The boy, no older than a few months, looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.
“Where did you come from, little?” Lucas looked around on an empty street, but whoever left the child was long gone and left just a note in the basket:
“Don’t look for me.” Please take care of him. Love him as your own. Thank you and goodbye. ”
Lucs’s face slipped a tear when he remembered Maria’s words from the years before: “The child’s love is the cleanest thing in the world.”
“Matias,” he murmured quietly, and the name came to him as an echo from the past. It was Maria’s father’s name, a strong, noble name for his son. “What do you think, little?” Would you like to be Matias? ”
That night Lucas made a makeshift cot of an old wooden box and lined it with soft blankets. He put it next to the bed and could not leave the baby in a room in another room.
“I promise you,” he whispered and touched the soft face of the child, “I will be the father you deserve.”
The child slept healthy, one small hand undressed Lucas’s finger, as if he knew he had found his home.
Seventeen years have passed, as fleeting, as autumn leaves.
One morning, when they worked in the garden, Matias looked up. “Dad? Do you remember how you tell me about how you found me?”
Lucas paused, and his hands still on the tomato plants. “Of course, yes.”
“Have you ever been sorry?” That someone left me here? “Matias asked.
Lucas attracted his son closer, despite the dirt on their hands. “Matis, you didn’t stay here.” You got me. The biggest gift I’ve ever received. ”
At that moment, the sound of the tires bathed quiet. Lucas looked out of the window to see the red Mercedes pulled out. A tall man in a suit stepped out of the car.
The knocking on the door seemed to sound the house.
“I’m Elijah.” We have to talk about the boy, ”said the man and his voice calm but firm. “I’m here to take him.”
“Who are you?” I don’t know what you are talking about, ”Lucas murmured, grabbing the frame firmly.
“I think yes,” said Elijah, and his gaze was strengthened on them on Lucas’s shoulder. “Hi, Matisi.”
“You’re my nephew and I have been looking for you for 17 years.” Elijah’s tone softened. “Can I come?” This is not a conversation for the door. ”
Elijah spoke of his sister – Matium’s mother – explained her struggles, her disappearance and how she died a few weeks ago.
“She was young and frightened,” Elijah explained, and her hands folded in front of her. “Our father wouldn’t understand it.” She left with you and hoped to have a better life than she could give. ”
“So she just left me to Prague?” Mati’s voice cracked. “Like I was nothing?”
Elijah looked at Lucas and then added, “It’s all we have left from her. So much awaits him – the life of the best schools, connections, opportunities. Life outside … ”He gestured a modest environment.
Lucas’s voice broke as he spoke, “He deserves more than this—more than fishing and gardening. More than living with an old man.”
“I want to go,” Matias said quietly, after a long pause.
The words struck Lucas deeply.
“Son—”
The goodbye was swift, too quick after 17 years of love. Lucas helped pack Matias’s bag, his hands trembling as he folded the favorite blue sweater Matias had been so proud of, one Lucas had saved up for months to buy.
Lucas stood in the doorway, watching the red Mercedes pull away, taking his heart with it. Matias’s face was turned toward him through the rear window, his hand pressed against the glass.
Days blurred into one another. The silence in the house grew heavy, no longer peaceful but stifling. Lucas found himself talking to the chickens, just to hear some sound—any sound—in the yard.
Then, one evening, there was a knock at the door. Lucas opened it to find Matias standing there, shoulders slumped, his eyes swollen and red.
“They’re nice, Dad,” Matias said softly, “they’re my blood. But you…” His voice faltered. “You’re my FATHER! The only one I’ve ever needed. I can’t be without you.”
“This time, I’m not leaving you… no matter what,” Matias declared.
He grabbed Lucas’s hand and held it tightly, as if to make up for the time they had been apart. They both realized, in that moment, they were all they truly needed.
In the end, it was clear that love had no boundaries. The bond between Lucas and Matias was forged not by blood, but by the unwavering devotion of a father who had chosen to care for a child in need. Despite the passing years and the temptation of a life of privilege, Matias realized that home wasn’t about wealth or status—it was about the love and support that Lucas had always given him.
As they stood together, their hands tightly clasped, it became evident that the true meaning of family wasn’t found in heritage or riches, but in the heart. Lucas had raised Matias, not just as a father, but as a guide, a protector, and a friend. And Matias, having experienced both worlds, knew where his heart truly belonged—by his side, in the simple yet rich life they had built together.
The road ahead may not be without challenges, but with love as their foundation, they would face whatever came their way, together.