Massimo had just called Ricardo, the words spilling out of him like a confession, each one heavier than the last. He said they were coming home, but that wasn’t the part that made the world tilt on its axis. Luca had been abused. Oh God.

My heart clenched as if caught in a vice. This is all my fault—every bit of it. Massimo said Luca could barely walk now, that he needed crutches to move. Crutches.

The word echoed in my mind, a bitter reminder of everything that went wrong.

How did it come to this? How did I let it happen? If I had been stronger, if I had stopped Mama that night, none of this would have happened.

Luca wouldn’t have suffered. He wouldn’t have been taken from us, from me.

The blame is mine, and mine alone.

---

Five years.

Five long years have passed since that night, and yet it haunts me like a ghost that refuses to fade. I had woken up, thirsty in the middle of the night, and headed downstairs to get some water. The house was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight that filtered through the windows.

But as I passed Luca’s room, I heard it—his cries, small and broken, the kind that tugged at your soul and left you feeling hollow.

I went to check on him, expecting to find Papa there, but instead, I saw Mama. She was holding Luca, rocking him in her arms. It was so out of place, so wrong, that I stopped in my tracks.

“Mama?” I whispered, my voice uncertain. She wasn’t usually the one to soothe Luca. That had always been Papa’s job. Mama wasn’t… she didn’t care about those things, about us, not really.

“Yes, Marco, it’s me,” she said, her voice soft but distant. “Go back to bed. Luca’s just hungry.”

Hungry? The word felt foreign coming from her lips, as if it didn’t belong there. Mama never cared if we were hungry or scared or lonely. So why was she there now, in the middle of the night, cradling Luca as if she actually cared? Was it possible? Could she be changing? Could she finally be trying to be the mother we needed her to be?

“Do you… do you want help with him?” I offered, my voice small, hesitant. Something wasn’t right. The whole scene felt off, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

“No, go back to your room. I’ll take care of everything,” she replied, her tone final. Luca’s cries grew louder, more insistent, but she held him tighter, almost possessively.

I hesitated, torn between the instinct to stay and the desire to believe that maybe—just maybe—Mama was changing. Maybe she was finally going to be there for us, for Luca. Maybe I was wrong to doubt her.

“Okay, Mama,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I turned away. I went downstairs, the unease in my chest growing with each step. I tried to shake it off, to convince myself that everything was fine. Mama was his mother, after all. She wouldn’t hurt him. She wouldn’t.

When I finally returned to my room, Luca’s door was closed. Maybe Mama had put him to sleep. Maybe she had done something good, something right. I climbed into bed, trying to push away the lingering doubts, the unease that gnawed at the edges of my mind. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me, unaware that this night would be the one to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Because that was the night Mama took Luca. She left, and she took him with her, far away from us, far away from the safety of home. I didn’t know it then, but that was the last time I would see him for five years. Five years during which he would suffer in ways I can hardly bear to think about, all because I didn’t stop her. Because I was too naive, too trusting, too blind to see the danger.

And now, five years later, I’m drowning in guilt. Guilt that suffocates me, that weighs on my chest like a stone I can’t remove. Luca walks with crutches now. He’s been hurt—physically, emotionally—in ways I can’t even begin to comprehend. And it’s all because of that night. The night I did nothing. The night I let him go.

If only I had known. If only I had done something—anything—to stop her. Maybe then, Luca would still be the happy, carefree child I remember. Maybe then, he wouldn’t look at the world with fear in his eyes. Maybe then, he would be whole, instead of the broken child we’re about to bring home. But I didn’t. And I’ll never forgive myself for that.



Massimo said in he car after he put my ....um seat belt? That they will bring to me a car seat soon , what is that.

When we get to uh....a place near to a ....ah I saw that in my book ...uh a plane!! Yeah it is a plane , do they have a plane??

Massimo help me out of the car ,agian, Massimo.......Massimo is nice , He always smiles at me and always asks me before doing something , I don't think he will hurt me ,But what if he did?, please no.

Massimo is lifting me again and he puts me in the ground and he hold my hand , and he brings me my crutches from the car.

"Here you go Luca "He says to me while smiling , I want to smile back at him ,

But he was always saying that my smile is disgusting, Will Massimo says that to?

I didn’t smile back at him , I just looked in the ground , He is still looking at me , please stop.

I am pathetic, he is right. He was always right

Dad comes to me and smile

"Come on luca let's go" He says , and I nodded following him , walking on the stairs was the hardest I couldn’t and I was making them wait . I am sorry.

Leonardo says to me from the top of the stairs

"Hey buddy, do you want some help?" He said while smiling, why all of them are smiling?

Stupid. You made them wait . He must be bored from you .

"I-I am S-sor-ry"

They all looked at me with wide eyes , dad talked first.

"No,no ,no Luca , Leonardo didn’t meant it like that, he was just want to help you because you looked at pain , So he wanted to help you , he didn't mean something,that is why are big brothers are here, tesoro"

Dad said his voice was soft ,no one have to talked to me like that and that last word what did it mean? , I wanted to cry, but i didn't, he didn't love that.

" 's ok-ay , I'll b-be f-fas-ter" i said while moving

"Take your time buddy it is alright "

Leonardo said to me while , smiling again.

When i finally got upstairs, Massimo lead me to ...um ....another seet ,he also put something like the seat belt , I guess.

Massimo sat next to me , again, while dad was against me and leonardo in the seat beside him.

I looked at my lap , fiddling with my fingers, I don't know what to do, I don't know what to feel , I just want someone to love , to not hurt me.

Massimo pulled me out of my thoughts and passed me something that looked.......rectangular?

"Hey buddy, Do you want to watch some cartoons?"

He asked me. I didn’t know what cartoon is but when i looked at that rectangular thing , It look something like a cat , but it looked like kn my book , I think this will be good , I nodded to him and he put that thing in my lap.

Cartoons are funny, I like them.

Suddenly, the plane shook, and my cartoon characters bounced around the screen.

I looked up at Massimo, but he didn’t seem to notice.

My heart started to race as the plane wobbled.

I gripped my iPad tighter, feeling like the floor was slipping

"Hnnnnn" I whimpered.They all looked over and saw my scared face.

Massimo turned to me with a calm smile. “It’s okay, Luca. That’s just turbulence. It happens sometimes when the plane goes through bumpy air.”I stared at him, wide-eyed.

“sh-shakin' a l-lot.” i whimpered ,Massimo reached over and took my hand hesitantly.

“I know it feels a little scary, but the plane is very strong. It’s built to handle this. It is okay, I’m right here with you , we all are.”I nodded, still feeling a bit shaky, but his voice was soothing.

I continued to watch after I calmed down , Massimo told me taht i could take a nap , I didn't know what to say to him , I wanted to continue my cartoons , But he seemed to understand and told me that i can continue watching, which I nodded at .

I felt better knowing Massimo was right next to me.

_____________________

Hiiiiii yeah guys i am leaving u at a lot of cliffhangers , anyways maybe i will post next chapter tomorrow, morning, dunno not so shure , please don't be a silent reader and tell me what do u think and if u suggest smth else .... byeeeee , oh yeah and the other chapters have some spelling mistakes so i will edit them soon , i hope , byeed