“So…” he whispered, “they were mine?”

The silence was heavier than any accusation. Javier broke down, crying, blaming fear, society, and the pressure of that time.

My children listened quietly. I saw something remarkable in their eyes—not rage, not revenge—but certainty. They knew who they were. And they knew they had survived without him.

Lucía spoke first.

“We don’t need your apologies to keep living,” she said calmly. “We already did that for thirty years.”

Javier lowered his head.

Andrés added that they weren’t there to judge him—but they weren’t there to save him either. His illness was his responsibility, not a debt they owed out of blood or guilt.

I remained silent. There was no anger left in me—only a distant sadness that no longer hurt.

When Javier finally looked at me, searching for something—perhaps forgiveness, perhaps mercy—I told him the truth:

“I didn’t hate you. But I didn’t keep a place for you either.”

He left smaller than when he arrived.