Manuel watched as the staff members searched intently through old records. Every minute of waiting felt like an hour. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to happen that would change his entire life.
Finally, one of the employees looked up and, with a small smile, said, “We found your file.” The documents were dusty, the ink on the papers faded. Studying them closely, Manuel saw the second boy’s name and the contact information he had left after he aged out of the system.
Barely managing to control his shaking hands, Manuel dialed the number. When Alejandro answered, his voice was wary but polite. “We need to meet,” Manuel said, trying to sound confident, though he felt completely vulnerable. There was a long pause on the line, followed by a short, “Okay.”
They met at a city park. The sound of children playing and the smell of freshly cut grass created an illusion of normalcy, but inside, both men were churning with emotion.
Manuel stared at Alejandro for a long time, as if trying to find parts of himself in this stranger’s face. He finally let out a breath and said quietly, “You’re my brother.” His voice was heavy, but it was firm.
Manuel held out the copies of the documents from the home. Alejandro took the papers, his hands trembling slightly. “Is this a joke?” he asked, his voice full of disbelief. But when he saw the undeniable similarity in their faces and the confirmation on the paper, he fell silent.
His eyes glistened, and his expression shifted from shock to realization. Their conversation lasted for hours. Manuel talked about his life of luxury, about his adoptive parents who had surrounded him with care.
Alejandro, in turn, shared memories of his difficult childhood—of going hungry, of loneliness, and of rare moments of joy. He spoke about the nights he spent dreaming of a family and how he learned to find happiness in the smallest things.
Every word revealed new facets of their lives. They both realized just how different their fates had been, but strangely, these differences only made their connection feel stronger.
Manuel felt a pang of guilt for his privileged life, knowing that his brother had been fighting just to get by. Alejandro, conversely, found some comfort in the fact that at least one of them had managed to have a happy life…
