CHAPTER 3 – THE SISTER NO ONE KNEW EXISTED
“Carlos has… a sister.”
The words hung in the air like thunder.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Carlos stared at Alejandro.
“What did you just say?”
Alejandro swallowed.
“Your mother gave birth to another child.”
“That’s impossible.”
“It’s the truth.”
Don Mateo slowly sat down, his face drained of color.
“You never told me this…” he whispered.
Alejandro looked at him sadly.
“Because I didn't know either. Elena told me the night before she died.”
Carlos felt dizzy.
“My mother died when I was ten.”
Alejandro nodded.
“She called me from the hospital.”
“Why didn't she tell me?”
“Because she made me promise not to.”
Silence.
Sofía looked confused.
“Dad… I have an aunt?”
No one answered.
Carlos turned back to Alejandro.
“Start talking. Right now.”
The older man took a deep breath.
“Before your mother met Mateo… before the accident… she became pregnant once before.”
“What?”
“She was very young. Nineteen.”
Carlos's hands trembled.
“She gave birth to a little girl.”
“Where is she?”
Alejandro looked away.
“I don't know.”
“What do you mean, you don't know?”
“Your mother's parents took the baby away.”
The room fell silent.
“She wasn't married, and they were ashamed. They gave the baby up for adoption.”
Carlos couldn't believe what he was hearing.
“My mother had a daughter… and never saw her again?”
Alejandro nodded.
“She spent the rest of her life looking for her.”
Tears formed in his eyes.
“Every birthday… every Christmas… she wondered where that little girl was.”
Don Mateo covered his face.
“Oh, Elena…”
Carlos felt his heart break.
All those years.
All those memories.
And his mother had carried this pain alone.
“Why are you telling me now?”
Alejandro reached into his jacket.
“I found something.”
He pulled out an old envelope.
The paper had turned yellow with age.
“After Elena died, I kept her things in a box. A few weeks ago, I found this.”
He handed it to Carlos.
The envelope had only two words written on it:
For Carlos.
His hands shook.
“This… this is my mother's handwriting.”
“Open it.”
Carlos slowly unfolded the letter.
Inside was a single page.
He began to read.
My dear son,
If you are reading this, it means I no longer have time to tell you the truth myself.
There is something I have hidden from you all your life.
You have an older sister.
Her name was Isabel when I held her for the first and last time.
I never stopped loving her.
I never stopped looking for her.
If one day you can find her, tell her I never abandoned her willingly.
Tell her I thought about her every single day.
And tell her that somewhere in this world, she has a little brother who would have loved her very much.
Forgive me.
Love,
Mom.
The letter slipped from Carlos's hands.
He was crying.
Beside him, Don Mateo wiped his eyes.
Even Mariela had tears running down her face.
For the first time since arriving, she looked ashamed.
Sofía picked up the letter.
“Dad… Grandma had another baby?”
Carlos nodded.
The girl looked at him.
“Then we have to find her.”
He looked at his daughter.
“What?”
“She might be alone.”
The words hit him hard.
Because just hours ago…
His own father had been alone.
Waiting.
Setting three plates every Sunday.
Hoping.
How many people in this world were waiting for someone who never came?
Alejandro cleared his throat.
“There is more.”
Carlos looked up.
“I hired an investigator six months ago.”
“What?”
“He found something.”
The room became still.
Alejandro pulled another envelope from his coat.
Inside was a photograph.
A woman.
Around forty years old.
Dark hair.
Warm eyes.
And…
She looked exactly like Carlos's mother.
He stopped breathing.
“Her name is Isabel Morales.”
“My sister…”
Alejandro nodded.
“She lives in Mexico City.”
Tears filled Carlos's eyes.
“She exists.”
“She does.”
Sofía smiled.
“I knew it!”
Then Alejandro's expression changed.
“But there is a problem.”
Carlos looked at him.
“What problem?”
The older man hesitated.
“She doesn't know any of this.”
“Then we'll tell her.”
Alejandro lowered his eyes.
“It's not that simple.”
“Why not?”
He took a deep breath.
“Because she's dying.”
Silence.
No one moved.
“What?”
“She has advanced heart failure.”
The room seemed to spin again.
“She has been on a transplant waiting list for months.”
Carlos couldn't breathe.
After forty years…
After an entire lifetime apart…
He had found his sister.
And he might lose her before even meeting her.
“No…” he whispered.
Alejandro's voice broke.
“The doctors say she may only have a few months left.”
Tears streamed down Sofía's face.
“That isn't fair.”
No.
It wasn't fair.
Nothing about that day was fair.
Then Don Mateo slowly stood up.
Despite his weakness.
Despite his trembling legs.
He looked directly at Carlos.
“Go find her.”
Carlos turned toward him.
“Dad…”
“Bring her home.”
“But your treatment—”
“Forget about me.”
“No!”
The old man smiled softly.
“For forty years your mother prayed to find her daughter.”
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Don't let her prayer die.”
Carlos looked at the photograph.
His sister.
A stranger.
And yet…
Family.
He wiped his eyes.
“I'll go tomorrow.”
Sofía grabbed his hand.
“Can I come?”
He smiled sadly.
“We'll see.”
Then suddenly—
Don Mateo clutched his chest.
His face twisted in pain.
“Grandpa?” Sofía cried.
The old man staggered.
“Dad!”
He collapsed to the floor.
Everything exploded into screams.
Carlos dropped beside him.
“Dad! Look at me!”
Don Mateo's breathing became shallow.
Alejandro grabbed his phone.
“Call an ambulance!”
Sofía was crying uncontrollably.
“Grandpa! Please don't leave!”
Don Mateo slowly opened his eyes.
He looked at Carlos.
Then he whispered something so softly that only his son could hear:
“Set… three plates… next Sunday…”
May you like
And then his eyes closed.
TO BE CONTINUED…
