CONTINUE:

“What are your names?” Caleb asked with the innocence of his five years, sitting on the dirty sidewalk, unconcerned about getting his expensive school uniform dirty. “I’m Lucas,” the brown-haired boy replied, relaxing as he realized that this boy his age posed no threat, unlike the adults who used to chase them out of public spaces. “And this is Mateo, my younger brother,” he added, tenderly pointing at the dark-haired boy next to him. Edward felt the world spin even faster, as if the ground had disappeared beneath his feet.

Those were the exact names he and Patricia had chosen for their other two children in case the complicated pregnancy resulted in triplets, names jotted down on a piece of paper lovingly kept in the nightstand drawer, discussed during long, sleepless nights, names he had never mentioned to Caleb or anyone else after his wife’s death. It was an absolutely impossible, terrifying coincidence that defied all logic and reason. “You live here on the street?” Caleb continued, conversing with the children as if it were the most natural thing in the world, brushing Lucas’s grimy hand with a familiarity that disturbed Edward even more.

“We don’t have a real house,” Mateo said in a weak, hoarse voice, probably from crying so much or asking for help. “The aunt who was taking care of us said she no longer had money to support us and brought us here in the middle of the night. She said someone would show up to help us.” Edward approached even more slowly, desperately trying to process what he was seeing and hearing without losing his sanity. The three of them not only seemed to be the same age and had the same physical features, but they also shared the same automatic, unconscious gestures.

All three of them scratched their heads behind their right ears in the same way when they were nervous. All three of them bit their lower lips at the same spot when they hesitated before speaking. All three of them blinked in the same way when they were concentrating. These were small details, imperceptible to most people, but devastating to a father who knew his son’s every gesture. “How long have you been here on the street alone?” Edward asked, his voice completely broken, kneeling next to Caleb on the filthy sidewalk, not caring about the expensive suit.

“Three days and three nights,” Lucas replied, counting carefully with his small, dirty fingers, but with a precision that revealed intelligence. “Aunt Marcia brought us here at dawn when no one was on the street and said she would return the next day with food and clean clothes. But she hasn’t returned yet.” Edward felt the blood freeze in his veins, as if an electric bolt had run through his body. Marcia. That name resonated in his mind like a deafening thunderclap, awakening memories he had tried to bury for years.

Marcia was the name of Patricia’s younger sister, a troubled and unstable woman who had completely disappeared from the family’s life just after the traumatic birth and death of her sister. Patricia had spoken about her many times, describing how she suffered serious financial difficulties, drug addiction problems, and abusive relationships. She had borrowed money countless times during Patricia’s pregnancy, always with different excuses, and then vanished without a trace or address.

A woman who was present at the hospital throughout the entire labor, asking strange questions about the medical procedures and what would happen to the babies in case of complications. Caleb looked at his father with green eyes filled with genuine tears, gently touching Lucas’s arm. “Dad, they’re so hungry. Look how skinny and weak they are. We can’t leave them here alone.” Edward looked more closely at the two children in the fading light and saw that they were indeed severely malnourished.

Their worn, patched clothes hung like rags from their frail bodies. Their faces were pale and sunken, with deep dark circles under their eyes. Their dull, tired eyes betrayed days without adequate nutrition or restful sleep. Beside them, on the filthy mattress, lay a nearly empty water bottle and a torn plastic bag containing the remains of stale, stale bread. Their small hands were dirty and bruised, with cuts and scrapes, probably from rummaging through the garbage for something edible.

“Did you get anything to eat today?” Edward asked, kneeling down to the children’s level, trying to control the rising emotion in his voice.

“Yesterday morning, a man who works at the bakery on the corner gave us an old sandwich to share,” Mateo said, his eyes lowered, embarrassed by the situation. “But today we didn’t get anything. Some people pass by, look at us with pity, but pretend they don’t see us and continue walking quickly.”

Caleb immediately took a whole package of stuffed cookies out of his expensive school backpack and offered it to the children with a spontaneous and generous gesture that filled Edward with paternal pride and existential terror at the same time.

“They can eat everything. My dad always buys me more, and we have lots of delicious food at home.”

Lucas and Mateo looked directly at Edward, asking for permission with wide, hopeful eyes, a natural gesture of politeness and respect that contrasted dramatically with the desperate and degrading situation they found themselves in. Someone had taught these abandoned children good manners and values.

Edward nodded, still desperately trying to comprehend what was happening before him, what force of fate had placed these children on his path.

They shared the cookies with a delicacy and care that deeply touched Edward’s heart. They carefully broke each cookie in half. They always offered each one to each other first before eating. They chewed slowly, savoring each piece as if it were a royal banquet. There was no rush, no greed, only pure gratitude. “Thank you very much indeed,” they said in unison. And Edward was absolutely certain that he had heard those voices before, not just once or twice, but thousands of times.

It wasn’t just the childish, high-pitched tone, but the specific intonation, the particular rhythm of speech, the exact way each word was pronounced. Everything was absolutely identical to Caleb’s voice. It was like listening to recordings of his son at different times in his life. As he watched the three children together, sitting on the dirty floor, the similarities became more and more evident and frightening, impossible to ignore or rationalize.

It wasn’t just the striking physical similarity, the unconscious and automatic gestures, the particular way they tilted their heads slightly to the right when they were paying attention to something, even the specific way they smiled, showing their upper teeth first.

Everything was identical in every detail. Caleb seemed to have found two exact versions of himself, living in miserable conditions in the world.

“Do you know anything about who your real parents are?” Edward asked, trying to keep his voice controlled and casual, even though his heart was beating so wildly it hurt in his chest.

“Aunt Marcia always said our mom died in the hospital when we were born,” Lucas explained, repeating the words as if they were a lesson memorized and repeated a thousand times, “and that our dad couldn’t take care of us because he already had another small child to raise alone and wasn’t up to it.”

Edward felt his heart race violently, pounding so loudly he was sure everyone could hear it. Patricia had indeed died during the complicated birth, losing a lot of blood and going into shock. And Marcia had mysteriously disappeared right after the funeral, claiming she couldn’t bear to stay in the city where her sister had died so young. But now it all made terrifying and devastating sense. Marcia hadn’t just fled the pain and the sad memories. She’d taken something precious with her, someone with her, two children with her.

“And do you remember anything from when you were babies?” Edward insisted, his hands visibly shaking as he obsessively observed every detail of the children’s angelic faces, searching for more similarities.

“More proof. We remember almost nothing,” Mateo said, shaking his head sadly. “Aunt Marcia always said that we were born with another brother on the same day, but that he stayed with our father because he was stronger and healthier. And we went with her because we needed special care.”

Caleb opened his green eyes in a way Edward knew very well, that expression of sudden, terrifying understanding that appeared when he solved a difficult problem or understood something complex.

“Dad, they’re talking about me, right? I’m the brother who stayed with you because he was stronger, and they’re my brothers who went with their aunt.”

Edward had to brace himself with both hands against the rough wall to keep from fainting completely. The pieces of the most terrible puzzle of his life fell into place brutally and definitively before his eyes. Patricia’s extremely complicated pregnancy, the perpetually high blood pressure and constant threats of premature delivery, the traumatic labor that lasted more than 18 hours, the severe hemorrhages, the desperate minutes in which the doctors fought tirelessly to save both mother and children. He vaguely remembered the doctors speaking in urgent tones about serious complications, about difficult medical decisions, about saving whoever could be saved.

He remembered Patricia slowly dying in his arms, whispering broken words that he couldn’t understand at the time, but that now made terrible sense.

And he remembered Marcia perfectly, always present at the hospital during those tense days, always nervous and restless, always asking detailed questions about the medical procedures and what exactly would happen to the children in the event of serious complications or the mother’s death.

“Lucas, Mateo,” Edward said, his voice completely shaky and choked, while tears began to roll freely down his face without any attempt to hide them. “Would you like to come home, take a hot shower, and eat something delicious and nutritious?”

The two children looked at each other with the natural, learned distrust of those forced by cruel circumstances to understand in the worst possible way that not all adults had good intentions toward them. They had spent days on end on the dangerous streets, exposed to all kinds of risks, violence, and exploitation.

“You’re not going to hurt us later, are you?” Lucas asked in a small, frightened voice that revealed both desperate hope and pure, irrational fear.

“Never, I promise,” Caleb responded immediately, before his father could even open his mouth, quickly standing up and extending both little hands toward Lucas and Mateo. “My dad is very good and loving. He takes good care of me every day, and he can take care of you too, like a real family.”

Edward watched, fascinated, the absolutely impressive naturalness with which Caleb spoke to the children, as if he had known them intimately for years. There was an inexplicable and powerful connection between the three of them, something that went far beyond their striking physical resemblance. It was as if they instinctively recognized each other, as if there was an emotional and spiritual bond between them that completely transcended logic and reason.

“All right then,” Mateo finally said, slowly standing up and carefully taking the torn plastic bag containing the few miserable possessions they had in the world. “But if you’re mean to us or try to hurt us, we know how to run fast and hide.”

“We’re never going to be mean,” Edward assured them with absolute sincerity, watching with a sinking heart as Mateo carefully packed the remains of the stale bread back into the bag, even though he already knew they’d be eating something infinitely better.

It was pure survival instinct, typical of someone who knows real and devastating hunger intimately. As they walked slowly through the crowded streets toward the luxury car, Edward noticed that practically every person they passed stared at them, stopped, whispered among themselves, and discreetly pointed. It was impossible not to notice that they looked like identical triplets. Some more curious passersby stopped completely. They made admiring comments about the striking resemblance. Others even surreptitiously snapped photos with their phones.

Caleb firmly held Lucas’s hand, and Lucas held Mateo’s, as if it were something completely instinctive and natural, as if they had always walked exactly that way through the streets of life.

“Dad,” Caleb said suddenly, stopping abruptly in the middle of the crowded sidewalk and looking straight into his father’s eyes. “I always dreamed I had brothers who looked exactly like me. I dreamed we played together every day, that they knew the same things I know, that we were never alone or sad. And now they’re here for real, as if by magic.”

Edward felt a chill run through his body as he heard Caleb’s words.

During the walk to the car, he watched the three of them every move with obsessive attention bordering on paranoia. The way Lucas helped Mateo walk when he stumbled was identical to the way Caleb always helped the most fragile or needy people. The way Mateo carefully held the plastic bag with their miserable belongings was exactly the same as the extreme care Caleb showed with his favorite toys or objects he considered important.

Even the natural cadence of their steps was perfectly synchronized, as if the three had meticulously rehearsed that walk for years. Edward noticed that all three landed with their right foot first when stepping onto the sidewalk, that they all swung their left arms slightly as they walked, that they all instinctively looked sideways before crossing any street. These were small details that might go unnoticed by a casual observer, but were devastatingly significant to a father who intimately knew his son’s every movement.

When they finally reached the black Mercedes parked on the busy corner, Lucas and Mateo stopped abruptly in front of the vehicle, their eyes wide open in admiration and amazement.

“Is this really yours, sir?” Lucas asked, reverently touching the shiny, immaculate body.

“It’s my dad’s,” Caleb replied with the casualness typical of someone who had grown up surrounded by luxury. “We always take it to school, the club, the mall, and everywhere else we need to go.”

Edward watched closely as the children’s genuine reaction to the genuine beige leather interior and gleaming gold details was revealed. There was no trace of envy, greed, or resentment in their innocent eyes, only pure curiosity and respectful admiration. Mateo ran his dirty little hand over the soft seats with extreme reverence, as if he were touching something sacred and untouchable.

“Never in my life have I traveled in such a beautiful and fragrant car,” he whispered, his voice filled with genuine admiration.

“It looks like one of those cars on TV where rich celebrities appear.”

During the entire silent drive to the imposing mansion located in the city’s most exclusive neighborhood, Edward couldn’t take his eyes off the rearview mirror for a single second. The three children chatted animatedly in the backseat, as if they were old friends, reuniting after a long and painful separation. Caleb enthusiastically pointed out the city’s tourist attractions and important sites out the window.

Lucas asked intelligent and insightful questions about absolutely everything he saw along the way. And Mateo listened with rapt attention, occasionally making insightful comments that revealed an impressive and disturbing maturity for a boy of barely five.

“That tall building you see over there is where my dad works every day,” Caleb explained, excitedly pointing at the mirrored glass skyscraper. “He has a big company that builds nice houses for wealthy people, and are you going to work there with him when you grow up?” Lucas asked with genuine curiosity.

“I don’t know yet. Sometimes I think about becoming a doctor to help sick children who don’t have the money to pay for treatment.” Edward almost lost control of the wheel when he heard those words. Being a doctor had been exactly the dream he himself had passionately cherished in his childhood, long before being forced by family circumstances to inherit the family’s lucrative business. It was an old and deep desire that he had never shared with Caleb because he didn’t want to artificially influence his future career decisions.

“I also want to be a doctor when I grow up,” Mateo suddenly said with surprising determination to take good care of poor people who don’t have the money to pay for consultations or expensive medicines.

“I want to be a teacher,” Lucas added with the same conviction, to teach them to read, write, and do arithmetic well, even if they are poor.

Tears burned brightly in Edward’s eyes. The three children had noble and altruistic dreams, completely aligned with the ethical and moral values he had strived to instill in Caleb since he was a child.

It was as if they shared not only physical appearance, but also character, principles, and even their deepest dreams. When they finally arrived at the majestic mansion, with its extensive, perfectly manicured gardens and imposing classical architecture, Lucas and Mateo were completely paralyzed at the main entrance. The three-story house, with its enormous white columns and gleaming glass windows, looked like a true royal palace to two children who had slept so many nights outdoors on the city’s dangerous streets.

“Do you really live here in this giant house?” Mateo asked, his voice almost inaudible with amazement.

“It’s very big and beautiful. It must have about 100 different rooms.”

“It has 22 rooms in total,” Caleb corrected with a proud and innocent smile. “But we actually only use a few. The rest always remain closed because it’s too big for just two people.”

Rosa Oliveira, the experienced housekeeper who had been caring for the house with dedication for exactly 15 years, immediately appeared at the front door with her always elegant demeanor and impeccable professionalism.

Seeing Edward arrive unexpectedly with three absolutely identical children, her expression changed from interest to complete shock. She had known Caleb intimately since he was a newborn, and the physical resemblance was so incredible that she loudly dropped the heavy keys she was holding.

“My goodness,” she murmured softly, crossing herself three times in a row. “Mr. Edward, what an impossible story is this? How can there be three identical Calebs?”

“Rosa, I’ll explain everything to you later, calmly,” Edward said, hurrying into the house with the three children. “For now, I urgently need you to prepare a very hot bath for Lucas and Mateo, and something nutritious and delicious so they can eat plenty of food.”

The woman, still completely bewildered by this surreal situation, immediately regained her maternal and protective instinct. She observed the two visibly malnourished children with genuine compassion and practical concern.

“These little ones urgently need specialized medical attention, Mr. Edward. They are extremely thin, pale, and covered in wounds. They look like they haven’t eaten well in weeks.”

Edward nodded silently, although his mind was focused on much more urgent and complex matters. He desperately needed to confirm his growing suspicions before making any final decisions that could affect everyone’s future.

While Rosa carefully led Lucas and Mateo to the spacious bathroom downstairs, Caleb stood thoughtfully next to his father in the luxurious living room, staring out the window at where his possible brothers were bathing.

“Dad, are they really my brothers, right?” he asked with the seriousness of someone who already instinctively knew the answer.

Edward knelt in front of his son, tenderly took his small shoulders, and looked directly into his bright green eyes.

“Caleb, it’s very possible, my son, but I need absolute scientific certainty before saying anything definitive.”

“I’m already completely sure.” Caleb affirmed with unwavering conviction, placing his little hand on his chest. “I feel it here inside. It’s as if a very important part of me, which had always been missing, has finally returned home.”

Edward hugged him tightly, trying to contain the avalanche of emotions that threatened to completely overflow. Caleb’s pure intuition coincided perfectly with all the accumulating evidence, but he needed irrefutable scientific proof before accepting such a shocking and life-changing reality.

When Lucas and Mateo finally emerged from the long bath, dressed in Caleb’s clean clothes that fit them perfectly in every detail, the physical resemblance became even more evident and striking. With their clean, shiny, and carefully combed hair, and their angelic faces free of the grime of the streets, the three children seemed like identical reflections in perfect mirrors. It was impossible to distinguish any significant differences between them, except for the slightly different shades of their hair.

Rosa then appeared with a large tray filled with nutritious sandwiches, a variety of fresh fruits, cold whole milk, and still-warm homemade cookies.

The children began to eat with impeccable politeness, but Edward watched with a heavy heart as they devoured absolutely everything with desperate speed, the primitive instinct of chronic hunger still present and dominant.

“Slow down, my little angels,” Rosa said with genuine maternal affection. “There’s much more delicious food in the kitchen. You don’t need to rush. You can eat as much as you want.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Rosa,” Lucas said, embarrassed, stopping immediately. “It’s been a long time since we’ve eaten well. We’ve forgotten how to behave.”

“You don’t need to apologize, my dear boy. Eat calmly and peacefully. This house is now yours too.”

Edward strategically took advantage of that moment of calm to make some extremely urgent and important phone calls. First, he contacted his trusted personal physician, Dr. Enrique Almeida, a renowned and respected pediatrician who had been closely following Caleb since birth and knew the entire family medical history.

“Dr. Enrique, I need a very urgent personal favor. Could you come to my house tonight? It’s a very delicate medical situation involving children.”

“Of course, Edward, did something serious happen to Caleb?”

“Caleb is perfectly fine, but I urgently need detailed DNA testing on three children, including him.”

There was a long, meaningful pause on the other end of the line.

“DNA? Edward, what’s this complicated situation?”

“I’d rather explain everything in person when I arrive. Can you bring the complete kit for material collection?”

“Yes, no problem. I’ll be there in two hours at the most.”

The second call was directed to his trusted personal attorney, Dr. Roberto Méndez, a renowned specialist in family law and child custody issues.

“Roberto, I urgently need your specialized help with an extremely delicate family matter.”

“What happened, Edward?”

“He may have two other biological children in addition to Caleb. Children who were, let’s say, irregularly separated from him at birth.”

“How so, irregularly separated?”

“Edward, you’re leaving me very worried and confused. It’s a long and complicated story. I urgently need to know what my legal rights are as a biological father and how I should proceed properly.”

“I’ll go early tomorrow morning. Don’t do anything rash until we discuss it in detail.”

While Edward made those calls in his office, the three children played harmoniously in the luxurious living room, as if they had been close brothers for years. Caleb proudly showed off his expensive toys and collections. Lucas taught creative games he had learned during his hard life on the streets. And Mateo told fantastic stories he invented on the spot.

The natural synchronicity between the three was simultaneously disturbing and beautiful to observe. They laughed in the same tone, gestured identically when they spoke. They even breathed at the same pace when they were concentrating.

“Caleb,” Edward said as he calmly returned to the living room after finishing the calls. “I need to ask Lucas and Mateo some important questions. Can you help your dad?”

“Of course, Dad. You can ask whatever you want.”

Edward sat comfortably on the rug next to the children, trying to maintain a casual and relaxed tone, despite the crucial importance of the information he was desperately seeking.

“Lucas, Mateo,” Edward began softly, “I need you to remember something specific from when you were little. Every detail, no matter how small.”

Lucas looked down thoughtfully, his brow furrowing in concentration. “Aunt Marcia always said we were born in a very large and famous hospital,” Lucas said, his voice reflecting deep concentration. “She said it was very difficult and dangerous, that she had to make difficult choices about who to save first.”

“Choosing who to save…” Edward repeated, feeling his heart beat violently. The words struck him like a thunderbolt.

“She also said our mother was very sick and weak, and that the head doctor said they couldn’t save everyone at the same time. Then he had to decide to save us.”

Edward felt the world spin wildly around him. This version perfectly matched his fragmented and painful memories of the hospital that terrible night. He clearly remembered the doctors speaking in grave tones about difficult decisions, about emergency priorities, about saving whoever was possible under the circumstances.

“And they know exactly which hospital they were born in,” Mateo responded immediately, without hesitation. “San Vicente Hospital,” Mateo answered, his voice firm and unwavering. “Aunt Marcia always took us there when we were sick or needed medicine.”

Edward nearly fainted. San Vicente Hospital was the same expensive, private hospital where Caleb had been born, where Patricia had fought for her life and finally died. A hospital frequented exclusively by the city’s economic elite. It made no logical sense for supposedly abandoned children to receive regular medical care there unless there was a legitimate and documented family connection.

“Aunt Marcia, what did she look like? Do you remember her well?” Edward asked, his voice trembling with urgency.

“She looked a lot like our real mother,” Lucas said thoughtfully. “She had very long, straight black hair, large, dark eyes, and always smelled strongly of cigarettes mixed with sweet perfume.”

Edward felt his blood run cold. It was a perfect and detailed description of Marcia, Patricia’s younger sister. Every detail matched his memories of his troubled sister-in-law exactly, but she was always very nervous and agitated,” Mateo continued with a disturbing seriousness, especially when he saw police officers on the street or when someone he didn’t know asked us questions.

“What kinds of questions exactly made her uncomfortable?” Edward pressed, desperate for more details.

“Around who our real father was, about our family? About where we came from?” Lucas explained in detail. “She always told us never to talk about such important things with strangers because it was dangerous.”

Edward immediately understood that Marcia lived in constant fear of being discovered and exposed. The behavior the children described was absolutely typical of someone hiding something extremely serious with severe legal consequences and the possibility of imprisonment.

“And you were really happy?” Edward asked, his voice breaking slightly. “I mean, were they happy living with Aunt Marcia?”

The two children looked at each other with a deep, mature sadness that broke Edward’s heart. It was an expression of pain no child should know so intimately.

“We loved her because she took care of us,” Mateo said diplomatically, choosing his words carefully. “But she always said that taking care of us was very difficult and tiring, that she had sacrificed her entire life for us, and sometimes she disappeared for days at a time,” Lucas added, his voice breaking.

“She left us completely alone at home or with unknown neighbors who didn’t even know our names,” Lucas said, his voice filled with an emotion Edward had never heard from him before.

Edward felt an intense anger growing progressively in his chest. Anger at Marcia for having lied and manipulated the situation. Anger at himself for not having sought more information. Anger at the cruel fate that had brutally separated his children, but at the same time, he felt an immense and liberating relief at having found them alive and relatively well.

“Dad,” Caleb said suddenly, interrupting his father’s turbulent thoughts.

“We can stay together forever now. Lucas and Mateo can live here in our house with us like a real family.”

Edward looked deeply into the three pairs of absolutely identical green eyes, fixed on him with expectation and hope, awaiting a definitive answer that would forever and irreversibly change the lives of all of them. The responsibility was crushing and terrifying, but the certainty growing in his heart was absolutely unshakeable.

“If you really want to stay, and if all the tests confirm what I firmly believe they will, the three of you will never be apart again, not even for a single day,” Edward said solemnly.

Edward’s words echoed in the luxurious room like a sacred promise, and the three children instinctively embraced each other with overwhelming emotional force, forming a perfect circle of pure and unexpected joy. Lucas and Mateo began to cry profusely, but they were crystalline tears of relief and renewed hope, not of sadness or despair. Caleb took their small hands with protective firmness, as if he wanted to physically guarantee that they would never be separated again, as if he could prevent cruel fate from separating them again.

Edward contemplated that moving scene, his heart literally overflowing with contradictory and overwhelming emotions. On the one hand, he felt indescribable happiness at having found the children he thought were lost forever since the traumatic moment of birth. On the other, he was overcome by a growing and paralyzing anxiety. How could he explain this impossible situation to the outside world, to conservative society, to the competent authorities? How could he justify the sudden appearance of two children identical to his son? How could he prove that there was no irregularity or crime behind it all?

At that moment, Rosa appeared silently in the elegant doorway of the living room, carefully carrying more nutritious food on a silver tray. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the three children cuddling on the marble floor, and her experienced eyes filled with tears of understanding and maternal tenderness.

“Mr. Edward,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion, “In all these long years of working dedicatedly in this house, I have never seen Caleb so genuinely happy and fulfilled. It’s as if he’s finally found a fundamental part of himself that he didn’t even consciously know he’d lost.”

“Rosa, you can stay and lovingly look after them while I anxiously await the doctor’s arrival. I urgently need to make some very important calls.”

“Of course, Mr. Edward, I’ll take care of the three of them as if they were my own grandchildren.”

Edward slowly went up to the elegant office on the second floor, but before he got there, he heard melodious laughter coming from the main room. It was a pure, crystalline sound he had never heard in his entire life.

Caleb laughing with complete joy, without reservation or melancholy. During his beloved son’s five years of life, Edward had always perceived a certain inexplicable sadness in the boy, as if something essential were eternally missing from his existence. Now, listening to that spontaneous and genuine laugh, he understood with absolute clarity that Caleb had always felt deep down the painful absence of his siblings, even though he hadn’t consciously known of their actual existence.

In the orderly silence of the office, Edward turned on his modern computer and began meticulously researching everything he could about Marcia Santos, Patricia’s troubled sister.

Edward’s fingers trembled as he typed, the weight of the situation pressing down on him with every keystroke. His mind raced, sorting through the details of his investigation, trying to make sense of everything that had just transpired. Marcia had always been a shadowy figure in their lives, an enigma wrapped in uncertainty and troubled behavior. Now, it seemed, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, and the picture that emerged was one of deception and manipulation, but also something far deeper.

As he scrolled through the screen, his thoughts kept returning to the children—Lucas, Mateo, and Caleb. They were all so similar, yet each of them carried their own distinct, fragile stories of survival. The resemblance between them was more than just physical; it was in their movements, their voices, their gestures. It was as if fate had woven them together in a way that defied logic, and now, they were standing on the precipice of something monumental.

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his trance. It was a message from Dr. Enrique Almeida, his trusted pediatrician.

“Edward, I’m on my way. I’ll bring the DNA test kit with me as requested. I’ll need to take the samples from all three children, including Caleb. We can discuss everything in person when I arrive. Please stay calm.”

Edward let out a long breath. He hadn’t realized how tightly he had been holding onto his emotions until the tension in his chest started to ease. The truth was within reach. He only needed the final confirmation to understand the depth of the mystery that had consumed him for the past few hours.

The door to the office creaked open, and Rosa entered with a tray of freshly prepared food. The air in the room shifted, becoming warmer and lighter, as if her presence carried a soothing quality. The three children had already been bathed, their once-worn clothes replaced with freshly pressed garments that fit them surprisingly well. They were sitting on the large sofa in the living room, laughing, talking, and interacting with a natural ease that made Edward’s heart swell. They weren’t just strangers anymore—they were family.

Rosa set the tray down on the desk next to him. “They are such good children, Edward,” she said softly. “I’ve been with them for only a short while, and already, I can see that they have hearts full of kindness. It’s as if they’ve always known how to care for each other.”

Edward nodded, his mind still reeling from the events that had unfolded. “I know,” he replied, his voice tinged with awe. “They’re incredible.”

Rosa hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “And Caleb, he seems so happy. But… there’s something I noticed when I was helping them get settled. He’s different now, Edward. He’s more at peace than I’ve ever seen him before. It’s as if he’s found something he’s been looking for, something he didn’t even know was missing.”

Edward’s heart sank. He had always suspected that Caleb carried a deep, unspoken longing in his soul. The boy had often been distant, as if there was a part of him that was incomplete, as if something had been taken from him, something irreplaceable. But now, looking at how he interacted with Lucas and Mateo, Edward couldn’t deny the connection between them. It was undeniable. They belonged together, and somehow, fate had brought them all back to one another.

“I need to make a few more calls, Rosa,” Edward said, standing up. “But I want you to stay close to them. Make sure they feel safe.”

“Of course, Edward. I’ll be right here, looking after them.”

Edward walked toward the stairs, his mind whirling with thoughts and emotions he could barely process. He knew that once the DNA tests came back, everything would change. But in his heart, he was already certain of what he would find. Lucas, Mateo, and Caleb—his sons, his children, reunited in a way that seemed impossible. Yet, here they were.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he paused, glancing back toward the living room. The laughter of the children echoed up the staircase, and for the first time in years, Edward felt a sense of peace settle over him. It was a peace he hadn’t known he had been longing for, a peace that came from the knowledge that the broken pieces of his life were finally being put back together.

In that moment, Edward made a silent promise to himself and to his children: no matter what came next, no matter how complicated or dangerous the road ahead might be, he would never let them go again. This was his family, and he would protect them at all costs.

Edward walked slowly into his office, trying to steady his breath as he closed the door behind him. The reality of what he had just learned—the confirmation of what he had suspected—was beginning to settle in. His mind raced, but his body felt oddly numb. He couldn’t shake the image of Lucas, Mateo, and Caleb, sitting together in his living room, laughing as if they had always been part of his life.

His phone buzzed again, this time with a text from Dr. Enrique Almeida.

“I’m outside, Edward. Ready to proceed when you are.”

Edward took a deep breath, trying to center himself. This was it. The moment of truth.

He quickly gathered himself, smoothing out his suit and making his way downstairs. The house, once so quiet and still, now felt alive with a different energy. It wasn’t just the presence of the children; it was the feeling that something monumental was happening, something that could change everything.

Rosa was already in the living room with the children, her gentle hands smoothing their hair as she sat beside them. They were quietly eating the sandwiches and fruit she had brought up earlier. Caleb’s eyes lit up with each bite, a stark contrast to the thin, hungry child who had first arrived at the house. He was still small for his age, but the change in him was unmistakable. He was healthier, brighter, more alert.

Dr. Almeida was standing in the doorway as Edward approached. The pediatrician’s serious expression softened when he saw the three children. “Edward, I have everything I need. The tests will confirm what you suspect, but we’ll need to take blood samples from all three of them.”

Edward nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. “I know. Let’s do this.”

The next few hours passed in a blur. Dr. Almeida took the samples carefully, explaining the process to the children as he worked. Edward hovered nearby, trying to remain calm despite the storm of emotions building inside him. This was the first step in unraveling the truth, but it was also the beginning of a new chapter—one that would have far-reaching consequences.

As the blood samples were taken, Edward couldn’t help but notice how the children reacted. They were so accustomed to being treated with suspicion and disdain by adults that the gentle care Dr. Almeida showed them seemed almost foreign. They flinched at first, but slowly, they relaxed, comforted by the kind tone of the doctor and the knowledge that they were in a safe place.

Once the samples were collected, Dr. Almeida promised to have the results by morning. Edward barely slept that night, though. He lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. The implications of the tests—of the possible truth—were overwhelming. If the DNA tests confirmed that the children were indeed his biological children, then everything he thought he knew about his life and his family would be turned upside down.

The next morning, Edward sat in his office, waiting anxiously for the call. It came just after breakfast.

“Edward,” Dr. Almeida’s voice was calm, but there was a note of urgency in it. “I have the results. The DNA tests confirm it. They are your children.”

Edward’s breath caught in his throat. He had known, deep down, that the resemblance, the connection, wasn’t a coincidence. But hearing the words spoken aloud made it real. His mind whirled as the weight of the revelation settled over him.

“I… I need to see the results for myself,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“Of course. I’ll email them to you now.”

Edward stared at his phone as the email arrived. His hands shook as he opened the attachment. There it was—proof. The genetic markers, the comparisons, the undeniable evidence. Lucas, Mateo, and Caleb were his children.

The world around him seemed to blur, and for a moment, he forgot where he was. His entire life, his family, everything he had known, had been built on a lie. How could he have missed this? How could he have not known that his children had been taken from him?

But then he looked at the photo attached to the results, the image of the three children, laughing, their faces full of joy. He knew, deep down, that they were his. They were his family. And no matter what came next, he would make sure they never had to feel alone again.

The days that followed were filled with a blur of activity. The children, settling into their new home, quickly adapted to their surroundings. Pedro, always the protector, took it upon himself to show Lucas and Mateo around the house, explaining everything in his usual confident manner. Lucas, with his thoughtful nature, was fascinated by the small details of their new world—how the light hit the windows in the morning, the way the garden smelled after a fresh rain. Mateo, ever the curious one, found solace in the routine, as if his body and mind were soaking in the safety of their new life.

But for Edward, there was no relief. The weight of his discovery hung over him like a storm cloud, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was unraveling, even as things appeared to settle.

It wasn’t just about the tests, the confirmation of the children’s parentage. It was about what that meant for him, for his family. He had promised to protect them, to give them a life free from the trauma they had known. But what did it mean when that trauma was so deeply connected to his own?

One evening, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Edward found himself standing on the balcony, looking out at the city skyline. He needed to clear his mind. The overwhelming need to understand his place in this new world, to understand the depths of the connection he felt to these children, was consuming him.

Pedro appeared beside him, as if sensing his father’s turmoil. “Dad,” he said softly, his voice careful, as though he too was feeling the weight of it all. “Are you okay?”

Edward turned to look at him, a sad smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He wanted to say that everything was fine, that this was just a momentary struggle. But the truth was more complicated. “I’m just thinking,” he replied. “A lot has changed, hasn’t it?”

Pedro nodded, his green eyes serious, the same piercing gaze that reminded Edward so much of himself. “I know,” he said quietly. “But it’s going to be okay, right? We’re a family now. That’s all that matters.”

Edward’s heart clenched. How could his son be so sure, so innocent in the face of such uncertainty? “I hope so, Pedro,” he murmured, more to himself than to his son. “I really hope so.”

As the days passed, the family settled into a new rhythm. The children became more comfortable with their new lives, and Edward made sure to keep them involved in every aspect of their routine. Breakfasts were filled with laughter, and weekends were spent exploring the city, visiting museums, parks, and new places that gave them a sense of belonging.

But despite the warmth of their new life, Edward couldn’t escape the looming sense of dread. The deeper he delved into his search for answers, the more questions surfaced. There were inconsistencies in Marcia’s story—gaps in her history, patterns that didn’t quite fit. And then there was the matter of the hospital—San Vicente, the place where everything had started.

The more he looked into it, the more the pieces seemed to fall into place. Marcia hadn’t just been a bystander in their lives. She had been a catalyst, a hidden figure manipulating the course of their fate. And what did that mean for the children now in his care?

One evening, as Edward sat alone in his study, going over the details once more, there was a knock at the door. It was Rosa, her face etched with concern.

“Mr. Edward, there’s someone here to see you,” she said quietly. “A man… He says he’s from the hospital.”

Edward’s heart skipped a beat. “From the hospital?” he repeated, trying to steady his breathing. “Send him in.”

A few moments later, a man entered the room, dressed in a simple suit, but with an air of authority that couldn’t be ignored. He looked like he had been through a hundred battles, and his presence felt like a storm had just entered the room.

“Mr. Edward,” the man said, his voice firm but not unkind. “My name is Dr. Alan Fischer. I’m a former director at San Vicente. I believe we have some unfinished business to discuss.”

Edward’s mind raced. The connection between the hospital and his family was undeniable, but he hadn’t expected someone from that world to come knocking.

“What’s this about?” Edward asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but it felt like he had no choice.

Dr. Fischer took a deep breath, sitting down across from Edward. “It’s about the children,” he began, his eyes serious. “And about what happened at San Vicente all those years ago.”

Edward’s pulse quickened. This was it. The final piece he had been waiting for. But was he ready for the truth?

Dr. Fischer’s eyes were intense, as though he had been carrying a secret for far too long. He leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped together as he spoke.

“You’ve been looking into the hospital, I assume,” he began, his tone measured. “What you don’t know is that there’s a lot more to what happened at San Vicente than just your wife’s tragic death.”

Edward sat up straighter, his heart pounding. “What are you talking about? What happened at San Vicente?”

Dr. Fischer paused for a long moment, as if weighing how much to reveal. “The pregnancy… It wasn’t just complicated by health issues. There were decisions made by the medical team, by people who thought they were doing the right thing, but ultimately created a terrible set of circumstances. Your wife, Patricia, wasn’t the only one in the delivery room that night.”

Edward’s mind raced, trying to process what Dr. Fischer was saying. “What do you mean? Who else was there?”

“Marcia,” Dr. Fischer replied quietly, his gaze dropping as he said the name. “Your sister-in-law. She wasn’t just a concerned family member. She was involved. She was… pushing for the doctors to make decisions that could save some of the children, but not all of them. She didn’t want to lose them all. She was scared. But at the same time, there was something else going on. Something no one wanted to acknowledge.”

Edward’s stomach twisted as the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. “She… she made them choose which child to save?”

Dr. Fischer nodded. “Yes. And she took matters into her own hands after that, making sure that the children who were believed to be lost—Lucas and Mateo—were kept out of the public eye, hidden away. For years, she told people that they had died with their mother. But they didn’t. They were taken from the hospital. And they were raised in hiding, away from you, away from anyone who could know the truth.”

Edward’s vision blurred as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. “What does that mean for me? For them?” He felt his heart race as he thought about the children in his house, the ones he had come to love like his own.

“It means,” Dr. Fischer said slowly, “that they are your children too. The two boys you’ve taken in—they share your blood. They are the brothers of your son Pedro. They are your biological children, Edward. Marcia took them, raised them in secret, but they belong to you. Your family was torn apart by her lies, by her fear, and by her desperation to protect herself.”

Edward could barely breathe. His heart pounded in his chest, and his thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind. He had suspected something was wrong, but the truth was far more twisted than he could have ever imagined.

“What do I do now?” Edward whispered, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. “How do I make this right?”

Dr. Fischer leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady. “You don’t need to fix everything, Edward. You don’t need to carry the weight of all of this on your own. The children are here now, and they’re safe. They’ve found their way back to you, and you’ve given them a home. That’s what matters. But you’ll need to make the right decisions moving forward, for them, for Pedro, for the future.”

Edward looked out the window, his mind spinning. He thought of Pedro, of Lucas, of Mateo, all of them with the same green eyes, the same mannerisms, the same unexplainable connection. They were his sons. All three of them. And the family he had been searching for, the one that had always felt incomplete, was finally together again.

“Thank you,” Edward said, his voice thick with emotion. “I need to talk to them. I need to tell them everything.”

Dr. Fischer gave him a small, understanding nod. “It won’t be easy. But they’ll need the truth, just as you do. And when you’re ready, we’ll help you move forward. Together.”

That night, Edward sat down with his three children in the living room. The weight of the conversation was heavy on his shoulders, but he knew it was time to tell them the truth, the whole truth. Pedro, Lucas, and Mateo sat around him, their faces full of hope and trust.

“Listen to me carefully,” Edward began, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “What I’m about to tell you changes everything. You’re not just my sons—you’re all my sons. All three of you. And what happened in the past… it wasn’t your fault. It was someone else’s doing. But we’re a family now. And nothing, nothing will tear us apart.”

The room was silent for a long time. Pedro, his eldest, looked at him with those bright, familiar eyes. “You mean… we’re really brothers?” he asked quietly.

Edward nodded, feeling tears well up in his eyes. “Yes, you are. And we’ll stay together, no matter what. We’re a family, and we’ll always be.”

And in that moment, something inside Edward finally broke free. The years of confusion, of pain, of searching for answers—he could leave that behind. Because his family was whole now. And together, they would face whatever came next.

Over time, they adapted to their new reality. The children grew closer, not just to Edward but to each other. They began to heal from the years of uncertainty, their bond strengthening with every passing day. The house was filled with laughter again, with the joy of shared memories being made.

And though Edward knew the world outside would never fully understand their story, he didn’t care. Because for the first time in years, he felt complete. His family was together, and that was all that mattered.