For years, Julián Castañeda assumed that the ghosts of his past were gone. But one afternoon in Polanco, Mexico City, reality showed him that no secret, no matter how well it is buried, will stay that way forever.
A Meeting in the City That Wasn’t Planned
At six o’clock in the evening, 39-year-old Julián left a sparkling glass office building. He had just been from one of those long, pompous meetings when men in fine suits talked about how they were going to change the world when all they actually wanted to do was protect their own interests.
He got into his SUV, which was protected, and directed the driver what to do. While the traffic moved slowly, Julián checked his phone for messages. Something in the middle of the monotonous metropolis caught his eye as he looked out the window.
And he saw her.
Valeria.
The Woman Who Never Stopped Trying
She was standing in front of a drugstore, wearing simple clothes and holding a ripped shopping bag. She seemed like she had a lot on her mind. Three little toddlers stood close to her, looking around nervously and softly.
There were three guys.
They are all the same.
And everyone has their own eyes.
Julian felt a hit in the chest, like if the air had left him. He leaned forward to check, but a car got in front of him and obscured his vision.
He said, “Stop the car!” in a gruff voice.
The motorist was so shocked that he jammed on the brakes. Julián opened the door, stepped outside, and looked around. His heart was racing. She was getting into a gray Uber while holding the kids’ hands as she crossed the street.
He didn’t shout. He didn’t leave. He didn’t move as the car went away and became stuck in traffic.
He went back to his SUV without saying a word. Not even the driver had the guts to ask. Julián was not the same person who had just been talking about contracts worth millions of dollars.
He was just thinking about one thing now:
Were those kids yours?
The Heavy Weight of Regret
He threw his jacket on the couch and poured himself a strong drink in Santa Fe, even though it was only four in the afternoon. He walked around like a madman, with thoughts of Valeria flooding his mind.
It had been six years since he left that early morning because he was so driven. No letter. Not a note. He just left. He told himself, “I’ll be back; there’s still time.” But he never came back.
He made her think that she would understand and that they may get back together one day. He never had the courage to look back, though.
Until now.
Searching for Shadows of the Past
He took out his phone. He searched for her name on social media.
Nothing.
It seemed like Valeria Ortega had disappeared from the world.
He unlocked his laptop, went to a hidden folder, and started looking at old images of Valeria. There were pictures of her at the beach, in their small apartment, and in her pajamas, laughing with a mouth full of popcorn.
He stopped when he saw a picture of Valeria smiling at the camera while hugging him from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. A image she took herself.
Julian looked at her for a long time with his lips pressed together. He knew exactly what he had to do.
He dialed a number.
“Mateo, I need you to find someone.” Her name is Valeria Ortega. I don’t know where she lives, but I do know that she is in Manila. and that she has three children.
“Is there anything else, sir?”
—”Yes. They may be mine.
The other end is quiet.
Mateo finally answered, “Understood, sir,” and then hung up.
Julian stood still and stared out the window. There are a lot of lights and people. But that night, just one mattered.
I didn’t know if Valeria disliked him, hated him a lot, or just forgot about him.
But one thing was clear: I couldn’t keep living with a question that didn’t have an answer.
If those three kids were his…
Things would be different.
The Start of Doubt
Julian had barely slept by the time the sun came up. He dreamed about the woman with three kids who looked just like him all the time. She would be waiting on the sidewalk, as if fate were poking fun of him.
He didn’t say hey to the people who worked for him when he walked by them at work. He locked the door to his office and leaned against the glass to look at the tall buildings in the city. The city was still going about its business, not knowing how much misery he was in.
He glanced again. Addresses and names. Any symbol.
Nothing.
She thought the earth had eaten her.
Then, in the solitude, he said to himself:
“Valeria, I’m going to find you.” And this time I won’t leave until I have an answer.
The Call That Changed Everything
The phone rang during lunch.
It was Matthew.
—”Sir, I found her.”
Julian’s heart raced.
—”Where is he?”
—”He lives in a small apartment in the north of Manila. The kids’ names are Emilio, Andrés, and Julián.
The name hit him like a wave. One of them was named him.
—”Are you… married?”
—”No, sir.” She lives with them all by herself. She works at a drugstore on the side.
Julian sat down in the chair and covered his face with his hands. He felt a mix of worry, guilt, and relief.
“Get me ready for a flight today.”
Seeing the Past in Person
Julián was standing in front of a basic door in Manila hours later. His hands were shaking. He had accepted contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars without a second thought, but this time he was afraid.
He knocked on the door.
Valeria let them in.
It seemed like time had stopped. She didn’t scream. She didn’t cry. She looked at him with calmness, but her eyes betrayed that she was enraged.
“Hi, Valeria,” Julián said in a broken voice.
“What are you doing here?”
He took a breath.
“I saw the kids.” I need to know what really went down.
Shut up. The only thing you could hear was automobiles in the distance.
Finally, Valeria moved away from the door.
“It’s okay.”
The Truth Comes Out
Three kids were playing with plastic cars on the floor inside. They were interested but not terrified when they noticed the guest.
Julian couldn’t help it; he looked at each one of them and saw things that he couldn’t ignore. It was like looking at a younger version of himself in every line on their face and every action they made.
At last, Valeria said:
“Yes, they are yours.”
The world stopped.
Julian shut his eyes and let the truths wash over him. At that point, he had to deal with the consequences of six years of selfish decisions.
“Sorry,” she replied in a hushed voice, attempting to hold back tears.
“I’m sorry for everything.”
Valeria looked at him with pain and pride.
—”Julián, I’m not here to get even with you. My kids don’t need a wealthy individual. They need a father.
Julian nodded slowly.
—”Then let me be it.”
Julián Castañeda realized what was really essential in that small apartment with no photographers, contracts, or nice clothes: not money, not business transactions, and not armored cars.
But three little youngsters with his eyes could still give him another chance.