I reached out to the letter,s. but my fingers were shaking so hard that I couldn’t get it. Luke noticed and gently pushed the glass of water towards me, while Matteo sat in the chair to my right.

But I like to think that somewhere he would have smiled.

In the months following, the legal procedure continued, with all the necessary checks and formalities.

We didn’t need a court order to know what we meant to each other.

But I was understanding why the boys wanted our bond to be recognized and officially.

For them, it wasn’t about a name or legacy.

It was their way of saying that after so many years of struggling to stay by their side, it was time for them to do something for me.
Ezoic

One morning, while I was making breakfast, Matteo walked into the kitchen.

Mom, where are the car keys?

I pointed to the bowl by the door.

Where you leave them every night.

It came out in a hurry.

I stayed a few seconds with the spoon in my hand.
Ezoic

Then I smiled.

Not because he had said “mother.”