He sank against the trunk of the jacaranda tree, yellow duck still in hand, understanding fully the depth of his loss. He had asked the world for power, pride, and control—but the universe had delivered something far more absolute: his daughter’s life, joy, and love, completely untouchable by him. Fate had rendered him a permanent stranger to his own blood.
Lucía disappeared into the golden afternoon, Esperanza giggling, while Javier remained in the shadows, hollow and broken. The duck, a tiny symbol of his shattered dreams, was left behind, forgotten by all but him. From that day forward, whenever he saw a father and child laughing together, his heart ached with the knowledge that he would never again hold what he had thrown away.
