Neither did my father.
A young woman of about nineteen or twenty years old appeared in front of me.
She had dark hair, light eyes, and a surprised expression that seemed to reflect the same confusion I felt.
“Can I help you?” he asked kindly.
I was speechless for a few seconds.
—I’m looking for Antonio and Elena… Do they still live here?
The young woman hesitated for a moment before answering.
—Yes… they are my grandparents.
Those two words left me completely immobile.
My grandparents?
I felt my heart begin to beat strongly.
I had never had siblings.
So…
Who was that girl?
Before I could ask another question, I heard a familiar voice from inside the house.
—Who called?
She was my mother.
When he appeared in the doorway, time seemed to stand still.
Her hair was completely white and the wrinkles reflected the passage of years, but she was still herself.
When he saw me, he put a hand to his mouth.
Her eyes began to fill with tears.
—Laura…? —he whispered almost voicelessly.
I nodded slowly.
For a few seconds neither of them was able to move.
Finally, my mother took a step towards me.
I thought he would hug me.
But he remained motionless.
As if he didn’t know if he had the right to do it.
At that moment my father appeared.
He remained a serious man, although much older.
Her expression changed completely when she recognized me.
He said absolutely nothing.
He just stood there watching me.
The silence was awkward.
It was the young woman who ended up breaking it.
—Grandma… who is she?
My mother took a deep breath.
—She is… someone very important to our family.
That answer only increased my confusion.
We went into the house.
Everything remained practically the same.
The old clock in the living room.
Family photographs.
The wooden table where we had dined so many times.
All that was missing were my photographs.
They had disappeared.
My mother made coffee while no one could find the right words.
Finally, it was I who spoke.
—Twenty years have passed.
My father lowered his gaze.
—We know.
—Why did they never try to find me?
No one answered.
The young woman watched the conversation without understanding anything at all.
“Who are you?” I asked gently.
She smiled.
—My name is Sofia.
