The question pierced Alex’s heart. He looked at Sofia, who gave him a warning look. “No, darling,” Sofia said gently. “Alex isn’t an astronaut. He’s just a friend.”
Alex felt a wave of shame and an iron will. He couldn’t be the imaginary astronaut, but he could be the real father.
For the next few weeks, Alex devoted himself to rectifying his mistakes with an intensity that rivaled the dedication he had shown in building his empire. His first action was to fire Richard Sterling and his entire legal team, launching an internal investigation that uncovered several questionable practices Sterling had carried out on his behalf. Alex personally apologized to Sofia’s brother, Miguel, and compensated him for the legal harassment.
But the most important thing was his approach to Daniel. It began with short visits, under Sofia’s watchful eye. He read him stories, they played with toy cars on Sofia’s living room floor, and little by little, Daniel began to see him as a “special friend” of his mother’s. Alex didn’t immediately try to usurp the astronaut story. He wanted to earn his son’s trust, not impose his will.
Sofia, though still cautious, began to see a genuine change in Alex. He was no longer the workaholic who had abandoned her. He was a man seeking redemption, who bent down to tie Daniel’s shoelaces, who patiently listened to her stories from daycare, who even helped her clean the kitchen after dinner.
One day, after a month of constant visits, Alex asked Sofia to let him tell Daniel the truth.
“I don’t want him to grow up with a lie, Sofia. And I don’t want him to find out the truth by accident. I want to be the one to tell him, with you by my side.”
Sofia hesitated, but saw the sincerity in his eyes. “Okay, Alex. But if you hurt him again… there’s no going back.”
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That afternoon, the three of them sitting on the sofa, Alex took Daniel’s hand. “Champ,” he began, his voice trembling, “remember when Mom told you that your dad was an astronaut on a very long mission?” Daniel nodded, his eyes wide and expectant. “Well, the truth is… your dad isn’t an astronaut. Your dad is me.”
Daniel’s eyes widened even more, and then, with the simple logic of a child, he asked, “Then why weren’t you with me? Why didn’t you come to my birthday party?”
Alex felt a lump in his throat. “Your dad made a huge mistake, Daniel. I was so confused and scared when you were a baby, and I didn’t know how to be the father you needed. I left, and that was the worst thing I could have done. But I’m back, and I want to be the best dad in the world to you. If you give me a chance.”
