The afternoon sun was beginning to dip lower in the Barcelona sky when Mateo noticed three familiar figures approaching across the newly unveiled mini-pitch.
Elena, Pablo, and Miguel, the older kids at Casa de los Niños, were making their way toward him with purposeful strides. All three were seventeen now, preparing for university entrance exams by the end of the year, and they had been like older siblings to Mateo during his time at the orphanage.
Elena was the first to reach him. Tall, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and sharp, intelligent eyes, she had always been the protective older sister type. She pulled Mateo into a fierce hug, then held him at arm's length to look him over.
"Look at you," she said, her voice a mixture of pride and affection. "A Bundesliga champion. We watched every match we could find online. You were incredible."
