Mateo had always been a man of few words, but his actions spoke volumes. And the surprise trip to Italy was his grandest gesture yet.
He had gathered Elena, Pablo, and Miguel in the common room of Casa de los Niños, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. He had presented them with a small, beautifully wrapped box. Inside, nestled in a bed of tissue paper, were four plane tickets to Rome.
The reaction was instantaneous and chaotic. Elena had screamed, a high-pitched, joyous sound that was completely out of character for the usually composed young woman. Pablo had whooped and hollered, lifting Mateo into a bone-crushing hug. And Miguel, his eyes wide with disbelief, had simply stared at the tickets, his hands trembling.
"I… I don't know what to say," Elena had stammered, her eyes shining with tears. "Mateo, this is… this is too much."
Mateo had simply smiled and signed, *"You're my family. You deserve the world."*
