The taxi pulled up to the familiar gates of Casa de los Niños, and Mateo felt his heart begin to race. It had only been a few weeks since he had last been here, but so much had changed. Or rather, so much was about to be revealed. He looked at Isabella, who squeezed his hand reassuringly, her eyes full of a quiet, steady confidence.
"Are you ready?" she asked softly.
Mateo nodded, though his hands were trembling slightly. He had been thinking about this moment for months, ever since that cold January day during the winter break when he had first broached the subject with Don Carlos.
---
January 2014 - Winter Break
The memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Mateo had returned to Barcelona during the brief winter break, his heart heavy with a mixture of homesickness and purpose. He had just received his first significant paycheck from Dortmund, and while the amount was modest by football standards, it was more money than he had ever seen in his life.
