Alejandro nodded silently.
They walked down the corridor, their footsteps echoing in the almost empty building.
« Dad… » Alejandro said softly.
» Yes ? «
« I thought no one would believe me. »
Miguel stopped and met his son’s gaze.
« As long as you are honest, I will always be by your side. »
Alejandro swallowed hard. « It was horrible when she spilled the beans about me in front of everyone. »
Miguel’s jaw tightened, but his tone remained calm.
« This should never have happened. »
At the gate, the colonel caught up with them.
« The matter will continue through administrative and academic channels, » he explained.
Miguel nodded. — Thank you, Javier.
« Don’t thank me. Thank the cameras… and the fact that you chose not to pay. »
A faint smile crossed Miguel’s face.
The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the courtyard as the students walked away, still talking about what had happened.
In the car, the silence seemed lighter — no longer heavy, but relieved.
« Were you scared? » Alejandro asked.
« Yes, » replied Miguel. « But not for me. »
Alejandro was looking out the window.
« I was scared too. »
« Being afraid doesn’t make you guilty, » said his father.
At home, the cupboard door they had started repairing that morning was still hanging slightly crooked. The screwdriver lay on the floor.
Miguel picked it up.
« Let’s finish what we started. »
Alejandro smiled weakly.
While his father adjusted the hinge with firm hands, the boy watched him intently. Something had changed in him — not just relief, but also understanding.
» Dad… «
» Yes ? «
« Today I learned that telling the truth isn’t always enough. Sometimes you have to stand firm until people listen to you. »
Miguel tightened the last screw and tested the door. It aligned perfectly.
« That’s right, » he said. « And you’ve also learned that you’re not alone. »
Life in the kitchen had returned to normal. But the events of the day were not going to be easily forgotten.
The school investigation was going to continue. The phone call, the implicit pressures related to money, the threat of involvement from the authorities — everything was going to be documented.
But for Alejandro, the most important thing had already happened: he left the classroom with his head held high.
And Miguel, watching his son walk confidently towards his room, also understood something — that true authority is not based on fear.
It relies on constant protection.
The closet door was repaired.
And in a way, something deeper between them was too.
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