After Sergio’s revelation, Lucas gave serious thought to whether there was any way he could help him. He placed his hands on his temples, lost in reflection. As a lawyer, he needed to investigate Sergio’s case. He didn’t know where to begin, but he was determined to restore his friend’s reputation. When he finally looked up, the honesty in Sergio’s eyes erased any doubt —he was telling the truth.

The shared pain of his past resurfaced, compelling Lucas to be equally candid.  

“I need to tell you some things too,” he began. “After we stopped seeing each other, I gave up on being a musician. I didn’t care— I didn’t even try to keep going. So, I took the safe path, you know?” Sergio watched him attentively as Lucas continued.  

“I did it because I needed to feel useful. My stepfather had cancer, and I wanted someone to be proud of me. I got a scholarship to study law, and to support my family, I worked multiple jobs at once. I was a waiter, a salesman… I did all kinds of work. I thought my mom would be proud, but she didn’t care. Since I was a kid, I’d seen her drink every day. Then, she developed Alzheimer’s, and I took care of her until she passed. She wasn’t a good mother…” He hesitated. “She abused me as a child —yelled at me, told me she wished she’d never had me.”  

Sergio, more expressive than Lucas, gently took his hands, holding them firmly.  

Looking at him with empathy and sadness, he spoke softly. “I’m sorry to hear that, my friend. I wish we had been more honest with each other as kids. I’ve thought about you all these years,” he confessed. “Despite everything that happened... you matter to me —a lot. But… I have to admit, I wasn’t strong enough. Back in school, when those boys accused me of stealing, you did everything to defend me, but I couldn’t do anything for you. And even now, after all this time, I feel like I haven’t changed.”  

Without hesitation, the professor leaned forward and intertwined his fingers with Sergio’s in a more intimate gesture.  

“I think, I’m the one who failed,” he expressed.  

The custodian inhaled deeply, momentarily taken aback. He tried to pull his hands away, but Lucas held them tighter.  

“No, you didn’t,” the custodian countered, his voice thick with emotion.  

“I don’t want this to push us apart,” Lucas continued, sighing.  

His friend nodded. Without hesitation, the professor raised one of his hands and placed it gently on Sergio’s face. Neither of them spoke further. Their silence conveyed everything they couldn’t put into words.  

Lucas blinked, startled for a moment. Could it be that his friend welcomed another man touching him this way?

Slowly, he placed his hand on Sergio’s cheek, caressing it, then let his fingers move to his hair and the faint stubble on his jaw. With an intense gaze, he gathered the courage to say what he had been holding back.  

“Sergio,… I…” he hesitated, searching for the right words. Seeing that he was giving him his full attention, he continued. “I’ll be direct. I’m not good at this. You’re… special to me. In a way that makes me think about you all the time.”  

The freckled man looked at him, blinking. “I feel the same way —you’re a good friend. I admire you a lot.”  

Lucas took Sergio’s hands again, leaning in slightly.

“I don’t mean just… as a friend. I’m not one for sweet talk; I never have been, and I doubt I ever will be. But there’s something about you that makes me want to try —to say things I wouldn’t normally say. I… I see you differently.”