Once the baby had been settled, Adrian slid from the chair and stood beside Matias. He wiped the last traces of dampness from his cheeks with the sleeve of his shirt before looking up at Luciano.
"Uncle Luciano?"
Luciano lifted his gaze. "Yes?"
Adrian hesitated for a moment before asking quietly, "When the baby is older... will the baby know that Mommy left?"
The question immediately softened Luciano's expression. He understood that Adrian was not simply asking about what had happened that morning; he was trying to understand what the newborn might eventually feel when they were old enough to ask questions about the parent who was no longer there.
"One day, the baby will be old enough to understand," Luciano answered gently. "When that time comes, we'll tell the truth carefully. Until then, the baby only needs to know that there are people here who love them and will take care of them."
