The son and his wife drove the aging father out of his own home. The elderly man was nearly freezing when a paw brushed his cheek.
António sat on a cold park bench somewhere in Viseu, shivering against the biting chill. The wind howled like a hungry beast, snowflakes fell heavily, and the night stretched into endless darkness. He stared into emptiness, unable to grasp how, after building his house with his own hands, he was now discarded onto the street as if worthless.
Only hours earlier he had been within the four walls hed known all his life. Yet his son, Pedro, looked at him with a frosty indifference, as if he were a stranger rather than a parent.
Dad, its too cramped for me and Ana, he said without blinking. Besides, youre no longer young; it would be better for you to move into a retirement home or rent a room. You have your pension
Ana, the daughterinlaw, stood beside him, silently nodding, as though this were the most natural decision in the world.
But this is my home Antónios voice trembled, not from the cold but from the pain of betrayal gnawing at him.
You transferred everything to my name, Pedro shrugged with a cold detachment that stole Antónios breath. The papers are signed, dad.
In that instant the old man realized he had nothing left.
He didnt argue. Pride or despairsomething made him simply turn and walk away, abandoning everything dear to him.
Now he sat in the darkness, wrapped in an old coat, his thoughts a tangled mess: how had he trusted his son, raised him, given his all, only to become an intruder at the end? The cold seeped into his bones, but the anguish in his soul was deeper.
Suddenly he felt a touch.
A warm, furry paw landed gently on his frozen hand.
Before him stood a huge, shaggy dog with kind, almost human eyes. It stared at António, then pressed its wet nose against his palm, whispering, Youre not alone.
Where did you come from, friend? the old man murmured, trying to hold back tears that threatened to surface.
The dog wagged its tail and nipped the edge of his coat.
What are you doing? António asked, surprised, his voice no longer weighed down by melancholy.
The dog tugged insistently, and António, after a deep sigh, chose to follow. What did he have to lose?
They trekked through snowcovered streets until a small houses door opened. A woman, wrapped in a warm shawl, stood on the threshold.
Duke! Where have you been, you rascal?! she began, but halted when she saw the shivering elder. My God are you alright?
António tried to assure her he could manage, but only a hoarse sound escaped his throat.
Youre freezing! Come inside quickly! she grabbed his hand and almost pulled him into the house.
António awoke in a heated room. The aroma of fresh coffee and something sweetperhaps cinnamon rollsfilled the air. He didnt immediately know where he was, but the warmth spread through his body, pushing back the cold and fear.
Good morning, a soft voice said.
He turned. The woman who had rescued him the night before stood at the doorway, a tray in her hands.
My name is Mariana, she smiled. And you are?
António
Well, António, her grin widened, my Duke rarely brings strangers home. Youre lucky.
He managed a faint smile in return.
I dont know how to thank you
Tell me how you ended up on the street on such a frosty night, she prompted, placing the tray on the table.
António hesitated, but the sincerity in Marianas eyes made him spill everything: the house, the son, the betrayal by those he had devoted his life to.
When he finished, a heavy silence settled over the room.
Stay here with me, Mariana said suddenly.
António stared at her, bewildered.
What?
I live alonejust me and the Duke. Im lonely, and you need a home.
I I dont know what to say
Just say yes, she said, smiling again, while the dog, as if agreeing, rested its snout on her hand.
In that moment António realized he had found a new family.
Months later, with Marianas help, he went to court. The documents Pedro had forced him to sign were declared void, and the house was legally returned to him.
But António didnt go back.
That place is no longer mine, he said calmly, looking at Mariana. Let her keep it.
Youre right, she replied, nodding. Because your home is now here.
He glanced at the Duke, the cozy kitchen, and the woman who had given him warmth and hope. Life hadnt endedit was just beginning, and for the first time in years António felt that happiness was still possible.
