Chapter 22：A Glimpse of Gael's Past

Gael De Luca was formerly known as Gael Santi Rivera—Santi being his second name while Rivera was his mother's surname. They lived in Brooklyn, New York which is the second most expensive place to live in the nation. He had never met his father then and had only seen one picture of him while growing up.

His mother didn't like talking about his father and he didn't know why. All he knew was that they were no longer together and they were never married but he never saw his mother with another man. Growing up, he got bullied because he didn't have his father and was shamed as a child born out of wedlock—an illegitimate child.

But he never paid attention to those people and most of the time, he would just brush them off; though there were times that he would inevitably end up in a fight because he didn't like what his schoolmates say about his mother.

Growing up in Brooklyn, a lot of people expect them to be wealthy or at least above average especially that they were living in a brownstone—an expensive townhouse that is a favorite for well-off New Yorkers.

However, they weren't really wealthy. Gael could say they were pretty much just an average family. His mother was a nurse in a local hospital and she was the only one working to provide for him and his grandmother. Despite that fact, he went to a private school, they had a great house, they were able to eat well three meals a day, and they pretty much had an 'okay' lifestyle.

What he noticed though was that his mother didn't have a lot of pretty dresses like his classmates' mothers had. She didn't go out much like other women did on the weekends and she almost always looked tired like working wore her down while other mothers of his classmates looked like they were one of those wives from Desperate Housewives.

Gael didn't criticize his mother; he was really just curious. Truth be told, he never cared about those things and he loved her for what and who she was because while other mothers looked 'perfect', his mother was always there for him. She tucked him to bed, fed him, took care of him and loved him.

But since he was still young, he didn't really know the truth about their situation. It was only when he was older and came to Italy with his father when everything made sense to him.

His mother was diagnosed with colon cancer when he was thirteen years old. At first, his mother didn't want him to know about it but he ended up finding out later anyway. At such a young age, he was so afraid of losing her. Not knowing what he can do to help his mother, he almost dropped out of school due to stress and constant worry.

When his mother knew about his situation in school, he was scolded—and he hated that he made her mad given that she already had enough problems with her health. His grandmother was already seventy-five years old and since the only one who was working was his mother, they were struggling.

Gael had to slap himself with the reality that he had to do something or he would lose his mother. So from middle school to high school, he started tutoring Math and English to his schoolmates. Sometimes, he would be a dog walker. What he earned wasn't a lot but it definitely helped around the house since he didn't have to ask for lunch money and even contributed a little. This happened all while his mother had to undergo a series of treatments.

The treatments cost a lot. He had even asked his mother that he would quit going to the private school and attend a public school instead to help save money but she was so against it and she reassured him multiple times that his tuition fees were taken care of and that it wasn't a problem.

He never really understood anything about this as he was only told that his school fees came from a benefactor, which was why he shouldn't worry as it didn't affect their financing situation; knowing this reduced Gael's worry. He shrugged it under the rug and went on with his high school life.

His mother was in and out of the hospital for three years. There were times when she showed great progress but then several months later and a trip to the hospital, there was a relapse. The cancer had metastasized to her liver and in a few months, she had passed away.

Sixteen-year-old Gael lost his mother to cancer and it crushed him.

For years, they had fought for her to get better. He had done everything he could but it wasn't enough. They lost the fight. And he had hated himself for it.

Why? He didn't know.

Gael went through all stages of death—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—not just once but plenty of times. Sometimes not even in the right order. He'd be angry one day and then suddenly depressed. Sometimes he would feel both at the same time. Sometimes all at the same time.

At the wake of Gael's mother...

Gael wore a black suit that his mother picked out for him that one time they went out shopping the month before. He was supposed to wear it for a school dance a few days later—and now she wasn't even going to see him in it. There were so many people around him and his grandmother—a combination of genuine and pretentious people who knew his mother personally.

He sat on a chair near her coffin, his red-rimmed eyes evident as he stared at nothing in particular. He had grey eyes but they look a little more bluish in his current state. Just last night, his heart was hurting so badly he thought he was dying and honestly, he imagined it would have been better if he was. However, he was feeling so numb now and he couldn't tell if it was a good or a bad thing. Now that his mother was gone, he did not know what he would do with his life anymore.

The soft murmurs and the faint clatter of plates and glasses in the room suddenly stopped but Gael didn't even notice this. If he had, he would have turned his head and looked towards the door.

It was as if time stood still when a man in his mid-forties entered the foyer. Everyone's eyes landed on him, scanning him from head to toe and noticing his distinct features. Those who knew him got scared and froze on the spot while those who didn't had wondered who he was and some even had guessed right away, seeing how young Gael looked so much like him.

Alessandro De Luca looked every bit Italian and Gael resembled his father a lot: Tall, grey eyes, sharp jaws, and tanned skin. He looked like a very much older version of Gael.

Making his way towards the coffin, Alessandro had a sullen expression as he hesitantly approached. That was the only time when Gael looked up and saw the man whom he had only seen in the one picture he had of him. Gael watched as Alessandro took his time paying his respects before the latter went to sit on the empty chair next to his son.

Gael didn't know what to think and what to feel at the moment. And he certainly didn't know what to say when the very first thing he heard from the stranger sitting next to him was: "Hello, son."