The Thread of life

《Mateo, Mateo! Look here!》

At that request, the young champion turns toward the paparazzi and smiles, holding tightly the hand of her companion who does not hesitate to show the big engagement ring given to her by the boy: getting visibility, even more. The girl's smile grows wider when she realizes that the photographers' attention is all on her-she is the star of the moment, not Mateo!

《When is the date? 》 asked one, 《Congratulations, guys!》 said another. Being very reserved Mateo did not answer and waved that he should enter the club, but that was Nadia's chance and she did not waste a single second and held back the footballer to answer the reporters' questions:《Quickly, very soon! Rob and I are very happy and there will be nothing or no one that can separate us, right mi amor?》

the young soccer player stiffens but tries not to give it away; he hates that nickname and that "Mi amor" reminds him of another person. A person who has always been on his mind and in his heart, but is slipping away from him at that moment.

"Mi amor, never leave me." A promise he had made but apparently had not kept.

From a distance Rafael signals to him that he must join him and his family, waking the 30-year-old from his own thoughts.

No, this is no time to be sad.

He holds his companion's hand tightly and walks toward his brother, ready to receive that award that would place him alongside soccer's greats forever. Because all the sacrifices made by his parents, his unnatural passion for football led to all this.

The fame, the glory, the happiness: it is all deserved.

But it wasn't always so easy, and as he steps onto that stage a trail of memories runs through his mind, making him travel into the past.

And that same journey is the one we will take as well.