Since the day my stepfather came to live with me, the money in the cupboard gradually decreased, I secretly followed him and then collapsed before the bitter truth
After my mother passed away, I decided to welcome Tito Ramon – my stepfather – to live with my family, to take care of him as a way to repay the old love.

I am 30 years old now. My biological father left home when I was 6 years old, leaving my mother and I alone in the world. My mother did not remarry, working 2-3 jobs to raise me. Throughout my childhood, only my mother and I relied on each other.

It was not until I went to university and graduated and started working that my mother’s hardship eased. Then, through an acquaintance, my mother met Tito Ramon. He had a wife and a son, but the son lived with his biological mother, and the father-son relationship gradually faded.

Since the day I came to live with my mother, Tito Ramon has treated me very well. He cared for me, even considered me as his own son. But in my heart there was still a bit of distance, never daring to open my heart completely.

Then one day, by chance, I heard my mother and him talking. My mother wanted to have another child together, but Tito Ramon gently refused:

– “We have Maria, that’s enough. I’m afraid if we have another child, she will feel abandoned. Even though she hasn’t really opened her heart yet, but in my heart, she is my biological daughter. She has lacked a father since she was little, and needs love even more. Moreover, I’m old now, having a child will only make her suffer more in the future.”

After listening, I burst into tears. It turned out that the man I was wary of secretly loved me so much. From then on, I gradually changed my perspective and opened my heart more to him.

At the age of 24, I got married and had a son. My husband loved me, my in-laws loved me, my finances were stable, I felt satisfied. But then my mother fell seriously ill and passed away. Losing my mother, I collapsed. After that, I decided to take Tito Ramon to live with me as a way to repay my old love.

At first, he refused, afraid of bothering me. But after many times of my begging, he agreed to come live with me.

Then, I began to notice something strange: the money in the cupboard was gradually decreasing. My husband and I worked all day, leaving only Tito Ramon at home. At first, I thought he had conveniently taken some money to go to the market, so I didn’t say anything. But the repeated occurrence made me suspicious.

One day, I left work early, checked the cupboard and found it missing. I decided to secretly install a camera in the bedroom.

The next day, I turned on the camera to check again. The person who entered the room, gently opened the drawer… was not Tito Ramon, but my son.

I was stunned. When confronted and presented with evidence, my son burst into tears and confessed softly:

– “Mama, I just wanted to take some money to buy a birthday present for my friend.”

Hearing him say that, my heart ached. I was both angry and regretful – angry because my son was wrong, regretful because I almost wrongly accused Tito Ramon, who once refused to have a biological child just to devote all his love to me.

A promise in my heart

I hugged my son, telling him never to do it again. Then I turned to look at Tito Ramon – a man who was not related by blood but had given me a love that was more than that of a blood relative. I told myself: from now on, I will live a kind, filial life and love him like my own father.

Maybe I lacked a father in my childhood, but fate compensated me with a stepfather – warm, tolerant and loyal. That love, sometimes even more precious than blood relatives

After being caught stealing money, my son – Joshua – changed completely. He understood his mistake and became more obedient. What surprised me the most was that he started to take the initiative to get closer to Tito Ramon.

One time, I saw Joshua sitting on the porch, diligently practicing writing, while Tito Ramon sat next to him, patiently teaching him each stroke. The boy smiled brightly and called:

– “Lolo Ramon, I can write now!”

Tito Ramon stroked his hair, his eyes shining with a happiness that he had not felt in years.

From then on, every afternoon, Joshua ran home early, enthusiastically planting vegetables with Lolo Ramon, watering the plants, and then sitting and listening to his grandfather tell stories of the past. The sight of the two of them chattering made my heart feel strangely warm. I thought to myself: “Maybe my mother in heaven is also smiling when she sees our family like this.”

Unexpected incident

However, just as the joy returned, another unexpected incident suddenly occurred. One day, my biological father – who had abandoned my mother and me when I was young – suddenly appeared at the door. He was old, haggard, holding a stack of debt papers in his hand.

He choked:

– “Maria, I was wrong to abandon you and your mother. Now I have no one left, I only hope you will give me a place to stay…”

I was stunned, my heart felt like someone was squeezing it. So many painful memories arose. The man in front of me had abandoned my mother and me during our childhood, and now he had come back to ask for support.

What confused me even more was that Joshua ran out, innocently calling him ‘Lolo’. He did not know the bitter past, he only saw a pitiful old man.

That night, I tossed and turned, tears wetting my pillow. I did not want to prolong the hatred, but I could not forgive easily. Looking into the next room, I saw Tito Ramon still taking care of Joshua as usual, while my biological father sat silently in the dark.

The next morning, Tito Ramon said to me:

– “Maria, I know it’s difficult for you. But Joshua needs to see the family united, not broken. If you can’t forgive him completely, at least give him a chance to prove it. I’m here, and I’ll protect Joshua with you.”

Those words made me choke up. This man who is not related by blood is my biggest support at the moment.

Then the financial crisis happened. My biological father was found by creditors at home demanding money. They threatened and shouted, making Joshua scared and hug Tito Ramon tightly.

My husband, Tito Ramon, and I faced it together. Instead of abandoning him, we discussed and decided to pay off part of the debt to protect the family’s honor, and at the same time forced my biological father to stay, help with the housework and start a new life.

The strange thing is that Joshua is the bridge. He innocently holds both of their hands:

– “I have two Lolos, and I love them both. So don’t be angry with each other anymore, okay?”

At that moment, I burst into tears. I understand that a family is not only made up of blood, but also of tolerance and love.

After the incident, my biological father stayed, gradually making amends by helping Tito Ramon take care of the garden and pick up Joshua. Although the wounds of the past have not yet healed, I chose to let go of hatred to keep a warm home for my child.

From a childhood full of absence, now I have a home with three generations together. Joshua has two grandfathers – one who made mistakes but is correcting them, and one who, although not related by blood, is full of love.

In my heart, I thought: “This is the greatest gift that life has given me – an imperfect family, but knows how to love and stand together.”