During the lunch break, a group of younger students approached him with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
Their questions were innocent but revealing: "What does it feel like to score for your country?" "Are you still going to come to school here?" "Do you remember what it was like to be normal?"
The last question hit him particularly hard because he wasn't sure he remembered what normal felt like anymore. Success had created a barrier between him and his peers that he hadn't anticipated and wasn't sure how to navigate.
That evening, the phone calls to Casa de los Niños provided both comfort and perspective, but even these familiar conversations carried new undertones. Sister María Elena's voice was filled with maternal pride, but also concern about how he was handling his newfound fame.
