Tears fill the UK’s This Morning studio: Hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley moved by the story: “Mummy, where’s daddy?” – Little Dinis (4) leaves Jota’s wife, Rute, frozen in tears, unable to speak – Three children far too young – Diogo Jota’s passing forces the small family to bear unimaginable pain. The children’s future still so long ahead – Spanish police confirmed the cause – but the family still cannot believe it’s real.

Just days after the funeral, the family home of Rute Cardoso remains steeped in quiet sorrow. Her three young children — Dinis (4), Duarte (2) and the youngest, only 8 months old — are far too young to grasp why their father will never come home.

One evening, as Rute gently settled Duarte and the baby for bed, she heard the soft patter of small feet approaching. Dinis, eyes swollen from tears, stood at the door and asked in a trembling voice:

“Mummy, where’s daddy?”

The words caught in Rute’s throat. She drew him close, gently smoothing his hair, and whispered:

“Daddy had to go on a very long trip, my love. A trip that takes a very long time to come back from…”

Dinis frowned, his voice cracking:

“But daddy’s coming back from work, isn’t he?”

Fighting her own heartbreak, Rute managed a comforting smile:

“Daddy has gone up to the sky. He’s become a star that watches over us every night.”

It was the first time little Dinis had heard words like this — a quiet attempt to explain an absence that would never end. The room fell silent, heavy with a grief too large for small hearts. The baby gazed at her mother, unaware, while Duarte crawled closer and rested a tiny hand on his mother’s knee, seeking warmth.

In the days since, Rute has had to carry her own sorrow while gently caring for her children’s tender spirits. A neighbour shared how, each morning, Dinis hugs a teddy bear, placing it by his father’s photo, whispering softly: “Good morning, daddy.”

The passing of Diogo Jota — a beloved father and symbol of kindness — left millions of supporters in mourning. Yet it is these private moments — the innocent question of a little boy echoing through quiet rooms — that capture the true depth of what has been lost.