The sense of the sentence is that Luca had many formidable difficulties in his life. If something is particularly difficult in this manner, it is called “redoubtable.” The word does not mean “to doubt again.” Instead, the “re-” prefix here is an intensifier, meaning that the word literally means something like “really doubtable” (because it is so difficult).

The key is that these persons often perform actions with both hands, which is precisely what being “ambidextrous” means. Literally, it means, both (are) right or both hands are as good as right hands.

Since the children confuse the lamplight with that of a ghost, it is best described as being “spectral.” Other options like “eerie,” “devilish,” and “wicked” are not as directly related to the “ghostly” appearance. The word is related to a number of other words related to the Latin for look, such as “speculate” and “spectator,” though here the word explicitly means to have a ghostly appearance.

Since Regina is said to be looking for someone to fill the role of a mother in her life, we can say most assuredly that she is looking for a replacement mother. Whether or not she desires one who is friendly, we cannot say, and while likely she wants a devoted mother, still the sentence most directly is talking about this need for a replacement. A “surrogate” is a substitute for some position or role. It comes from the Latin word meaning to replace or depute, more distantly being derived from the combination of “super,” meaning over and “rogare,” meaning to ask. The latter is related to English words like “interrogate” and “derogatory.”

When a person has a deep psychological reliance on another person, it can often be called codependence. This is particularly the case when the other partner needs such a relationship as well, perhaps for other reasons. For instance, one person might need a mother figure and rely on some woman in his or her life, while that maternal figure might likewise have some need for someone to support her (e.g.) alcoholism. If the other person is a drinking partner, this relationship could be considered particularly codependent.

A “filial” quality is one that is due from a child. It is derived from the Latin words for daughter (filia) and son (filius).

The key expressions are “even though she did not meet the perfection.” To be “below” a level of perfection is to be “suboptimal,” a word literally meaning below the best. The prefix “sub-” has many derivatives in English (“submarine,” “substance,” and so forth). The word “optimal” (found in English words like “optimum”) is derived from the Latin “optimus,” meaning “best.”

To have great knowledge is to be “erudite,” a word whose roots indicate being taken from (e- / ex-) the state of rudeness or from being untrained (rudis). You can see the latter portion in words like “rude,” “rudimentary”, and “rudiment.”

Since the secured building would not allow documents to leave its walls, it can be said that they would not leave the “intramural” space, which means the space within (intra) the walls “mural.” When the word “intramural” is used to describe sports, it means sports that occur within a given academic institution—within its walls as opposed to between two different schools. Note that “intra” IS NOT the same as “inter,” the latter meaning between and the former meaning within.

Even if you didn’t know what text messages were, you could guess that the contrast is between short remarks and real letters—an interpretation solidified by the closing word “letters.” The word “epistolary” means related to letters. It is derived from the Latin “epistola,” meaning letter, which has the related English derivate “epistle,” which also means letter.