With that heavy atmosphere in the kitchen, I didn't know what to do.“Only the pork leg is left to finish roasting, sir,” Denise replied.“Hurry up, I'm starving. You know I like things on time.”After speaking to her, he turned his gaze to me.“Is the boy better now?” he asked, without any expression on his face.I couldn't believe that man knew his son had been sick and showed no concern, leaving the house early and now asking without any emotion.“Yes, sir, your son is better.” I emphasized the word son, to see if it would move him a little.He stared at me for a few seconds, maybe expecting me to say something more, but I simply turned my back and left with Noah.I went for a walk in the garden. It was a beautiful day. I walked near the trees. It was almost noon, and the sun was very hot, but the large trees provided a wide shade.Noah was awake, his little eyes open, which was rare to see. They were green, just like Oliver's. I thought about how beautiful he was.“I'm talking abo

I woke up with the flash of lightning.I had fallen asleep with Noah and had forgotten to close the curtains. The lightning lit up the room from time to time, but there was no sound of thunder. The window was well sealed and soundproof. I looked and saw that Noah was still sleeping like a little angel. I got up, carefully dragged one of the armchairs to the window, sat down, and started watching the rain fall.I loved the rain. I loved the lightning. They were so beautiful. Despite being dangerous, they were the thing I admired most in nature, so imposing, followed by their majestic voice of thunder. I looked at the clock and saw it was a little past two in the morning. Outside, everything was frightening. I remembered that I had arrived here on a night like this, with lightning, rain, and that man.I remembered the man on the bridge, the car stopped, him about to jump, and my interference. Did I save his life? How was he now? Who was he, and what could have led him to try to take his

Inside the office, two men were talking.“This girl thinks I'm some kind of idiot.”“Which girl?”“Aurora!”“Be patient with her, man. The poor thing spent the whole night with the boy in the emergency room.”“She forgot that I'm the boss. I'm the one in charge here!”“What did she say to make you this nervous, huh? Did I miss something while I was away?” he said, sitting down in the office armchair.“Forget that brat...” Oliver also sat down and opened the notebook.“You were the one who started talking about her,” Saulo mocked.“Tell me, where were you to run into Aurora on the road at dawn?”“Admiring the perfection of the village.” He laughed shamelessly.“Tell me another one, Saulo.” Oliver rolled his eyes.“I'm serious, Oliver. São Caetano village is perfect, man. You designed every detail there as if you lived there.”“But I do, in a way.”“The market, the emergency room, the pharmacy, the bank, the school, and the bar.” He got excited. “Man, that bar there is amazing. When I w

We sat on a bench under a huge tree full of flowers.The place was quiet, since it was still early in the morning.“First, I want you to promise me you won't tell the boss that I told you this, and not anyone else either—not my uncle, not Saulo, not—”“All right, Denise, I got it. I won't tell anyone, I promise,” I interrupted her.“Look, I hope you're not in a hurry, okay? Because the story is long.”“Oh, Denise, just tell me already, I'm getting more and more curious!”“You're just like me.” She laughed. “But that's normal. Who doesn't like a good piece of gossip? And honestly, I can imagine what's going through your head, arriving at a house and finding a newborn without a mother.”“Thank goodness you understand me, Denise. Where is Noah's mother? Did she die?”“No, my dear, Noah's mother is very much alive.”“Then where is she?” I asked, curious.“I told you the story is long. For you to understand, I have to start from the beginning.”“Then start already, woman!” I had already be

Denise was someone who gave me a strong sense of honesty.She seemed very trustworthy, the kind of person who would never tell anyone what she was confiding in me.“Saulo and I, you know...” she said shyly. “We've been involved for quite some time now—almost two years, to be exact. Whenever he comes to the farm, we're always together. But I'm very down-to-earth about these things. At any moment, he could leave, find someone from his own social class, or simply decide I'm just a pastime. I don't know, you know? But while he's here, we make the most of it. I like him, I won't deny it, but if he says he doesn't want this anymore, I'll just move on with my life.”“I noticed the closeness between you two,” I said, a bit awkwardly.“It's okay, everyone already knows. But sometimes Saulo tells me a few things.”“What do you mean by that?”“He didn't say it directly, you know? But I think Mr. Oliver tried to take his own life when he brought the baby home. That's why Saulo was traveling and c