"Flávio"

My head was spinning with a thousand thoughts and fears, but I was certain of one thing: I didn't want to lose her, and I didn't want her to leave my house.

"Manu, before I got into this, I warned you. I'm a grown man. I know what I want in life, and I want you to live with me. I don't need time to figure that out. I'm sure of what I want. After all, it doesn't make sense for us to spend part of the week in your apartment and the other part in mine; that's just geography. I'll be with you every day, either way, unless you don't want me to." I spoke seriously enough for her to consider what I was saying with the weight it truly held.

She looked at me with the same seriousness, as if weighing my words. And at that moment, I worried that the age difference between us would lead us to want different things. That would be a bucket of cold water for me, and it could be the source of many problems. But I understood that it was natural to have doubts at her age.

"Maybe you need time