Second Chance: Reclaiming My Baby's Mommy

By Narrator Hours Later "I can’t believe I raised such a rude and unfriendly son." Beth grumbled for the thousandth time about her new son’s behavior toward her friends at the tennis club she used to go to. "No drama, Miss Elizabeth. I greeted them politely. What did you expect me to do? Was I supposed to kneel at the feet of those snobbish imbeciles?" Elizabeth pressed her hand to her chest, visibly offended at the rude words of her son, who was now raising a glass of white wine to his lips. "Did you see that, Octavio? This boy doesn’t respect me anymore. He’s even worse than when he left here." Unlike his wife, Octavian cared little about the way his son had treated his wife’s guests. Just like Tony, Octavian also disliked those women who knew nothing else to do but gossip about other people’s lives. "Come on, Beth. Stop the drama. Is it possible that we can’t just enjoy our boy’s return in peace?" "That’s why these three are irrecoverable." Beth grumbled, visibly annoyed with her husband. "You’re always right for them." Her husband rolled his eyes and then stood up. "I’m going to get a drink." He left his wife’s presence before they started another silly argument. This made the three brothers look at each other and smile complicitly. "Where is Elinor?" Tony asked his brothers, but it was his mother who answered. "Where else would she be? In the kitchen, of course." The younger man took a deep breath, while trying to think of something good so that once again he wouldn’t lose patience with his mother. "I’ll go there." "And the guests?" Elizabeth couldn’t hide her displeasure. "I told you no reception, Mom. They’re your guests, not mine." Anthony hurriedly got up and headed for the kitchen before being scolded by his mother. Elinor was one of the house maids, the oldest and the only one who put up with her mother’s nonsense, which was perhaps why she was also the only one Elizabeth treated with the slightest affection, if she knew what that was. However, to Elizabeth’s children, Elinor represented much more than a maid, the brunette was also like a grandmother, after all, none of them had ever met their paternal or maternal grandparents. "How wonderful you look with that apron." While circling the nice lady’s waist in a tight hug, Anthony whispered in Elinor’s ear, who until then had not even noticed the other’s presence there. "Oh Jesus..." Taken by the sudden fright, the lady gave a little cry that made Tony laugh. "You insolent, I can’t believe you haven’t lost your way of scaring me. Besides, keep your hands off that little guitar body because I’m no match for your beak." Although she was angry, Elinor was happy to see one of her little boys again. Like Mirella and Arthur, Anthony was like a grandchild to the maid. "Stop the charm! I know you’ve been missing me terribly." Anthony was a charmer, and could easily win over anyone with a modicum of common sense. At this, the older woman took him in her arms and let herself show how much she missed him. "My boy, how much you have been missed during these years. This house is not the same without you." "This time I’m back to stay, Eli." Anthony referred to his eldest by the affectionate nickname he would give her as a child, while he allowed himself to be hugged lovingly. "Grandma, here are the groceries that..." A brunette with tanned skin stopped in the middle of the kitchen as soon as her eyes met the scene. For his part, Anthony He turned away from Elinor, but without taking his eyes off the new arrival. He was curious to know who this beautiful and visibly shy woman was. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in and interrupt you." "Now, stop your nonsense, young lady." The lady walked up to the girl and with a sparkle in her eyes took her hand, pulling her close to her. "Tony, let me introduce you to my granddaughter. You probably remember that I used to talk about her all the time when you were a child, but you never saw each other." Of course, Anthony listened carefully to everything the older woman said, but it was almost impossible to look at anything else in that kitchen but the dark eyes of the woman in front of him. "Nicole came to live with me earlier this year. Unfortunately my beloved daughter and son-in-law were in a fatal motorcycle accident. I would never let my little girl be alone." The older woman said sadly, being quickly consoled by her granddaughter, who for the first time looked away from Anthony. "It’s okay, Grandma. Don’t be sad again, okay?" Nicole was Elinor’s only granddaughter. The girl had been raised far away from her maternal grandmother, since in the past, just like so many other emigrants, Elinor had also left her home country in search of a job and a better opportunity. At the time, her daughter was very young, and Elinor knew that on that uncertain journey she might encounter many obstacles along the way. With this in mind, even with pain in her heart, Elinor opted to leave her little girl with her sister to avoid suffering the child, but this decision was made with the promise that as soon as possible she would send for them. However, even after learning that her mother’s life was already stable in the United States, Lurdes’s daughter and sister did not want to leave their town, and so they lived far away from each other, but always in touch and missing each other when Elinor went to visit them during the vacations Elizabeth gave her and with her savings, since she earned well working for the family. Of course, everyone in the Morelle family knew Elinor’s story, but Anthony never imagined that the Latin child who loved to dance, which Elinor always described to him and his brothers, was now a beautiful young woman full of curves. And what curves... "Ahem!" said the older one uncertain, after all, she knew that the pain would never go away from her heart. Losing a daughter was na incurable pain. "Nicole, this is the boy, Anthony. Just as I took care of Arthur and Mirella, I took care of him from the first day of his life." Tony smiled fondly at the lady, but soon looked away from her to Nicole. Nicole, in turn, already knew Mirella and Arthur, but none of them had aroused as much curiosity in her heart as the one in front of her. "I’m happy to finally meet you." Always very polite, Anthony extended his hand to the beautiful brunette-haired woman in front of him. "I remember that your grandmother always spoke of you with great enthusiasm and passion." Shyly, Nicole shook the hand in front of her. At that moment they both had na inexplicable warmth coursing through their stomachs. "I must say that it was no different when I talked about you and your brothers." The brunette said shyly, and for the first time they both smiled at each other.

By Narrator Months later "I CAN’T BELIEVE SUCH NONSENSE." Elizabeth screamed to the point of frightening everyone in the house. "ANTHONY MORELLE, MY HEIR, IN LOVE WITH A POOR LATINA WHO HAS NOWHERE TO DROP DEAD, AND WORSE THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE MAID." "The maid, who took care of your children better than you, by the way." Mirella didn’t miss the opportunity to pin her mother. Elizabeth’s three children had daring characteristics. They were all cheeky and showed contempt for rules, but it was Mirella who was least afraid to confront her eldest. "What did you say?" The corner of Elizabeth’s left eye twitched. "No lies, Mom." Anthony stood beside his sister, ready to defend her. They both looked at their mother with contempt. "Wasn’t it Mrs. Elinor who took care of us while you were spending day and night in that damned hospital? By the way, you should thank her for all she has done for us." "And that’s when you weren’t going on vacation." Even though he was the one who feared his mother the most, Arthur ventured to conclude, showing that he was on his brothers’ side. "Can you two talk like civilized people?" Octavian tried in vain to intervene between mother and children. "I’m sure that these shouts can be heard all over the neighborhood." "Civilized people? That’s all Anthony is not, my dear. Your son has always enjoyed teasing us, Octavian, but this time he’s crossed every line." Elizabeth seemed to care little if, from the kitchen of that house, Elinor listened to everything with sadness and feeling humiliated, but not surprised, since when she learned of her granddaughter’s involvement with the Morelle firstborn, she would have warned them both of the problems they would face when the relationship was assumed. "WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU CAN HAVE ANY WOMAN IN YOUR ARMS, AND YOU JUST WANT A DISHWASHER? POOR, IMMIGRANT, AND BLACK!" The older woman laughed scornfully. "That’s all I need." Elizabeth knew that it had only been a few days since Nicole had been hired as a waitress in a small restaurant on the south side of town. Imagining her oldest son dating Elinor’s granddaughter was na affront to what she stood for in society. Arthur and Mirella exchanged glances, and it was possible to see how outraged Elizabeth’s youngest seemed at her mother’s haughty, prejudiced behavior. By the way, she was not so different from Anthony, but Anthony seemed to grow angry at her mother’s words. "WASH YOUR MOUTH TO TALK ABOUT NICOLE. BECAUSE HER JOB IS AS DIGNIFIED AS ANY OTHER, AND FROM WHAT I SEE HERE BEFORE YOU, PROFESSION DOES NOT DEFINE CHARACTER." Like his mother, Anthony also shouted fearlessly. Compared to all the others, this was the first big fight between mother and son since the boy’s return. "How dare you speak to me like that, Anthony!" Elizabeth’s eyes twitched, so angry was she. "Are you really going to confront your mother about that..." "That what?" This time Tony was inches away from his mother. "Finish that sentence and I swear I won’t stay another minute in this house. And I’ll tell you something else... racism is a crime. Know that I won’t object if Nicole reports you for it. Maybe then you’ll learn that we’re all equal." Elizabeth studied her son’s features and at that moment she knew two things for certain: it was time to end the discussion; after all, she knew her son better than anyone else, and she knew that Anthony meant it when he said he was leaving home. And as much as he didn’t say it in words, everyone knew that Anthony was Elizabeth’s favorite son. The other certainty was simple. For the older woman, Nicole would be her biggest problem. Some time later "Do you smell that?" Mirella said close to her brother’s ear, who was too stupid to notice the debauch-laden phrase. "It smells like good food." Arthur answered in innocence, but was soon slapped by his younger sister. "I don’t mean food, you idiot." "Ouch." complained the boy, smoothing his arm. His sister was disproportionately strong for her tiny size. "So what are you talking about, my God?" "Framing!" The younger girl said, and her brother still didn’t seem to understand what her sister was getting at. "Come on, do you really believe that Mom is okay with Tony and Nicole dating? Arthur, when in your life do you think Elizabeth would host a dinner party to make their relationship official?" Arthur seemed to think about what his sister was saying, and now it seemed to make sense. Really, knowing his mother as he did, Elizabeth’s sudden attitude didn’t fit her personality, even when she claimed that she couldn’t bear to quarrel with her eldest son. "So, I think we’d better keep na eye out. I don’t want Tony and Nick to be embarrassed by Mom’s foolishness." said the boy. "So you mean Auntie doesn’t like her favorite’s little girlfriend?" Neither of the two Morelle’s had noticed that Tomaz had sneaked up and overheard the two brothers’ conversation. Mirellla rolled her eyes impatiently at her cousin’s provocation, which for her was a real synonym for trouble. The bad boy had arrived from a trip a few days before; he was going to spend some time at his aunt’s house, since he had been sentenced to death after getting into a fight in a luxurious nightclub in Los Angeles. For Mirella, that story was badly told, but she accepted the explanations from her mother who did not hide her affection for her older nephew. But how could it be different? Aunt and nephew were alike when it came to dubious character. "This is none of your business, Tomaz." said Mirella, harshly. "Hey, easy there, little cousin. I just want to understand why Aunt Beth doesn’t approve of the courtship." Said the boy raising his arms in signs of redemption. "Look, they’re here." Arthur said excitedly, preventing the conversation between the cousins from continuing. Tomaz quickly looked towards the door where Anthony entered holding hands with Nicole. This was the first time the brunette had entered the house through the front door. "Now I can understand why." said Tomaz, holding back his laughter. "This girl is anything but the daughter-in-law of Ms. Elizabeth Morelle’s dreams. Look at that..." The boy was referring to Nicole’s simple clothes and worn-out sandals. However, in Anthony’s eyes, Nicole looked beautiful in that flowery twirled dress. "But I have to confess... Despite being a country bumpkin, this woman is beautiful." concluded the young man, visibly mischievous at Nicole’s beauty.

By Narrator Hours Later "Nicole, dear. I hope you don’t mind being served by your grandmother tonight." Elizabeth said with a feigned tone of regret. "I had to allow Abigail the night off. The poor thing was in excruciating pain. Anthony tried hard not to turn that table upside down. He didn’t want to subject his girlfriend to his mother’s whims, but to his chagrin, Nicole was too stubborn and had shown a willingness to face her mother-in-law as na equal. Of course they both knew that that dinner was a complete show of pretense on Elizabeth’s part, what they didn’t know was that it would become even clearer in a few minutes Elizabeth would show how scheming she could be, and that she would not make Nicole and Anthony’s life any easier, by showing that they were not born to be together, for they belonged to different worlds. "Don’t worry Mistress Elizabeth. I’m used to not only being served by my grandmother, but also to serving people. Didn’t you know I’m a waitress?" Nicole smiled sweetly at the woman who wanted to belittle her. "Actually, I’m proud to know that the food you eat and enjoy is prepared by the fairy hands of Miss Elinor." Of course, Elizabeth was lost in a moment of bewilderment, for like the others present, she hadn’t expected to hear that response. The older woman really wanted to humiliate Nicole, but in the end it was she who was humiliated, because she didn’t even know how to fry na egg. For his part, Anthony didn’t hide his smile when he heard the answer his girlfriend had just given his mother. He held Nicole’s hand firmly and lovingly brought it to his lips to kiss her devoutly. Mirella, who was sitting in front of her older brother, blinked at her sister-in-law in approval for the latina’s little rebellion. "Oh yes..." Elizabeth began, after pulling herself together. "Your grandmother does indeed have wonderful hands for the kitchen, otherwise I would never have allowed her to remain a maid for so long in this house. However, I must say that especially today dinner was not prepared by her." Everyone seemed surprised by the woman who smiled prettily as she spoke. How could Elinor not have prepared dinner? Everyone knew that Elizabeth was a big fan of the lady’s cooking. "I think that special moments like this, I mean, the formalization of my son’s relationship with you, deserve something on the same level, do you all agree?" "I told you it didn’t smell good." Mirella grumbled to Arthur, who seemed uncomfortable with his mother’s attitude. "That old woman with the bad food is up to something. By the way, did I ever tell you that Dad doesn’t give a damn anymore?" The brother looked at Mirella, his eyes wide open. "What?" "It’s boring, I know." Mirella took a sip of juice and turned her attention back to the conversation in front of her. "What are you talking about, Elizabeth?" Octavio looked annoyed. "Elinor." Elizabeth called out with a smile on her lips, and it wasn’t long before Nicole’s grandmother appeared at the table with a covered dish. In the older woman’s eyes, Nicole could identify the muted apology. As much as she had wanted to, she had had no way to let her granddaughter know what she was getting into that night; after all, the food Elizabeth had ordered had arrived less than tem minutes earlier. Elizabeth herself made a point of revealing her trap. "I hope it’s to your liking, darling. I know how passionate you are about French cuisine." Everyone looked stunned at the refined and extremely complicated dish, unless, of course, one had knowledge of how to eat escargot, which, by the look on Nicole’s panicked face, was clearly not her case. "BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" Anthony shouted. "Mind your manners, Anthony." Elizabeth scolded her son, but remained cynical. "Why are you surprised? You’ve always liked escargot." The older woman said to her three sons and husband. On the other side of the table, Tomaz seemed to revel in the unpleasant situation his aunt was providing. He didn’t even wait for the others, and served himself. "Nicole, dear. I imagine you won’t have any problems with that, will you?" The older woman smiled devilishly, but although she had always been strong in her life, at that moment Nicole couldn’t hold back. She felt too humiliated by Elizabeth’s clear effort to show that Anthony and she didn’t belong together. Was it possible to just live on love? Sobbing, Nicole ran away from the table, followed by Elinor, who, like her granddaughter, was also weeping in humiliation. For Elinor, this situation had reached its limit, and she would never again give Elizabeth the chance to humiliate her or her granddaughter. "You’re the most scheming person I know. I can’t believe I’m really your son." Anthony spat the words out with contempt. "Now, don’t be ungrateful, you spoiled cat. You wanted my acceptance in this stupid flirtation, what more do you want from me? Accepting this nonsense you call dating won’t change who we are, or who she is. What did you want me to have you serve? Chicken goose? It’s not my fault if she’s not cultured and refined, but you know what? It just proves that she will never measure up to you." "As if it was necessary for you to accept or not who we should relate to." Mirella laughed scornfully. "You know what? I’ll understand if Tony never wants to look you in the face again. You’re despicable, Mom." "Watch how you talk to me, you insolent little bitch. As long as you three live under my roof, eat at my expense, dress on my money, and depend exclusively on my conquests, you owe me respect." Elizabeth scolded her daughter, who didn’t seem to mind her mother’s offense. "It’s not my fault if Anthony had to see for himself how absurd this relationship is. That girl will never measure up to any of us. But you really know what, I understand her. If I were her, I would also want to take a swing at na inexperienced and rich man like her brother." "STOP IT NOW!" To everyone’s surprise, Octavian was the owner of that indignant voice. "Have you gone crazy too, Octavio? Stop this nonsense and let’s all dine in peace." "I was crazy when I married you, Elizabeth, but it’s never too late to fix a mistake." The older woman narrowed her eyes, and now husband and wife were dueling. "What do you mean by that?" "That I’m tired of your follies and insanities. I want a divorce, Elizabeth." That night, not only did Anthony leave that house without looking back, but Octavian also left the woman he once loved so much, and who today he could not recognize.

By Narrator Two Years Later "What are you thinking so much about?" Anthony hugged his wife, who was on the balcony of the small apartment they shared, admiring the stars, which had already become routine in their relationship. Since the day he left his mother’s house, the older Morelle had been living with Elinor in the small house she shared with her granddaughter. Did he have relatives to turn to? Of course he did, but they were all just as haughty as Elizabeth, and he didn’t want to have to continue dealing with a life full of haughty, superficial people. Of course, this was a whole new world for Anthony, who had always lived in luxury, but there wasn’t much he could do since the allowance he reluctantly accepted from his father wasn’t enough to maintain the same standard he had always been used to. Octavian, who accepted his son’s decision, as well as his relationship with Nicole, even wanted to give him a luxury apartment and keep them until he got a job in any hospital, since he was adamant when he refused to take a position in the family hospital. It wasn’t so hard for the twenty-six year old young man to get a position in a clinic in the center of town, after all, his college curriculum from abroad was exceptional, and from then on his life began to be run according to his wishes and little by little Anthony conquered his place in the medical world, as well as organizing his life according to his life’s goals. Both Anthony and Nicole were too young, and although Elinor had offered the older Morelle shelter, he was still not sure if they were both ready to take such a long step in that early relationship. Both Anthony and Nicole, were young and inexperienced. However, she knew that all the two of them needed least was someone else to be against their love. That being the case, with Elinor’s support, the boy had convinced Nicole to move with him to a better apartment than the little house they lived in with Elinor. They even wanted the older woman to accompany them, but as she was stubborn and proud, the lady argued that for someone starting a life with two people, they needed to have their own space. "I’m just admiring the stars. They’re so beautiful." Nicole looked up at the night sky completely enchanted by what she saw. "I keep asking myself: how can something that is millions and millions of miles away be so wonderful?" Anthony laughed as he remembered that in the beginning of their relationship, he had been enchanted by Nicole’s passion for the sky and all its extremely hidden, but still fascinating, magnitudes. He remembered Nicole’s exact words on the night of the disastrous dinner that Elizabeth had made sure to destroy with pride, prejudice, and pride: “You and I are like the moon and the sun, two extremes that can never be together,” and as could not be otherwise, Anthony promised his girlfriend that he would show her that even the sun and the moon can love each other, even if this requires na eclipse to happen every day. "One day we will still admire together the sky that bathes the most beautiful beach in Mexico." Anthony said looking at the sky. "I can assure you, it is the most beautiful thing you can see during the nights. The stars seem to shine even brighter, the sound of animals, the cold wind, and then the next day – " "The moon gives way to the sun, which, still hot as a fireball, shines its bright, sunny rays all over the horizon rising into the sea." Anthony concluded the thought of the woman who had his heart, after all, he had heard those words spoken so many times by Nicole, that he had already memorized them and was curious to know the place about which his beloved seemed to harbor so much passion. "You sound like a proper Mexican, mi amor!" the woman laughed. "I’m not, but I’d love to marry one." That said, still hugging Nicole’s small body, Anthony placed a ring before her dark eyes. Nicole blinked several times trying to organize her thoughts, but the surprise was too great. "It’s not a shiny ring, but it’s with all my love. Will you officially marry me, Nicole Hernandez?" The yes could not be any different, it had to be watered with a passionate kiss between tears and emotion. "Does this mean that you will be my husband?" I asked amused, still in disbelief and overjoyed "Do you want me as your husband?" He returned the question with another. Nicole turned red as she realized that now it was serious and that she would not only be part of the Moralle family, but would also form her own with Anthony. The color change was inevitable. "You are beautiful, you know? Even more so when you’re all red." Tony confessed and gave her a gentle squeeze on the cheek. "You smell good! Did I mention that I like the way you smell?" he said as he hugged her and massaged the back of her neck. Nicole started to laugh, she was tickled. "Yes. Did I mention I’m ticklish? Not like that, you clown." She patted him lightly as he began to laugh and sniffle purposefully at her neck. They both smiled and looked at each other in complicity. "I love you!" Anthony spoke hypnotized. "Don’t ever give up on both of us." Nicole asked, looking deep into Anthony’s dark eyes, while feeling nothing but passion running through her veins. And as serious as she was, Anthony responded by holding her face gently: "You are the best thing about me, I will never let you go." With that said, the two of them indulged in warm caresses and kisses, as they walked towards the bedroom, where they loved each other all night long.

By Narrator Two years after the wedding Time passed and with each new day, the coexistence between Anthony and Nicole was of new discoveries, but even the preferences and quirks of both seemed to leave them even more enchanted by each other. However, the strained relationship between Anthony and Elizabeth, were like a ghost to the kind heart of Nicole, who always believed that one of the most sacred things in life, was the bond between parents and children. She couldn’t live with the reality that her love for Anthony somehow was responsible for the disunity of her beloved’s family. In turn, Anthony could not understand how after everything his mother did, Nicole still wished to see her get back together with Elizabeth. Anthony had many qualities, but one defect could surpass them all... Pride. And that’s exactly what Nicole tried to fight against every day when she argued that people can make mistakes, but that it’s never too late to fix their mistakes and become someone better than we believe is possible. No one is only goodness or just evil. The two extremes live in constant encounter in our heart. With this, Nicole tried to make her husband see that Elizabeth had a bad side, but somewhere in her heart the goodness was hidden. It took time, but Nicole finally managed to convince Anthony to allow herself to get back together with her mother. All right, she knew that things would no longer be the same between mother and child who had such different personalities, and to be honest, she didn’t ask for it, she just wanted to see them get along in peace. However, what Nicole did not imagine was that in Elizabeth’s heart, there was only hurt and room for contempt. The eldest did not verbalize, after all, she did not want to see her son walk away again, but she always held Nicole responsible for the ruin of her family, because at that time, Elizabeth not only lost contact with her son, but also saw her marriage be destroyed. Yes, the elder did not allow herself to see and take responsibility for her own family failure. That’s because we humans are so flawed that we can’t even realize how the modern family has become a group of strangers. Each one with his own mistakes, quirks, problems, loneliness... Each one trapped in his own world. Often the family comes to an end and we do not even realize it, but when this is finally realized, it is easier to find guilty, than to face our own guilt and take responsibility for our chaos. In Elizabeth’s tormented thought, her days were difficult, lonely... If in the past Elizabeth had faced a war with Anthony, in that present she saw herself in a second war, but this time with her two other children. As she struggled with Mirella, finding that she had decided to go against her will, and now preparing to take her place in a fire department in the city of Seattle, she also had to live with Arthur’s decision to open her own clinic, exempting himself from running the hospital that carried his family’s surname. For the elder, those were difficult days, to which she could not understand that she was only reaping what she had planted. Well, at least for something Nicole had served, after all, with her influence on her husband, she had managed to convince him to make peace with his mother and take over the Morelle hospital alongside his parents, who although divorced, amicably remain the only majority owners of the enterprise. The relationship between them was still not good, so little Elizabeth could see with good eyes the marriage of her son to the woman she despised so much, because for her, Nicole was synonymous with shame and would never be at the level of carrying the surname of her family. However, just having Anthony run the hospital with her and Octavian was a good start, and made him believe that at some point Anthony would go back on the decision of that marriage. Although Nicole is a key piece for this rapprochement, things did not come back as before between mother and son. Anthony could not forget what his mother had done to him in the past, nor forgive her truly, but that’s the problem of forgiveness... When it is not true, it becomes suffocating, to the point of suffocating us with the guilt for the lie told, for the memories that haunt the soul, and especially for the words stored in the heart.

By Narrator "So, how was the procedure?" Mirella questioned her brother, referring to Nicole’s second attempt at artificial insemination. The first had happened almost a year ago and had not worked, which further frustrated the expectations of the couple who dreamed of having a baby, whether male or female. After many attempts in the traditional way, they see that it is not working and then seek a doctor to understand what was wrong. The truth is that Anthony was always crazy about children, and was capable of anything to have a child with the beloved, whether it was through the natural environment or by insemination. Through treatment, they discovered that Nicole had a complication to make her husband’s and her dream come true. When the discovery would have been made, Nicole went into a deep depression, and once again in her sub conscious, she felt that Elizabeth was right. She and Anthony weren’t born to be happy together. The truth is that despite being a strong and determined woman, Nicole was also delicate and dreamy, but unfortunately somehow, Elizabeth had managed to create monsters in the heart of the Latin. Monsters who only told her how incapable she could be. And believe me, for a human being there is nothing worse than feeding certainties that takes us to the abyss. It was at this time that the couple faced the biggest problem they ever had in marriage. Nicole was not allowed to be sexually touched by her husband, who in turn could not understand the reaction of the woman, after all, he was also suffering from the dream that would not have been realized. Nicole and Anthony didn’t notice, but they were very similar when it came to not knowing how to listen, not knowing how to talk. And they forgot that in a relationship is law to exist dialogue. Lucky for them who say that love overcomes everything. But is it really? Well, they both believed that they did, and that together, although they did not talk about how they really felt, they had overcome the crisis. It was then that a hope arose, but to make it work, Anthony should with the help of the doctor get an egg donation to his wife. At first it was not easy for Nicole to accept some realities, but then she convinced herself to test the treatment, and after that try the new procedure, but together they came to the conclusion that they would not create as many expectations as the first time. Now the fear of failure was even greater than the desire to realize a dream. "Oh, it was quiet." "Our what enthusiasm." Mirella narrowed her eyes. She knew her brother’s dream was to be a father, and expected more emotion from him. "Seeing you talking like that makes me want to have a baby too." Tony ran his hand over his face visibly tired due to his shift the night before. "Too busy, young lady. Fingers don’t get pregnant, Mirella. I thought you already knew that." Anthony tried to joke to undo the tense mood. "By the way, how’s that idiot boyfriend of yours?" As the youngest, Mirella was extremely protected by Anthony and Arthur, when it came to their boyfriends. In fact, regarding boyfriends, it should be made clear that Mirella seemed to have rotten fingers to choose the one that would be next to her. However, Andrew had been the only one to whom the girl had really given her heart, but this took a short time, as soon began to arise intense fights between the two. The reason? The boy did not look kindly on his girlfriend’s decision to follow the profession of firefighter. André was extremely sexist, and like Elizabeth, did not agree that this was a profession where women could perform well. André was the first to discourage and ridicule Mirella’s choices, the problem is that everything became even worse when he, who was also a firefighter, saw that the younger Morella, each day gained even more space in the corporation. Space that he longed for and could not. "First of all, I already told you I’m not a lesbian." The youngest hit right away. "Second, we broke up. Well, actually, I broke up with him." Anthony realized that despite saying those words indifferently, Mirella’s eyes showed sadness. "I don’t know if I celebrate now, or if I pretend to be sorry." Anthony said sincerely. "Frankly, Mi. That guy is an idiot. He doesn’t deserve you! You should know that Arthur and I no longer break his face out of respect for you." The younger one shrugged. "Well, now you can. Actually, I pay you to do that." The two brothers laughed. They both knew the younger was against violence, so obviously that would never happen. "Tell me, what happened to finally do what you should have done long ago?" "The other day he made the biggest scandal in front of our corporate colleagues. Can you believe he even said that Tadeu was helping me with the equipment because he wanted to eat me?" Mirella’s expression became sad again. "In addition to the disrespect and humiliation I suffered, I realized that he would never respect me as the professional I am. I was really tired of the innuendos he made." "He’s a perfect asshole." Anthony took a long sip of the juice. The truth is he was jealous of his younger sister, but he wouldn’t admit it even under torture. "You were never good at picking men, you know why" Mirella raised her eyebrow already wondering what was next. "Women, my sister... You like women. And that’s why all your relationships have been frustrated so far." "Tony, why don’t you shut the fuck up, em? Or rather, let’s focus on what really matters... you and my handsome sister-in-law." Anthony rolled his eyes, but he knew there was no way, his sister would always exaggerate the beauty of his wife. Of course, he was jealous of Nicole, which is exactly why Mirella chose the words that would make her blood boil. But at that moment he would ignore his sister’s pin. "Mom said that in cases like Nicole’s it’s hard for the procedure to work, even with other eggs, so... Damn it, I can see the hell at home again." "Well, don’t mind what Mrs. Elizabeth says, she may want his place, but she’s not God." Mirella said with rebellion. "Mirella, she may not be God, but she is a gynecologist and understands the problem." "So you’re already convinced it won’t work? I expected a lot more from you, Anthony." The youngest faced the brother who listened in silence. "She didn’t even bother to take care of Nicole. You needed another doctor for that. And now you let her tell you it won’t work?" "I know all that, but still, she saw all the tests. Nicole doesn’t know, but I... I showed Mom everything." He told Anthony with shame that he had concealed from the woman that his mother had known the problem and knew more than indeed Nicole wanted him to know. "Do you know how wrong this is?" Mirella scolded her brother. "What did you want me to do? I was lost, Mirella. I needed a second opinion on the case." "And how are you now? I mean... the wedding, how’s it going?" "After Nick’s moment of madness has passed? We’re doing fine, I think. I’m afraid this new procedure is just a silent attempt to save our relationship, which despite being new, seems worn out by everyday life." "I thought you guys had gotten over it." said the youngest. "I think I failed at some point, Mirella. Nicole hasn’t looked like the same sweet girl I dropped everything for in the past. I understand everything she’s been going through, but sometimes I think she doesn’t want me by her side to face it all. "Don’t be stupid, you’re just insecure, Tony. But I’m sure your wife loves you. By the way, is the sex still perfect?" Mirella smiled with malice. "Don’t be nosy, you little brat." Despite scolding his sister, Tony smiled. "But if you really want to know, it’s like you’re slowly finding yourself. As you already know, after she lost our son, Nicole developed a kind of insecurity about her body, so everything is carefully in her time, but still, for me it’s as good as before." "Shit, I don’t want details, Anthony." The younger one made a funny face. She always felt the same discomfort when talking about sex. As far as Anthony knew, Mirella had not given up on her boyfriend’s insistence, and never went to bed with him or any other boy. "Well, try to look on the bright side. Now she lets you touch her." Anthony let a sad laugh slip away trying to convince himself that Nicole still desired him as before. The truth is that Nicole did not know, but her husband sometimes wondered if she did not love her anymore, and if the new attempt to have a child was only because he felt obliged to do that because he knew of the dream he had. On the other hand, Nicole martyred herself and feared that her husband seeing that she would not even be able to give her a child, would not realize that Elizabeth was always right when she said that Nicole would never make the other happy. "You know, I love that woman. I’m capable of anything to keep my marriage well." Mirella smiled satisfied. "By the way, let me go. I have to pick her up at the restaurant." Years passed, but Nicole remained working in that restaurant. She loved not only what she did, but also the owner of the place who was a nice, loving landlord. Nicole, you may not have gone to college, but you inherited your kitchen talent from your grandmother. However, now she was manager of the establishment, because over time the owner of that place could not trust someone else to take care of what was yours. By narrator Shortly after Anthony was surprised when he arrived at the restaurant where his wife worked and ran into Livia instead of Nicole. "Where’s Nicole, Livia?" Anthony asked after greeting her friend with kisses on her face. "Hey, white boy. Earlier today, Nick got a call and left in a hurry, but didn’t say anything, he just asked me to stay in his place. "Call?" Anthony was surprised. "All right, I’ll go home and call her on the way." And so he did, but without success, since Nicole’s cell phone did not signal, which was strange if we considered that she never stopped answering a call from her husband. Upon arriving home, Anthony entered the apartment still worried about the lack of news of his wife. However, as soon as his eyes searched the room, one thing caught his attention... Clothes were scattered around the house, some he knew well as being pieces of Nicole, but others... What the fuck was that? With his heart beating hard, Anthony followed that trail that led to the door of his room. His heart was beating wrong, and with tears in his eyes Anthony held the white door handle. At first he did not want to believe what was about to be revealed, but he could not escape the chaos. So that’s why the wife hasn’t shown happiness by your side lately? Is that why Nicole didn’t want to be touched by her hands anymore? When the door to the room was opened the heart once in love became broken. As he listened to the sound of the shower, Anthony felt his eyes burn before betrayal. Right there before Tony’s eyes, what the hell was your cousin Tomaz doing there? Where did it start? How did he not notice?