Chapter 2

Carolina

-Daughter don't run my love, she will get hurt.

- Mom I'm not going to fall I'm already big look – and I ran backwards to show her that I was no longer a little child like she thought – Look mom what I do.

But to my chagrin I tripped over my own feet and dropped like a ripe avocado to the ground.

She came with her angry face and was going to fight me, but when she saw my eyes filled with tears soon her gaze became filled with tenderness.

- Oh my love got hurt - and picked me up - I told you not to run because you were going to get hurt.

We sat on the bench in the square and there she immediately hugged me and her arms were the best medicine I could have, I put my head on her chest and there I was sobbing until she calmed me down.

Then she took my little leg and looked at my grated knee, took out the little dirt that was there.

- Soon it will heal and you will not remember.

- But it's hurt mom and it's going to hurt - I pouted.

- Yes, my love will hurt for a few days - she placed a kiss on my little leg - I won't lie to you, it will hurt for a few days, but then it will pass.

- I'm scared mom, I don't like pain.

- I know my girl, I'll tell you a secret - I nodded - Even the big mom has fears.

- Are you afraid too, mom?

- I?

I am often afraid and my biggest fear is to leave you – she smiled – You are still so small – and now her eyes were full of tears.

- No mom, you won't leave me - I hugged her so tight - You are eternal, aren't you?

- I wish I could be my daughter forever and be with you forever - she passed her hand drying her tears - I have an idea.

- What idea mom?

– I had already forgotten about the injury.

- How about we go for ice cream?

- I want mom, I really want it.

And we went to the ice cream parlor she ordered lemon ice cream, which she loved and I ordered grape and chocolate ice cream.

And from there, I took one of the best memories of my life.

I have always been very attached to my mother.

And there in that conversation it seemed that she already knew the future to come.

When I turned eleven my mother passed away, I still remember and miss her.

It was the worst day of my life.

I lost the person I loved the most and seeing her there lifeless, with her eyes closed and pale, left me in shock.

Mom passed away at home, I sat next to her bed and asked for forgiveness for everything I ever did wrong to her.

At first I didn't cry, until I realized that I was going to my mother's wake.

And that I would never see her again.

And leaving her in that place was the worst feeling of my life, as if I abandoned her there, which she never did to me.

But people pulled me and took me from there.

From the cemetery.

But I had to leave her.

And from that day on I knew what it was like, or not, to deal with loss.

It was just me and Dad, who was also shaken like me.

They were a couple who loved each other until the last day and her loss shook us all.

For the first few days, Dad didn't want to do anything, he couldn't work or eat.

We were both languishing inside that house where every place reminded me of Mom smiling.

Every corner had my mother's way.

But after looking at my father like that, I decided that we had to go on living.

I asked Aunt Ivone to come home and help me clean, it took a few years to get Mom's things out of the wardrobe, but in one day I decided to take them out and let the light in again.

Aunt Ivone was always with us and helped us a lot.

My father went back to work and the years passed.

And we go on with life.

In my school meetings, my father was always late, but he always showed up, I often sat there and waited until he arrived, the teachers were used to it and so I didn't care about the delays anymore.

I didn't have a fifteenth birthday party like my friends had, but I had a fishing trip with my dad, even though I suck we had fun our own way.

Our life went on, there was no other way or other way.

Until Dad showed up with a new girlfriend.

And then I discovered what it was like to be alone.

He was living his life.

I became the second option.

And that was very difficult for me.

Christmas wasn't with me anymore, New Year's wasn't with me anymore and all the other celebrations of the year weren't with me and I was alone.

I was the second choice and was seen by her as the spoiled brat who didn't deserve my father's attention.

We got lost, that was the truth, the distance took over and we saw each other a few times a year.

I finished my studies and started college, which was my dream and would be my independence, my dad already lived with his girlfriend and helped me financially and I worked at the corner market part-time to support myself.

I studied a lot, because in my course I had to have good grades and I liked to be one of the best students in the class, I studied business administration and got an internship at the end of the second year.

I was very happy and I remembered Mom and I was there for her and I knew she was happy for me.

When I started the third year of college, my father started to complain of pain when he came to visit me, I asked him to go to the doctor to do some tests and see what was happening to him, I was very worried.

He was haggard and thin.

It was visible that he was not well.

Dad was retired, but he still worked, he couldn't sit still at home and his now wife liked to flaunt it, so all the money that came in helped towards her expenses.

I blamed myself for still having to take some of what he earned in order to help me.

He tried to save as much as possible, even on food, which made me thinner than usual.

A few days passed and my father was hospitalized, a tumor was found in his brain, which made my world fall apart again.

His diagnosis was accurate.

Few days to live.

I tried to stay with him as long as possible, I was even surprised by his now wife, who helped me take care of him and Aunt Isabel always helping me, there were days I thought I wouldn't make it, but she always got me up.

I have a lot to thank her for.

Dad passed away after exactly thirty days and once again I found myself alone in the world.

I remember Aunt Isabel helping me out of the cemetery one more time.

And I was alone now for good.

But my martyrdom didn't stop there, I didn't go to college for a month, I just couldn't concentrate.

I tried to go, but I cried every time I got there and then I went home and went into my world.

My cell phone rings and a number I don't know, I consider hanging up, but I answer it to find out what it is.

A woman's voice asks about Caroline Dubois Souza, daughter of Antonio de Souza.

I confirm and say it's me.

She asks me to attend the next day and gives me the schedule, which is a matter related to Dad's inheritance.

The next day, I was there at the appointed time and so was Dad's then-wife, in the same waiting room.

I greeted her and she smiled and sat away from me.

We were called to a room and little did I know my fate.

A man in his fifties came forward as a lawyer.

- We are here today to see the division of goods acquired from Mr. Antonio de Souza.

- What goods are you talking about?

– I asked worried, because we only had the house

- I'll get there, miss, the wife and daughter are the beneficiaries, everything will be divided in equal parts for both.

Do you have any purchase interest on the part of the wife?

- I don't understand, the house belonged to my parents.

- Yes and Mr Antônio as he had bought the house before marriage with his mother, so he was the full owner and as they were married on a partial property regime, his mother had no share in the house and as she did not leave any assets in her name her - he paused - But the current wife has half of everything for their marriage regime.

- Did you get married?

– I got scared – When did this happen that I don't know?

“How my father had gotten married and hadn't told me anything.

- Miss Carolina, is there interest in buying on your part?

– the lawyer was very dry and wanted to see us far away, not to see us, to see me far away.

- I do not have money to buy.

- The other party is interested in the purchase, do you accept the sale on your part?

– was she going to buy my house and leave me on the street?

I walked out of that room, totally bewildered.

Everything I heard, my father passed the only memory he had of my mother to his current wife, my house, my home and from what I understood either I bought or I sold.

As he didn't have the money to buy it, I sold it.

I was pressured to sell by the lawyer.

The only person who helped me was Aunt Ivone, she helped me take my things since half was no longer mine, she called a cart and welcomed me into her house.

I cried for days, because the house had debts that had not been paid over the years and I as heiress had to participate in the payments and my money was gone so fast I didn't even see the color of it.

As heiress I had to share the bills with the witch and she paid me a pittance for my share and even laughed in my face and said that I was a leaner and that I deserved it.

On a desperate day, crying and not knowing what to do with my life, with nowhere to live and no longer able to study, because the money was not enough to pay for college, Aunt Isabel told me that the nanny had been fired.

- Thamara sent another one away today, the children's nanny.

- What did this nanny do?

- She thought that she was hitting on her Pedro, in fact I think the girl fell in love with him, but I never saw anything coming from her except the looks she gave - she shook her head in denial - And she really needed it of the job, but since she is the one who runs the house, she fired the girl who couldn't even explain herself.

- But auntie do you think it will work?

Won't she brood over me too?

- Just don't stay close to your Pedro, my girl, it will work out - she kissed him.

my forehead – Tomorrow I'll talk to them and you'll go there for the interview.

- Aunt Ivone, I don't know what I would do without you.

- I'm your fairy godmother my love - She gave me another kiss and went to her room.