Viviane
I could only be in one of my recent nightmares. That was it, I was sure. But the glass that fell from my hand on top of my feet was very real, apart from all the looks that turned towards me.
" Vivi, did you get hurt? " Mr. Rodolfo was already on my side when I managed to get out of the state of complete torpor I had entered when I came across my daughter in the arms of her real father.
"What happened, my daughter? It's white like a ghost! My mother spoke, taking my hand, worried.
Soon I was sitting in one of the chairs that were in the garden, while I drank a glass of water and my daughter was still in the arms of João Felipe, something that until now I could not understand because she did not usually go into the arms of unknown people. Regardless of the kinship between them, whether the official or the real, he was a stranger she had never seen before!
When I fully recovered from the shock, I got up from the chair I was in and approached Felipe.
" I'm going to go up," I told him so that he understood that I wanted him to give me back my daughter.
"Of course, honey, you must be quite tired after your first day on the job," my mother-in-law said, sympathetic.
I had started working today as a social worker at a sports incentive foundation and I was so happy with this opportunity to feel useful to a cause that I truly believed in, and then I would come home and come across that scene.
"Go daughter, you can be at ease. I'll go up in a little while with Sarinha " My mother was kindly ready.
But I did not want to leave Sarinha there with João Felipe and insisted so that everyone understood that I wanted to take my daughter with me after several protests by my in-laws and my own mother, I did not give in and waited for Felipe to put her in someone's arms so that I could take her.
" I want my daughter " I spoke incisively when he did not move to comply with my request. " Can you kindly give me my daughter? " I spoke directly to him, as he continued with Sarah in his arms.
" She doesn't seem to want to go with you " he spoke wryly.
Really, the whole time I was there, Sarah at no point mentioned that she wanted to come into my arms. This always happened when she was in the arms of her grandparents or even João Pedro, but this was understandable since she lived with them every day and received a lot of
affection and love from them. The incomprehensible thing was that she was so at ease in the arms of someone she had never seen before.
"Come on, my love. Mom is missing you so much, my baby" I spoke affectionately, trying to make Sarinha come into my arms spontaneously, but it didn't work.
" un-cle…uncle... Mo-mmy" João Felipe cracked a big smile when he saw Sarah's attempts to call him uncle and everyone followed him.
It was always like that, everything Sarah did was cause for laughter and joy. Everyone truly loved her and even Felipe seemed delighted with my little one. I could almost forget his words when I said that a pregnancy of mine would be the same as a plague. Almost.
That memory had the power to bring back all the hurt I felt when I heard those harsh words coming from the mouth of someone to whom I have dedicated so much love all my life.
I became even tenser at the memory and decided to be firmer about removing my daughter from the arms of that arrogant and selfish being.
" I-want-my-daughter" NOW! " I spoke without measuring the intonation of my voice and without caring about the entire audience that watched us.
Everyone looked at me like they couldn't recognize me and Sarah burst into tears, I don't think so because she had never seen me talk to anyone like that.
"Calm down, dear," I said, modifying the intonation of my voice to speak to my little one, and before my angry expression, João Felipe handed me to Sarinha, who came into my arms without further protest, although I was still crying a lot.
I left without looking back, let alone trying to explain what had happened there, for I could not, under any circumstances, tell the truth and what was going on in my heart.
I took Sarah to her room and with Isabela's help, gave my daughter a relaxing bath after drying and dressing her, I took her to my room, along with her favorite toy, a rag doll.
She kept playing on top of my bed quietly, it seemed until nothing happened. I shouldn't have done all that scene in front of my daughter, because it wasn't beneficial for her to witness this kind of conflict, let alone live with people who were hostile. I needed to know how long João Felipe intended to stay in São Paulo because if it was more than a visit, I had to think about this possibility; I couldn't live in the same house as him. As much as it was a huge mansion, I couldn't be around him and not remember our short history and his opinions based always on financial gain and success.
While Isabela gave Sarinha food, following my guidance to feed her right there in my room, because I did not want to run the risk of bumping into João Felipe again before I was properly prepared and with protective armor capable of keeping me indifferent to his attitudes, I took the opportunity to take a quick shower.
When it was just the two of us, João Pedro walked in, flashing a beaming smile.
"How are the two other women in my life?" he said, already picking up Sarinha from the top of the bed and hugging and distributing kisses all over her little face.
"To, João Pedro. I already said that you can't kiss Sarah's little face! " I complained to him. " And what is this story of other women? " I said peckingly.
"Looks like there's someone boring here today, Sarinha... " he spoke smiling, not caring about my mood. " You know very well that I have three women in my life, who are you and Mom. So tell me why you're so grumpy like that?"
"Did you see who came?"
"I thought you were glad to have him here," he said sitting next to me on the bed, bringing Sarah with him and placing her next to us.
"Why would I be happy with Felipe's return home?" I asked without understanding. "You, more than anyone else, know my history with your brother and that I can only feel angry at having to see him here."
"I just think if he's come back at that point, it's because his priorities have changed and he must have understood that there's something more important than making more and more money, especially when you already have as much money as we have."
"I'm not understanding where you want to get and I don't want to understand," I said, picking up Sarinha and heading to her room. I was going to put her to sleep and I didn't want to continue that subject.
I didn't like it when JP started insisting that his brother loved me and that at one time or another, he would come to his senses and come after fixing his mistakes.