João Felipe
Fortunately, today was Saturday and I didn't have to be at work, nor did I have any appointments scheduled. In the state my face was in, I didn't look the best for meeting someone, let alone for work.
I was now standing in front of my bathroom mirror, wondering how my mother would tell me that I had gotten into a fight, and in which I had gotten worse. It was pretty embarrassing, actually.
I was thinking of going back to bed and postponing this moment as long as possible, when I walk out of the bathroom and find my mom coming into my room, without even hitting it. Apparently, I already knew about what had happened, for despite the horror in her expression, she showed no surprise at seeing me with my face totally swollen and with a bandage above one eye, which, by the way, was totally closed.
"Oh my son, what a pity!" he spoke, approaching me and looking at the wounds closely.
" I thought you were going to make the biggest fuss when you saw me like that " I commented with a smile in my voice.
Mrs. Marta really is someone else, a better person, I needed to acknowledge.
"But what could you have done, my son? To see a stranger practically attacking Viviane and not interfering? It wouldn't be worthy of a man I created to be a gentleman" She still played delicately, looking minutely at everything on my face.
"Viviane told me what happened, apparently."
Just then she pulled away from me and sat elegantly in a comfortable armchair, which was in one corner of my room.
"Actually, I saw when you guys arrived last night and walked into your room. Since you had worked so hard to find out which nightclub Viviane had gone to with her friends, I understood that something had happened there, involving both of them."
I looked at my mother, her eyebrow arched, unable to understand this attitude coming from her.
" I didn't ask where Vivi was " disagreed. " And I don't understand where you're trying to go."
"Continuing... this morning I questioned Vivi and she told me the whole story."
"What story?" I asked nervously.
I didn't intend to hide my feelings for Vivi from anyone else, but she was still married to my brother, and my mother would never be condescending to the fact that one son was in love with the other's wife.
I was prepared to face everything and everyone this time, caring little about what others were going to say about this situation, but Vivi needed to accept me first. I couldn't screw it up if she really didn't want me anymore. That was a possibility and I needed to be prepared.
" The one in the nightclub, João Felipe. Is there any other story for her to tell me? "This time it was her arching her eyebrow, making me uncomfortable.
" Of course, you are right, " I quickly agreed.
"I'm going to ask Mariana to bring breakfast here in her room. You don't look very good to me."
She was right and I gladly accepted the offer.
I went back to bed and spent the whole day. My body seemed to cry out for rest and I tried to move as little as necessary, for every movement I made was followed by moans of pain. The medications eased but did not completely prevent the pain in the regions hit by the punches of that damn harassing woman. Just thinking about what might have happened to Vivi if I wasn't so close there made me shiver with anger.
It seems that my thoughts drew her to me, for soon she was slamming the door and asking if she could come in.
After I answered, she walked into my room, her posture of distrust, as if she didn't know what to expect from me.
"How are you feeling today?"
" Do you want the truth?" I tried to joke, to relax a little the tense atmosphere that had formed. At his affirmative nod, I continued, "I'm crushed, everything hurts."
"I feel so bad about all of this."
"But I shouldn't, I've told you that."
We stared at each other intensely, me admiring her openly, freely letting all the feelings I had for her shine free to show like never before. It was wonderful the sense of freedom it brought me. No need to pretend when I was in his presence or heard his name.
"You look beautiful," I said, leaving her visibly embarrassed, her face a rosy hue.
She was dressed in red dress-style shorts, which contrasted with her green eyes and black hair charmingly. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she didn't have any kind of makeup on her face, as always. Viviane only wore makeup when she went to the club. On a day-to-day basis, she always made a point of staying completely natural, not even the lipstick she wore. But his mouth was naturally red and his thick lips stood out on his face gracefully.
" I'm glad you're better " Ignored my last comment, which I expected.
"I don't think you paid attention to my words. I didn't say I'm better" I said wryly, but smiling happily.
She was clearly stunned and said the first thing that came to her head, not dwelling on what I had actually said.
"You're right, I'm sorry," she said, bringing her hand up to her face, as if embarrassed.
I'm just joking " In order not to make her even more uncomfortable and she leaves the room, I decided to talk about a much more pleasant subject, our little one.
" She's with her mom in the garden," she replied, smiling fondly as she spoke of her daughter.
"I miss her, already. I didn't see her today" There was also a smile in my voice. I felt true love for my little one. "Can you bring her here later?"
"I don't think it's a good idea. You're too ugly," she said making a funny face.
"Wow, how cruel you are! Is this how you repay my help? " I teased.
"Oh, actually you just got beaten up by that guy. He was only restrained by the security guards himself" reciprocating the provocation.
"But I served to distract him while the security guards arrived. He kept beating me and forgot about you, you ungrateful."
"That's true."