By the time Deanna returned, Daniel and the children had already come back. Meeting Frank had given her a feeling of well-being despite the past. She entered smiling.“Where were you?“ her husband asked her.“I went out for a drink with a friend... It was nice, I hadn't done that in a long time,” she replied happily.For Deanna, it was perfectly normal, but for Daniel, not so much.“What friend?”“Frank. Remember?” she said, sitting down next to him.“The guy from college? The one who cheated on you?”Something in his tone bothered Deanna.“Yes, that one...”“And why?”“He called me this morning, he wanted to talk... He's getting married next month.”“The messages last night were from him. You said you didn't know the number.” And again, that hint of mistrust crept into his voice.“And I didn't know it.”Deanna had honed her patience and temperament. She knew that tone and those mannerisms of Daniel's, and that's why she had put so much of herself into learning to calm him down, to le
For his part, Leonard was suddenly facing another aspect he didn't know. His years of marriage had never given him what he now shared with Susan; his countless affairs with young women had not shown him this strange side of himself, which could overwhelm him as much as it enchanted him.After getting engaged, even though they lived separately, Susan and Leonard began to spend more time together, to experience living as a couple. He wasn't used to that kind of intimacy, to the simple, ordinary moments shared on a daily basis. Dear Leonard, in his 50s, was learning new things.Getting married without love, spending years with someone he didn't love and who didn't love him, meant an emotional distance more than a physical one. Because even though they lived under the same roof, for him it was the same as being alone. He didn't participate in anything, he didn't care about anything, and he escaped from that cold place whenever he could, until finally, he stopped escaping and simply disapp
Deanna's pregnancy began to complicate even the most routine and simple tasks. Her back was killing her, her legs were swollen, and bending over was no longer an option. Even something as simple as putting on a pair of shoes was now a thing of the past. Daniel watched her with concern; although the first few months had gone smoothly, her belly was growing rapidly.She had always been a petite woman with a small waist and a fragile appearance. A single pregnancy was one thing, but a double pregnancy was another, and although she endured it with difficulty, the pain and discomfort sometimes put her in a terrible mood. She began to feel useless and frustrated.The situation was not easy. Every day seemed to bring a new challenge with her pregnancy, and the complications were not limited to the physical aspects. The feeling of helplessness and frustration that overwhelmed her was mixed with the fear that grew along with her daughters. At times, she felt like she didn't know what to do.Da
Camila entered Daniel's house as she always did: as if it were her own. Deanna was a little surprised to see her. Although the relationship between the two women had improved greatly, Camila was still a little embarrassed about the things she had done and didn't know exactly how to make amends.So when Daniel called her to ask her to talk to his wife and help her, she was happy and glad to be able to do something for her. She arrived with lots of bags, lots of things for the girls. She wasn't very demonstrative, but she was as anxious as she was with any of her grandchildren for the twins to arrive. Anxious like any grandmother.“Dear, how are you?”“Hi, Camila, I'm fine... What are you doing here?”Camila put the bags on the floor.“I came to bring some gifts for my granddaughters,” she said, sitting down across from Deanna, ”and to talk to you.”Deanna looked at her a little confused. Talk about what? She waited for Camila to start. She just sighed and had another burst of sincerity
Deanna wasn't at all happy with what Harry was proposing. He had to be crazy to come up with such an idea."What you're saying makes zero sense. Did you hit your head before coming here?""I know, but we need your help. I don't know who else to ask."Harry's girlfriend, Laura, wasn't saying anything, but she was getting more nervous by the minute.Their situation wasn't good - they were still in school, they were young, madly in love, but they'd been careless. Laura had confirmed her pregnancy just three days ago."I get where you're coming from, Harry, but no one's going to buy it. Your family doesn't even know me.""But I talked to my brother and he agreed. Please Deanna, help us."Laura finally spoke up, her eyes full of tears."We wouldn't ask this if it wasn't so important to us. Our families are really strict about this stuff. They won't let Harry marry me if his older brother is still single. And my family won't let me keep the baby unless I'm married."Seeing Laura so distress
Daniel Crusher had been a widower for 5 years. His wife had died from a heart condition shortly after giving birth to their youngest son. She left him alone with 3 kids and a deep sadness in a house that suddenly felt too big.He had no intentions of remarrying, even though he was one of the most eligible bachelors and was known to have had a few brief relationships. He could raise his children alone, or at least that's what he thought.And then his younger brother comes along, backs him into a corner with a completely unthinkable proposal. When he found out why, he exploded in fury."How can you be so irresponsible?!"But Daniel couldn't leave his brother and Laura to their fate. Much less abandon the little one on the way. Behind the ice shield he'd built around himself, there was still a warm-hearted man."Who is she?" he had asked.And again, he hit the roof when Harry told him about Deanna."But if she goes to university with you, that means... she's your age?""Yes, she's 25 lik
Daniel was the first to arrive at the apartment. He'd been there a few times over the years, but this time Laura's presence was noticeable in little things throughout the house. It was clear they'd been sharing the place for a while. For some reason, he felt nervous; this situation was very similar to when his mother set him up with her friends' daughters, except this time he came willingly. Maybe because this was the first time he was the one waiting for approval. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang - it was Deanna. The moment he saw her cross the threshold, he knew this would be harder than he'd thought. She entered with a huge smile and within seconds filled the place with her energy, as if radiating some kind of warm light. She wore her hair down, the abundant caramel-colored mane covering her shoulders. Daniel's first reaction was to stand up immediately, as if pushed by an invisible force. Upon seeing him, Deanna didn't hesitate to approach and stand before the tall, dark-h
The next day, Daniel met with his parents. He needed to stay as calm as possible and tell them the news naturally; without wavering while following the story to the letter, or no one would believe the charade."Well, we're here son. What did you want to talk to us about?" his mother asked."I'm getting married.""What do you mean you're getting married? What are you talking about, Daniel?" His father was a bit surprised, it was something he never expected to hear from him again."I'm getting married in a few weeks, Dad, and I want the whole family to meet her.""Wait a moment son, wait... Who exactly are you marrying?""Deanna.""Who? Who is Deanna?"He knew his mother would flood him with questions. She wanted her grandchildren to have a woman's presence while growing up besides herself or Susan, but this was too sudden. Neither of them was prepared to hear what Daniel had to say."Deanna is Harry's university classmate. We've been dating for several months now and I've decided to ma
Camila entered Daniel's house as she always did: as if it were her own. Deanna was a little surprised to see her. Although the relationship between the two women had improved greatly, Camila was still a little embarrassed about the things she had done and didn't know exactly how to make amends.So when Daniel called her to ask her to talk to his wife and help her, she was happy and glad to be able to do something for her. She arrived with lots of bags, lots of things for the girls. She wasn't very demonstrative, but she was as anxious as she was with any of her grandchildren for the twins to arrive. Anxious like any grandmother.“Dear, how are you?”“Hi, Camila, I'm fine... What are you doing here?”Camila put the bags on the floor.“I came to bring some gifts for my granddaughters,” she said, sitting down across from Deanna, ”and to talk to you.”Deanna looked at her a little confused. Talk about what? She waited for Camila to start. She just sighed and had another burst of sincerity
Deanna's pregnancy began to complicate even the most routine and simple tasks. Her back was killing her, her legs were swollen, and bending over was no longer an option. Even something as simple as putting on a pair of shoes was now a thing of the past. Daniel watched her with concern; although the first few months had gone smoothly, her belly was growing rapidly.She had always been a petite woman with a small waist and a fragile appearance. A single pregnancy was one thing, but a double pregnancy was another, and although she endured it with difficulty, the pain and discomfort sometimes put her in a terrible mood. She began to feel useless and frustrated.The situation was not easy. Every day seemed to bring a new challenge with her pregnancy, and the complications were not limited to the physical aspects. The feeling of helplessness and frustration that overwhelmed her was mixed with the fear that grew along with her daughters. At times, she felt like she didn't know what to do.Da
For his part, Leonard was suddenly facing another aspect he didn't know. His years of marriage had never given him what he now shared with Susan; his countless affairs with young women had not shown him this strange side of himself, which could overwhelm him as much as it enchanted him.After getting engaged, even though they lived separately, Susan and Leonard began to spend more time together, to experience living as a couple. He wasn't used to that kind of intimacy, to the simple, ordinary moments shared on a daily basis. Dear Leonard, in his 50s, was learning new things.Getting married without love, spending years with someone he didn't love and who didn't love him, meant an emotional distance more than a physical one. Because even though they lived under the same roof, for him it was the same as being alone. He didn't participate in anything, he didn't care about anything, and he escaped from that cold place whenever he could, until finally, he stopped escaping and simply disapp
By the time Deanna returned, Daniel and the children had already come back. Meeting Frank had given her a feeling of well-being despite the past. She entered smiling.“Where were you?“ her husband asked her.“I went out for a drink with a friend... It was nice, I hadn't done that in a long time,” she replied happily.For Deanna, it was perfectly normal, but for Daniel, not so much.“What friend?”“Frank. Remember?” she said, sitting down next to him.“The guy from college? The one who cheated on you?”Something in his tone bothered Deanna.“Yes, that one...”“And why?”“He called me this morning, he wanted to talk... He's getting married next month.”“The messages last night were from him. You said you didn't know the number.” And again, that hint of mistrust crept into his voice.“And I didn't know it.”Deanna had honed her patience and temperament. She knew that tone and those mannerisms of Daniel's, and that's why she had put so much of herself into learning to calm him down, to le
Deanna and Jonathan's relationship had returned to normal, the only thing that had changed was that the boy now called her “Mom.” It sounded a little strange to her, but at the same time it made her happy to hear it. She just had to get used to it.“Mom, I'm hungry,” said the little boy. They were sitting in the living room reading a book.Now that he was a little older, he was interested in other things besides stories. So Deanna brought him one of her books about music to answer his questions as best she could.“Dad's making dinner. Are you very hungry?”“Yes, my tummy is rumbling,” he replied, and she laughed heartily.“Well, read a little more and I'll go steal something from the kitchen.”But she stopped at the door when she saw Daniel. She leaned against the frame and looked at him.With his back to her, wearing his apron, he was skillfully wielding a knife. She had become so accustomed to these moments they shared together that now he was the one who turned on the radio to list
“But of course it's nonsense!” Camila exclaimed indignantly, rushing out into the courtyard.Susan held her breath and Amanda just watched her. She knew what Harry's mother was like: very traditional, very attached to customs, and relentless. She knew how resistant she had been to Deanna and how difficult it was to please her.“Mom...“ Susan tried.“It's nonsense, Amanda. Ridiculous!” she said, raising her arms.Susan's face tensed, and she looked at her as if to warn her.“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked her daughter, then looked Amanda in the eyes.“Didn't you just give him a son? Doesn't Emma call you Mom? What rights don't you have? Of course you have all of them! For God's sake!”She sat down next to her and touched Ryan's little hand as it slipped out from under the blanket.“You gave my son the chance to love and have a family. You were there for him when none of us could be, and you supported him and made him feel safe. I don't even want to think about wh
“I feel like a hippopotamus,“ Deanna said, taking off her robe.“But a very cute one,” Daniel replied, doing the same.The pain in her body was getting worse every day. It was difficult for her to move, change position in bed, and even walking was sometimes torture. But the doctor had recommended that when she felt tense, she should relax with hot water. And he was right; it helped her a lot.The shower was quick and improvised, but what really relaxed her was the bathtub. The huge bathtub her husband had installed for her and her belly. But it was too high for her to get in by herself, so Daniel always helped her. He had already told her and emphasized, waving a finger, that she should never even think of using it alone; she could slip or hit herself.During those months, he went to the office less often. He delegated many things to Harry, and his brother complied, so he could spend more time with his family. It seemed like he didn't want to miss a thing.The water was hot, and she c
Susan was sitting between Amanda and the restless Emma, who wanted to climb over her to get to her little brother. She looked up and saw him approaching with a serious expression and a slightly furrowed brow. Amanda also saw him and stood up. Deanna had already told her what her father was going to do.“Come on, Emma, would you like some dessert?“ he asked, and the little girl took his hand.Susan, a little surprised by his sudden departure, was about to say something when he stopped in front of her.“Sit down with me,” she invited him, but Leonard didn't move. Something about his face was strange.“Leonard? What's wrong?”Without saying a word, old Leonard Reed, madly in love, knelt down on one knee in front of Susan Crusher. Daniel's jaw dropped, Charles gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, and Camila sat down suddenly as if something had pushed her.Susan didn't understand for a few seconds, but then she froze. The whole place fell silent, creating an atmosphere of anticipati
Alice also left the hospital around that time. The strain she had put on Leonard, the demands and reproaches of his daughters, and his own guilt were taking their toll on his relationship with Susan. Although she tried to contain him, Reed sometimes became a volcano spewing nothing but filth.He was often unstable, capable of going from the sweetest love to a fit of rage in a matter of seconds, triggered by the most insignificant things. And Susan was getting fed up.“You're just going to make her leave you,” Marcus said, looking at him with a grim expression.He listened to their argument; Leonard was on the phone, Susan was in the gallery, and their shouting carried from the back rows of the theater to the stage.Leonard looked at him in disbelief.“That won't happen,” he said with conviction.“I don't know, Leonard... No woman likes to be treated like that. You're turning into an unbearable old man. I won't blame her when she tells you to get lost.”“Nonsense.”But deep down, he kn