ANMELDENChapter 65The next day, the family went out for a walk right after breakfast. Clara kept making excited signs, asking if they were going to see “more sea” or “little white houses.” Théo and Luna, in their double strollers, looked around curiously at everything.They walked through the narrow streets of Oia, stopped to take pictures in front of the blue-domed churches, and bought gelato for Clara. Rafael pushed one of the strollers and held Maitê’s hand. From time to time, he would stop to kiss her shoulder or her forehead affectionately.They had lunch at a restaurant by the cliff. Clara ate with her hands, laughing when the sauce dripped down her chin. Rafael gently wiped her little face."This is better than any fancy restaurant in São Paulo," Maitê said, looking at the sea.Rafael smiled, squeezing her hand across the table."Because the company is better."After lunch, instead of going straight back to the villa, Rafael made a detour. He stopped in front of a jewelry store."Let’
Kapitel 64Das Licht der Morgendämmerung fiel durch die offene Balkontür und breitete sich im Zimmer aus. Das Meer flüsterte gegen die Felsen, ein gleichmäßiges, ruhiges Geräusch.Rafael wachte auf, auf der Seite liegend, sein nackter Körper eng an Maitês geschmiegt, den Arm um ihre Taille und die Hand auf ihrem weichen Bauch. Der schwarze Bikini und die Spitzenmaske lagen auf dem Boden neben dem Bett.Er bewegte sich nicht, sondern betrachtete sie einfach. Ein angenehmes Gefühl breitete sich in seiner Brust aus, voller Liebe und Gewissheit.Vorsichtig strich er ihr durch das Haar und schob ein paar Strähnen aus ihrem Gesicht. Maitê regte sich, murmelte etwas Unverständliches und öffnete langsam die Augen. Als sie sein Gesicht so nah sah, mit diesem liebevollen Lächeln, das sie lange nicht mehr gesehen hatte, lächelte sie ebenfalls."Good morning…", flüsterte sie."Good morning, my love", antwortete er leise und zärtlich. Er küsste ihre Stirn, dann die Nasenspitze und schließlich ihre
Chapter 63The kitchen was open, integrated with the dining room, and they had dinner with the splendid view of Santorini’s night. The wooden table was positioned facing the veranda. Dinner was perfect: grilled fish with herbs, Greek salad, warm bread, olive oil, juice, and chilled white wine that Rafael personally chose from the house cellar.The children ate with appetite, Clara signing excitedly about how “the sea looks like a giant blue carpet,” Théo and Luna banging their spoons on the table and laughing at everything.After dinner, they played with the kids on the living room rug until sleep took over. Théo and Luna were taken to their cribs. Rafael picked Clara up and carried her to her room.As he walked, something happened. Clara murmured softly in her sleep:“Daddy…”Rafael stopped walking. He blinked several times, as if he needed to confirm what he had just heard. Clara had never spoken. She communicated exclusively through sign language; her voice had been blocked by the
Chapter 62The nanny stayed with the twins, who were sleepy after the long trip and a quick bath. Clara, excited despite her fatigue, ran to the upstairs bathroom.Rafael and Maitê left the house hand in hand after being greeted by the few staff members.Maitê stopped on the veranda, her eyes widening as she took in the immense garden that descended in terraces down the slope. White and purple flowers covered the whitewashed walls, ancient olive trees dotted the stone path, and in the distance, near the house, the private beach appeared like a golden strip between volcanic rocks and a sea of almost unreal blue.“My God…” she murmured, squeezing Rafael’s hand. “We can walk there. In five minutes we’ll be on the sand.”Rafael smiled, gently pulling her along the stone path that led down to the garden.“Clara will love it. She’s never seen the sea.”They walked hand in hand, unhurried. The sound of the waves reached them faintly. Maitê stopped once to take off her sandals and feel the wa
Chapter 61He looked around the garage. There were at least ten cars, not counting the one destroyed in the accident—his favorite, the black SUV. Beside it, the other SUV he had given to Maitê, the classic sedans, and a convertible he didn’t even remember buying. Everything was impeccable, thanks to the driver’s care.Rafael walked over to the key rack on the wall and picked up the key to the black Mercedes, the model he used to enjoy driving the most before buying the SUV. It had been a long time since he had touched its steering wheel. He ran his thumb over the key."Are you going out, sir?" the driver asked, appearing at the garage door, concerned."I'm going for a drive," Rafael replied, opening the driver’s door and sitting on the leather seat.The driver began biting his nails, uneasy."Do you want me to drive you?""No, thank you.""It's just that…"Rafael paused with the key in his hand and looked at the man. He saw the nervousness in his eyes, the genuine concern—the same loo
Chapter 60Rafael woke up early, before sunrise. Maitê was sleeping beside him, her arm thrown across his chest and her face serene. He stayed looking at her for long minutes. Then, slowly, he got up carefully so as not to wake her. He picked up his cane, went to the bathroom, and looked in the mirror one last time before the surgery.“Last day like this,” he murmured to his reflection. “Afterward… we’ll see.”He took a quick shower and put on a t-shirt and pants. When he came out of the bathroom, Maitê was awake, sitting on the bed with messy hair, looking at him.“Are you ready?”“I am.”She stood up, walked over to him, and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck.“Everything is going to be fine. You’ll come out of there feeling lighter.”Rafael held her close.“I know.”At breakfast, Clara ate slowly, signing about how “Daddy is going to come back handsome like before.” The twins were in their high chairs — Théo throwing pieces of banana and Luna laughing. Daniel laughed
Chapter 22Rafael stopped the car in front of Maitê’s building and looked at her. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes."I need to go back home," he said, his voice low and a little reluctant. "Daniel is off today. He sent me a message earlier. He wants to talk about the h
Chapter 21The next morning, Rafael woke up early and prepared a simple breakfast, just as he had learned from Maitê.She soon appeared at the kitchen door, still in her pajamas, her hair messy and her face marked by sleep. He smiled and pulled her into a kiss."Good morning, my nurse.""Good morni
Chapter 20A few minutes later, Rafael dropped Maitê off at the hospital staff entrance.Daniel was standing at the window of the doctors’ lounge, coffee in hand, staring absently at the parking lot. It was either coincidence—or maybe not—that he saw it at exactly that moment: a car identical to hi
Chapter 19A few minutes later, while Maitê was organizing the charts at the nursing station counter, Daniel appeared. He stopped on the other side of the counter, hands in the pockets of his white coat.“Maitê…” he said quietly, so as not to draw attention from the colleagues around them. “Heading







