On the afternoon of November 20, 2021, at 6:10 PM, the gentle rays of the sunset painted a stunning sky. The colors blended harmoniously with the decor in toasted yellow and black tones, Bráulio favorite. The garden surrounding the altar held two impressive trees, their roots intertwined, symbolizing the deep connection about to be celebrated. From the room, I observed the lively activity through the windows as my Aunt Victoria and my mother welcomed the guests with warm smiles. The contagious energy in the air promised memorable moments. "And so, dear, are you ready?" My mom asked minutes later, entering the room with a sparkle in her eyes. She approached me with a smile. "You look like a princess, daughter," she said, stepping back a bit to give me a twirl. "I was thinking about you just now. I'm nervous, afraid I might stumble while walking down the aisle," I spoke, expressing my concern. "Well, that can happen," she said with a restrained smile. "But it's alrigh

I finish getting dressed and head downstairs. I stop in the middle of the living room and see Quezia setting the breakfast table, Quelson is watching something on TV, and Mom is in the kitchen. Still visibly nervous, I sit down without uttering a single word to them. "When I'm like this, I prefer to stay silent, so as not to hurt anyone with my words," she stops what she's doing and looks at me with confusion, not understanding my behavior. "And now, what's your problem?" I feel anger surge as her question reaches my ears, which, given what happened a few minutes ago, is both foolish and provocative. I place the fork on the plate with such force that it produces a brief, irritating noise. I stand up and meet her brown eyes with mine, squeezing my eyelids shut for a few seconds before releasing a sigh. "Are you seriously asking me that?" I make an expression of incredulity. "Quezia, Mom, both of you, or rather, all three of you..." I point to my brother, who is sitting in t

Continuation.His comment reminds me of how and why I got to this point, and the promise I made. Once again, I apologize, move away, and return my attention to the book. He seems like he's about to say something, but hesitates, straightens his posture that was previously leaning towards me, and continues watching the movie. In the front row, there's a lady with a baby who seems to be about six months old, and in front of them, a man with an angelic-faced little girl who appears to be around four years old. I believe he's the husband and the girl's father, judging by the way they're looking at the baby. For some reason unknown to the parents, the baby is crying uncontrollably, and they can't seem to calm him down.The woman is desperate, not knowing what to do, and the father tries to calm the little girl who is getting anxious due to her brother. Other passengers are whispering things that I can't hear properly, but I can imagine what it is. I feel sorry for the mother who is not

[...]Steering away from these thoughts, when my ears catch my father's velvety voice. "Son, you're not an impostor, don't ever say that again. What happened wasn't your fault, and you're doing a great job fulfilling the promise you made to your brother. He would be very proud of you." "Yeah, bro, Dad's right. Stop dwelling on it," Herman approaches, followed closely by Astrid. Before we know it, we're all intertwined in a warm and lingering embrace. "Alright, let Tobias go up to his room and rest. He's tired from the journey. My son, take a good shower, rests. It's one o'clock now, get some sleep. The event will start at six in the evening."Mom, I received Sophie, who fusses until she reluctantly agrees to go to her lap, or rather, she was coerced. I felt bad about it, but I'm really exhausted and need a few hours of sleep. ***I wake up two hours before the event, peek through the window and see a glittering garden with lights pointing the way to t

Nihara Vitti It's now fifteen-thirty, and Léah is getting ready for the big event. Although attending it would be a good opportunity to meet new people, I'm very tired from the trip and still haven't been able to get any sleep. I want to take advantage of the fact that she'll be out to do just that. "What do you think, a tight dress or a loose one?" she asks, holding up two dresses on hangers. "Hmm, let me see. It's a gala event, right?" "Yes, it is." "Then I think the tight dress suits it better. But let's look for another one, a black one, the color of elegance. I believe you won't be the only one in this color, so the dress has to make you stand out right away," I explain as I search for the ideal dress. "Wait, I have the perfect dress; I brought it to wear on an occasion like this..." "So you shouldn't have given it to me..." she starts to say, but I give her a disapproving look that makes her stop mid-sentence. "Alright, put it on now," I order. It's not long before she ap