MARCAS DO DESTINO

A new chance

But as fate was really in order to fix his mistake, before he even got to the gate, Eduardo gets on his motorbike, braking sharply almost falling face-first into the ground, in the same instant to see his great love there in front of him more alive than ever. When facing the motorbike braking sharply, Gabriella, very scared, tries to run with her son in her lap, she was afraid that something very bad could happen, but when the driver takes off his helmet and their eyes meet, no words are needed, the whole universe enters the same rhythm.

Looking at him there in front of you, you go into a state of shock, you cannot even open your mouth. The tears come down incessantly over his face, in his mind the complete film of the story he had lived through with Eduardo passes, finally recovering his memory and remembering his great love. Emotional, he quickly got off the motorbike to the sound of his voice shouting.

— Eduuu! — Without thinking twice, Gabriella hands her son to Maristela, in an emotional reunion, running towards each other, crying, hugging each other tightly, overcome by emotion.

— You are alive, my love! — Eduardo kisses her like the first time. — Are you alive? Gaby, my love, I can't believe you're alive! — he says, touching her face and kissing her forehead while caressing her skin. — I can't believe it! Oh my God! My life has come back to me. Eduardo couldn't hold back his tears, he cried without believing what was in front of his eyes.

Clovis and Maristela, who were against this relationship, breathed a sigh of relief amidst the emotion of seeing their son and Gabriella together, with Arthur on her lap. Eduardo, still stunned by so many emotions, did not even realize that the child on his mother's lap was his son. After these shocks of emotions, everyone went into the living room when he asked:

— And that big boy there, who is he?

— Look at him, my son, doesn't he remind you of anyone? If he doesn't remind you of anyone, then look at these two photos here — answers Maristela, still moved.

— Is that really what I'm thinking? Looking at her photo and Arthur's, then looks at Gabriella with that surprised face. She then shakes her head in agreement, Eduardo kneels down in front of Arthur and says completely dazzled. — My son? I can hardly believe you're alive and here with me, imagine with a beautiful gift like this! Mother is my son, your grandson!

Maristela, who no longer knew how it felt to be as happy as she was, cries with emotion and regret for all she had done to separate Eduardo and Gabriella. Meanwhile, Marina appears with Victor and Susana at the gate of the mansion calling on the intercom, Lurdes answers.

— Hello, good afternoon, how can I help you?

— Where are your bosses? We want to talk to them!

— Miss, I think it’s not possible to talk to Mr. Clovis and Mrs. Maristela at this moment.

— What do you mean it won't be possible? Are they there?

— Yes, they’re! But they are very busy, they’ll certainly not come to see you, I’m sorry, but I am not allowed to let them in.

— And where are my sister and my nephew? Where are they?

Lurdes noticing Marina's change, seeing that it was Gabriella's sister.

— Calm down, young lady, I will tell the bosses that you want to see them, just a moment, please. — Lurdes went into the living room. — Excuse me, madam, may I speak to you in private for a moment?

— Yes, Lurdes, what's wrong?

— There is a girl at the intercom, Marina's name, she wants to talk to you, shall I let her in?

— Of course not Lurdes, today we are not for anyone!

— But, madam, the girl is very nervous and says she is the sister of Arthur's mother…

— Why didn't you say so, Lurdes? Ask her to come in and take her to the office and wait for me, I'll be right there.

— Madam, but she is not alone, she has two other people with her, shall I let everyone in?

— Wait, Lurdes, let me receive them myself, just ask for the ID of those accompanying her and let them go in. Hello, Marina, sorry for the delay, good afternoon, young man, lady, it is a pleasure to welcome you - Maristela says, already identifying the people who were with Marina. — But what happened, what can I do for you?

— We came after Gabriella and Arthur, you don't remember me, do you, Mrs. Maristela? You don't remember who I am, you don't remember the humiliation you made me go through right here in your residence four years ago, do you, Mrs. Maristela? Because I remember perfectly every word that came out of your mouth while I was forced to accept your bribe, thinking the best for my sister and my nephew who was already in your womb, considering that you yourself didn't even give me the opportunity to talk about his existence.

— Marina, please calm down! — said Susana, trying to calm the situation down. Maristela, faced with so many emotions experienced in a single day, couldn't stand it and fainted without being able to say a word.

— Help, somebody help us here, Mrs. Maristela… Madam, please wake up… Help… Help! Somebody helps us here!

— What happened? What happened to her? My love, wake up! — said Clovis, who, hearing the screams, came to know what was happening, and found his wife already on the floor. — Everyone stands back, I need some space! — said Clovis, after checking her vital signs and realizing that she was only fainting. — Edu, son, help me take your mother to her room.

— Marina, Susana, Victor, what are you doing here? Has something happened? Why are you here, what happened at the end? I don't understand anything, said Gabriella when she found them in the office together with Maristela, unconscious.

— Calm down, daughter, I'll explain everything, but first let's go help Mrs. Maristela.

After Clovis and Eduardo take Maristela to the room, Eduardo returns to the living room bringing the news that his mother is recovering, Marina tells Susana:

— So let's go, Suzy, come on Gaby, we don't have anything else to do here!

— Calm down, Marina, it's not like that, my daughter.

— Edu, my dear, it's been a long time, since the accident we haven't heard from you, you disappeared from the map! We didn't know where you were going, or even what was happening to you. What happened my son, why all this? — With a big hug.

— I will explain everything to you, as soon as I also understand what happened, but for now, there have been so many emotions today that I don't even know where to start.

— Start with the part where I recovered my memory, my love — said Gabriella smiling, handing Arthur to her father.

— My God! I can't believe it — said Susana, surprised and moved to realize the immensity of everything that was happening to Gabriella and Eduardo. Marina was still not convinced.

— Eduardo, I have nothing against you, but I can't spend another minute here, I'm going! Shall we go, Victor? — she said, leaving. About fifteen minutes later, Clovis comes down with the news that his wife has regained consciousness and asks Marina to go up to the room with him, when he realizes that she is no longer at home.

— Sir… Marina is no longer here, unfortunately she is gone, but may I speak to you for a moment?

— Yes, of course! Let's go to my office.

Arriving at the office, Susana begins to speak:

— Look, Doctor Clovis, I am aware of this whole story since the beginning, I am Susana the coordinator of the institution where your son Eduardo and Gabriella were doing community service before the accident, and after the accident, when Mr. Ronaldo kicked his daughter out of the house when he was informed about the pregnancy while she was still in a coma, I ended up getting sensitized and becoming responsible for the two girls, consequently assuming the role of mother and grandmother of little Arthur. So I say that I am aware of everything that happened, I followed all the events from the beginning.

Susana, I need you to come with me, please, let's go to my quarters so that my wife can talk to you.

— Yes, let's go. — Arriving in the room where Maristela was resting.

— Look, my love, the girl had already left when I arrived in the room, but you can talk to Mrs. Susana and clear up this story once and for all, she is already aware of everything that happened, she is the responsible for Miss Gabriella and our grandson, we need to solve this misunderstanding so that we can all live in peace.

— Hello, ma'am, how are you doing now?

— I am fine, Susana, but I will only get better when I manage to undo a wrong, I committed four years ago and correct a mistake.

— Maristela, I believe I can call you Maristela, let's forget the formalities, after all we are all adults, I believe we are among friends, and we are going to talk about the life of people we love very much, that is, we already have something in common. I'm here to listen and try to understand what happened to these two young people who four years ago, all they wanted was just one thing in life, to be happy! I am the coordinator of an institution that shelters children who have been orphaned or abandoned by their parents. Edu and Gaby were part of a small volunteer group of people who helped us with the children at the orphanage, as time went by, they became much more than simple volunteers, the affection I have for these boys is much more than a friend affection, today I have Gabriella as my daughter and little Arthur as my grandson. Marina told me parts of the conversation she had with you here and as Gabriella had no memory of her past life with Eduardo before the accident, we concluded that it would be better to leave her out of further disappointments, we wanted to spare her head from more trouble. I must confess that I always had a flea behind my ear about this story.

— So, Susana, I have made many mistakes in my life, and today I could see that I had an erroneous vision about many things. One of my worst mistakes was to try to manipulate my son's life, I had the illusion that I could make him follow the path that I had traced for him, I admit my mistake, but I am also fully aware that everything I did was out of excessive zeal, that excessive concern that every mother generally has, I know, I sinned in excess of love. Now in relation to the interference in his history with Gabriella, I don't even have words to justify myself, in this case I confess that I was lay, obtuse, I committed one of my worst mistakes of this life. I made a big mistake, and who paid for that mistake was my grandson, today I feel like the worst person in the world!

“I did not know about the history between the two, at the time I realized that my son had changed from one hour to another, suddenly he had more focus on studies and his behavior was maturing. There was no way for me to know that the story between them was serious, even because I did not know her, for me, this girl was just another profiteer, and when I knew she was the daughter of one of the employees, I had no doubts, in my head she already knew that he was the son of his father's bosses and was only eyeing the inheritance of a rich boy and only son. I had no idea of Gabriella's character, much less that when Marina was here it was to talk about the arrival of my grandson. My God, when I think about it, I wish the ground would open up before me, how I made my son suffer, how much suffering I caused everyone with this damned lie. I really need your help, Susana… I don't know what will happen when my son hears what I have done, Edu will not forgive me, I am sure he will not forgive me.

— Yes, he will! Maristela, your son has a very kind heart for someone who would not forgive his own mother.

— How can you forgive me, Susana, if I can't even forgive myself?

— Calm down, Maristela, I will help you! After all, I'm not here to judge your past actions, but to help you to heal! Let's start by letting them understand each other and enjoy this magic moment they are living without any problems. They have already suffered too much, we have to give the three of them some time now, they are going through a process of getting back together, besides Eduardo, who is getting to know his son. I don't think it's convenient to spoil this moment with sad things.

— Really, Susana, you're right!

— So, let's get out of this bed and go celebrate this new stage in our children's lives… for now, let's forget about it!

— That's right, my dear, let's cheer up and enjoy our grandson a little more to try to make up for lost time — said Clovis in a sudden mood.

— Speaking of him, look who's coming in here? — said Susana, smiling.

— Come, my love, come! We came to see if Grandma had got better? — said Eduardo, holding Arthur's hand on one side and on the other hugging Gabriella.

— Come in, my loves, of course I'm fine, even more now with the little prince here near Grandma, she is 100% better! — Arthur, as always, arrives running to his grandfather's arms, leaving him more and more melted. Clovis no longer knew how he could fit so much happiness into a single day. Already with Arthur on his lap, he says — Today I am like the Phoenix, I feel reborn from the ashes!

Between one conversation and another, the stories come up and are remembered, Gabriella tells about her first day of school when she met Eduardo and the first time she came to his house to do a school project. Eduardo smiling with his usual face says excited:

— I burned my neurons not to stay away from this woman on the weekends.

— It's true, isn't it, dear, and that's when the plan came up that we should go and help at the orphanage, just to spend more time together.

— Guys, the conversation is perfect, I see that now everything is finally getting back on track. I am happy for you, my children, but it is getting late, it is pastime to leave, isn't it, Grandma's little one? — Until Susana, looking at the clock, realizes that time has passed and it was already time to leave.

Maristela, totally redeemed and completely in love with her grandson, says:

— Susana, Gabriella and Arthur could stay here with us today, do you agree, son?

— Me? Of course, I do, I think your idea is perfect, mother! What do you think, my smug girl?

Gabriella, as always very responsible with her work, even loving the possibility of spending a little more time enjoying her great love, says:

— I don't know, Edu, I think we better go today, tomorrow I have work.

— Oh no, darling, stay here with me today.

— It's all right, if you want to stay, the decision is all yours. As for work, your boss has just granted you a week's premium holiday. — Susana smiles and settles the matter.

— Wow… My goodness, is this by any chance a plot to make me completely happy? Suzi, you really don't exist, do you?

— Eduardo is still at the height of his emotion, radiating good humor.

— Well, just for that, we'll take you home, Suzi.

— Common, love, let's take Susana home right away, let's do it right now to make sure she won't change her mind… — Smiling, he cracks one of his jokes.

— Hoooo, this is wonderful, Mr. Eduardo, also because I have no car here, it’s good for Gaby to take advantage and get some clothes, isn't it, young lady? Also, because my grandson must be without anything to wear tonight, well, if we are already settled, then let's go, right children?

— Arthur is Grandpa's darling and decided he's going to keep Grandma and Grandpa company, so you can go without haste — said Clovis, with his grandson on his lap, waving goodbye to his grandfather.

— Kisses, we'll be right back.

Finally, they took Susana home. Meanwhile, Clovis and Maristela, overflowing with happiness, went to play with Arthur, until he got tired and was taken straight to his grandparents' room. With the grandson already in bed, Maristela and her husband spend the whole time drooling and admiring the little heir.

— You know, honey, we have to thank God for giving us this new opportunity to do the right thing this time. I am so happy! Our grandson is the greatest gift we could receive today — said Clovis.

— Really, love! — Memorizing every trace of her grandson while she sleeps, Maristela says — he is beautiful! He is perfect and the face of Edu, look here dear, the sign of our family. He also has one just like his father's, even in the same place. I think he looks like me! Look at that little mouth, the eyebrow, and the chin are all his.

— Yes, I have to agree with you, he really looks like you! No wonder, he has all the features of our son.