No option

She looked at me, as she had the whole time we had been together, looking thoughtful, as if analyzing something as simple as an offer of a ride.

" I plan to go away with my friend," she said, after a few seconds of reflection " She really exists, she is here in this mall, and her name is Mariana. So you can relax.”

I smiled mirthlessly, as I understood what was quite clear from the beginning and what I didn't realize: she didn't want me to leave her at home, just as she didn't tell me anything about her, besides the fact that she was pregnant and that the child was mine. But I would leave everything as it is, at least for now. I had pushed it enough for one day.

" All right, then " I conceded. "I'll do as you wish. But…”

“But?”

"I will only leave when your friend gets here.”

She sighed with visible displeasure but eventually agreed, and at the same moment, she contacted her friend, who arrived only a few minutes later.

After we were introduced, I realized that this was the same girl who was with Virginia in the nightclub, but I also had the impression that I had seen her before.

I didn't comment on that impression, and after we said goodbye, I felt obliged to fulfill the agreement and left the two girls at the food court and went to the parking lot to get my car.

I drove through the streets of the noble neighborhood where the mall was located, feeling irritation overflowing from all my pores. But I knew that I couldn't have done otherwise. It would not be right of me to force a situation, so all I could do was be patient and wait for the right moment.

The only thing I knew about Virginia was her name and phone number, and nothing else. I would have liked to have brought her home, so I would have known where she lives and a little more about her financial situation, but now there was no use lamenting.

I focused on the most important thing, which was the fact that I will soon be a father, and the woman who is expecting my child is someone for whom I have strong feelings, even if I am still not sure about the depth of these, the chemistry existed, it was not something I was just idealizing.

Now it was time to run after and try to win over that aloof and strong"tempered girl, with the aggravating fact that she was now pregnant and emotions must be boiling and maybe even she didn't know what she wanted at that moment.

I thought about going to Grandma's house and telling her about the newest member of the Fernandes family, but I turned back. I want to be with Virginia when I give this news to my family and make it clear to everyone that I intend to start a family and that this time it will be for real.

No long engagement, as happened with Bruna. Nor do I intend to accept anyone trying to convince me otherwise. Not that I believed that Grandma or Artemis intended to do something like this.

I think about Aquiles. He might not recognize Virginia from the night at the club, but if that happens, I don't want him to spread this story to anyone else.

For this not to happen, I have decided that the best thing to do at first is to go to my cousin and talk to him directly and honestly.

I don't want anything to get in my way, and I'm going to make sure of that right now, I thought, as I pulled my car into the garage of the building in which we both live.

**************

I knew I wasn't doing the right thing with Murilo, but my priority would always be me and what was best for me, and I didn't believe that being with Murilo was a good thing.

I wasn't thinking about the financial issue, of course. He was very rich, but money, at some moments, could also take away a person's peace. It was with this in mind that I decided to stay away from him, at least for the time being.

I had managed to organize myself financially with the money he paid, and my store was growing in terms of customers, so I could afford to have my son alone, without having to resort to Murilo's fortune.

" He's a handsome man, and he's got a crush on you, Virginia " Mariana spoke for the tenth time that afternoon. "Are you sure that staying away from him is the best way?”

We were at the store, and while I would go home, Mariana would stay at the store for the closing, as we had agreed. While I was responsible for opening the store at ten o'clock in the morning, Mari was responsible for closing at twenty-two o'clock because it was only fair that we shared everything.

"I am fully aware of what is best for my son and me, and I am sure that being next to his father will not be good for us, Mariana.”

I said, making clear all the determination I felt because I had thought very well about the whole story and I felt that I would be exposing my son to situations where he would be despised just for being the son of a person with no money and no education as I was.

" Friend, you are still very young! But no matter what age you are, it's always time to study, to go to university " Mariana spoke with a lot of gestures and when she was trying to convince someone, as was the case, she was even more expressive with her gestures "And there's more! Nowadays, this kind of social prejudice is not acceptable in any environment. You can't cling to it.”

"Not being acceptable doesn't imply that it doesn't happen " I stubbornly insisted "I won't expose myself and even less expose my son.”

"I had no idea how hard-headed are, Vi!”

" I don't even know why we're arguing about this, " I insisted. "Murilo didn't ask me to marry him or talk about a serious relationship between us. He is the father of my son and I have already told him about this fact.”