The taxi stopped in front of the hospital, and I felt my whole body align with a single thought: please, let them be okay.Rafael paid for the ride before I had time to reach for my wallet, and we walked down the familiar corridor, the smell of disinfectant and old coffee in the air.
When we entered the room, the first thing I saw was my mother sitting on the bed, her hair tied back in an improvised way, but her eyes… alive, alert. Much more herself than the day before.
— Daughter! — she opened a wide smile as soon as she saw me. — Did you sleep well?
— I slept… more or less — I replied, going over to hug her. Her embrace was warm, firm. — You look so much better…
— Oh, I just hit my head a little — she waved it off. — They already ran tests, everything came back fine. The pain is much better today.
Then she looked over my shoulder and found Rafael, who stood there, not quite sure whether to take another step in or stay where he was.
— And you, Rafael? — my mother asked, with that gentle but curious tone. — Did you manage to sleep a little?
He nodded, as simple as ever.
— I did. It was quiet.
And before she could think of any parallel interpretation, I, of course, rushed in at the worst possible speed and with the worst possible skill:
— He slept in my room. I mean… in the room that used to be his, that's mine now. And I slept in yours. Separate. That's… that's it.
An awkwardly polite silence followed.
My mother's expression landed perfectly between "I understand" and "I won't comment," which only made me blush harder.
Behind me, Rafael ran a hand over the back of his neck, his usual way of hiding when he's embarrassed. He made no effort at all to save me from the situation.My mother smiled softly.
— I'm glad you both got some rest — she replied, steering the conversation back to normal as if I hadn't just tied myself into knots.She adjusted the sheet over her legs and then turned to Rafael, with a smile that mixed surprise and memory.
— But look… I swear I had no idea that Joaquim, your father, was the same Joaquim from the construction company. The one who helped us when everything fell apart.
Rafael lifted his eyes, attentive.
— And I remember you, you know? — she went on. — I remember you as a little boy, running around the yard and clowning for Helena, trying to make her laugh.
I felt my face heat instantly.
Rafael let out a tiny, almost imperceptible smile, but enough to give away that he remembered too. He just dipped his head in a short, almost shy gesture.
And all I could think was that, then, Rafael also knew we'd known each other since childhood, that he remembered me. And he had never said a word about it.
I tried to push the thought away and turned to my father, reclined in his bed, his casted arm resting on a pillow.
— And you? How was your night?
He gave that crooked smile of his, the kind that always tries to mask pain with humor.
— I'm fine, my girl. Just need to wait a few days for everything to fall back into place. No need to worry so much.
— No need to worry so much — I repeated, crossing my arms. — Sure… as if I could.
My mother laughed, that familiar laugh that warmed the whole room.
— The doctor said they'll keep us here just one more night — she explained. — Tomorrow morning we can go home.
My chest opened with relief.
— Then tomorrow I'll take you home — I said, already planning everything in my head.
That's when my mother gave me that mother look you can't argue with.
— Helena… — her tone was sweet but firm. — You need to go back to university. When they discharge us, a taxi will take us home.
I took a deep breath.
— Mom, no. I'll stay until you're really settled at home. Then I'll go back.
She raised an eyebrow.
— And Rafael? — she asked, looking over my shoulder.
I swallowed hard.
— He… I asked him to go back today. I don't want to mess up his classes eith—
Rafael interrupted me with the calm he always had when he'd made up his mind:
— I already told Helena I'm staying. I'm not leaving her alone here.
My mother didn't answer right away. She just looked at him… then at me… and then that small smile appeared. Not the kind that finds something cute, but the kind that confirms a suspicion.
I felt my cheeks burn instantly.
My father watched the scene, confused, but said nothing. Men are always slower to catch certain details.
My mother, though… she knew.
She knew this wasn't "friendship."
— Well — she finally said, with a smile that hid much more than it revealed — then you can stay a bit longer. Just don't forget to rest too.
I nodded, trying to pretend everything was normal.
The rest of the morning passed at a surprisingly light pace. My parents talked more, especially my mother, who seemed to have regained all her usual energy. And Rafael… well, he was completely at ease.
At some point, my father asked which team he supported… what seemed like casual chatter turned into an animated discussion in seconds. When they discovered they rooted for the same team, my father broke into a conspiratorial smile, the kind he only had when he found someone who understood his Sunday complaints.
— Do you like playing soccer too, or do you just watch? — my father asked, animated, adjusting his glasses with his good hand.
— I play… it's been a while… but I used to — Rafael replied, simple, but with that discreet sparkle in his eyes that appeared whenever he talked about something he liked.
My father smiled, satisfied.
— Then you're invited to play with the Friday barbecue group — he declared, pointing his casted finger at him like he was assigning an important role. — When I'm recovered, I'll tell Helena to bring you here one weekend.
Rafael gave a half-smile, almost shy.
— Set the date, Mr. Paulo. I'll come.
And I could only smile, watching my father and Rafael arrange a soccer game like they were already old acquaintances.
Around lunchtime, Rafael leaned toward me.
— Want me to go get something for us to eat? I saw there's a restaurant around the corner…
But my mother raised her hand before I could even answer.
— You're going out for lunch — she declared. — Everything here is under control. Go enjoy yourselves a little, for heaven's sake. Don't stay locked in this room all afternoon.
— Mom… — I tried to protest.
— Helena — she cut me off. — I'm fine. Your father is fine. Go. Both of you.
My father nodded with a smile that only reinforced my defeat.
And that's how we left. We walked to the restaurant near the hospital, in that same calm rhythm as always.
The food was good, the place was quiet… but my mind was in neither. I wanted to ask him about remembering me as a child, about never mentioning it… about when exactly he realized who I was.
But he seemed so calm, so comfortable there with me… that I let it go.
During lunch, we talked about small things. We said it would be good to stop by the supermarket afterward and buy a few things for the night. Snacks, soda, maybe something easy to cook.
We went back home carrying bags… cookies, chocolate, cheese bread, soda. Simple, even silly things. But as we walked, the sound of the packages bumping against Rafael's arm gave me a strange peace. As if that small noise was saying everything was in place. That I wasn't alone in this. That he was there… for real.