Overturn

A day that never ends; which started at 5:30. Solutions turning into new problems, gruelling meetings, trips to visit works…

He didn’t come for dinner. The children, having already had dinner served by Maria, were blinking, just waiting for him.

Dad! You look so tired! (Aninha).

And dirty, completed Maura.

Everyone hugged him.

Sit here for a while with us (Pedro).

While he received the barrage of speeches and tales of the day, of classes, joys, big problems, to which he also responded and commented at a frantic pace, Maria had already prepared his favourite Scotch, in a low glass with lots of ice cubes.

They enjoyed each other, kissed and hugged many times.

Children, bedtime! Tomorrow we are all going to wake up early.

Wow! When will the vacation start? I hate getting up early every day! (Peter).

General laughs; Maria almost knocks over the canapés.

Finally, only with Maria, he ordered just a salad of lettuce, arugula and tomatoes.

Just this little to eat boss?

Maria, what I need most is a shower, this salad, and sleep as much as I can.

He always dreamed of her. Aurora was always present in them, beautiful as she really was, affable, affectionate, surrounded by her longed-for children, made a reality, her glory, his reason for being.

Now, she felt the warmth of his perfect body, a gentle embrace. He kept his eyes closed, tried to go back to the dream so that it would never end.

In that twilight between dream and wakefulness, this one seemed the most real thing he had ever had; his heart soared! Aurora, in peaceful sleep, had glued her body to his, had put her arm across his chest. He felt her warm breath on his neck.

He lay still, enjoying that immense joy the rest of the night, wishing the clock would stop “so that it never dawns.”

He felt her blink her eyes. He, immobile. She leaned closer, looked him straight in the eye, kissed him with gentle eagerness.

They loved each other, tenderly, warmly, desperately.

- I always loved you, sought and found you.

- I’ve always loved you and I’ve always waited for you.

He never dared ask her any questions.