Carlos paused in his movements, his eyes full of excitement, wondering if he had misheard, and turned quickly, striding back to the bed….
Micaela frowned, with some grimaces of pain on her face, her head sideways, her whole body twisting before she could open her eyes….
Carlos sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, calling her softly:
-Micaela, I’m here….
-Aha…
The woman lets out a few aggravated moans from her throat, slowly lifts her eyelids and looks uncomprehending…
Blinking, Carlos handsome face, more and more clear, his deep eyes are full of nervousness and restlessness, Micaela’s heart instantly gripped the pain, the pain can not breathe, pain in tears instantly out the door …
Carlos’s heart was beating so fast that he did not dare to breathe hard, and he ran a hand down her cheek, running a hand across the small, all too familiar face, pupils flickering with expectation and uneasiness.
-Micaela, call me by name and tell me you’re back….
-Woohoo…
Micaela choked back tears as she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck:
-Carlos, Carlos, Carlos, Carlos, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…..
Carlos’ heart is jumping more and more violently, and it is a little hard to know if this moment is a dream or reality….
He had longed for this day for too long, he breathed hard and deep, repressing his excitement, and with a gentle movement, he lifted her up, and then fiercely clasped her in his arms, hugging her tightly, one hand gripping the back of her neck, the crystalline tears hidden in her hair….
Micaela also hugged him tightly and buried her head in his arms, crying hysterically….
During the last year, sometimes she could understand what Carlos was saying, but she could not answer him, she could not control his behavior or his words or his brain, her conscience was confused….
It was a long, long time before Carlos caressed her softly in her ear:
-It’s all right Micaela, it’s over…..
He ran his hands over her cheeks, wiping the tears from her face, and moved closer to kiss her lips one at a time.
-Micaela, I miss you so much…..
Micaela tried to hold back her tears as she answered him.
-I’ve missed you so much too Carlos, I’m sorry for making you worry and work so hard for so long…..
Carlos’s forehead pressed against hers and his thin lips gave a slight smile of satisfaction.
-Darling, it’s all worth it to you….
As they embraced, outside, everyone crowded around the door, Yerma and Nicolas had their ears pressed to the door, listening to the commotion inside, and the set of people outside were in a hurry, and afraid of making a noise that would interfere with their ability to hear what was going on inside….
Finally, Yerma still heard her daughter’s voice and turned, her eyes full of excitement, to the group:
-Wake up, wake up, Moya is awake! She’s really awake, she’s finally back to normal!
Everyone let out a shout of joy and breathed a sigh of relief, even Thiago, who was always calm and self-controlled, and whose emotions were never too big….
Carlos was waiting anxiously inside, they were equally anxious outside, but fortunately, everything went as planned….
After a while, the door to the room opened and Carlos appeared with Micaela, Lluvia blushed and was about to hug her right away, but there was someone who moved faster, Mike….
-Mommy! Mommy!
Mike wrapped his arms around Micaela’s legs, tilted his head and squealed excitedly.
Micaela looks at Mike, who is undressing her lap, with eyes full of excitement and surprise….
-Mike, Mike has grown so much…..
She bent down to pick Mike up, and before she could take him in her arms, she was grabbed by Carlos.
-He’s too heavy to hold.
Mike snorted and glared at his father, unable to suppress his protests:
-How heavy I am! I only weigh 9 kilos or so!
The room filled with joyful laughter and everyone surrounded Micaela with affectionate greetings….
They all stayed for dinner together, a large, warm and lively table, Micaela watched Nilson look at Rain with eyes full of love, and was heartily glad that, after more than a year, they were even more in love with each other….
In the middle of the day, he leaned toward Lluvia’s ear and asked:
-Luvia, about Estela, haven’t you told her yet?
Lluvia pours food into Micaela’s bowl and gives her a mischievous look:
-It’s okay.
Micaela’s tears came to her eyes when Carlos turned the stewed fish upside down, took a toothpick out of habit, removed the bones and was about to pour it into the girl’s bowl….
-No, I don’t want fish!
Micaela refused somewhat anxiously.
Carlos raised an eyebrow as the woman looked at the fish and explained:
-I feel the fish is so soft and greasy…..
Carlos and Yerma reacted by saying that she had been tired of eating too much fish for a year….
Besides, she was a cat then, she wanted fish three times a day and probably ate more fish in the last year than in the last twenty….
Carlos smiled and put the fish in the bowl for his son, who was sitting next to him in his little chair.
Mike watched as his mother, blocked by his father, took the fish and bit down hard.
They all gathered here late into the night before going their separate ways home, and Mike fell asleep in his grandmother’s arms as Yerma carried him back to her children’s room to sleep.
After saying goodbye to Nilson and Lluvia, who were the last to leave, and watching them get into their car and drive off, Carlos turned and grabbed the woman next to him, striding in and upstairs, not caring that there were still maids racking the living room….
Micaela buries her little red face in Carlos’ arms….
Carlos took the girl directly to the bathroom and sat her on the sink…
The woman’s heart was pounding, her head hanging down as Carlos lifted her up, his burning eyes burning her to the core as he dropped wine-scented kisses.
-Micaela, you’re not going to sleep tonight, I’m going to go from the bathroom, to the bedroom, to….
Micaela was startled and covered her thin lips, the tender love in his eyes made Micaela’s heart beat faster just by looking at him, and her little face lit up as she brushed his eyes.
-You, you, when I was a cat, you were also…..
Carlos kissed her fingertips, his voice desolate in the extreme.
-My needs are not clear to you?
Then he kissed her on the lips…