Helen awoke in the middle of the afternoon, watched him sleep for several minutes, and then gently moved the arm resting on her waist to slip out without waking him.
"Don't leave," he murmured in his sleep. "Stay with me."
She ignored his request, having already decided it was best to leave and spend a few days at her mother's house until he embarked on his journey. She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and said goodbye.
"Goodbye, my love, thank you for making me happy, even if it was just for a day. I love you."
She gathered her belongings and left the place. She knew it had all been a mistake and that when he came to his senses and realized the craziness of their actions, he would be cruel, and she wanted to keep this farewell in her heart, like a beautiful treasure.
Renato woke up happy and reached out to find his beloved's place empty. He sat up in bed and noticed that Helen's clothes were nowhere in sight. He got up and searched the whole house but did not find her.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me again," he said, looking at his dog who gazed back at him sadly. "You're right. I need to talk to her."
Renato fetched his phone, called her, and after several attempts, she finally answered.
"Helen, why did you leave my house? We need to talk."
"I'm sorry, but you wanted a farewell, and that's what you got," she replied, wiping away a treacherous tear rolling down her cheek. "That was all."
"Helen, listen, I need to talk to you. Where are you?"
"You don't understand. I cannot do this. You hate me, you only like my body and you became obsessed with it."
"Helen, don't make me lose my patience. I don't hate you. Let’s talk."
"I don't want to be just one of many, I'm sorry."
Helen hung up the call and dried her tears, while Renato felt frustrated; he really needed to tell her he had feelings for her, but he wasn't yet ready for a relationship. Suddenly he saw the keys to his car, grabbed them, and left for the young woman's apartment. The evening was warm and several people were out enjoying a stroll. Renato was impatient at every traffic light and crossed among the crowds. Upon arriving at the building, he found the apartment dark and no one to answer the door. Then, an elderly woman saw him and kindly mentioned,
"Sir, the girl who lives there left about half an hour ago. She's not at home."
"Do you know Helen? Do you know where she went?" he asked, desperate.
"No, but she must have gone on vacation somewhere. She had a suitcase and sunglasses, and looked beautiful, though she left in a hurry and didn't say goodbye. She's always polite and greets everyone."
"Thank you."
Renato got into his car, thinking she must have been crying, hence the sunglasses. He looked around and tried to imagine where she might be but had no idea where to search, as he knew nothing of her family or friends. Frustrated, he started the car and went back to his home, then he called his sister.
"Hello, Abi. Can we talk?"
"Yes. Where shall we meet?"
"At my place."
"Okay, Reni, see you in half an hour."
"Thank you."
Abigail was his confidante; he had shared his plans and feelings for his secretary with her. His sister knew he was suffering and would be there to support him no matter the time of day.
Renato prepared a drink and waited anxiously for Abi to arrive. When she finally rang the doorbell, he opened it, embraced her with all his might, and began to tremble while controlling his emotions.
"What's wrong? You're scaring me."
"I was with her, and it was beautiful, but when I awoke, she was gone."
"Come, let's sit on the couch. What are you drinking?" she asked, seeing the glass.
"A cognac. Want one?"
"I can’t drink alcohol," she replied, sitting down. "I'm pregnant, I found out yesterday. You're the first to know." She always was straightforward and spoke without mincing words.
"Congratulations! Mom will be thrilled. Wait, why am I the first to know, and Hernan doesn't have a clue yet?"
"We separated a few days ago. He was an idiot, cheated on me in my own bed." She poured her heart out and began to cry. "I'm sorry, I came to help, and look at me now, it must be the hormones."
"Don't worry, my thing is not important," he hugged her affectionately. "Calm down, little one, I'll support you. Want me to kill him?"
"No," she murmured and laughed. "He's not worth sullying your hands over."
"If I don't kill him, Dad surely will."
"Yeah, and the worst part is that Dad was right. He never liked him from the start, but I was stubborn and continued to see him."
"Do you know what you want to do with the baby?" he asked subtly.
"I'm going to have it. It’s not the baby's fault that its father is a mess."
"You're right."
"Now tell me, what happened with Helen?"
"We got back together, and when I woke up, she was gone. I went to her house, and a neighbor saw her leaving there with a suitcase. I was an idiot; I shouldn’t have fallen asleep, but I'm so tired. Stress won't let me sleep."
"How long has it been since you slept?"
"Four days. But being in her arms, I rested like never before; I felt at peace. Today, I was ready to tell her everything, but she left. She just left."
"Brother, I think we're both disasters in relationships."
The siblings spent the entire night talking, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying, as both were very sensitive. Renato convinced Abigail to stay with his dog.
"Please, I can't take him, you know I won't have time to care for him properly."
"Alright, but don't disappear. Call at least once a week."
"I will, if they allow me."
"Are you sure about continuing with that absurd plan?"
"Yes. And there's no way I'll change my mind."
"Why not talk to our parents about it?"
"Because I already know what Mom thinks, and Dad will say it's my decision. Just think about the day we first talked about the surgery. Everyone got upset; it's a personal decision."
"Alright," she agreed, taking his cheeks in her hands. "It will be our secret, but remember, you are beautiful, and someone loves you no matter what you have on your forehead."
"The problem is that I can't accept myself," he responded, turning away from Abi and looking in a mirror. "I'll never be happy if I can't accept myself."
"You're right. Now I wish I wasn't pregnant so I could be with you," she commented, embracing him lovingly around the waist. "I love you, little brother."
"I love you too, little one, now promise me that you'll take care of yourself, of that baby," he requested seriously, touching her stomach, "and of Hercules."
"I promise. But don't say goodbye like that; it sounds like you'll never come back."
"I will return, I promise you, I will come back."
The young one starts to cry, and he embraces her affectionately. Once they both calm down, Renato invites her to sleep in the spare room of the apartment; she complies—it's late, and she's too tired to drive.
In the morning, Abigail picks up the dog's things, puts the animal in her car, and they head to her house. Upon arriving, that idiot ex-boyfriend is there with a bouquet of flowers. She completely ignores him, not letting him in, While Hercules, sensing the situation, growls fiercely, and the man flees from the place.
"Good boy, you deserve a reward," Abigail hugs him. "And a bath, you smell terrible."
Renato is alone in his apartment, packing his suitcase and a crazy idea crosses his mind, so if everything goes as expected, he will fulfill a promise. He searches the nightstand for a paper he's kept for days, looks at it, and then carefully folds it as if it were his most precious treasure, and tucks it among his belongings.
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