Episode 15

My mother's happiness was so contagious that, for a moment, the agony I was feeling was appeased. She immediately called the real estate agent and let them know that I had gotten a job and that we would soon sort everything out. She even made a special dinner for us.

— Will you wear a suit to work, Fe?

— No, Ju. I'll be wearing overalls. I'm a cleaner.

— But your overalls will be nice too, won't they?

— Certainly, yes, everything there is very fancy.

— She is excited, my son. Now you seem to be the one who isn't.

— It's just an impression, Mom. I'm also excited. It's just that I was so nervous at the time, that I think now my body has decided to charge me for it and I feel tired.

— Let's have dinner and you rest. I have some errands to run and tomorrow you're going to get your hair done.

— It's not even long, Mom.

— But the little foot that grows first is. If they are so fancy, they will notice everything.

That night it took me ages to fall asleep. I kept thinking about my whole life. Everything. From childhood and adolescence with my parents here with me. I remembered my friends and mischief from school days. From when I realized I liked boys and the first kiss I gave a boy hidden in the school bathroom. The shame I felt afterwards, but also the happiness I was in understanding and accepting myself. I remembered my first time with Ricardo, which was very good despite being painful. My mother's distrust of my sexual orientation and her disapproving look, one of the saddest things for me, because the result of this is having to date in secret, without being able to be who I really am.

I couldn't help but remember my father's accident, the horrible photos on the internet and the worst task I've ever been given in my life: identifying his body. My mother was in no condition and it was my responsibility.

Then I remembered Roberto's arrival in our lives and the only wonderful thing he gave us: my sister. I loved my little one very much and would always do anything for her.

Finally, Caique came to my thoughts and in them, he would just be Caique, without the "Mr.". But at the company I had to have all the respect, after all, he was my superior and owner of all that. I couldn't even imagine everything he went through in that horrible accident, during and after, especially.

I slept upset and anxious.

Four days later...

I thought I wouldn't make it to the company for my first day of work. There was a horrible shootout. I didn't live inside the community, but my house was right at the entrance to it and there was a lot of violence going on there.

At that moment I was getting my work uniform on and being guided to the employee locker room. It looked like those gym bathrooms, but of course, very nice, full of lockers, showers, and bathroom stalls. I received a key and a padlock to store my belongings. It even had my name engraved on a plaque, on the locker door, and I found it very chic.

After putting everything away and changing, I went to a large mirror that was there and looked at myself. I looked cool in the outfit, which wasn't brightly colored but a darker blue. The boots were comfortable and soft.

As soon as I left the locker room, a woman named Vanessa, who would be my coordinator, showed me my work cart and taught me that I was responsible for everything in it. Including always replenishing it in advance so I would never run out of anything and have to leave my area to pick some up. It was well equipped and had good quality materials.

Vanessa informed me that I would be responsible for the Presidency sector and that already made me nervous, but I just agreed. She wasn't rude, but I sensed that she was very strict.

— Everything understood, Fernando?

— Everything yes, Ms. Vanessa.

— Your area is only the Presidency's, on the thirteenth floor. You don't have to clean any other. On that floor besides the president's office, there are three more meeting rooms, a women's and men's bathroom, the pantry, a video conferencing room and the vice president's office.