Page 37 of For his Surrender

Graziella shrieks.Yes, a shriek, and I frown, totally lost in her reaction.I mean, I expected excitement likeYay! Let’s go shopping!Not at the level of high-pitched, incomprehensible screams.

“I have an invitation,” she hurries to explain. “We were invited, my parents won’t go, and obviously I didn’t have any intention of going either, but now I won’t miss it for nothing.I want to be your fairy godmother!” She doesn’t disappoint me.

“And how, exactly, am I going to explain to Marcos that I know you without explaining all the drama of my life, Grazi?” She rests her chin between her thumb and index fingers, thoughtful.

“We can meet at the ball!I, with my incredible personality, will fall in love with the sweet and submissive Antonella” she comments, moments before laughing.

“You’re terrible...”

“Just me?”

“Whatever. Anyway, sounds like a good plan. When are you coming?”

“Friday morning.” It’s my turn to frown.

“Don’t you work on Fridays?” The Cheshire cat smile on her face tells me that Grazi is definitely up to something.

“Ah, yes! I should!” She laughs. “In fact, I have a very important and very, very useless assignment to deliver.My boss is counting on me.”

“I don’t understand.” Her explanation doesn’t help my confusion at all.

“Turns out my dear boss asked me to do a useless assignment, and even after I explained to him a million times that there is a much better way to solve the problem, he insists that his way is what should be used.So all of a sudden, I’m gonna get sick on Friday... It’s not my problem...”

“Graziella!”

“What? It’s nothing really important, I wouldn’t be irresponsible to that point.It’s just a prototype for a simulation. He will survive.”

I shake my head, denying it.

“Seriously, I really get more and more curious as to where this war of yours is going.”

“Nowhere, Nel!Nowhere!Two more months and I’m out of his sector, thank God! Or I swear I’d have to spend my first offender on that bastard and you still can’t even defend me!”

“Uhm... Ok... So you’re coming to São Paulo for two weekends in a row?”

“Yea! In the next few weeks I’ll probably be around every weekend, in case you’ve forgotten, we have a wedding to plan…” Her eyebrows rise during her dramatic pause, and I roll my eyes. “Yours.”

“I have no idea where to start... Really.”

“It’s a good thing I do, huh?! She opens a notepad, grab a paper and a pen, I don’t know, but you need to ask your fiancé a few questions.”

?

“I don’t know, Grazi. This seems a little too bold for someone who should be sweet and submissive” I comment, standing on the board in the dressing room of one of the most exclusive boutiques in São Paulo.We used Grazi’s last name to arrange an appointment, as I am not yet officially Mrs. Valente and abandoned the other key to this door five years ago.

It’s her third and final day in town before she goes back to Rio and we spend the last two reorganizing my wardrobe and Bella’s.While today, my daughter cried not to leave the house and I only managed to come because Carmen is an angel and offered to stay with her, even though it is Sunday, Graziella seems to be at Disneyland...

I laugh at my own thought, but then I frown when I realize something.

Now I can take Bella on a trip to Disneyland.Seeing the castles, the princesses, that’s the kind of thing that would drive her crazy.

I turn away the eyes that burn from the mirror.It’s stupid, I know.But knowing that I’ll be able to give my daughter everything I’ve had...

I take a deep breath, putting my emotions in their proper places and, as I focus again in the mirror, I find my friend’s interrogative gaze focused on me.

“I was just thinking about Bella, how much all this is going to change her life, you know?The words come out of my mouth and along with them, apparently, the control, because a stubborn tear escapes out of the corner of my eye.”

Grazi gets up and climbs onto the board.Her arms wrap around my waist, and she rests her chin over my shoulder.

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