50 — Catarina Rowedder
“This is our house, we make the rules
And there is a dazzling aura, a mysterious tone
on you, darling
Have I known you for 20 seconds or for 20 years?”
Lover — Taylor Swift
— Hi daughter, did you enjoy this morning well? — Mom asks, with a mischievous look, I would say.
— This is a little embarrassing, Mom… — I make a face. — But, to answer you, yes, I really enjoyed it.
— Actually, that's great, my little one. I believe that was all they needed to live well, from here on.
— Tonight, I still want to talk to Noah about my return to work, I feel useless just staying at home, mom.
— Don't you think you should take some time? It was all so recent... — I know she's referring to the loss of the baby, however, dwelling on the pain won't help me overcome it.
— I need to occupy my head, I didn't study for nothing.
— Speaking of which — he pulls me aside — how was the Foundation issue?
— It wasn't, to be honest, I had completely forgotten, after everything that happened.
— Okay, now you have something to occupy your mind and you can even use the office in the apartment if you want to keep it a secret, as I believe that in the company, and here, it will be complicated.
— Good idea, so we can have a moment of our own too. I'm going to take advantage of the fact that Gael is coming in and I'm going to talk to him, I need to know if he managed to gather all the documentation I need to move forward — I'll let you know. — I'll be right back, try to keep Noah here until we finish talking.
— It can leave. Let's make this Foundation happen.
I nod and head into the house, seeing him standing near the library, thoughtful. Strange.
— Gael? — I decide to call him.
— Hi. — he answers dryly, as if his head weren't here.
— All good?
— Ahem, I was just... Ah, let it go there! Did you want to talk to me, or were you following me, why can't you stay away from this delight here?
— Stew. Come here — I'll pull you into the library. — I need to talk to you about the Foundation documents, and also for you to get the sketches that I left on my desk, back at the company. — I stop talking when I notice that I'm talking to myself, while he's standing in front of the fireplace, looking at a photo. — These are the Foster generations... — I freeze when I notice the resemblance of one of them to our friend. — Gaa.. Gael, holy hell! What a snot, don't tell me that... — I can't finish my thought.
— I don't know, isn't it just a coincidence, Nina?
— Wait, let me get another photo, but it's like I'm seeing you here, only older!
I go in search of the family's photo albums, which luckily have been organized since Norah and I made some changes here, meanwhile, Gael remains static, analyzing.
Beloved Lord!
He could be my lost brother—in—law, this family is not normal. Although he doesn't have Jack's features, much less Norah's, who are blond and have light eyes, Gael looks like a faithful copy of his great—grandfather. So the idea of ??being part of the family never crossed my mind. And what's more, from what I know, he doesn't talk much about his childhood either!
Damn! What a Mexican soap opera!
I find a portrait of great—grandfather Foster in his forties. Sure it's in black and white, but the similarity is frightening.
— Gael, here. — I give it to him.
— Nina, I... — takes the photo. — Tell me I'm not imagining things. — I see him hesitate, as if he had been punched in the stomach.
At the moment, I really wanted to say that we are extremely drunk and, yes, imagining something crazy like that, however, in good conscience, I risk saying that I see Gael at that age.
What a snot!
— Either I'm imagining it, like you, or that's what it really looks like — I comment.
—What are you doing there? — With the interruption, Gael comes out of his torpor, drops the photograph and leaves the room like a hurricane.
— An abnormal day, to say the least, love! Damn, I think you better go after him, because the situation is not that simple.
— Can you at least tell me?
— Look at this image, what do you see?
— Fuck! — he is surprised exactly like me — Would you do me a favor? Call my father and Norah to wait for us here. And he asks the guys to take care of everything. —Kiss me and go after your friend.
Fuck! That's what Gael saw that day!
I leave the library, leaving my wife behind, because I need to resolve this situation. Crap! Today would be a day of celebrations, but if it weren't for fate, we might not have discovered what was staring us in the face all this time.
I find Gael sitting on a lounge chair, further away from the pool area, where the rest of the group is. I approach cautiously, thinking about what he must be feeling, his family life has always been unknown to us. The one time we brought it up, he said it was something he wasn't ready to talk about. I sit next to him, trying to come up with something to say, but nothing comes out.
— Noah, this is crazy, it can't be. All this time... — he breaks the silence.
— Gael — I rub my hands over my face —, one thing I learned is that everything happens in its own time and, if it's really what we think, I'll be very happy. I just never even considered it, I believed you had a family, I can't imagine you with a fucked up past like mine.
— We all have our demons. All. I never had a family, or I did, I don't really know. I was around four to five years old when I ended up in an orphanage. A beautiful shit place. Later, I discovered that I ended up there after a fire in the house that belonged to my family — he let out a sarcastic laugh —, if it really was my family. For a while, I had dreams, nightmares, shit, Noah! I don't know if it's real or if it's just a mess of my mind, but a big house with several children in situations that give me the creeps. Anyway, at twelve, I was transferred to an even worse orphanage, it was more like a rehabilitation center for rebellious young people, as I was 'labeled', boys and girls together. I ran away from there when I was seventeen and then I got involved in things I'm not proud of. So I got a job, I turned around and, when something made me wake up to life, I decided that I would be a good man, and I would strive daily to be the best, too bad that not everything in this life has a return. — The more he talks, the more confused I get, another one for the team of shitty childhoods!
— I'm going to call the laboratory, so they can come and collect DNA from the three of you, and I'm going to ask urgently. — It's in these moments that I'm grateful that money makes a lot of things faster. — Even though it's an almost certain suspicion, and I hope it is, it will be happy after all the shit we've been through.
— I don't know…
— What don't you know, Gael? Another problem? — my father questions, joining us.
— Dad, I had asked Nina to take you and Norah to the library, but since you're here, I'll tell you soon. I'll call the laboratory and you two and Norah will do the DNA test, that's the only way we can get this question out of our heads — I inform them knowing that Gael would never take the initiative in the state he is in.
— As?
— Dad, look for him and tell me if there is anything familiar? — I get up, along with my friend. — Like, for example, he doesn't know about his past, you have a lost son and he's just like Big Brother Foster!
— I, I... — my father stammers. — I do not know what to say.
— This must be all in my head — Gael counters.
— No, stop being a shitty brat! After the result, we will know. — I take control of this situation, because they are both in complete shock and it is very understandable.
The laboratory that Dr. Harper recommended took an hour to arrive, after negotiating with them — paying double the price —, the attendant informed me that the results would be ready by the end of the day and would be sent to my email.
The problem is the level of anxiety and inappropriate jokes that have taken place here at home, obviously this time it wasn't from Gael's mouth. Dom and Erik didn't stop calling him their lost son, there was no way and, in the end, everyone ended up taking it in stride, a way to relieve all the tension. However, Norah finds herself in tears, blaming herself for being so close and, at the same time, so far from her own son, without even suspecting his identity.
Now, we're at the dinner table — after all, no one wanted to leave here — waiting for me to open the email with the result.
— Ready? — I ask, trying to break the tension.
— Speak quickly, I can’t handle the anxiety! — my mother—in—law comments.
— Well, apparently, with 99.9% certainty, Gael is your son.
— My son. — Norah bursts into tears, hugging my father.
— I'll say, I've always thought their irritation was a mother—and—son thing — Dominic says.
— I agree with you — Erik comments.
— Welcome to the family, brother! — I go to Gael, giving him a hug.
With this, I realize that the decision to have our own home could not come at a better time, I want them to have time to get to know each other as a family.
— Do you say you will stay here this weekend, my son? — Norah pleads, between sobs.
— Yeah... — He puts his hand on the back of his neck. — This is very crazy.
— No, Gael, this is destiny acting, without you realizing it. You ended up returning to the place you should never have been taken from — Catarina says. — I believe you need a moment, just the three of you, for everything to be resolved. Wasn't it you who insisted to us that dialogue is important? So use it. — Give my friend a hard time, with an angelic face.
— My wife is right, stay there man. And you, from what I see, aren't leaving either, so everyone stay at once! — I warn the guys.
— It's a shame Beni isn't here — Dona Sarah comments.
— I'll see if I can call him tomorrow. — I reply.
— I miss Bear so much — Nina whispers.
— We all are, but he'll be back soon, girl. This time, no books in your face!
— You can leave it, Thomaz.
Finally, we had dinner in a peaceful atmosphere, with some random conversations, however, I believe it was too much information for my parents, as well as for Gael, who remained silent for most of the time.
Well, from the bottom of my heart, I hope everything goes smoothly.