CHAPTER 4
“Happiness is found in the little things, not in grand gestures…”
MARIA GAbrIELA
I left work exhausted, and around seven p.m., just as I slid my key into the lock, my favorite crazy neighbor’s voice echoed down the hall:
“You’re late!”
I couldn’t help laughing as I turned to face her: Carolina Ferreira.
A woman even crazier than me.
She was everything at once. Crazy. Stalker. A walking disaster. My psychotropic twin. And honestly, I didn’t even know what that last word really meant, but somehow it fit us perfectly.
“Carol, you stalk me more than I stalk coffee in the morning.” I grinned, and she just rolled her eyes, tossing her hair back with a dramatic flick.
Carolina and I had been in the same business administration program at college. We’d basically stuck to each other like gum under a school desk ever since. And now, years later, she’d ended up as my neighbor.
Sometimes I genuinely thought she might be following me—but always in a joking way. We were inseparable, the kind of friends who talk nonstop and laugh at our own jokes.
She strutted toward me with her usual attitude.
Carol was one of those people you noticed from a distance.
Tall from my point of view—she was five-seven to my five-one—dark wavy hair she was always flipping to the side like she was starring in her own soap opera, glowing brown skin, and big expressive eyes forever loaded with an opinion ready to fire at whoever crossed her path.
“Before you say anything, I’m late because it’s called having a job, Carolina.
You should try it sometime.” I opened the door, dropping my bag inside as soon as I stepped in, and she followed right behind me without an invitation, like always.
“Or am I missing something about your vaguely mysterious lifestyle?”
“Sweetheart, please,” Carolina said with a mocking laugh. “Somebody has to keep this neighborhood glamorous. And I’m busy with my tireless hunt for a millionaire, so spare me the lectures about work. It doesn’t match my vibe.”
I laughed, rolling my eyes.
My best friend was one of a kind. She could turn anything into a joke, and that was one of the many reasons we were so close—even if she sometimes took her snark a little too far.
“Oh right—the search for the Kindle romance millionaire,” I said, kicking off my shoes and collapsing onto the couch. “And how’s that going? Any billionaire ready to fund your dreams?”
She made a face and plopped down next to me.
“I’d say I’m still in the interview phase. The market’s tough, you know? I’ve got to keep my options open.”
“Options open, sure.” I couldn’t help laughing again—Carolina always had that effect on me. “So basically, you’re waiting for an angel investor to drop from the sky?”
She sighed, smiling.
“Exactly. In the meantime, I’ll take a good show to drown my poor-girl sorrows.”
“No show tonight, but I do have a pile of work from Diego Bittencourt you’re more than welcome to help me ignore.” I smiled, though his name still echoed in my mind.
It reminded me just how that man could be as insufferable as he was… fascinating. But I wasn’t about to admit that out loud—especially not to Carol.
“Oh yes, the irresistible Diego.” Carolina winked, never missing a chance to tease. “When are you going to admit he’s your future love investor?”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop a smile from tugging at my lips.
“Don’t start. He’s my boss, and that’s all he’s ever going to be.”
She raised her brows, her face clearly saying she didn’t buy a word of it.
“Sure, sure. Keep denying it, honey. Just don’t be shocked when he starts wanting more than reports and coffee.”
Yeah, she already knew about my little weekend adventure—because if there’s one thing Carolina and I definitely weren’t, it was a vault for secrets.
“Carolina!” I yelped, laughing as I threw a pillow at her. “You’d better quit it!”
She laughed out loud, dodging the pillow with exaggerated agility, and sprawled even more comfortably on my couch like she owned the place. But that was exactly what I loved about her: Carolina always knew how to make me laugh, even on my most stressful days.
We were a riot together, and deep down we both knew that no matter what happened, we’d always be there for each other, turning everything—and everyone—into a joke.
“Okay, I’ll stop… for now,” she said with a wink. “But one day you’re going to thank me for all these predictions.”
I rolled my eyes again, but the smile stayed. Because as crazy as Carolina was, she was my crazy. And honestly, I had no idea what I’d do without her turning my days into little episodes of some bizarre comedy.
“How’s life?” I asked, leaning my head back on the couch, already bracing for a dramatic answer.
“Same as always. Living in my safety net of despair,” she replied, theatrically. She lifted her hands to the ceiling, as if pleading with the gods of patience. “But at least I ordered pizza to be delivered here—and for you to pay! That counts as progress, right?”
Carolina was always in some kind of self-declared crisis, and her “safety net of despair” had basically become her default setting. And yet, somehow, she always made it sound funny.
“Pizza? You just saved my night—even if I’m paying.” I sighed happily, sinking deeper into the cushions beside her. “So, while we wait for the magical food, what are we doing?”
She glanced around the room like she was plotting something big, then flashed a mischievous smile.
“How about one of our ridiculous dances? You know, the ones that make us look like complete lunatics?”
I burst out laughing.
“Oh, sure. Because nothing screams responsible adult like an impromptu dance session.”
“Exactly!” Carolina shot up, shoving the rug aside to clear space in the middle of the room. “Come on, superstar! Life’s too short not to dance like an idiot once in a while.”
I stood, laughing as I hooked my phone to the speaker. The moment the beat kicked in, we both let go completely.
Our moves had nothing graceful about them—but that was the point. We twirled, laughed, threw our arms around in the most exaggerated ways, like we were in some kind of dance-off where the only goal was to make each other crack up.
“If this doesn’t burn off the pizza we haven’t even eaten yet, nothing will!” Carolina shouted between fits of laughter, her arms flailing in some awkward move.
“At least we’re having fun before drowning in carbs,” I said, trying to copy her steps and failing miserably, which only made her laugh harder.
We were still in the middle of our wild routine when the buzzer rang, cutting us off. Carol froze instantly, arms still up, like she’d been caught red-handed. Then she collapsed onto the couch, panting.
“Whew! Destiny just saved our reputations!” she cried, faking an over-the-top sigh of relief.
“More like destiny’s delivering our pizza.” I grinned, heading for the door.
By the time I came back, Carolina was sprawled on the couch like an exhausted diva after a performance. But her eyes lit up the second she saw the pizza box.
“Oh yes, the real reason we’re here!” She sat up, grabbing a slice as soon as I opened it. “Pizza and company. That’s all I need to survive my safety-net despair.”
“And what’s the crisis this time?” I asked, taking my own slice and settling in beside her.
“Oh, the usual.” She sighed dramatically, taking a huge bite. “The endless search for a millionaire willing to rescue me from my broke life. But until that happens, I’m surviving with the best friend in the world.”
I rolled my eyes, laughing.
“Well, at least your goals are clear,” I teased, and she lifted her slice like she was making a toast.
“Clear goals and plenty of carbs. Life can be good, Gabriela. Sometimes all you need is a stupid dance and a little melted cheese.”
I smiled, feeling lighter. Even with all the chaos at work and Diego’s constant provocations, moments like this with Carol reminded me there was more to life than daily stress.
Sometimes, all I needed was a quiet night with my crazy best friend by my side.
“You know that, despite everything, these moments are what keep me sane, right?”
Carolina grabbed a pillow, laughing.
“I know. And that’s why I’m here—to make sure you don’t lose it completely, princess.”
And so, between laughter, ridiculous dancing, and slices of pizza, we settled in to enjoy the night. Because deep down, these little bursts of joy were what really mattered.