Page 133 of Please, Forgive Me
“Can I steal him for a moment, Alexandre?” she asked with a smile, reaching her hand out to me.
Alexandre smiled back, nodded, and stepped aside to give us space. He threw me one last look, the kind that promised future conversations and maybe, just maybe, a new story for himself.
I turned my attention back to Maria Gabriela, taking her hand and feeling that familiar connection between us—only now it felt stronger than ever.
“You’re stunning,” I said, my eyes tracing every detail of her face, trying to memorize the woman who had transformed my life. “And to think you actually agreed to marry me… it still feels like a dream.”
She laughed, that melodic sound bringing the kind of peace I could only find in her presence.
“You gave me reasons to believe the dream could be real,” she replied, her eyes shining with the same intensity as always. “And here we are.”
Her words warmed something deep inside me. Maria Gabriela had always known how to say things in a way that made me believe in us—even in our hardest moments.
“I want you to know I’ll never, ever let you down again,” I said, squeezing her hand tighter. “You’re everything to me, Maria Gabriela. My life. My reason for moving forward. And now, we’re a family. You, me, Clara… and Arthur.”
She smiled, and I saw a small tear form at the corner of her eye—but it was a tear of happiness, something I knew I’d never forget.
“Diego, I love you,” she whispered, and that simple act made the world stop for a moment.
I leaned in and kissed her, pouring into that kiss all the passion and love that had grown over our time together. It was a kiss that sealed not just our marriage but every promise we’d made, every battle we’d survived, and all the new adventures waiting for us.
MARIA GABRIELA
I sat alone for a few minutes, reflecting on everything that had happened over the past two years.
From the moment I found out I was pregnant to this very instant—sitting in the office of my new company, staring out the window at the skyline of Florianópolis. It was incredible how life could change so quickly.
I remembered the whirlwind of emotions I’d felt when I discovered I was expecting Clara—the mix of fear, uncertainty, and yet this strange, unshakable hope I couldn’t quite explain.
And now, watching her play with Arthur filled my heart with a happiness so big it almost hurt.
Arthur… he’d won me over in ways I never expected.
He’d started calling me “Mom” a while ago, and every time I heard it, my heart melted. Even though I hadn’t carried him, he was as much mine as Clara.
And in every way that mattered, he was my son.
Arthur was the best big brother Clara could ever have. The way he cared for her, protected her, and always made sure she was included in everything made me proud beyond words. It was as if he instinctively knew she needed him—and he took on that role so effortlessly.
Every time he called me Mom, I knew that every effort, every sacrifice, every tear shed had been worth it.
I’d done it—we’d done it. We’d built a family.
A real family.
And as for my company… what could I say?
It was growing, taking shape, and that made me feel fulfilled in ways I hadn’t imagined. Diego, as always, had been an incredible support—offering advice, connections, even a few investments. But despite all his help, I felt a near primal need to make it work on my own.
I wanted to be the one who built this from the ground up—the one who turned a dream into reality.
Diego understood that. He knew how much independence meant to me, how much I needed to be the one steering my own destiny. That’s why he never interfered, never tried to take over.
He was there beside me, not in front of me. A partner, not a savior.
And that, more than anything else, showed me just how much he’d changed—and how deeply he truly understood me.
And my mom… I’d never seen her as happy as she was on my wedding day. Her eyes sparkled with pride, with joy. She’d always dreamed of seeing me happy, settled, and I think that day she finally knew I was.
