Chapter 2

The holidays were halfway, Sophia and I were eating an ice cream and enjoying the warmth of the sun, I was wearing sunglasses and a beach hat that had my name and a beautiful sunflower embroidered in yellow, white and brown cord, while Sophia's was the same but full of sequins making the drawing of a beautiful sunny day in the beach.

"Daddy!" Sophia got up from the chair and hugged Mr. Carter.

"Hello, my sweety!"

"Hi, Mr. Carter."

"How are you, unforgettable redhead?"

"Unforgettable redhead, Daddy?"

"There's no way to forget a redhead, my dear! But the love of my life is you!" He said kissing Sophia's hair.

"I hope is stays that way!" She replied jealously.

"She's so jealous! I'm fine and you?" He gave me a hug.

"Good! And the foot?" He asked me.

"Almost new!"

"Great!"

He sat with us and ordered a coffee.

"Dad, can we go to the beach house?"

"Sure, but you know, right?! No disturbs your uncle!"

"Oh, dad, Uncle Ryan's house is far away!"

"You know you don't! That house is his sanctuary."

Sophia saw my curiosity and explained:

"The beach house I speak of is the other house we have, which was my mother's, the property next door is my uncle's, when we go there you will understand. Both the house here un the city and the coast are my uncle's sanctuaries, he was very happy in both, but after his aunt was gone…

"I understand!" I said biting my lip, it seemed that I could feel what he felt, even though I did not know what it is like to have lost a dear relative.

"Sophia loves that house, she was happy once, every weekend they went there, practically. It´s a beautiful house, I confess, but now it is just as sad and lonely as Ryan.

"Complicated!" I said sorry.

"Yes! Sophia, you can go to our house, I don't want you disturbing your uncle."

"Okay, Daddy! I'll stop by the house and get the keys."

"And when are you going?"

"Today, if possible, or early tomorrow!"

"Okay, fell free and as long as you want."

"Thank you, Mr. Carter." I said.

"No need to thank, after your excellent grades, it is the least I could do. Oh yes, I have a gift for you, girls."

"What?" Sophia asked.

"A Christmas vacations trip to the Pyrenees, for both."

"For me too?" I asked surprised.

"Yes, Lilian! After all, you and my baby girl have been friends since you were little, her only friend, by the way."

"Sure, right, Daddy! You never let anyone approach me."

"Is not true! Lilian is what?"

"A busybody!"

We laugh.

"Look, this is how you pay me for all these years? Tell the truth, you're ashamed of me!"

"Just a little bit!" But I love you a lot."

"Really?!" I said when she hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. "Get out there, alligator! Love the hell, is unbearable!"

"Shut up, you love me!"

"Deluded!"

Mr. Carter always smiling. He had kind of adopted me together with Grandpa Tristan and Grandma Mirella, I never saw Sophia's uncle, but I saw a wedding photo of her parents, Sophia was her mother's copy, dark hair and honey-colored eyes, Mr. Carter had brown hair and eyes.

"Thank you, Mr. Carter, you needn't have bothered!"

"Yes, you did, Daddy! Thank you!"

"Girls, I am proud of you, you are doing well, studying and closing the year in the college with excellence!

"Actually, Dad, Lilian is closing with excellence, right?! She is the best medical student in the college."

"Don't be exaggerated, Sophia!

"She is not strange, my jasmine, she simply found herself in the profession. Just like me, you, your mother when were alive, your uncles…"

"I understood! But her passion for forensic medicine is scary, Dad! She even studies on vacation."

"And she's right!"

"She doesn't understand that the body, even after having no more life, speaks."

"Do you know who you could have a nice chat with about this, Lilian?"

"With grandpa?"

"Also, but with Ryan. If he were as accessible as before, he is an excellent neuropediatric, the best in the UK! You would talk about it for hours, because like you, he always spoke of medicine with passion, his eyes even shone, but now they are colder than a white shark.

"A talent kept in a shell!"

"Who knows, when you need it, do not do the medical internships and residency at Saint Mary's, there is a teaching hospital, you know? Although, I think, you're going to have to go there anyway." He said thoughtfully.

"Really, Dad! Good idea. We can talk to grandpa, Lily!"

"No, please, you already adopted me and already help me a lot, I need to take the first steps in the area alone…"

"It's settled, Lilian. I will talk to grandpa about it! Our family helps each other."

"But technically I'm not…"

"If my grandparents who are extremely conservative and serious have adopted you, then you are ours, whether you like it or no."

"It's not right, Sophia…"

"Lilian, you fought all your life alone…"

"And I won alone!"

"Shut up and let me talk, shit!" She said seriously. "You fought alone, but there were people for you. The superior mother Mary is one of them! You know very well that you have a full scholarship for your excellent grades in high school, for being the best student in our class, now you stand out in college, Grandpa gave us the books we need, we are ballet teachers. I know that you are alone in the world, but you need to know how to take advantage of opportunities, not because you are not to be pitied, you do not use your orphan status to make yourself a victim, so that is very admirable and people want to be close to you because they know that you fight alone, practically, and they also know that you seize opportunities and make everything around you change and multiply. Man, I don't know how to tell you how, but of all the ballet classes, yours is the most advanced, and look, I see you catching girls, fighting with them and the kids love you!"

"It's true!" I gave him an embarrassed smile.

"I have never seen a person as dedicated like you! In fact, I did, my uncle Ryan! If one day you have the opportunity to meet him and chat with him, or see him working, you will see how they are so similar in the matter of dedication to what you love."

"I agree with her!" Mr. Carter said smiling. "So, if the opportunity arises to do both at Saint Mary, accept! Not everyone gets in there, Ryan makes the selection, and he is a picky son of a bitch, and he's right to be that way. I am sure that if he ever sees his school report, he will be amazed by his grades."

"Even so, I think that kind of advantage is wrong!"

"Don't' be stubborn, Lilian! There is no advantage, Saint Mary is a teaching hospital!" Sophia told me rolling her eyes.

"My sweety, one day she will understand! So, shall we go to the beach?"

"Let's go!"

"I think I'll go with you, stay from today to tomorrow and go back to the office, I need a different look."

"Yes Dad! So, you take a day off and stay with us for a little while."

"She'll bury you in the sand and forget you over there, Mr. Carter." I said laughing.

"The way she's crazy, I don't doubt anything!"

"Do you really think I would do that to you, Daddy?"

"Certainly!"

I laughed, we went to pack our bags, Mr. Carter would go with us, but he in his car and us in my friend's convertible blue-colored VW Beetle. It is a grace that car, with seats in light beige leather, almost white, the hubcaps are white and chrome, it is a charm! Where the VW Beetle go is a huge success. She inherited the 1968 VW Beetle from Mrs. Carter and insisted on keeping him the way his mother had left him, Mr. Carter didn't understand the love she had for that car, but I do, when we have something inherited from someone we don't know, but that gave us life, things change.

One day she said to me:

"I didn't know my mother and I didn't even her love, not because she didn't want to, but even though I knew she could die, she wanted me to live. Dad does not blame me, because it was her choice. Mom had already lost a baby and could not have had another one, but she still chose me, and I value and respect everything that is hers and everything that she is in our lives. Daddy loved her so much that he never married anyone, and just the fact that he didn't isolate me to the point of authorizing you to take ballet classes with me, it means a lot to me, because he sees our friendship as something healthy. What my father and grandparents and uncle say to me is law, it is sacred. I remember when I was little, I smelled her clothes, I saw videos of her, of the wedding, of my pregnancy, she left me a beautiful message reported and every time I'm a little sad I just watch that everything seems to improve."

"I wish I had at least something from my parents, it may not seem like it, but I miss it." I said with a half-smile.

"One day you will find them."

"I doubt it! I will not look, but I also have no anger."

We talked a lot about that.

"Lily, can we go?" Sophia called me to reality.

"Let's go!"

"Get clothes for fifteen days, bitch!"

"Ok!"

Our house was a charming cubicle, a room for each, extremely cramped and small by the way, but that fits the beds, small tables and a medium closet, the walls are lined with wood, a bathroom with old and inadequate white tiles, craped and nothing ice cold. Downstairs is the living room and kitchen, still has the garden and the garage for the VW Beetle.

I love the Garden, I have a wall full of sunflowers, a Sicilian lemon tree, and in it, embedded, several orchids, in spring the garden is the most beautiful thing in the world! A white iron bench was painted by Mr. carter with an antirust paint, where we spend most of the day, when we are on vacation or even on weekends, sunning, studying and talking. My life is really good, really, even counting coins to buy a book or to put gas in the blue VW Beetle. We spent most of the day away from home, alternating between college and ballet studio, Sophia is taller than me, and she doesn't let me forget that, she keeps saying that when I discard a shoe, I should give her one for that you use it as a key ring, that's when you don't say you're going to put my pointe shoes on the car's rearview mirror. For the report, I am 5'1 feet tall. I know, I am not a big deal! Sophy, on the other hand, is one and seventy, but her family are of big people, I was born without any size.

"Finished?"

"Yes" I said putting my battered backpack on my back and picking up the small suitcase.

"Only that?"

"Yes! Here is everything I need."

"And in the backpack?"

"My book?!"

"I don't believe it, Lilian! We're on vacation."

"And? I need to read!"

"Tell me they're not college book!"

"No! They are from Agatha Christie, Jane Austin and must have one or the other from Thomas Harris."

"Hannibal?" she asked me raising an eyebrow.

"Sure!" I said with a smile

"Beloved Father, Lilian! Do not leave Medicine not even on vacation.

"Yes!" I said leaving the room and bringing the bag by my side. "Come on! You are evil!"

"Hannibal was evil!"

"If you are going to analyze his psychological profile and read the story you will understand the reason for the murders, I am not defending, but as a future forensic medical, I find it interesting to observe y=these profiles and their traits, they help a lot in solving crimes. And I will have Psychiatry this year on the grade, from what I saw, so it will be great to be able to read these books." I said smiling.

Sophia rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You are crazy girl! Now, let's go to the car, Daddy will be here shortly.

Said and done, we barely finished putting our bags in the car, Mr. Carter has already arrived in front of our home.

"Let's go, girls!"

"Now!"

I locked the door and opened the gate, Sophia maneuvered the car, I locked the gate and we left for the Carter family beach house. While Sophy was driving, I was taking several photos to the sound of Thousand Miles.

Mr. Carter's car was so stripped that I was surprised, he is so serious lawyer, so seeing him so stripped and fun is even strange!

"Can this VW Beetle be faster than my car, Sophy?" He asked amused.

"Dad!" She looked at him with defiance in her eyes.

"Let's go! The last one to arrive pays for the beer!"

"Let's go!"

"When I count three."

Sophia smiled wickedly, I held on to my seat belt and then saw her speed up and scream:

"THREE!"

I heard Mr. Carter, he knew she was going to cheat, but he quickly overtook us.

"Ah, but You won't beat me." Sophia said convinced that the nice smurf she calls a car was going to overtake his blue Maserati GranCabrio Mc Stradale. Then, I heard the engine roar.

"Motherfucker, you turbocharged the car!" I said with wide eyes.

"Yes!" She said giving me a satisfied smile. "I won't let Dad win."

"Sophia!" I said slapping my forehead. "I can't believe you tampered with the car's original engine to compete with your father!"

"It's his fault! What can I do if I love this car?" She laughed.

"You understood me!"

"Yes! And I don't want to talk about it, it hurt me a lot to tinker with the engine, which was original. Judge me!"

Then, she quickly reached the father who was surprised.

"Ah, so you've been messed the car, have you, terrible girl?"

"Of course! Did you really think you were going to beat me again?"

She accelerated further and we arrived at the property first, then Mr. Carter arrived.

"You let me won, Daddy! That's not fair!" She said pouting.

"Of course not!" He said fun.

"Oh, come on! You have that amused gleam in your eyes. You'll pay for the beer anyway, old man!"

"I was going to pay anyway, it was just to give you adrenaline, baby!" He said getting out of the car and giving a kiss in her hairs.

"I know!" She said pouting.

We saw some employees arrive.

"Good morning Mr. Carter."

"Good morning, Meredith. How are things here?"

"Everything's all right!" She looked us. "Good morning, ladies Carter and O'Neill."

"How do you know my name? I asked.

"Mr. Carter warned that you would come here for the holidays, so we provided everything for you." She said smiling. "I'm Miss. Hunter, but you can call me Meredith."

"Pleasure!" I said.

She smiled.

"Come on, girls, I prepared a breakfast full of delicious things."

I saw that one of the employees had taken the bags.

"I'll take my bags, no need ..." I tried to said.

"Miss, please don't make me lose my job! I'm James."

"But…"

"Lilian, leave it!" Mr. Carter said smiling.

"Ok!" I said, I did not like that, I do not like that they take my things, even if it is to take it to me, I believe it is because I have always been alone and if I didn't to do to myself, no one will to do.

"Come, let's all have coffee, then we'll go to the beach!" Mr. Carter said.

The house was huge, as they liked the garden! Well, who does not like it, right?

"Your family likes sunflower a lot, doesn't it, Sophy ?!" I noticed.

"Yes! Dad says that it was my aunt who introduced this mania, she and Mum who planted and decorated the gardens of our homes."

"How cool! They are my favorite flowers too."

"And I do not know? You were always begging the Mother Superior to plant sunflowers at school!"

"Until the day I planted it hidden from her, when she saw the huge flower bed, it almost killed me!"

"After she received praise from her parents and the cardinal, she was happier and calmer!"

"Oh, yes, and as a punishment she sent me to take care of the garden!"

"As if it were a punishment, right? You got involved there and only came back at night."

"Of course! Do you think I'm silly?"

We drank coffee and talked about amenities.

"Meet you on the beach! No go over the cliff, Sophia!" Mr. Carter said before receiving a call.

"Come on, Daddy!"

"You are warned!"

"What about the cliff?" I asked whispering.

"Easier to reach! The road to the beach is long." She answered me in the same tone.

"But if you want to know the cliff, I blame you and he doesn't fight with us, what do you think?" "Let's go!"

We got up and thanked Meredith for breakfast, we got ready, I put on a beautiful purple bikini.

"I think your body is so beautiful, Lily, you are full of curves like a Brazilian!"

"Thank you, I think! Have you already chosen what to wear?"

"Yes! A guava-colored bikini."

She finished getting ready while I put on my beach outfit, grabbed my hat and glasses, grabbed a beach bag that went with the hat and put on a tube of sunscreen, towels, my cell phone and Jane Austin. Today I wanted Mr. Darcy to keep me company. The Doctor Lecter was going to keep me company later, probably before going to sleep.

"Let's go?" She asked me, putting the sunglasses.

"Yes!"

We went down the white Carrara marble stairs, the golden arabesque handrail attracted my attention. The house was huge, Sophia and I stayed in separate rooms, even so I got used to my colleague's "light" snores, she has sleep apnea.

We went into the kitchen and Meredith gave us a bag full of goodies.

"Enjoy, girls, and don't go down the cliff!"

"Thank you, Meredith!" Sophy said giving me a shameless smile.

We left the side of the kitchen and then I saw a road, followed it and looked at the huge cliff, but I also saw a house bigger than that of Mr. Carter, it was a gray-roofed house that once was white, that house caught my eye, it looked sad and lonely.

"Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Come on!"

"Yes!" Then I looked at her. "Sophy, what house is that?" She followed my eyes, then I saw a shadow in the window, seemed to be watching us, the shadow quickly dissipated making the wine-colored curtain dance.

"It's my uncle's house, Ryan!" She said sadly.

"Did you see what I saw?"

"What?"

"It looked like someone was at the window."

"I looked at the same time as you and I didn't see anyone! I think you're seeing things!" She said smiling. "Come on, today you are quite distracted, huh?! It's OK?"

"Yes, but I think that going up and down the cliff was not in Dr. Scott regarding about my leg".

"A little exercise will do you, well three days after you removed the cast."

"I should take it easy for three weeks, Sophia!"

"Come on, stop complaining, you will see how it is worth it, besides, I am taking most of the things!"

"Really?!"

Going down the path of what would be the cliff, we could have gone by car and gone around, but it was so beautiful there, there was no denying it, the walk was worth it and we were going down without haste, until we heard:

"What is the part of "don't go down the cliff", you didn't understand, Sophia and Lilian" Mr. Carter's voice echoed to our ears.

"I was the one who insisted that we go down here, Mr. Carter!" I said in full lungs.

"Really?! They are two stubborn girls, that's it! Meet you on the beach!"

"Ok!"

"Thank you, Lily!" She said and looked at me with relief.

"Thank you nothing, you owe me one!"

"Several, right?!"

"I'm glad you know!"

We managed to get to the beach without great difficulties, we put our things on the white sand, it was not windy and the sea was calm, the green landscape of the small private paradise of the Carter and Scott families was so contrasting that it was impossible not to love. Green mixed with white and blue, it looked like a painting, it was a color gradient that left me ecstatic.

When we got to the soft white sand, Mr. Carter was already waiting for us.

"You took too long!"

"We came on foot, daddy!"

"If you had come with me you would have been here already!"

Sophia rolled her eyes, took off her beach outfit, hat and glasses, while I packed the towels.

"We have a little house nearby, Lily!" Sophia said pointing to a house near of the sand.

"And why didn't we go there?"

"I didn't think. But we can spend our holidays there in the little house since Dad is coming back to the office tomorrow."

"Aren't we going to make Meredith upset about not staying in the mansion?"

"No! She is still able to go down, clean and supply the house She said looking up and placing her index finger on her chin as when thinking.

"Well, if you don't mind…"

"I'll see to that." Mr. Carter said. "But, you know, miss Sophia, nothing to bother your uncle!"

"He's not even here, Dad!"

"In the hospital he is not, even if he is not here, not disturbing the employees!"

"Ok, Dad!"

"Now, let's go to swimming."

I got up and took off my beach, hat and glasses, fixed my bikini and heard Sophia say:

"The last one to arrive will make dinner! Run, Dad, Lilian cooks very well!" She screamed running into the water.

"Bitch!" I said running after them.

Worse, I was in last place! Everybody cries! Everybody no, me! I go to the kitchen every day, one more day wouldn't make a difference.

We spent an extremely fun morning on the beach, so I saw a huge shell in the water, I managed to catch it before it got back to the ocean.

"Sophy, look at the size of this shell!"

"Wow! It is huge!" She said openly to the beautiful trumpet-shaped shell. "Daddy, do you know what kind of shell this is?"

He looked and said:

"It's a cerithium, honey, it's a tower-shaped shell with high spirals, it's the first time I've seen one of that size". He said surprised.

"Yeah! I will return it to the ocean." I said. "I can't leave an animal without its home."

"But let's take a picture first." Sophy said running to get the cell phone. "Here, Dad, take a picture of us, please."

"Loose girl!"

"Love you too!" She said showing her tongue.

He took some pictures of us, I took some pictures of them and then several selfies. I returned the shell to the ocean, we ate something and went back to the water, we came back to mansion in the late afternoon, with my freckles darker than ever, my hair stiff with salt, Sophia and I looking like two pink shrimp while Mr. Carter had tanned, he's not white like us.

"Come on, girls, it's time to go. I'm hungry and I want to have dinner!"

"Come on, Daddy!"

"I will not speak again!" He said fondly.

We took our things and followed him to the car, I felt a funny itch in the back of the neck, like in the hospital, I looked at the cliff, I saw a silhouette in Sophia's uncle's house.

"Sophia, look over there."

"Where?"

"Up there." I said looking into her eyes.

"Ah, it must be Uncle Ryan! Dad says that when he's here, he watches the sea or the sunflower garden that my aunt liked so much. Want to see?" She looked at the father who was in the front walking to the car. "Daddy, do you know if Uncle Ryan is at his house?"

"I do not know, darling, I believe that so. Why?"

"Look at the cliff!"

The three of us looked again and then, Mr. Carter shouted and waved:

"Ryan?"

The man ignored him, turned his back and walked away.

"It's your uncle!" He said smiling.

"Wow, he didn't even answer." I noticed.

"And neither will! Ryan is a hermit."

"Being a hermit is different from being rude." I spoke too fast. "Excuse me! That's not my business."

Mr. Carter laughed.

"I like your sincerity, Lilian! Ryan, since his wife's death, has changed a lot. He was sociable and pleasant, now he is just a lonely and rude man. Come on, girls, get in the car."

"He looks like Dom Casmurro."

"Dom Casmurro?" Sophia questioned me confused.

"Don't tell me you never read it? He is a very famous Brazilian writer. He wrote books from the time of Romanticism and Brazilian Realism. You should read it!"

"Lily, you are definitely an incurable and incorrigible romantic girl."

"I know!"

"Then, repeat with me "I am an incurable and incorrigible romantic girl"." She said as we got into the car.

"I am an incurable and incorrigible romantic girl…" I said smiling.

"I am an incurable and incorrigible romantic girl." I said smiling and embarrassed.

"Look, I'm a doctor and I never heard that romanticism is a disease."

I smiled awkwardly, narrowing my eyes and then looking at the huge books he was carrying in his arms. He was all dressed up in a white coat. We heard a phone ring.

"Excuse me". He said taking out his cell phone and answering. I couldn't hear his name. He stopped to listen while watching me, I turned to look at the shelf in front of me, giving him privacy. Every second he looked at me, the more I was embarrassed. "Okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes. Thank you, Janet!" He said hanging up the phone.

"Problems?"

"So-so. I'd love to talk more, but I have to go."

"It was a pleasure!" I said extending my hand.

"It was my pleasure, miss ..." He said taking my hand and giving a firm squeeze ... I couldn't see your face ..."

"Lilian, wake up, we're done." I heard Mr. Carter call me.

"But I wasn't sleeping."

"I was sleeping awake, Lily, we called you about three times."

"Oh, people, I'm sorry!" I said blandly. I got out of the car and took the bags, Sophia took one of my arms.

"Come on, the bath and dinner await us."

"Great!"

We each went to our room, showered and went to dinner.

"Lilian, if you want, we have a library here at home."

"Daddy don't say that! She'll lock herself up there for the rest of the vacation."

I laughed and said:

"You should be happy; I couldn't even get in the arms of my dear Lord Darcy."

"Great! I made one for Goodness to see."

"Do not call the name of the Eternal in vain! You know we shouldn't."

"You understood me! Dad, there are weekends that I do not even see this girl's face, when I see her, she has her face in the books. At school then, she would sneak down to the library, who found her asleep sitting among the books was Sister Clarence, the librarian, or worse, lying on the cold floor with the book as a pillow."

"Truth!" I said remembering with longing for that time. "I learned to read early, at the age of three. I was introduced to Mary Schelley, Jane Austin, Agatha Christie, Machado de Assis, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Jules Verne and many others. Now I'm flirting with Thomas Harris."

"Flirting?" Sophia looked at me funny.

"Yes, thanks to you, I did not accept Mr. Darcy and I'm stuck in time. If you had let me accept, I would have finished the book and started dating Thomas."

"You started the to read Red Dragon, Lily!"

"That's why! I still have three more Hannibal books to read!"

"You're crazy, girl!"

"Of course not! I already said that this year I will have Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, I must study, Sophy! I will graduate next year, dear, I want to graduate with praise."

"Excellent and celebrated authors. Congratulations, Lilian." Mr. Carter said to me smiling. "You should do the same Sophia." He said looking serious.

"Daddy, you know that I love to read, Lilian reads three to five books at the same time. She gets bored with one book and goes to the other, gets bored with the other and goes to the next."

"And finish reading them all?" He asked surprised.

"Yes! I read fast." I said simply.

"And when do you find time to read?"

"Between college and ballet, after I finish a job, going to or from college or ballet, before going to sleep. Any time, for me, it's time."

"I'm surprised! And I thought Sophia read."

"Next to her, I'm nothing, Dad."

"- What an exaggeration!" I laughed. "The time I read most was when we were in high school, adult life was never as boring and rushed as it is now, but after I finish college, step down the studio and go to work as a medical examiner, who knows I may not have more time to read ?!"

"Don't be fooled, Lilian!" Mr. Carter said making me wither like an English cake.

"Wow, you are not funny!"

"You will have to have time to read and the life of a doctor is very busy, you will spend the rest of your life studying." He laughed.

"I know ..." I said sadly. "Good thing I won't work in a hospital, I think, right ?!"

"Who can answer that are the family doctors."

"Well, anyway, I wouldn't think it was bad, even if I had to work in a hospital."

"At the hospital you will have to do your medical residency before going to the forensic area, Lilian."

"Yeah! But the idea is not to spend the rest of your life there." I smiled a little.

"Better leave it in the hands of fate."

"I agree with you."

We finished dinner and Mr. Carter took me to the huge library in the house.

"Make yourself at home, dear!"

"Wow!" I said with my mouth open with the huge library lined with books from top to bottom. He smiled at my enthusiasm. "Thank you, Mr. Carter, I'm going to bring my dear mr. Darcy here, so maybe Sophia will get excited and come too."

"I'm already here!" She said shaking my book. "Here, bummer!" She held it out to me and went to the left wall and looked at one of the books, took out one in particular.

"Which one this time, my sweetie?" Mr. Carter asked.

"Dom Juan de Marco." She said giving a laugh.

"Perverted girl!" He said jokingly.

"I love! Erotic novels are my favorites."

"Truth! There's a lot at home." I denounced Sophia.

"Lilian!"

"Beautiful, young lady!"

"Better than reading about murders or cannibalism."

"Look!" I said playing offended. "I read it because it's a study."

"Really?! Study has now become the excuse."

"After you finish reading, I need a partner for chess."

"Me!" I said smiling.

"You���re going to be beaten on chess!" Sophia said smiling.

"Why?"

"Dad and Uncle Ryan are the best chess players in the family."

"Great! I like to learn from the best."

"Great! You are challenged, young lady!"

"Challenge accepted; I just ask a favor!"

"What?"

"Don't have pity on me."

"Don't worry, I won't!"

"Great!"

After finishing reading Pride and Prejudice and sighing horrors with the letter from Fitzwilliam Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet and the beautiful second marriage proposal, I went to sit in the comfortable armchair facing Mr. Carter, he read Frankstein and smoked a pipe, he wore gold-rimmed glasses.

"Are you ready, Lilian?"

"I was born ready!"

"You keep the white pieces and I with the black pieces."

"I prefer to keep black."

"Ok!"

"Want to see how I play, better not, you will discover that I am a very shameless beginner!"

"Don't count on it, Daddy, she gave the Mother Superior a bludgeon, and look, it was difficult to win her, in fact, impossible!" She said distractedly with the book and curling her hair on her finger, as she did when she went to sleep, when she read, or when she played her cell phone.

"Don't be exaggerated, Sophia!"

"I won't say anything else!" She said absently.

"Let's play." Mr. Carter said starting the game, I observed his movements and got the hang of his strategy, managed to dismantle several of his movements and take his valuable pieces, I left him with a Bishop, a Knight, the Queen, the King and some Pawns. Of course, he left me with almost no pieces too.

"You play very well, Lilian, I must confess." He said after winning the game and taking the black pieces of soapstone.

"Thank you."

"You would make a good opponent for Ryan; he plays better than me! His wife also liked chess, they spent hours playing."

"I have no one to play chess with, Sophia got tired of losing to me."

"I am conscious!" She said still reading the book. "It is a certain death to play chess with Lilian, with you, Dad, and with Uncle Ryan."

"Fearful!" I provoked her.

"Get out! I stopped the drugs! Chess is for crazy." She said jokingly. "Next! Lilian, get out!"

"But we start now!"

"It´s not my problem, get out! Dad, I'm the black pieces, turn that chessboard over there."

"So, while you play, I will read dr. Hannibal Lecter." I said making a sensual voice and looking at Sophia who laughed.

"I said and I repeat, you are crazy!"

"Probably!"

We spent the night playing against mr. Carter, until we put the two together and managed to beat him.

"This is cheating!" He complained laughing.

"No, that's being smart, Daddy!"

"Right, my enemy's enemy is my best friend." I said smiling.

It was more than one in the morning when Meredith came in with the phone in her hand

"Excuse me, sir. Carter, mr. Scott on the line."

"My Father in Law?"

"No, sir, it's Master Ryan."

"Did something happen?" He asked reaching out and picking up the phone.

"He didn't tell me, but his voice is very calm."

"That's my fear. Thank you, Meredith, you can go to sleep."

"Excuse."

"Hello!" He answered the call.

"Richard, are you busy?" I could hear your voice of thunder, I had already heard that voice, but where? Try to remember, Lilian, make an effort!

"I was playing chess with the girls, what is it?"

"Girls?"

"Yes, Sophia and Lilian, a childhood friend of hers. What is up?"

"I need you to look at some balance sheets for me, something is wrong. You can come here?"

"But now?"

"Please!"

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

"Can we go too, Daddy?" Sophia asked.

"No!" He answered on the other end of the line.

"You already have your answer, Sophy!" The father said seriously. "And another, I go there for work and not for fun."

"Even if it was, you know I don't like anyone in my house."

"I'll be there in five minutes, Ryan!"

"Thanks!"

He did not even have time to answer, we heard the click of the call being turn off.

"As always, the education in person!"

"Why doesn't he want us there, Daddy?"

"The problem is not with you; you know it is with him. Just respect his wishes."

"Ok!"

"To bed, young ladies! Daddy will be back later."

"Apparently only tomorrow you will be back."

"Probably." He said giving a kiss on Sophy's forehead and then on mine. That scared me, but I was happy at the same time. I realized that he did not distinguish between us and treated me as if he were his daughter too.

He took his coat and took the phone with him.

"Let's go!"

"Can I get some tea before bed?" I asked.

"Sure! Silly question, Lily, take it and do it for me."

"Apple, cinnamon and chamomile?"

"What a crazy mix!"

"Do you want it or not?"

"Sure!"

"So, stop complaining, bore!"

I went to the kitchen and made tea, half an hour later I was in my bed when I looked through the balcony of my room and saw a light on in the other house, the balcony door was open, I couldn't see properly, but a man came out to the balcony and was looking at the stars, then he lowered his head very slowly and stopped in my direction, my heart jumped and my breathing became deep and fast, I couldn't see his face, only his outline, so I lowered the head and went inside my room.

When we woke up, mr. Carter was having breakfast.

"Good morning, my loves."

"Good Morning!" We respond together opening the mouth with sleepy.

"How was it with uncle, Daddy?"

"As always, he sullen and me trying to see the balance sheets."

"Something wrong?" I asked. "Ah, sorry, it's not my business! My mouth is faster than my brain."

"Accounting stuff, as always, he had to post some expenses and he was not getting it, I think the code was not entering the trial balance system for him to send to our accountant, but we managed to solve it." He said smiling.

"How nice!"

"Who wants to play a game of chess?"

"I'm in!" Sophia said smiling and raising her hand.

"- Ah, I'm sorry! Today I want to stay with dr. Lecter." I said. "But I keep you company in the library."

- All right!

Mr. Carter left after sunset and after several recommendations. I received an email from the professors talking about the new books that we would have to acquire; I almost fell on my back.

"I will cry!" I said almost crying.

"What's it?"

"The list of new books for that year has arrived."

"And?"

"I'm going to die of working so hard to buy these books."

"Let me see!"

I took a sheet that was folded inside my book and wrote the list, handed it over and she looked closely.

"I think Uncle Ryan has these books. I can see with him!"

"No, Sophy, never mind! I buy when we get back from vacation."

"My family has these books, Lily, why you buy the books if my family can borrow?"

"I don't want to disturb! Furthermore, your uncle does not support unwanted or desired visits."

"But I am not a visitor, and neither are you, we are family!"

"Even so..."

"Be quiet, go! It's too late, tomorrow morning I'll call him and we'll go there!"

"No, Sophy, I..."

"Lily, be quiet, okay ?!"

She kept the list in her pants pocket and went to her room, as we were in mine, I decided to take a long, hot bath. Madame Françoise, our ballet class teacher, calls me a walking fire, says that wherever I go, my hair arrives first. I got out of the shower, see my cell phone and saw this year's college subject.

"Psychiatry, ok! Behavioral Medicine, ok! Reproduction, Pregnancy, Child Health and Development, ok! Fundamentals of Adult Diseases, ok! Forensic Medicine and Court of Justice, oops, that interests me a lot! Research and Professionalism in Medicine, oh yes, of course, of course! Another year stuffing myself into the Medical books and leaving my men to see ships! Sorry guys!" I said to my buttons and looking at some books I had brought. My luck is that I had managed to do Psychological Medicine and Advanced Anatomy, that aside from the other college subjects, I still must do the internship. Every year we choose some elective subjects to obtain credits to close the year or to go to other graduate school. I signed up for everything that could lead me to be a forensic expert, in fact I signed up for all of them, I don't want to miss anything! I think I will need a time like Harry Potter's Hermione Granger.

"Lily?"

"Me!" I stopped walking back and forth inside the room and looked at Sophy. "Speak, my love."

"Have you looked at the college subjects you are going to do this year?"

"Yes! And you?"

"I am looking here to see what postgraduate course I am going to take; I was thinking in the area of ​​Criminal Justice."

"Cool! Very good. Enjoy this is your last year, then."

"I'm still in doubt."

"In a little while you will discover yourself within the area, and it will do like me, all electives."

"You are crazy! You did all possible and impossible electives within college, you had Saturday classes!"

"Yes! And?" I asked taking my eyes off the cell phone to look at her.

"You are crazy!"

"Of course not, I am a polyglot, I need to study medical terms in other languages, otherwise I would have less college subjects to study."

"Dude, I am too, but you're overdoing it! What is all this for, Lily? It's just a curiosity, I'm not criticizing you!"

"I don't know, I just know what I need to do. My luck is that the dean let me do the electives that I was unable to do in previous years now in the fourth and fifth years."

"And how many more to finish?"

"Eight!"

"Eight?"

"Yes!" I said giving a little yellow smile.

"You look like my Uncle Ryan. He was also glazed in Medicine and did all possible and impossible electives."

"What a thing, no?! But there are eight electives this year!"

"Beloved father!"

"Yeah!"

"Well, each crazy with his craze!"

"And thinking on the positive side, I am not going to postgraduate studies, I think! I haven't found anything yet to do within the forensics field, but who knows, one day, I must analyze some things about it, but I still have the next year to decide and talk to the teachers."

"Yikes! But I think that to be a forensic medical examiner you will need specialization."

"It will be?"

"Who knows! But I think so, Uncle Ryan is a specialist in neuropediatric and Mom was doing a specialization in gynecology and obstetrics."

"Well, I'll fix it later. Let's go to sleep, tomorrow I want to research the prices of these books."

"Tomorrow we will go to Uncle Ryan's house to see if he has these books."

"No, Sophy, for the love of the sacred!"

"Yes, we go! I'm sure he won't mind lending you his books."