- Coincidences That Awaken Truths.

The morning unfolded slowly, with a sun that barely warmed and only caressed. Lara gently pushed the shopping cart while Thiago sat happily inside, a small cookie in his hand and wide eyes exploring every corner of this new world full of lights, shelves, and colors.

The mental shopping list floated in her mind, but there was no rush. She enjoyed that everyday moment: choosing fresh fruit, brushing her hand over the vegetables, picking yogurts for her little one. A quiet routine, unhurried… until, as she turned down the cereal aisle, she saw her.

Viridiana.

Wearing a loose beige dress that barely concealed the curve of her belly. Her face, upon lifting her gaze, shifted from surprise to discomfort in the blink of an eye.

Both women stopped, face to face. The scene felt frozen, and for a moment, no one said a word.

It was Thiago who broke the silence, letting out a soft giggle as he waved his tiny hands at a colorful box. Lara looked at him with tenderness and gently stroked his head.

"Hello," she said then, calm, as if they'd simply run into each other at a neighborhood café.

"Lara," Viridiana replied, with a tense smile. "What... a surprise."

Viridiana’s eyes instinctively dropped to the child. It was as if the air in the aisle thickened. She stared at him, first with curiosity, then with something harder to define. A doubt. A suspicion. A certainty not yet ready to be named.

"Your son is beautiful," she finally said, her voice measured.

"Thank you," Lara replied, unwavering. "His name is Thiago."

Viridiana nodded, her hand resting on her belly.

"I'm expecting one too," she said, as if unable to keep the revelation to herself.

Lara looked at her for a moment, then offered a genuine smile.

"Congratulations. It's a blessing."

There were no accusations. No veiled hints. But in that soft conversation, where the words were like small waves breaking on the shore, both women knew something deeper had been said without being spoken.

Hours later, back home, Viridiana placed the grocery bags in the kitchen. Leo was in the living room, frowning over a pile of papers. He greeted her with a distracted kiss as she entered.

"Everything okay?" he asked, not looking up.

"Yes," she said, placing the fruit into a basket. "Though I ran into someone I didn’t expect to see."

Leo looked up.

"Who?"

"Lara."

The name fell like a stone into water. Leo stopped writing.

"Where?"

"At the supermarket. She was with her son."

Leo straightened on the couch, as if the air had suddenly grown heavy.

"Her son?"

"Yes," Viridiana replied, straightforward. "She was with a little boy. He must be about two years old. His name is Thiago."

Leo didn’t answer. He simply lowered his gaze, as if his mind was racing through a thousand thoughts at once. The name pierced him like an arrow.

Thiago.

His Thiago.

His breathing changed, and something inside his chest seemed to tighten.

"Are you okay?" Viridiana asked, watching him closely.

"Yeah," he lied. "Just... unexpected."

He stood and walked to his office without another word. He shut the door and, without hesitation, dialed Lara’s number. His heart pounded like he’d run a marathon.

She answered on the second ring.

"Hello, Leo."

"When did you get back?" he asked without preamble.

"Last night."

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

There was a pause. Lara was speaking from her father’s backyard, where Thiago played among the flowers while Lauro watched from the terrace.

"I don’t need to report every step I take to you," Lara said, calm. "I’m with my dad right now. I can’t talk much. If you want, we can meet later."

"I don’t want to talk in public," Leo said immediately. "Not like this."

"All right. Then tell me where."

Leo took a deep breath and thought for a few seconds. His voice dropped, more intimate now.

"I’ll send you the address of my apartment. We can meet there tomorrow, whenever you have time."

"I’ll be there."

"Okay," he replied, and just before hanging up, she added, "By the way… congratulations. I heard your first baby will be a boy."

Leo closed his eyes. His heart twisted into a knot.

"My first baby is Thiago," he thought.

But he didn’t say it.

He simply muttered a "thank you" and hung up.

"Who was it?" Lauro asked, approaching with a cup of coffee.

Lara looked him straight in the eyes. She had nothing to hide. She had never been one to lie.

"Leo."

Lauro observed her for a few seconds, then nodded silently, as if he’d already imagined this moment would come.

"Are you okay?"

Lara sighed.

"Yes. It’s just... I feel like the truths are finally coming out. And there’s no going back."

Lauro offered a quiet smile.

"Truths hurt sometimes, daughter. But they’re necessary. Especially when there’s a child involved. Don’t be afraid. You’re doing the right thing."

Lara hugged him, holding tightly for a moment to that safe place that was her father. And as Thiago ran after a butterfly, the afternoon was painted with a deceptive calm.

They stayed for hours at Lauro’s house, until it was quite late. Thiago was asleep in his grandfather’s arms.

"You can stay if you want, hija."

"Thank you, Dad. I’d love to, but tomorrow’s a busy day, like I told you. I’ll be working from home. I don’t want to overwhelm Thiago; I want him to enjoy and get to know the city he lives in before I start showing him the world—traveling to other states or countries."

"A wise choice, daughter. Take good care. Call me when you get home."

"I will, Dad."

They said goodbye with a hug. Lauro walked Lara and the still-sleeping Thiago to the car. She drove away slowly from her father’s house.

It didn’t take long to get home. Lara called her father to let him know they had arrived, then tucked Thiago into bed. Later, she sat down to eat while watching a series on her tablet. Though the scene seemed calm, questions still swirled in her mind—questions with no clear answers—as she imagined how the meeting with Leo would go. She knew it wouldn’t be easy. That their conversations could get more complicated than she wanted.

But when she looked beside her and saw Thiago, everything else faded.

There he was.

The love of her life.

Right in front of her.