Happy Ending

Life can play tricks on us, show us a dangerous path that seems to have everything to go wrong, yet still seems to be our only alternative. At the same time, it can also show us loopholes that give us hope and the opportunity to do things differently. It is not always easy. In fact, it can be quite difficult, if you don't give up, you can be rewarded in the end.

Alana learned this in a tortuous way, letting herself be guided by her emotions, not only of desire, the will to be happy, but also by fear, which made her path a little longer and filled with stones, which delayed the arrival to her happy ending.

Alana Souza was a beautiful woman, small with her 1.59 height, with beautiful green eyes, straight black hair and dark skin. A simple woman, who has lost a lot throughout her life, but who still faces it with a smile on her face, letting her sadness out only when no one else is watching. She is strong and she knows it, despite her barriers.

The fact that she always walked around smiling and never mentioned any problem in her life in public, made people think that Alana was perfect, just like her life was too, without problems or traumas, but the truth was far from that. She was like any other woman, with her problems and reflections of each day, within the safety of her home.

The difference between her and many others her age was that her torment had started when she was 18 years old. It wasn't just any problem, though. Her first challenge came in the form of an accident. At a short age, Alana was in an accident with her parents and a five-year-old sister, in which she was the only survivor.

The accident made many think that fate didn't seem to be willing to let Alana be just a normal girl, but she was persistent and never gave up on anything despite the trauma and the longing that was ever-present in her chest ever since.

How she managed it, she had no idea, but when she woke up in the hospital and found out what had happened to her family, she regretted not going with them, it seemed unfair that only she was there, alive and with a broken arm, but Alana always overcomes her problems. Gradually that wound was healing.

However, a year later, Alana found out that she could never have children, not even if she really wanted one someday. It was okay at first, after all she was only 19, she didn't think and didn't want to have children at that moment, but time passes.

Unfortunately, as the years went by, things took a different turn. Something inside her was changing and that truth began to be a weight in her life. Not being able to have children interfered mainly with the dating issue, a topic that was not going well at all.

Many a courtship has ended the moment the young woman finally told the truth that had been plaguing her in difficult days. Her first boyfriend broke up with her because he wanted to have children in the future. The last one, who seemed perfect, after all he couldn't have children either and much less wanted that burden in his life, as he always used to say, turned out to be something completely different. Not always what they say in a moment of emotion is usually true, as Alana learned the hard and painful way.

But Alana spent her life smiling, with friends who became her family, who understood her moments of smiling and silence, but trouble would always follow her, no matter where the young woman went. They would never give her respite and all she had to do was face them, head on, no matter how much fear she felt inside.

Sometimes she wondered if she would ever be fully happy, if she could look back at her days and not see the ones where sadness consumed her, but they were questions that for a long time remained unanswered, that Alana learned by living and that is the reason why everything changed.

Alana was 25 and her life was finally going to change and all Alana had to ask herself was how much of her past she could reveal before it was all lost again. Would she give up her happiness for the truth? There was only one way to find out and she was willing to risk it. For the right people, this woman would risk everything.

Alana had been working at Elias' restaurant for five years. She had ended up there when she arrived in town and made friends with Renata, the wife of Elias, the restaurant owner. The couple had a few things in common with Alana herself and soon the three of them became regulars in each other's lives. It had not been a dream to work as a waitress, but she was happy there and managed to survive, most importantly after so many falls.

Alana was almost at the end of her workday at the restaurant where she worked and was more than ready to go home and enjoy the good wine she got from her cousin, just because she wanted to. All she wanted at that moment was to relax and forget about her responsibilities, if only for a few hours. As cheerful as she tried to be to face her almost always turbulent days, where she had to face and smile at many people - now not so unknown - she still needed her hours of rest.

It was impossible to keep smiling all day and not feel tired at the end of the day, especially with the secrets she carried, hiding even from those people who were closest to her and who probably deserved to know. Her shoulders were always heavy with guilt and fear of what would happen if everyone knew. She could endure all that if she was avoiding the looks of pity. She hated those looks. It was her worst nightmare.

Sighing and pushing away the hazy thoughts that were beginning to creep in, she made her way to get rid of the last occupied table in the restaurant. On her way to finally be able to leave, she bumped into a little three-year-old boy, who smiled when he recognized her. His smile was identical to his best friend's and Alana imagined he had taken that part from his father, as well as his dark skin and the beautiful short brown curls on top of his head.

He was looking for his uncle, his father's brother, but his aunt would do just as well. He liked her just as much.

- Thomas, what are you doing here? You should be out back with your toys. - Alana said, crouching down so she was about his height. She wasn't very tall.

- Uncle's taking his time. - he said, in his childish way, still reeling off many words, which always made Alana smile. She could not resist those children and almost always did what they wanted. Her niece Nadia was also the target of her affection.

- 'Don't worry dear, he's already getting rid of the old fat man.

She whispered to him, making him laugh. Thomas always had fun with Aunt Alana, but this time they were caught red-handed.

- Alana Souza! Teaching my nephew that stuff again? - said Leandro, trying to be serious.

It was Alana who taught Thomas to make some joke or say the wrong thing, almost always at the wrong time. In the end, it was he and the boy's father who were embarrassed, although it was fun sometimes, Leandro had to admit, especially when the target was one of the boy's mother's old friends, who seemed to pretend not to realize how much they disliked her.

- Aunt Alana is the best. - Thomas said, smiling, while his aunt just held in her laughter, not caring that he had said her last name. He didn't scare her. They were best friends after all.

But the boy was really learning a lot from her, she had to admit. Sometimes she thought Thomas' father would show up at any moment to fight with her, but that never happened. That man was still a stranger to the woman.

Leandro looked at Alana, who smiled innocently. It was impossible to try to be an adult with those two together. They were invincible.

- 'If Thomas says any more of those funny things you teach him around my brother, I'll tell on you. - said Leandro to his best friend.

- What will he do? Kill me? Would he do that? - she said, feigning concern, but only succeeding in making him laugh.

- I'm still going to introduce you to him. - Leandro replied, remembering that William was the only one away from the large group they had formed. In his humble opinion, his brother was too busy, he needed a few days off.

- When? After you propose to my cousin?

Her friend knew exactly where and when to push her buttons. That had always been a tricky subject.

Leandro sighed. He hated it when she touched that subject. It was still a delicate one for him, and he could never find the courage or the right moment to talk to Alana's cousin.

- I can't do that. You know that very well.

Alana smiled fondly.

- 'You really should try.

- She loves Vitor. You should accept that too.

- As a friend. And he loves Helena! He knows they're together because they were good friends and he's good to Nadia. You can be too, you love Thomas like your own son.

They both looked at each other, thoughtful.

- 'I promise to think about it.

Alana celebrated.

- Good, because I want to be the godmother. Now, go on. I'll close everything. Take your nephew home.

Leandro gladly agreed and went to get his things.

Before he left, he gave her a kiss on the cheek, just like Thomas did. It had become a routine.

- Don't forget to change the diapers! - Alana said, laughing.

She said that every time Leandro went away, on the days when she took Thomas with her, since the first few times her friend really forgot that detail and she, or her boss, helped. But it made sense when he was still wearing them. In recent months, it was little Thomas who responded.

- I don't wear diapers anymore auntie.

Alana smiled and waved to her two handsome boys, before starting to close everything up and also making her way home.

As she got into her car and started it, her mind filled with the thoughts she had tried to push away earlier. A lot seemed to be changing, in the lives of the people around him, the ones that were really important. The couple of friends had finally managed to get pregnant. Renata was one of those women who had a harder time having a child, but after a lot of struggle from those two, with Alana by their side, it finally worked out.

Nadia, their beautiful niece, was getting bigger and bigger and becoming a beautiful little girl, despite the problems she went through in her first months of life. Emily went through a lot in her pregnancy, from the abandonment of the child's father, to complications in pregnancy. Luckily for her cousin, she had her family, including Alana, to support her.

Thomas, Leandro's nephew, followed the same path, also with problems he had no idea existed. She first saw him when he was just a year old, wearing diapers and talking much less than he did now.

The children seemed to be growing and getting bigger all around her, but at that moment, that wasn't a problem.

Sometimes she felt like having children of her own, other times she was just happy for the ones she could have. That was the day of the second option and Alana was happy for herself too.

William Rodrigues was in his thirties, with beautiful blue eyes, coal-black hair, tanned skin and, most importantly, he was Leandro's older brother and the father of little Thomas. He was a bit different from him in some ways, especially when it came to work, since the Rodrigues brothers worked in completely different areas from each other. Leandro decided to leave the family business right after a big argument with their father a few years ago, months after the death of their mother, to whom he was closest.

William regretted the distance that was created between those involved, but supported his little brother in everything that was necessary. After the time that passed, what they went through, he was always proud of them both. He had just arrived home and could say that it had been one of the worst days of that week, which unfortunately never seemed to end. In addition to the countless meetings and problems to solve, he was left with no one to take care of his son. At times like that he couldn't imagine what would become of him without his brother, so the first thing he did when he got home and threw himself on the couch was to call Leandro. That was a day he always took longer to get off work. He understood why his little brother wanted to work, away from the family business, but sometimes all he wanted was to get him out of there and have him around.

- Hey, Leandro! Are you coming? - he asked as soon as his brother answered. He could hear his son's laughter in the background and couldn't help but smile. A few years ago he hadn't imagined the possibility of having children, or that he would like to have one someday and now there he was, smiling just hearing his son's giggle like a fool and he didn't mind it at all.

- Hey William! Yes, Alana stayed to close for me. We're almost home. - Leandro replied, stopping William's thoughts from going where they shouldn't have. William was no longer surprised to hear that. Whenever Leandro stayed with Thomas, it was the same thing, but it always left him with a feeling of guilt, after all, it was his son, not his brother's and even less his best friend's.

- Again? You know, I almost feel guilty that she has to come last, just because you're with my son.

Leandro laughed. It wasn't the first time his brother had said that, in fact, William repeated those same words every time he was with Thomas.

- I'm sure she would accept a bottle of wine - said the younger man, taking his guesses about what his brother would say about it. - teased the older brother.

William laughed, knowing that his brother must have been mentally cursing, as he always did when he mentioned his possible love relationships.

-That's fine. Next time I won't stop Alana from teaching the boy a few things.

Thomas's father couldn't help but grimace. The last time he had learned something, the child had said some not very nice things to Beatriz, Eduarda's former best friend, who had come to visit them. The two of them had their opinions about the woman, but William hated to have to remedy the situation.

- Got it. A bottle of wine. Better, two!

Leandro laughed at his brother, remembering all the times Thomas had gotten up to something, and not a few. It wasn't always on purpose, the little boy was a good kid, but there were still incidents, sometimes hilarious, that he had to hold back not to laugh and encourage those attitudes.Great! I want one for me too, I'm still going to kill you, little brother. He hung up without saying goodbye, not holding back his smile. They were just the three of them, but he always felt lucky for the family he had, even though he suspected that the members of that little family would soon increase. He was pretty sure that Leandro liked someone, but he never revealed who it was. William understood his reservations and left him alone, despite his curiosity. Putting those thoughts aside and taking advantage of the fact that the two of them hadn't arrived home yet, William headed for his desired hot bath, before going to prepare dinner for the three of them. He felt better there than anywhere else, close to those who really mattered and surrounded by an environment that always reassured him. Maybe that was the reason he had gotten over Eduarda's death so quickly, at least for those who had been friends of the couple and her relatives. But he had to admit that he was happy as he was, with what he had become. She didn't want to change. She didn't need to stay away from her brother. She didn't need to change and move away from her hobbies and friendships, as Thomas' mother had made a point of saying and trying to do from the moment she laid eyes on him and they started dating. She was grateful for the son they had made together, but almost always regretted leaving that relationship to have gone down such a tortuous and complicated path. I wish I had had something peaceful and without so many demands that were impossible to satisfy, no matter how hard I tried. But Eduarda was already dead and there was nothing more to be done about that old relationship, which no longer needed to endure. He could be the good old William of old. Sometimes he felt guilty for thinking that way about the dead mother of his only child, who died shortly after giving birth to the boy. But on that particular night, regretting some of his past mistakes and being happy that he could be himself, without pretenses or the guilt of not being the way she wanted him to be, was good enough for William. He was caring less and less about what people said or thought about him, even those people who were considered close to him. He was getting over it. He was happy.