Gustavo, Ana Clara’s brother, had been a part of their lives for years. He ate at their house, took out small loans, and said that the family should help each other. Marcos never liked him very much, but Ana Clara trusted him.
That was the first mistake that would later hurt differently.
While they were preparing his pregnant wife’s body for cremation, the husband asked to open the coffin one last time
Marcos Almeida didn’t remember the exact moment his world split in two. He remembered the rain pounding against the windows. He remembered the phone vibrating on the kitchen table. He remembered an unfamiliar voice saying “Rodovia dos Imigrantes.”
Ana Clara, his wife, had gone out that afternoon to take care of some family matters and buy a few small things for Miguel. She was two months away from giving birth. At home, a crib still sat unassembled against the wall.