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New Neighbor

Author: Noely Silva
last update Last Updated: 2024-03-13 01:58:27

Karen

Arriving home after an exhausting twenty-four-hour shift, exhaustion settles into every fiber of my being. What I desire most, in fact, is simply to rest. But, as is customary when I return home, consciousness sets in: I have a six-year-old son who longs for my attention after so many hours apart.

With a strength bordering on superhuman, after taking a shower to wake up and a hot bowl of soup, I muster enough energy to collapse onto the living room carpet, a silent invitation for Otávio's playtime. His eyes shine with anticipation, and even in the face of my exhaustion, I search within myself for the energy needed to share that moment with him.

The outlines of a puzzle spread out before us, and I, barely able to keep my eyes open, try to focus on the task at hand. Little Otávio, with his boundless energy, seems not to grasp the extent of my exhaustion. He shows me piece by piece, and with a forced smile, I dive into the activity, offering what little patience and attention I hav
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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   An Optimist?

    OthonThe workday at the hospital was exhausting, and when I finally got home, the last thing on my mind was walking my dog. The reason was simple: I was about to receive guests. My friends were coming to see my new house, and I thought the least I could do was prepare dinner for all of us. For this reason, I had to resist Bart's insistent appeals that early evening.Colin and Noah, however, surprised me by arriving earlier than I expected. Faced with this unexpected anticipation and Bart's incessant barking, I made a quick decision: someone had to give in and take the dog for a walk. It wouldn't be me, not that night.— Noah, my friend, I think you've won the "honor" of taking Bart for a walk today. He's practically begging.Noah laughed, accepting the challenge, and I could see Bart jumping for joy at the prospect of finally going for a walk outside. As they moved away, I dove into the task of preparing something for dinner. Colin joined me, and soon we were sipping on some drinks w

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Feeling

    KarenWhen I arrived home that evening, I was met with the hilarious sight of Camila still in front of my house, engrossed with Otávio. A spontaneous laugh escaped me, unable to believe that Camila had actually come to my house with the sole purpose of meeting the new neighbor. Our laughter echoed through the quiet neighborhood as we entered the house.My mother, always helpful, took responsibility for looking after Otávio, allowing Camila and me to head to my room. I disguised my curiosity but secretly longed to know how Camila's encounter with the new neighbor went. As I took a shower, Camila settled on the edge of the tub, remaining silent, just watching me attentively with a playful smile on her face."Tell me already, Camila! I'm dying to know how the meeting with the new neighbor went," I pleaded, trying to focus on washing my hair while eagerly awaiting her response.Camila laughed at my impatience, still sporting a mischievous smile."Well, actually, I didn't have the privileg

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   The Encounter

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Untimely Encounter

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   A New Encounter

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   He's very close

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Shocking Discovery

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Decisive Changes

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Latest chapter

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Suspicions

    ColinThe moment of meeting with Letícia came quicker than I expected. As I sat in the car, staring at Letícia's front door, a knot formed in my stomach. I had spent the last few days trying to sort things out with my family, but nothing compared to the nervousness that now consumed me. Taking a deep breath, and trying to gather my courage, I finally got out of the car.I walked up to Letícia's door, and before ringing the doorbell, I hesitated for a second. Would she believe me after everything? Could I prove to her that I was here to stay? Without further delay, I rang the doorbell and waited.The door opened, revealing Letícia with a look of apprehension mixed with determination. Even in her simplicity, she looked radiant, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words.

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Finally, News

    LetíciaThe week passed without any news from Colin. At first, I believed in his intention to truly take responsibility. I even discussed with my mother the possibility of not allowing Colin to be part of our lives. She, with her wisdom and calmness, made me see that it wouldn't be fair to deny our child the right to know his father, as long as he was willing to be a positive presence."Daughter, we all make mistakes. If Colin truly wants to be present, you should give him that chance," my mom pointed out.But as the days passed in silence, I began to think that everything he had said was nothing but lies and deceit. Cynically, I thought he must be just like his twin brother, a liar. However, this realization didn't stop the sadness from settling in. I attributed these feelings to pregnancy horm

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   A New Chance

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  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Painful Memories

    Continuation - Four months agoLetíciaYears passed, and I tried to move on. My mother was my rock through it all. She worked hard so that I could study and become a doctor. She did everything to make up for my father's absence, but that absence was a wound that was hard to heal.However, fate has its twists and turns. One day, without warning, someone rang the doorbell of our house, and when I opened the door, there he was, Osvaldo, the man I hadn't seen in years.My father, the stranger who had abandoned me. He looked older, and tired, but he still had that smile I remembered from childhood."Letícia, I...," he began, but couldn't finish the sentence.The shock left me paralyzed for a few seconds. I wanted to scream, cry, and ask why, but I just stood there, looking at him. Finally, I managed to say something."What are you doing here?" My voice came out colder than I intended, but I couldn't hide the pain and anger.He sighed, seeming to search for the right words."I heard you gra

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Memories

    LetíciaI spent a long time awake that night, tossing and turning in bed, thinking about the past and my ghosts. Hearing about the crazy story involving not only Colin and his twin brother but also Othon's sister made me reflect not only on what was haunting him that night we met at the bar but also on what led me there.All of that stirred up a still-open wound in me. It was hard to simply forgive Colin and involve him in my child's pregnancy after so much hurt. Finding out that he didn't cause it didn't seem to change much within me.I've always dreamed of having a child to give all the love in the world to. I love children; that's why I chose to be a pediatrician. But I wasn't prepared to have a child by a stranger, whom I only remembered the name of. He introduced himself as Colin Salles as soon as we toasted and

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   A Long Story

    LetíciaThe meeting with Colin was very different from what I expected. When I decided to look for him, I imagined he might use all sorts of excuses to justify his rude behavior when I told him about the pregnancy. But it never crossed my mind that he would use the excuse that his twin brother had impersonated him.As I walked back home, trying to process everything he had told me, I found myself torn between believing or not believing this story. I didn't doubt that he had a twin brother; after all, that wasn't so extraordinary. What left me incredulous was that this brother could be so despicable as to impersonate Colin and mistreat the woman who was pregnant with his brother's child. But, as Colin himself had said, it wouldn't be difficult to find out if he was telling the truth about something so serious.When I

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!    Revealing Conversation

    ColinThe first thing that caught my attention when Letícia entered the café was her protruding belly. It was subtle but a few months into pregnancy. She looked radiant and beautiful, but the coldness with which she treated me quickly refocused my attention on what truly mattered at that moment.As we sat down, I still felt somewhat incredulous that Letícia had agreed to meet me. Even more shocking was that she had reached out to me, and set up the meeting. Now we could talk more calmly and clarify things between us."Thank you for coming, Letícia," I began, trying to find a friendly tone.She only nodded in agreement, her eyes not meeting mine directly. I noticed her gaze shifting to the table next to us, where the waiter had just left some doughnuts

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Decisive Encounter

    LetíciaI woke up that Saturday with a sense of excitement I hadn't felt in a while. The idea of starting to buy things for my baby was thrilling, even though I still didn't know their gender. As I had my breakfast, my mind was filled with thoughts of baby clothes, toys, and everything else I could buy. I had the day free and wanted to make the most of it.I mentioned to my mom about my desire to start shopping, but also about Karen being on her honeymoon and not wanting to go alone. My mom then suggested that I invite Camila."You and Camila have been getting along so well, Letícia. Why don't you invite her to go with you? I'm sure she'd love to."She was right. Camila had been a great friend, always there and willing to help. I grabbed my phone and called her.

  • Doctor, My Son is Yours!   Restlessness

    ColinBack in São Paulo, I can't stop thinking about Letícia and all the confusion this story has become. Her image is always present, disturbing me with every moment of silence. While I try to focus on the new project for an important client, I feel restless and uninspired. Normally, my work as an architect flows easily; I have a well-established company in the market and have always been recognized for my creativity and efficiency. However, days have passed since Othon's wedding and I still haven't been able to regain my rhythm.If I were honest with myself, I couldn't attribute my lack of concentration to the time I spent in a coma in the hospital. I was already physically and mentally recovered before the weekend wedding. No, this restlessness had a name: Letícia.My phone vibrates on the table, interrupting my thoughts. Othon's name appears on the screen, and I answer with a sigh."Colin, my friend, how are you? I heard you already knew Letícia," he says, and I can almost hear th

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