Chapter 14

Aléssio drove Isabella to her car, offering her a ride home. Isa didn't know what to think at that moment, and Aléssio's silence made her increasingly anxious. Her eyes stared at him, but she could only sense loneliness and emptiness in Aléssio's gaze.
As the car advanced through the empty streets of the city, the atmosphere inside the vehicle remained heavy with silence. Aléssio drove with a distant look, while Isabella looked at the passing city through the window, lost in her own thoughts.
The car's interior was immersed in a soft darkness; the tinted windows made the inside of the car dark, and the headlights gently illuminated Aléssio's worried face. His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, betraying the internal turmoil unfolding within him.
— Say something, Aléssio! — Isa whispered.
He shook his head from side to side, ran his right hand through his already tousled hair from all the rubbing, and slid his hand down to his chin, rubbing his beard, clearly showing his discomfort.
Isabella, beside him, cast discreet glances in his direction, observing the serious and thoughtful expression dominating Aléssio's face. She could feel the tension in the air, knowing that the words she had revealed moments earlier had triggered a storm of emotions in the man behind the wheel.
The night was serene, but inside the car, the atmosphere was electrically charged. Aléssio sighed deeply, as if seeking clarity amid the haziness of his thoughts. Isabella's words echoed in his mind, the news of the pregnancy redefining the boundaries of what had been his orderly world until then.
The distant sound of the city and the gentle hum of the car's engine were the soundtrack to Aléssio's tumultuous thoughts. He kept his eyes fixed on the road, but his mind wandered through unknown and unexplored territories.
— Aléssio, I know this is a lot to take in. I'm here if you need to talk.
He only nodded slightly, without taking his eyes off the road.
As the car moved through the nighttime streets, both faced the unknown that lay ahead. The journey home became an introspective one, as Aléssio confronted his own uncertainties, and Isabella prepared for the future that unfolded, permeated by the complexities of life and impending motherhood.
Aléssio parked the car in front of Isabella's house and stared for a moment at the empty surroundings. Isabella reached for the car door to get out, but was surprised by a sudden move from Aléssio.
— Wait, Isa! — he said, holding the girl's arm.
Isa looked at him firmly with hopeful eyes. She wanted a definitive answer to decide what to do with that baby.
— I'm with you. Let's have this baby. — Aléssio gave a nervous smile at the corner of his mouth — I have no experience, nor do you. I have a life with a doubtful future, but... — Aléssio hesitated.
Isabella lowered her head already certain that Aléssio would say something about a prostitute being a mother, but what came out of Aléssio's mouth shook Isabella to her core.
— I promise to leave this life, even if it means getting arrested. I'll take care of this child with you, if you want. Let's get married. What do you think?
Isa couldn't express what she felt at that moment. Her eyes flooded with tears of emotion and relief. Aléssio, in turn, wiped a tear from Isabella with his thumb and pulled her into an uncomfortable hug inside the car. He kissed her forehead and then lightly kissed her lips in a way he had never done before.
Aléssio's kiss now conveyed love, understanding, affection, and care. It was as if that iceberg in his heart had collapsed.
— Come. I'll take you inside. For now. I'll come back soon to take you to live with me.
— Hi? What do you mean? — Isa asked astonished.
Aléssio got up, opened the car door, and holding the hand of the madame, helped her to stand.
— My love, if we're going to do this, let's do it the right way. It has always been my dream to start a family, but I was too insecure to begin.
— Aléssio, I'm pregnant, but am I not your wife? — Isa communicated presumptuously.
— I'm sorry; I didn't even ask what you want to do. So, what do you think? — Aléssio stopped in front of Isabella, waiting for an answer.
— Let's think for a bit, talk about the best solution for both of us.
Isa opened the door of the house and threw her bag on the little table in the corner of the living room and sat on the couch pointing for Aléssio to sit next to her. This was the time to put all decisions on the table, and the night would be long, and no one could interrupt the long conversation that Aléssio and Isabella would have.
— Would you like something to drink? — Isa offered, knowing that the long conversation would dry out both of their saliva.
— I'll get some water; you don't need to get up. — Aléssio volunteered in a way that Isa barely recognized the man who was by her side.
The couch, a silent witness to the complexities and emotional twists, now turned into a place of comfort, where joy and hope intertwined. Together, Isabella and Aléssio embarked on an unknown journey, but now, more than ever, they were united by the renewed strength of love and the prospect of a new life blossoming before them. The smile on Isabella's face radiated the certainty that, amidst all uncertainties, they had found a safe harbor in each other's embrace.
There was no more room for shadows of the unknown; in their place, the promise of a new chapter flourished.