My Sister's Boyfriend

I heard the door open and cursed under my breath. Knowing the noise of his old slippers, which always accompanied him on the days he would be left on the couch watching movies and drag me along. "You've been there for hours. His soft voice made me cringe.

-Hours? I asked in a voice.

-Yes. Come on, come in. It's cooling down. I stood up, awkwardly and he smiled, the smile illuminating his round face, his short blond hair shining in the light of the lamp. The green eyes stared at me understandingly. I went into the house and he closed the door. I threw the bag on the floor and started to take off my shoes. I felt him hugging me from behind and I enjoyed the caress, the kiss on my neck almost made me smile... Almost. "I'm going to make something for us to eat." He gave me a kiss on the cheek and made his way nonchalantly to the kitchen. Victor knew my habits, too well. I knew that putting things off with Victor would be silly, he'd me off. Or he would look at me in a way that would put me unarmed. I had no escape. So I sat on the couch, practicing how to tell him that I was going back to that city and that I was going to leave the life we had here behind indefinitely. Soon he was back along with a tray with two plates full of Italian-style pasta and two glasses of wine.

"Wow, you did a great job. Same as... Every day.

Thank you. He laughed, raising his glass. We drank slowly. He stared at me, analyzing me. - How was your day?

-Terrible.

"Why?" He asked, in that trained voice of his. He still seemed stuck at his dinner, I ignored that maybe he hadn't even heard me. I just chattered, nervously:

"I received a wonderful offer from my work. Finally get out of that boring office; Working with real people, not robotic mannequins, in a planetarium to be exact. My salary will double and I will have fewer working hours.

"Is that terrible?" What's your good, then?" he wiped his lips with his napkin. Now pay attention to what I was saying. "Do I finally agree to marry you?" -Cute...

"So tell me, what's the real problem?"

"I couldn't refuse the offer.

- Malu, stop stalling... - it was a habit of mine, this mess thing. I couldn't help it, I sighed deeply and let go right away:

- The job is in Santa Barbara. I'll move in a couple of weeks," I waited expectantly for his reaction. He just took a big forkful of noodles to his mouth. Chewing slowly and I kept waiting for his reaction, anxiously. Then he wiped his lips with his napkin and said as if it were something good:

- No way!

"Victor," I whimpered, realism hammering insistently in my head. I couldn't refuse, nor did I want to. It was a wonderful opportunity, despite the circumstances.

"Don't try to convince me, okay?" You're going to go there and it's going to happen all over again..." he said, hurt. I bit my lip. "That really helped a lot.

"Will it happen again, Malu?"

"I don't want it to happen again. We stared at each other in silence, him rolling the noodles around his fork and staring at me. The expression so calm that it made me nervous. His voice was still, almost stony. It annoyed me, how controlled he could be and at the same time make me lose my temper with that same calmness. But at the same time I needed his control, because I was absolutely out of control.

"It's a good job. Irrefutable, isn't it?

-Yes.

- With many benefits. It's going to be great for you...

-Victor...

- Irrefutable... Better think about the changes, how you're going to adapt and...

"Stop it. I don't want it to happen again, you hear? It won't happen again.

"If you say..." he smiled, but I knew he didn't believe me. We fell silent again and I could feel the tension settling in the air, something about to explode. "I could go with you."

"You can't go with me. You just got that job. Which is great. "Half an hour from home, an enviable salary and there was a room just for him with air conditioning. It was too perfect even for a lawyer.

"I won't be around you if you go there." It's on the other side of the country pretty much. Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro. Look at the distance, Malu!

- Don't exaggerate! And besides, there are weekend trips, well! Until you get some transfer.

"It's going to take months, at the very least. And I'm thinking positively. - he said, sullenly.

"I'm not happy about that either.

"Of course you're not..." he said wryly. That me off.

I don't want to get rid of you if that's what you're thinking

"I'm not thinking about that.

"But you're thinking of some crap. I know you well enough to know that.

"You don't know what you're talking about.

- Tell me soon! What a stupid craze for stalling! "You do the same thing," an annoying little voice countered. I ignored her, annoyed enough that I had something else to annoy me.

"I don't want you to go to that place, okay?" I don't want to. What a bummer! He was finally blushing, but he still held his fork tightly. I felt a mad urge to make him so angry that he smeared his white shirt with tomato sauce. Yes, very childish. - But I'll go, Victor... Whether you want it or not.

"That's because you're not happy to go..." he said, his lips closed tightly, his expression frowning.

"I didn't nominate myself, okay?" I gestured, tossing my hair back in the process. Totally losing patience and calm. "I've been offered a proposal and it's about my future if you haven't noticed.

"I thought it was 'our' future ever since you put that ring on your finger.

"Do you want the ring back?" So you get your individuality back and stop throwing it in my face. He laughed softly, continuing to eat. I felt my face boil.

I put down my fork and took a big sip from my glass. The wine made me dizzy for a few seconds. I didn't eat anymore and admired Victor for being able to eat. There was a cake in my stomach. We rarely fought. Just for nonsense. Like Victor thought the window needed to be left without curtains or something stupid like that. And us fighting was stupidly wrong.