The next morning, the sun shone softly through the bedroom curtains, and Emily woke up feeling refreshed, even after the previous restless night. Matthew was still lying down, breathing calmly next to her. She decided to seize the moment and slowly moved away, going to the table to prepare a simple breakfast.
As she walked through the kitchen, her cell phone started ringing. It was her adoptive uncle Otávio. Emily smiled when she saw his name on the screen. "Hi, uncle!" she said, answering the call.
"Good morning, my dear! How are you?" Otávio replied in a warm voice.
"I'm fine, just relaxing a bit after the event. And you, how are you?"
"Oh, you know, the same as always. Work at the store has been intense, but everything is fine. And how is your film? I hear it's going very well!"
Emily smiled, happy that he had come along. "Yes, I'm really excited about the response! It seems like people are really enjoying it."
Otávio continued to talk about everyday matters, mentioning details about the family business and how he was thinking about renovating the store. They exchanged a few stories about the challenges of maintaining a business, always in a good-humored tone.
"And you, is there anything new in your personal life? Any romance?" Otávio asked, with a light laugh.
Emily hesitated for a moment, feeling a blush rise to her face. She looked at Matthew, who was at the table, cutting a slice of bread. He looked at her curiously, a smile forming on his lips. "Actually, yes," she replied, her voice softer.
"Oh, really? And who's the lucky guy?" Otávio asked excitedly.
"Yeah... the guy I mentioned in our last call," she began, holding her cell phone a little nervously. "Matthew. We're dating now."
Matthew, hearing his name, looked at her, his eyes shining with happiness. He held up a slice of bread, as if it were a toast, and Emily couldn't help but laugh.
"Matthew, huh? I never thought you would fall in love so quickly! That's great to hear, dear! Is he a good guy?" Otávio asked, with a tone of approval.
"Yes, he is amazing, uncle," Emily replied, feeling more confident as she talked about him. "He is kind, funny and always supports me. I am really happy."
"That's wonderful, Emily. You deserve to be happy. And don't forget to introduce me to this Matthew when you get the chance!"
"Of course, uncle! As soon as I can, I will do it," Emily promised, smiling.
After a few exchanges of comments about the weather and routine, they said goodbye. When she hung up, the blush was still on her face, and she turned to Matthew, who was watching her with a wide smile.
"So, what did you think?" she asked, approaching him, feeling a little nervous but also excited.
"I thought you were amazing. It's nice to hear you talk about us like that," Matthew replied, placing the slice of bread he had cut on her plate. "Now, I want to hear everything about what you said."
Emily smiled, a little shyly, as she took the slice of bread and began to eat. "It was nothing special, just some normal things that anyone would say."
"But you were blushing! That means you really like me," Matthew teased, raising an eyebrow and making her laugh.
"Maybe! Or maybe I'm just embarrassed to tell you about our conversation," she replied, giving him a challenging look.
"Whatever it is, I'm glad you're comfortable enough to share this with him. And now, let's enjoy breakfast before it gets cold," he said, pulling her to sit next to him.
As they enjoyed breakfast together, Emily couldn't help but smile goofily on her face.
---
As Emily and Matthew enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, his phone started ringing again. He looked at the screen and saw that it was his mother, Mariana. "Oh no…" he mumbled, already anticipating the kind of conversation that was about to come.
"Are you going to answer?" Emily asked, noticing the uncomfortable expression on Matthew's face.
"I guess I don't have a choice," he replied, accepting the call. "Hi, Mom!"
"Hi, my dear! I was thinking about you," Mariana began, her tone cheerful. "How are things? Are you still working a lot? And how is your love life?"
Matthew took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. "Oh, you know, everything's fine…" he replied, a little embarrassed, casting a nervous glance at Emily.
"Fine? Or do you mean you're still single? Because I can't believe you haven't found someone special yet. You need to tell me about this girl you mentioned last time, your grandmother told me about it but without details!" Mariana insisted, almost too excitedly.
Emily, listening to the conversation, couldn't help but laugh when she heard Matthew stuttering. "Yeah… the truth is, I really am dating now, Mom. It's Emily, the girl I was talking about," he said, looking at her with a slight smile.
"Emily! What a beautiful name! Did you bring her to meet your grandmother?" Mariana asked excitedly.
Matthew hesitated, trying to think of the best way to respond. "Not yet, but… it's in my plans."
"Great! But you know you have to work hard, right? I don't want you to end up an uncle," Mariana joked, and then added in a playful tone: "I want grandchildren before I become a grumpy old lady! You won't forget your mother, will you? I don't want you to become a 'weirdo'! Or worse, a bachelor!"
Emily couldn't help but laugh at his mother's humorous reference. She let out a loud laugh, and it didn't go unnoticed by Mariana.
"Who's that laugh? Is there a woman next to you?" Mariana exclaimed, clearly interested and a bit intrigued.
"It's Emily, Mom," Matthew said, trying to sound calm, but his face was already tinged with a slight blush. "We're having breakfast together."
"Oh, Emily! What a surprise! And how are you? I hope my son isn't treating you badly," Mariana commented, her voice full of humor.
"No, ma'am! He's been very kind," Emily replied, still amused by the situation, but trying to be respectful.
"Matthew, you're behaving yourself, aren't you? I've heard rumors about your love life and I hope you're doing everything right with Emily!" Mariana joked, causing Matthew to squirm in embarrassment on the table.
"Yes, Mom! I'm… doing my best," he replied, looking at Emily with an embarrassed smile.
"Oh, honey, you know I'm just kidding! But you need to make sure that pretty girl doesn't leave. Girls like her are rare!" Mariana said, and the conversation soon took on a fun and light tone.
"Yeah, I know! I'm not letting her go anywhere," Matthew said, his tone becoming a little more serious, but still without losing his good humor.
"That's right! And remember, I'm watching you!" Mariana said, laughing. "Now tell me, when are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?"
"Soon, Mom. I promise," he replied, as he looked at Emily, who was clearly enjoying the situation.
"I'm counting on you, my son. I don't want to have to wait too long! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a muffin in the oven that's calling for me. Enjoy your breakfast, and don't forget to send me a picture of your girlfriend!"
Matthew said goodbye to his mother, still embarrassed, but also amused. When he hung up the call, Emily was laughing, still remembering Mariana's jokes.
"I didn't know you had such a funny mother," Emily commented, with a sparkle in her eyes.
"She's a different story. The 'making me feel like a weirdo' part is just a bonus," Matthew joked, rolling his eyes.
"But you have to admit, she cares about you, and that's great," Emily said, smiling.
"That's true. And you handled it really well. It's like my mom has already adopted you," he replied, taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze. "I just hope I don't have to share every detail of our love life with her!"
"Don't worry, Matthew. I can handle it. In fact, I found it all quite entertaining!" Emily said, winking at him.
And so, they continued their breakfast, now with more laughter and stories, as their connection grew even stronger, even in the face of Matthew's mom's amusing interventions.