CHAPTER TWENTY"FIVE

A MOTHER'S STORY

" I think all mothers worry about their children, my father is very worried about me too.”

They talked for some time and Clara had passed by the door of Otavio's room when she arrived, the door was closed, he was probably working. Clara talked a little about her life to Dahlia, about her father and brothers and her sister"in"law.

" For me, Otávio wouldn't live alone, I know he doesn't live alone and is surrounded by friends, but…”

" I understand you, you are going through the empty nest syndrome, my dear, I have heard a lot about it.”

" Well, you know what it is, Clara? You've been with him and you must have noticed that my son is, as they say, different.”

Clara nodded, not knowing what to say to that.

" He is special, he has his own peculiar way. Otávio has always been like that, aloof, in his own way, my son walked at nine months, started talking at thirteen months, understanding words, not baby phrases, you see, and his father noticed that he was different when he