Page 123 of Please, Forgive Me

“What do you think?” I asked, trying to stay calm even though my heart was racing.

She held my gaze for a few seconds, like she was weighing every word before speaking.

“It’s beautiful, Diego. Really. You went above and beyond, and I’m… impressed.”

“But?” I pressed gently, sensing there was more.

“But the gift you gave me…” She hesitated. “I’m not sure it was necessary—all that money you spent. I don’t want you to feel like you have to buy things to please me.”

“I did it from the heart, Maria Gabriela. It wasn’t about money. I wanted to give you something meaningful. You deserve that—and more.”

She bit her lip, still uneasy, then let out a soft sigh, as if something inside her gave way.

“It’s just… I’m used to doing everything on my own, without depending on anyone. When you do something like this, I feel grateful but also a little lost because I don’t know how to give anything back.”

“You don’t have to give anything back,” I said, my voice low and sincere. “I just want you to know I’m here, that I care. And if that means giving you something you’ve always dreamed of, then it’s already worth it for me.”

She studied me for a moment, then—surprising me—let a small smile break through.

“Thank you, Diego. This… really means a lot to me.”

The relief that washed over me was instant.

Knowing that, despite all the uncertainty, I’d managed to touch her heart made everything worth it.

I stood beside her, watching Clara play, feeling more at peace than I had in months. I knew there was still a long road ahead, but for the first time, it felt like I was on the right path.

“I want to ask you something.”

“What kind of something?”

“Go out to dinner with me.”

“Diego Bittencourt inviting me to dinner? Did I hear that right?”

“Yeah. Took me a year to work up the nerve… since everything happened.”

The truth was, I had waited more than a year. I didn’t want to rush her, and I knew nothing I’d done would ever vanish—only heal, slowly.

“So, you’re not seeing anyone else?” Maria Gabriela asked, her tone lightly teasing but her eyes locked on mine, looking for the truth.

“No. And I won’t, unless it’s you. This past year I’ve been content just watching you—even from a distance—knowing that losing you was the biggest mistake of my life, one I’ll carry forever.”

Maria Gabriela looked at me with an intensity I wasn’t expecting. It was as if she were reading my sincerity in every word, searching for proof that I’d really changed.

“So all this time you’ve just been… watching me?” she asked, almost in a whisper.

I nodded, the weight of those months pressing on me.

“Yes. Because I knew I had to respect your space, that I couldn’t come back without facing my own demons first. But I never stopped thinking about you—about hoping we might have a second chance.”

She drew in a deep breath, like she was trying to process it all.

“And what made you change, Diego? What made you realize you wanted me back?”

“The fact that without you, nothing I had made sense. No achievement, no professional success—none of it filled the emptiness that opened up when you left my life. I realized that, more than anything, I wanted you. And I still do, Maria Gabriela, because losing you showed me just how essential you are to me.”

Her eyes shone as she kept looking at me, as if my words had hit something deep inside her.