What is this...?
What is this feeling that suddenly overwhelmed my chest?
Maldo wondered, his heart beating in a way he was not used to.
His cheeks flushed, and his voice trembled slightly as he turned to Sally, a look heavy with expectations.
"I... I'm not going," he finally said, with difficulty, but his words were firm, conveying the sincerity of his feelings more than anything else.
Sally smiled a small smile, and Maldo felt a strange warmth spread through his chest, as if every moment he spent with her carried a deeper meaning than he could perceive with his eyes.
He gently withdrew his hand and looked away, trying to collect himself.
"What were you doing...?" he whispered, his voice faint, but filled with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
"Dancing..." Sally replied, stepping back lightly and spinning her small body freely, as if the air itself were playing with her.
She smiled, her eyes sparkling with joy:
"Dancing makes me happy... very happy!" she said, her words filling the room with warmth and innocence.
Then she added with childlike curiosity: "What about you?"
"I've never danced before..." Maldo replied, his voice low, carrying a hint of shyness.
Sally smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement:
"That's okay... Dance with me then!" she said with childlike enthusiasm.
Then she added with simple pride: "There's a famous dance in Casalini... I saw my mother dance it before, and I learned it."
Sally pulled Maldo toward the center of the terrace, her eyes sparkling with excitement:
"Come on... I'll teach you!"
She began to move lightly, holding the hem of her little dress, as if each movement reflected an inner joy that could not be contained.
"Hold the dress... jump right... move your foot, jump left... move your foot."
She spun around gracefully, then clapped her little hands twice:
"Clap! Clap!"
Happiness was written all over her face, and Maldo stood still, his eyes contemplating every movement, every wave of her red hair in the air.
He didn't say a word, but was immersed in the wonder of the scene, as if the whole moment had stopped in his hands, preserving its beauty in his memory.
Sally extended her hand toward Maldo, her eyes sparkling with excitement:
"Come on... extend your hand too!"
They placed their hands together and began to move in harmony.
They took a step back, then stepped forward, turning and clapping, every movement in sync, every step in harmony.
Their laughter intertwined, rising into the air and filling the balcony with warmth and vitality, as if time had stopped for a moment to allow them space for pure joy and childlike innocence.
Daniel stood at the balcony door, silent, watching the scene with contemplative eyes and unwavering calm.
Next to him, Luca stood hesitant, feeling the urge to join in, but Daniel gently grabbed his shirt, preventing him from interrupting the moment, as if they both respected the little magic that filled the balcony.
The sounds of laughter and movement danced in the air, while the two remained where they were, mere observers, enjoying the warmth and innocence that filled the place without being able to stop it.
"I wish this peace could last..."
Daniel muttered softly, his eyes carrying a mixture of hope and sadness, as if his heart knew that the present moment was precious, but that it might not last forever.
Then he stepped back quietly, gently pulling Luca with him, until they were a little way from the balcony, preserving the tranquility of the scene, as if leaving the space entirely to the simple joy that filled it.
After they finished dancing, they sat on the edge of the balcony, their feet dangling in the air, playing lightly as if the whole world was behind them.
Maldo looked at her, his voice low but full of concern:
"Are you happy?"
Sally smiled broadly, her eyes sparkling with joy:
"Very... very happy!" she replied with childlike enthusiasm.
"This is the first time someone has danced with me... I feel butterflies inside!"
Then she turned the question back to him, her eyes demanding honesty:
"What about you?"
Maldo hesitated for a moment, as if something was gripping his heart, then sank into silent thought.
This feeling... maybe it's happiness.
He smiled slightly, his voice low but sincere:
"I'm happy too... I'm happy, Sally."
The words touched his heart before they reached her, making the silence between them warmer, as if the air around them had become lighter and the moment deeper than words could describe.
"You know..." Sally said, raising her eyes to the sky, her voice soft and delicate.
"You're like a phoenix."
Maldo trembled slightly, and a mixture of confusion and curiosity appeared on his face:
"A phoenix! What is that?"
Sally smiled, her eyes sparkling innocently:
"The phoenix is a bird... but not just any bird."
She added in a childish tone, full of admiration:
"It is strong... beautiful... and also shines in the dark."
Maldo looked at her in surprise, feeling a strange warmth seeping into his heart, as if her simple words carried with them some of the power and magic she spoke of.
He looked up at the sky, then at Sally, and the small world of the balcony seemed illuminated by the glow of that childlike moment, where everything was simple yet profound at the same time.
Maldo whispered in a low voice, as if trying to reassure himself before speaking:
"I am... like a phoenix..."
Then he broke into a slight smile and laughed softly, his laughter not exceeding the confines of the balcony, carrying surprise and hidden joy:
"That's... really wonderful."
Sally smiled, her happiness increasing at the sound of his laughter, until Daniel appeared at the balcony:
"You two... Come on, I made hot chocolate to warm you up."
Sally jumped with joy, cheering:
"Yes... hot chocolate!"
Maldo watched her for a moment, absorbed in her little joy, until Daniel motioned for him to move:
"Come on, Maldos... before it gets cold."
Maldo nodded slightly, then moved to the kitchen, where the cups were waiting for the hot chocolate.
Laughter filled the kitchen, dancing between the walls and flowing through the air like hidden music.
Luca's mischief never stopped for a moment, adding vitality to the place and increasing its warmth and joy.
It was a small, happy, warm life, as if every moment in it carried a simple but precious meaning.
At the end of the day, Maldo returned to his room and sat at his desk, holding the notebook Daniel had given him.
He looked at the blank pages for a moment, contemplating the feelings flowing in his heart.
These feelings... How can I describe them? How can I organize them?
He took a deep breath, then opened the notebook and began to write enthusiastically, as if the words themselves were transporting him inward:
I am happy... or at least I think that's how I feel.
I'm still trying to understand this feeling, but in any case, it's wonderful.
I want to practice every day... and play with Sally every day.
I want to share these moments with Daniel Silver and Luca.
I want to become a wonderful person... like my father, as I've been told.
And I want to make Sally happy forever.
Maldo wrote, his words scattering across the paper like tiny sparks of his inner joy, as if each page expressed the beating of his new heart, his simple happiness, and the hope that was beginning to grow inside him.
After closing his notebook, Maldo got up from his chair and walked over to the window, where the stars twinkled in the clear sky.
He opened the window and took a deep breath, enjoying the cold air that touched his face:
"Oh... how cold..." he muttered, feeling the harshness of winter on his skin.
Then he noticed the balcony, a short distance from his window but prominent and clear. Something moving there caught his attention.
"What's that...?" he whispered, tilting his head slightly to get a better look.
He found Sally standing on the balcony, holding her teddy bear, Gigi, staring at the sky with her bright eyes, as if enjoying the secrets of the stars in the quiet of the night.
"Sa—" He was about to call out to her, but his voice caught in his throat.
He noticed something strange... Sally wasn't smiling. She was standing there with an unusual calmness, her gaze lost in the sky, her body still as if life had stopped for a moment.
Maldo froze, a vague feeling of apprehension creeping into his chest.
Then he quickly closed the window and rushed out of his room toward the balcony, his steps racing with his rapid heartbeat.
When he arrived, Sally was still standing in the same spot, her hair swaying gently in the night breeze.
Maldo stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and then called out in a low voice:
"Hey... Sally."
She turned slowly toward him, a silent tear sliding down her cheek.
Maldo's eyes widened, and he felt something squeeze inside him; he realized that this calmness was not stillness... but sadness.
"Maldo..." Sally whispered, trying to smile despite her trembling lips.
"I... I miss my mother so much."
Maldo opened his mouth, trying to say something... but the words wouldn't come.
All he felt was a strange pain in his chest, so he ran towards her and hugged her tightly.
Sally's eyes filled with tears, then she wrapped her little arms around him and burst into tears.
"I want to see my mom... I want my mom!"
Maldo felt her tears wet his shoulder, and her sobs pierced something inside him.
Could longing be more painful than her illness?
The thought lingered in his mind, and then he found himself crying with her, without knowing when or why, just because his heart could not bear it anymore.
Daniel happened to walk onto the balcony just then.
He froze for a moment as he saw the two children embracing, tears streaming silently in the dim moonlight.
He walked quickly over, knelt beside them, and pulled them both into his arms, wrapping them in warmth.
"It's okay... It's okay, my little ones..." he said in a low voice that carried all the tenderness in his heart.
In that warm embrace, Sally and Maldo's eyes slowly closed, as if their exhaustion and tears had finally found a place of rest.
Daniel remained where he was, not daring to move for fear of waking them or disturbing that fragile moment, which seemed like a rare piece of peace amid the chaos of everyday life.
A little while later, Luca arrived, walking lightly as usual. He stopped at the door and looked at the scene with a silence that was rare for him.
He smiled half a smile and whispered:
"What strange creatures they are..."
Then he looked up at Daniel and added with a touch of sarcasm mixed with warmth:
"Need help, my silver hero?"
Daniel replied in a whisper without turning around:
"Shut up... and come carry Maldo to his room."
Luca sighed softly in resignation and approached with cautious steps.
Then he bent down to carry Maldo in his arms, muttering with a faint frown:
"Even in your sleep, you don't let go of your serious face, boy..."
Daniel just gave him a silent look, and Luca shrugged his shoulders lightly and walked away,
while he remained where he was for a moment, holding little Sally, as if the whole night had stopped to protect this child... Then he carried her very gently, walking her through the dimly lit corridor that resembled a dream.
As he walked, he looked at her little face and the calmness that enveloped her features,
and his face unconsciously crumpled, as if the pain in his chest found no way out except through that look.
He reached her room, placed her carefully on her bed, and covered her gently with a blanket.
Then he placed her little teddy bear, "Gigi," next to her, before reaching out and stroking her head with sincere paternal affection.
He sighed softly, took one last look at her, and then thought with silent bitterness:
"This life... is truly unfair."
Then, he slowly backed away toward the door, leaving the room as the light leaves the last corner of a long evening.