December 29th, 1983 (Thursday)

Robert called Jackson the day after the conversation with his father-in-law with an excuse that some specialist would like to check his progress and scheduled a special appointment for Thursday that week.

On the scheduled date, Jackson arrived at Robert's office right on time and the doctor asked him to follow him to another room. Robert led Jackson's wheelchair until the board floor. They talked only a little and all about his treatment.

Once they got to Walter's door, he knocked and opened, letting Jackson pass through him, who was static once he saw the crowd in there.

─ Sorry for not telling you the truth for bringing you here, Mr. Flambert, but you'll see my intentions were good.

─ Hi Uncle Jackson. Andrea came up to him and held his hands.

Robert introduced Walter to Jackson, who was still shocked, and said:

─ I believe I'm in disadvantage in here. Should I call my lawyer?

─ That won't be necessary, Mr. Flambert, Walter answered. ─ The meeting here is only for some facts' clarification. Facts that you sir are very much involved. Nothing will be expected of you and we won't hold it against you.

Come in, please. Do you want something, coffee, water, a drink?

─ No, thank you very much.

Regina and Robert sat on a couch, with Andrea on her father's lap. Walter sat on a chair and told Jackson to stay next to him, forming a circle where everyone could see each other.

─ Well, Mr. Flambert, I appreciate you accepting to hear us, even though you were caught by surprise. I'll be the conversation's mediator due to me being in a privileged position. All that is said here, should remain here, specially to spare Andrea. In truth we're all being spared from gossip. Can we count on you?

─ Yes, absolutely. I value my privacy.

─ Great! We all know you and Regina have met once in the past, seven years ago to be more precise, and this meeting was a little bit of a disaster for both. We know Regina's version of the story. Would you mind telling us your own?

Jackson immediately looked to Andrea and realized she had fallen asleep. He was relieved. He didn't want to talk about it in front of a kid.

─ Well, all I can remember is that on the day we arrived, we drank a lot. I didn't know Regina and her beauty called my attention. I noticed that she was also looking at me. She wasn't indifferent.

Around that time, I was going through a tough break up and decided to accept my friend's invitation to go camping. My ex-wife had left me for one of my best friends and I was hurt, feeling doubly betrayed. I didn't want to get involved with anyone. I believe that the drinking, plus my state of mind, made me see Regina's looks as an offer for a one-night stand. We started talking and she let me hug her and kiss her. ─ Jackson stopped and looked down. He noticed that Regina had blushed, and that Robert was looking at his daughter all the time, like a way to find strength in her purity. After a few minutes, he continued. ─ She was laughing at what I was saying, and I don't even know what I was saying. I only know that the temperature among us was rising. I can't remember how we got to my tent, not even when we took our clothes off. I couldn't imagine she was a virgin and didn't care about foreplay. I went straight to business and... – he stopped his narrative for a few seconds and put his hands on his face ─ I'll never forget her screams and her despair.

Regina ran to the office bathroom to throw up. Robert stood up carefully and put Andrea on her grandfather's lap to help his wife.

Jackson was scared and didn't know what to do. He started regretting to have agreed on reliving this story. Fifteen minutes later he could still hear sounds coming from the bathroom. Walter went over the phone and asked someone to bring over some medicine for sickness. After a few minutes, a nurse came with what was asked and Walter gave it to Robert.

─ Sorry for the interruption Mr. Flambert. It's not easy for her to remember. Let's wait a couple more minutes so the medicine can do its thing and she can come back to the room.

─ Do you think it's safe to continue? This is all very painful. If it's for me, I imagine for her.

─ I understand your concern, but it's necessary to get to rock bottom so we can return to the surface. All facts about what happened that night are important to understand what's happening now.

Half an hour later, Robert returned to the room helping Regina who was feeling very shaken. They sat on the couch and she put her head on her husband's chest, who stroked her hair tenderly. Andrea was still sleeping.

─ Can we continue, honey? Walter was worried once he saw her state. Regina nodded her head affirmatively.

─ Please, Mr. Flambert, continue.

─ Well, I was so drunk that I couldn't understand what was going on, didn't realize she was a virgin and didn't know why she was screaming and crying.

The liquor and the exhaustion after sex made me pass out, I believe. Didn't hear anything else.

On the next day, I woke up with a lot of voices outside and I felt like my head was going to explode. I could barely open my eyes. When I got up, I noticed Regina being helped by some people who were camping with us and I noticed the mattress where I was lying down all covered in blood.

That image made me sick and ran out of the tent with my backpack so I could be alone. There was a stream nearby. I can't remember how long I was there vomiting. I laid on the margin for a long time. I couldn't think of anything. The memories were all loose.

Only as the hours went by, I remembered what had happened. The betrayal I had suffered recently, made me realize that Regina had done everything planned, that she was a gold digger.

I believed she was informed of my privileged financial situation and acted on it. I was certain that she would call me after some time to say she was pregnant and demand child support.

As soon as I got home, I called my lawyer and explained to him what had happened so he could guide me. If there was a scandal, my divorce would be even more complicated.

And, up to this moment, I didn't even know Regina was a minor. But I knew I had violated her. I've waited more than six months for any kind of contact from her and since nothing happened, a bad feeling started to haunt me.

Maybe I was wrong, and she wasn't as evil as I had pictured her. Nights and nights, I dreamt about her screaming and crying.

Almost a year later, I ran into the old colleague that had invited me to the camp and he told me everything that had happened after I left the tent. He told me that I was very lucky, because if she had done what was right, I would be in a lot of trouble. He told me that she specifically didn't want to press any charges and just wanted to be taken home. After this day, she stopped talking to everybody and no one heard from her anymore.

Ever since, I've been waiting for an opportunity to meet Regina to ask her for forgiveness, to make amends somehow. I believe that is a scam of faith I came to Dr. Toledo. That's all I can say.

Regina kept leaned against Robert and tears were rolling down her face.

Walter started talking.

─ Well Mr. Flambert, your colleague correctly informed you on the happenings past the camp. But he doesn't know what happened after that.

Ever since you became Dr. Toledo's patient, my son-in-law has been trying to keep you away from our family to avoid any more suffering, however, using your own word, a scam of faith made you and Andrea meet.

Andrea is a shining kid and she has a lot of sensitivity to capture other people's feelings.

She has predictive dreams. The maturity that she faces situations and keeps conversations not appropriate for her age, makes us believe she was born with a special mission.

Walter took a break and continued.

─ Andrea met Dr. Robert Toledo when she was four years old after she had an accident on a roller-skating class. This encounter changed the faith of hers, Regina's, and Robert's lives.

On the second appointment she had with my son-in-law, she strongly affirmed that he would be her father, that he would marry her mother and they would be very happy. Imagine how awkward it was for the couple that had just met. Everything that Andrea said, it happened.

There was a moment of silence before Walter moved on.

─ As for you, Mr.Flambert, she affirms she has met you in her dreams and that she knows about your sadness and need for her mother's forgiveness, even before meeting you in the hospital room this week. We believe that Andrea doesn't know every detail about what happened with you two, but she noticed that there's some tension.

Walter took a long break, drank a sip of water and sat back on his chair looking at the ceiling like he was asking for divine help. Then continued.

─ What Andrea revealed made us reconsider a decision taken in the past to protect mother and daughter. She's never met her biological father and never asked about him nor worried about not having one. Her birth certificate didn't have her father's name until Robert married Regina and legally adopter her. On the years before their wedding I took the role of father in my granddaughter's life.

Jackson was nervous. He divided his look between Andrea, sleeping on Walter's lap, and Regina, now calmer, still leaning on her husband.

Walter finished his story. ─ Well, Mr. Flambert, on that fateful night on the camp, you not only took my daughter's virginity, but you also let your seed germinating inside of her. ─ Walter looked at Andrea tenderly and concluded: ─ You are Andrea's father.

Jackson didn't say anything and rolled his chair to the window. He spent a long time looking at the street. When he turned to look back at Walter, his face was soaked with tears that he unsuccessfully was trying to hide. He returned to where Andrea was still sleeping and watched her closely, trying to memorize every detail from that child.

─ Mr. Flambert, Walter continued, I would like to make it clear that the information that was given to you doesn't change Andrea's situation. You and her have the right to know the truth, but Andrea is and will continue to be the daughter of Robert Toledo. There's nothing for you to ask. You will have our permission to be a part of her life, if you want to, because she already has a special bond with you, but it will be as an "uncle", just like she calls you.

─ Dr. Smith ─ Jackson said after a few minutes, still looking at Andrea ─ everything that was said to me is far beyond my imagination. I don't know how someone else would react to this, but all I want is this girl's and her mother's happiness. Like I said, I blamed myself for years for my attitude on that fateful encounter, just like you said it. Faith gave me the opportunity to apologize for my mistakes and still brought me the most precious gift a person can have: a child.

The fact that she doesn't carry my last name and doesn't call me a father doesn't make the love that I already feel for her be any less.

He moved his chair to where Regina was sitting, and their eyes met.

─ Re, you are an exceptional woman. My admiration for you only grew after today. I already asked you for forgiveness. Now I wanna thank you for the gift you've given me. Dr. Toledo already had my admiration as a doctor for helping me recover my mobility and my self-esteem. Now he has my gratitude for also taking my daughter as his own, since I didn't play my part when I had the chance.

Regina got up from the couch and look at Jackson. She stroked his face.

─ Everything happens for a reason, like my father says. Let's put these sad moments behind us and let our souls be free to all the happiness that awaits us.

They heard Andrea's little voice. ─ Uncle Jackson, you're still here. I'm glad you didn't leave.

For the first time, Jackson had his daughter in his arms and got a warming hug.

─ I feel your heart lighter, happier. I'm glad you got my mother's forgiveness.

Andrea put her arms out so Robert would put her on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

─ Dad, I love you so much. Can we go to the mall to have some ice cream?

─ Sure!

Everyone laughed at Andrea's naivety at that moment.