Melissa

Let me introduce myself.

My name is Melissa Moreira. I'm twenty-five years old, and I am deeply, completely in love with life on the land. I was born and raised on this fazenda — Fazenda Luar, the Moonlight Ranch — right alongside my father. I studied veterinary medicine, and that's about all there is to say about me on paper.

The farm takes up my whole day, every day. I've been seeing Eliezer Santiago for two years now, though the relationship is not going well. He lives in the city; I live here. We met at my cousin's bachelorette party. He comes out on weekends, or I make the drive to him — even though I hate being away from my dad and the animals. I do it just to keep him happy, because Eliezer has never had any love for farm life. Dad doesn't think much of him either, but he stays out of it.

Right now, though, I need to get to the stable. One of the mares is in labor — young and skittish, and already trying to deliver twins. The old girl has a temper and the farmhands are losing their minds over her.

I was almost to the stall when I saw Sérgio pacing in a panic. That was exactly why I hated being away from this place. I'd barely walked in the door from Eliezer's when the news hit me. I ran.

"Good Lord, boss, this mare's not going to make it," Sérgio said. "She's been at it for hours and there's still no sign of the foal."

"Calm down, Sérgio." I pulled on my gloves without breaking stride. "You act like you've never seen a mare foal before."

I didn't bother changing clothes — just scrubbed up and went in.

The foal was malpresented. I got to work repositioning it immediately, and thank God it came around. Half an hour later the mare was nursing her two. Both of them.

"See?" I said, stripping off my gloves. "All good. Now I need to write up a prescription — she'll need antibiotics after being open that long. Run to town and pick it all up. I'm going inside to find out what my father's been doing that kept him from even coming to check on me."

"Yes, ma'am." Sérgio hesitated. "But — fix that sad face before you see him, or he'll worry."

Sérgio was one of the oldest hands on the farm. More than an employee — he was family. His wife Fátima was like a mother to me.

"You know me too well," I said.

"I do, girl. Every time you come back from the city you wear that look. Those trips were supposed to make you happy."

I just lowered my head and walked inside. I came in through the kitchen. Fátima was already at the stove, and the moment she saw me she crossed the room and pulled me into a hug.

"Hi, Fatinha. What is that amazing smell?"

"Hi, sweetheart. I'm making your favorite — oxtail stew and rice, with a little banana farofa."

"That sounds incredible. I'm already starving. Where's Dad?"

"In the office, my girl. He spent almost the whole weekend in there. Didn't eat right these past few days."

That sent a flicker of worry through me. Dad not eating was something to take seriously. My old man was strong as an ox — eating was one of his great passions in life.

I knocked on the office door and heard him say to come in.

"Hi, Daddy." I crossed the room and kissed him on the forehead, then asked for his blessing. "Dad, what's going on? You look worn out."

"It's nothing, my girl. Just some paperwork. I lost track of eating."

"Well, you're eating today. Fatinha's making something we both love."

He smiled, but it was a little forced. I noticed his hands trembling slightly. I wasn't too worried — probably just needed food.

"Hmm," he said, a real warmth creeping into his voice. "Given how excited you are, it can only be the oxtail stew."

"You know me, don't you, Dad." I headed for the door. "Let me go take a shower and I'll be right back down to eat with you."

Melissa

He nodded and I headed upstairs to my room.

I closed the door and started undressing. When I caught myself in the mirror, the tears came before I could stop them.

My chest was covered in bruises. The marks on my neck I'd already hidden with makeup — something I never used to wear, something that had become necessary since Eliezer.

I showered and stood at the mirror again, covering what I could.

The tears came again anyway. I blinked them back. Dad couldn't see.

I got dressed and went downstairs.

The table was already set, but Dad wasn't there. Fatinha came in carrying more dishes.

"Hi, my girl. Your father called all the farmhands to eat up at the big house today. He's in good spirits — missed you something fierce."

"He really did." I caught myself. "I shouldn't have gone on that trip with Eliezer at all. Those five days were—"

I stopped. Dad had just walked in.

"There she is — my beautiful girl." He spread his arms. "Your father invited everyone to eat with us. I hope you don't mind sharing your stew."

He looked like a different man from the hollow figure I'd seen in his office an hour ago.

"Of course not, Dad. They're all welcome. It's an honor having everyone here. We're family."

Everyone sat down and the meal got going.

"Good Lord, Fatinha, what did you do to this oxtail? It's extraordinary."

She caught my eye and I blew her a kiss.

"It really is, Fátima," Dad said. "Thank you for always being here for us — and for spoiling my girl."

Dad stood and said a few words, first praising Fátima, then speaking to each farmhand by name. He had always been like that — a friend to everyone. On this farm, we were family.

Lunch stretched out long and comfortable, followed by dessert. Fátima made beautiful sweets from fruit she grew right here on the property.

When people began filing out, Dad came to me, took my arm gently, and looked straight at my neck.

"Melissa, my girl — what are those marks on your neck? Don't tell me that was—"

"It was nothing, Daddy." I cut him off before he could finish. "I bumped into a tree branch at the resort. You know how clumsy I am."

Dad looked at me for a long moment and said nothing. Then he walked away, leaving me standing there. I knew he hadn't believed a single word — he'd seen marks before, and heard some of Eliezer's sharp words when he visited the farm.

I sank onto the sofa and opened Instagram. That was where I saw the post about the show that had started the whole fight.

Henrique e Juliano were performing in two months. I'd asked Eliezer if he wanted to go, and it had turned into a screaming match — and then he'd tried to force himself on me. Force himself. That wasn't lovemaking; it was something close to assault. I grabbed my truck keys and drove home in the middle of the night. He could figure out his own way back and pay his own tab at the resort — not that he ever paid for anything. I always covered it. As usual.

That trip was supposed to be our first real night together. I hadn't been ready, but I'd been planning to give in to his pressure. A lot of people would probably assume a woman my age had been with plenty of men by now. But that wasn't how it was for me. I'd never felt that pull, and after everything Eliezer had done, the idea had moved even further away.

I was lost in those thoughts when Dad sat down beside me and took my hand.

Melissa

Whenever Dad sat like that and took my hand, it meant something serious.

"Go ahead, Daddy. I know a lecture's coming."

"Not a lecture — advice." He held my hand a little tighter. "I am not happy about this relationship, not one bit. That boy is not a good person. I've never pretended otherwise. And now that you've 'bumped into a tree branch' — I'm completely certain. I raised you with a lot of sacrifice and a lot of love. You and your cousin Valentina are the lights of my life. I can rest easy knowing she found someone who loves her and takes care of her — Juliano is a good, careful man. I want the same for you, my girl. I want someone who gives you real love, who takes care of you when I'm not here. I raised you to be loved. I won't accept anything less than a real man in your life."

Tears ran down my face. Dad slid a throw pillow onto his lap and patted it, and I stretched out and laid my head down. He stroked my hair. I cried quietly, and somewhere in the stillness I began to hear what he'd actually said — to really hear it — when my phone rang.

The screen said: love.

I hesitated. He kept calling. I finally lifted myself from Dad's lap and answered.

"What do you want, Eliezer."

"Is that any way to talk to the one person who puts up with you, Miss Melissa?"

"Just say what you want."

"How dare you leave me stranded out here. You should have paid the bill before you ran off. If you want to go out with me, you pay. I'm leaving the tab open and you'll figure it out. I already gave them your number."

I shook my head in disbelief and hung up.

"What did he want, sweetheart?"

"Nothing, Dad. Just nonsense."

Two minutes later a message came through from the resort with the total charges. My name was on the account, so I paid all of it.

How stupid am I, letting him treat me like this.

I was a strong woman. I knew my own mind. But Eliezer had this way of dismantling me from the inside — applying pressure until I bent. After Valentina got married I'd been so alone, and I'd latched onto him, and he'd been using that ever since. My whole life had become this chaos. Other men had chased me; I'd always been too rough-edged to let them in. Maybe that was why I'd never had the night I'd always dreamed of.

The relationship was a failure, but he always found a way to make me stay.

Everything we did, I paid for. When he wanted to go out I sent him money. He'd text me saying he loved me, and I melted.

My life ran fast and full, but I always carved out time for us. Sometimes I wondered if he was seeing other women — he was older than me, more experienced — but he swore he wasn't.

I barely knew his family. He said they lived in another city, which was why he'd never introduced me.

After that call, I didn't speak to him again.

A week went by with no word.

I threw myself back into the farm. Several cows were calving, and I was preparing the beef cattle for slaughter. Thanks to Juliano, we'd landed a solid contract with a cattle-ranching friend of his who owned a large meat company. I still couldn't believe the man had wanted to see our fazenda. We were small — but our cattle were healthy and well-cared-for, the meat quality was there.

He was coming tomorrow to see our operation up close. I was nervous. I was the one who'd be showing him everything.