Limitless Pitch-Chapter 93 – Almost Gone

Thiago was half-awake when his phone buzzed again. He’d been lying in bed for over an hour, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. His room was hot even with the window cracked open, and the usual noises of Campinas—cars honking, dogs barking, someone arguing in the alley below—felt louder than usual tonight. The buzzing came again, and this time he sat up, heart thudding for no good reason.

It was a message from Marina.

"Everything is confirmed. Dortmund finalized the process with Palmeiras. You’re officially a Borussia Dortmund player."

Thiago stared at the screen. The words didn’t feel real, not even after weeks of negotiations, offers, and phone calls. He read it again. Then a third time. Finally, he let out a breath and ran a hand down his face.

This was it.

He got up slowly, his bare feet landing on the cool tile floor. The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the fridge. He padded into the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and leaned against the counter while reading the rest of Marina’s follow-up.

"I’ll handle the flight, hotel, paperwork, and travel insurance. You just rest. We’ll talk details in the morning."

Thiago didn’t know what to reply at first. A simple "Thank you" didn’t feel like enough, but anything longer would’ve just been noise. So he typed it anyway.

"Thanks, Marina. For everything."

His fingers hovered over the send button before he hit it.

After finishing his water, he stood in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the cracked backsplash and the faded calendar with last year’s team photo still hanging by a magnet. He knew he needed to tell his mom. And Clara. They had been waiting, asking, watching him closely all week, even if they hadn’t said much.

He went to bed, but his sleep was light. A strange mix of peace and anxiety.

The next morning, Thiago found his mom in the living room folding laundry. The window was open, letting in a soft morning breeze that carried the smell of fresh bread from the bakery two blocks away. Clara was still asleep, or at least pretending to be.

"Bom dia," his mom said without looking up. "You’re up early."

Thiago sat down on the edge of the couch and scratched the back of his head. "Couldn’t sleep."

She gave him a look, the kind only moms can give—somewhere between sympathy and suspicion. "You’ve got that look again."

"What look?"

"The one you get when you’re about to tell me something big."

He smiled sheepishly. "I’m that predictable huh."

She didn’t press. Just waited.

"It’s official now," Thiago said. "Dortmund. It’s done. Marina just told me last night. Palmeiras signed off. The whole thing’s finished."

His mom stopped folding and slowly sat back, letting the towel in her hands drop into her lap.

"Official?" she repeated, her voice soft.

"Yeah," he said. "It’s all set. She’s booking the flight. Could be a few days."

There was a long silence between them. Not heavy, just... full.

Then she nodded, once, like she’d known this was coming the whole time. "So. My son’s going to Germany."

"Looks like it."

Her lips curved into a quiet smile, and she reached over to touch his cheek gently. "Your father would’ve been proud, you know."

Thiago looked down at his hands. "I hope so."

They sat together for a moment, the hum of the old ceiling fan spinning above them. After a while, she went back to folding, but her hands moved slower now. More thoughtful.

"You’ll need a warm jacket," she murmured. "I hear it’s cold there."

"I’m pretty sure they’ll give me one," he said, chuckling.

"That doesn’t mean it’ll be warm enough," she muttered.

Clara finally emerged sometime around ten, her hair messy and her eyes still half-closed. She blinked at them on the couch, then shuffled toward the fridge like a zombie.

"Oi," she mumbled. "Why are you both up so early?"

"I’ve got news," Thiago said.

Clara turned around, carton of juice in hand. "What now? Did you get another offer?"

Thiago shook his head. "No. It’s done. Dortmund finalized everything. I’m going."

Her eyes widened instantly. "Wait, really? It’s for real now?"

He nodded.

She dropped the juice on the table and rushed over to tackle him in a hug. "Holy crap, Thiago! That’s insane! You’re gonna live in Europe!"

He laughed, letting her hug him tight even as she squeezed the air out of his lungs. "Yeah, I guess so."

"When do you leave?" she asked, pulling back to look at him.

"Soon. Marina’s handling the flights and stuff now. Could be a couple of days."

Her expression shifted—excitement melting into something softer, something closer to worry. "Wow. That’s... really soon."

He nodded. "I know."

She sat next to him on the couch, quiet for a minute. "I’m gonna miss you."

"I’m gonna miss you too, Clara."

Then she smiled again, nudging him with her elbow. "You better become famous. Like, big time famous. So I can brag."

Thiago laughed. "Deal."

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Marina called once more in the afternoon to confirm she had spoken to the club’s travel officer in Dortmund. They’d booked a flight from São Paulo to Dortmund the following Tuesday. She will also be there every step of the way making sure everything goes smoothly of course.

"We’ll be met at the airport by someone from the club," she said. "Don’t worry, they’ll have your name on a card like in those spy movies."

Thiago had chuckled but hadn’t said much. It was getting harder to put his thoughts into words.

Later that evening, after dinner, he went outside for some air. The neighborhood looked the same as always—kids playing barefoot soccer in the alley, an old man watering plants on his balcony, the sound of a telenovela drifting from an open window. But it all felt different. Like he was seeing it from the outside now, like it was already turning into a memory.

He stood there a long time.

When he came back inside, his mom had already put away the dishes. Clara was in her room, probably blasting music or on the phone with a friend. He sat at the kitchen table, letting the silence soak in.

His mom joined him a moment later, sitting across from him without saying a word.

He finally broke the silence. "I’m scared."

She didn’t flinch. "I know."

"I’ve never been that far from home."

"I know."

"But I have to do it, right?"

"You already know the answer to that filhote."

She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. He looked up and saw her eyes shining, but she didn’t let the tears fall.

"I don’t want you to worry about us," she said. "Just play. Just live. Make the most of it."

Thiago nodded, his throat too tight to speak.

She smiled. "I always knew you were meant to leave. Doesn’t make it easier, but it’s something that was bound to happen."

That night, Thiago lay in bed, staring at the ceiling again. But the ache in his chest was different now. Not fear. Not even sadness.

Just the ache of change.

The next Chapter of his life was waiting—thousands of miles away.

And it was coming fast.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺