Ana and Miguel

Last time I told you about two of Bràs’ important relationships.  Now I’ll tell you about the start of another one with his wife, Ana, how it almost didn’t happen, and its results.

The car's POV

In chapter three, Bràs sees Ana for the first time in a store, but is too shy to talk to her.  Typical problems, we’ve all been there.  But Bràs finally mustered up the courage to talk to this beautiful girl! As he’s running back to the store to say hello, a car hits him and kills him.  That’s rough.

But why was he hit?  Why was the car there at that exact moment?  What caused the car to hit him?  Why did he die?!

The beautiful Ana

Hypothetically, if that car was manufactured so that the gas pedal was slightly less sensitive, the car could have been miles or even feet away at the time Brás crossed the street, missing him.  Edward Lorenz, creator of the Butterfly Effect theory says that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings will cause a small difference at first, but a big, tornado-sized difference later on.  Little differences like manufacturing details or any number of things could have saved Bràs.

In the next chapter, though, he’s alive again.  Phew!

Bràs goes on to flirt with Ana, whom he ends up marrying.  Yay!

Eventually Ana and Bràs have a son, Miguel.  Miguel and his father share a special bond  - blackouts.  Both Bràs and Miguel were born during blackouts, and were considered “little miracles.”  The fact that they were both born during blackouts is pretty crazy.  What are the odds of that?!

I like to think of it as fate.  The two of them have these incredible and extremely similar stories of their births.  Fate caused them to both be born in a blackout.

But what if something happened to change that?  What if the Butterfly Effect took effect?  If neither of them had been born in a blackout, I don’t think their relationship would have changed much, but growing up not being called “little miracle” could have affected both of their lives, so much so that they could be completely different people.  Miguel might not even exist!

If Miguel wasn’t born in a blackout, but Bràs was, their whole relationship dynamic could be different.  They wouldn’t have this bond over their births.  In fact, they could be more disconnected by the fact that Miguel didn’t carry on the legacy of “little miracles.”  Bràs could be seen as the special one.  The sole miracle.

But that didn’t happen so everything’s great!

If Bràs hadn’t gone back to talk to Ana, where would we be now?