Gabriel refreshed himself slowly, still feeling the tiredness from the previous night's match.
His legs were not as heavy as they had been when he first woke up, but there was still a slight soreness in his muscles.
He took a shower, put on a simple outfit, and sprayed a little perfume before standing in front of the mirror.
For a few seconds, he looked at himself.
There was something different about his face that morning. Maybe it was the feeling of waking up after his first big performance for Palmeiras.
Maybe it was because he still hadn't fully understood what had happened the night before.
He rubbed his face gently and smiled at his reflection.
"Just another morning," he whispered.
But deep down, he knew it wasn't.
He picked up his cup of coffee from the small table beside the bed and took the last sip. Then he grabbed his phone and called Gomez.
The phone rang twice before Gomez answered.
"Hi, Gomez. Good morning."
"Good morning, buddy."
"How are you doing?"
"I'm good. And you?"
"I'm good too."
There was a short silence between them.
Neither of them needed to say much about the match. They both knew how exhausting it had been.
The previous night had been full of running, pressure, noise, cameras, interviews, and emotions.
For Gabriel, it had been even more intense because it was his first appearance.
"How are your legs?" Gomez asked.
Gabriel laughed quietly.
"They're still attached."
Gomez laughed.
"Mine too. But honestly, I'm tired."
"Same here."
Gabriel picked up his small bag and checked his phone again.
"I'm going to visit my mom at the Plaza Inn American Loft Hotel."
"Oh, really?" Gomez asked, sounding surprised. "Your mother was in the stands yesterday?"
"Yes. She and my brother Lucas."
"You didn't tell me!"
"I know," Gabriel said, laughing softly. "I should have."
"I see. That's why you were everywhere on the field."
Gabriel laughed again.
"At the very least, I need to make them proud."
"You should have told me, bro. I should have gone with you."
"I know. I even forgot to tell you. A lot was going through my mind yesterday. My notifications were crazy.
Even when I was standing there after the match, my phone just kept vibrating."
Gomez chuckled.
"I can imagine."
Gabriel walked toward the entrance of the hostel while still holding the phone to his ear. As he reached the door, a message appeared on his screen.
You coming?
It was from Lucas.
Gabriel smiled.
"Captain, let me rush there and come back," he said to Gomez.
"Okay, buddy. Just don't forget to inform the coach."
"I hear you."
"Seriously."
"I will."
"Alright. See you later."
"See you."
The call ended.
Gabriel slipped his phone into his pocket and walked outside.
The hotel where his mother and brother were staying wasn't far from the hostel. Under normal traffic conditions, it was only around ten to fifteen minutes by car.
It was close enough for Gabriel to visit them without being away from the team for too long.
He ordered a ride and waited near the entrance.
While waiting, he looked around at the quiet morning streets. São Paulo was already awake.
Cars moved steadily along the road, people hurried to work, and small shops were beginning to open.
For Gabriel, everything looked strangely normal.
That was the strange part.
Only one night earlier, thousands of people had been shouting his name inside a stadium.
Now he was just a young man standing outside a hostel, waiting for a car to visit his mother.
When the car arrived, Gabriel got in.
The journey was quiet. He spent most of the time looking through the window. His phone kept lighting up with notifications, but he didn't check every one of them.
He wanted a little peace.
When he finally arrived at the Plaza Inn American Loft Hotel, he stepped out and walked into the reception.
The hotel was calm. A few guests were sitting in the lobby, while staff members moved around quietly.
Gabriel called his mother.
No answer.
He called Lucas.
Nothing.
He smiled.
"Probably sleeping," he murmured.
He approached the receptionist and explained that his family was staying at the hotel.
After confirming the room details, the receptionist politely showed him where to go.
Gabriel thanked her and headed toward the stairs.
As he climbed, he heard voices coming from upstairs.
At first, he didn't pay much attention.
Then he heard his own name.
"Gabriel Silver would have started the match."
Gabriel stopped.
He looked up.
Someone continued speaking.
"He changed the game immediately when he stepped onto the field. He's a really good player.
Palmeiras needs to protect him because he has already shown what he can do.
Now we understand why they spent so much to bring him here."
Gabriel remained still.
He didn't want to interrupt.
Another voice joined the conversation.
"I think this kid has something special. You can see it even when he is jogging without the ball. His movement is different. He seems to understand things other players don't."
Gabriel lowered his head slightly.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Another voice said,
"If he continues like this, maybe one day he'll have a place in the Brazilian national team. But let's pray for consistency."
Gabriel sighed quietly.
He hadn't expected to hear people talking about him like that.
It wasn't the praise itself that affected him.
It was the responsibility behind it.
People were beginning to trust him.
And Gabriel knew that trust was something he couldn't take lightly.
He continued climbing the stairs.
When he reached the upper floor, he walked slowly along the corridor.
Then he saw them.
A group of young boys was sitting together, completely absorbed in their football conversation.
Gabriel stopped for a moment.
They looked very young, probably between six and eight years old.
He stared at them in surprise.
"How are these boys talking about football like they're adults?" he thought.
One of them was explaining something with his hands while the others listened carefully.
Gabriel almost laughed.
A boy who couldn't have been more than eight years old was sitting there discussing a player's movement without the ball and talking about his chances of reaching the national team.
Football really was something else.
One of the boys suddenly noticed him.
He whispered something to the others.
Gabriel couldn't hear what he said.
But immediately, every boy turned around.
Their eyes became wide.
"That's Gabriel!"
The boys jumped to their feet.
They ran toward him with huge smiles on their faces.
Gabriel smiled and bent slightly to their level.
"Hi, guys. How are you?"
"We're good!" they answered almost together.
"What are you small boys doing here?"
"We're from Curitiba," one of them said.
"We came here with our fathers to watch the match."
Gabriel's face lit up.
"All the way from Curitiba?"
"Yeah!"
He shook his head in amazement.
"You came all this way to watch the match?"
They nodded proudly.
One of the older boys stepped forward.
"We watched you when you were at FC Curitiba. We are your fans."
Gabriel smiled.
"You remember me from there?"
"Of course."
The boy spoke with complete confidence.
"We like you."
For a moment, Gabriel didn't know what to say.
He had expected to visit his mother, have a conversation with his family, maybe eat something together, and return to the hostel.
He hadn't expected this.
He opened his arms.
"Come here, my young brothers."
The boys gathered around him.
Gabriel hugged them one after another, laughing as they tried to get closer.
He patted each of them gently on the back.
"Thank you for supporting me."
"You were very good yesterday," one of them said.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Another boy immediately pulled out his phone.
"Can we take a picture?"
"Of course."
The boys quickly brought out their phones.
They stood beside Gabriel, smiling from ear to ear.
One took a selfie.
Then another.
Then another.
Gabriel didn't rush them.
He knew this moment meant something to them.
For the boys, this wasn't just meeting a footballer.
It was meeting someone they had watched and supported since his days at FC Curitiba.
And for Gabriel, it was a reminder of where he had come from.
Curitiba.
The place that had been part of his journey.
The place where people had watched him grow.
The boys thanked him repeatedly.
"Thank you, Gabriel!"
"Thank you!"
"Take care of yourselves," he told them.
"We will."
Gabriel smiled one more time before continuing down the corridor.
He didn't notice immediately, but the boys remained where they were.
Their eyes followed him.
Their smiles slowly disappeared as he walked farther away.
They had only spent a few minutes with him, but those few minutes were already becoming a memory they would probably talk about for years.
Gabriel continued walking.
He still hadn't found his mother.
He still had no idea what awaited him inside the room.
Gabriel stopped for a second and looked back.
The boys were still watching him.
He raised his hand and waved.
They waved back.
Then Gabriel turned around and continued toward his family's room.