by Ana Newfolk
I inwardly cursed the customer that chose that moment to enter the café.
Fortunately Teresa must have known I needed time with Bruno because she went around the counter to serve the customer and told Bruno she’d see him tomorrow, bright and early.
Bruno nodded in agreement and took Filipe by the hand toward the kitchen. They both returned shortly after. Bruno was no longer wearing his work apron and Filipe had a small schoolbag on his back and was holding a Superman doll that looked like it’d seen better days.
“I’m renting out Joel’s apartment,” he said as we approached the building.
I knew Bruno had moved out of the van he’d been living in and into an apartment shortly after starting his job at Café Lima, but I didn’t know he was renting Joel’s old apartment.
I guessed with Joel now living with David it made sense to keep the apartment occupied. I also knew how much David cared about the kids he met through my Center so I had no doubt Bruno was getting an excellent deal.
Filipe ran into the room I assumed was his as soon as Bruno opened the door.
“He’s been waiting all day to play with his new Legos,” Bruno said as he hung Filipe’s backpack on the hook by the door.
Bruno took me into the open-plan kitchen and living area and pointed to the sofa.
“What’s going on, Bruno? Why didn’t you tell me you had a little brother?”
He waited until we were both sitting before he spoke.
“When I left my grandparents’ place Filipe was only three. I didn’t see him for a whole year because they didn’t want my bad influence on him.”
Bruno shook his head and laughed but I could tell being unable to see his little brother had upset him more than he wanted to admit.
“It took nearly a year until they would allow me to see Filipe. I couldn‘t go inside the house so I used to play with him in the back garden for two hours once a week. My granddad always watched us from behind the patio doors like I was some kind of criminal.”
He looked toward the corridor to check Filipe’s door was closed before he carried on.
“I loved those two hours with my brother. He was always so happy to see me like he’d been waiting all week, just like me.
“He used to cling to me for at least twenty minutes before he realized I wasn’t going anywhere and then we’d play a few games before I had to go again. I never saw my grandmother. Not once.
“About six months ago I noticed changes in Filipe’s behavior. He stopped hugging me and sometimes didn’t even want to play. I couldn’t ask him what was wrong because I wasn’t sure he could articulate it, and with my granddad always watching over us I was afraid to do anything that would jeopardize my visits.”
“Did something happen to your grandparents? How come Filipe is now with you?”
“My grandmother slipped on the pavement and broke her leg a month ago. My granddad was struggling to look after her and Filipe so I offered to look after him so he could focus on her.”
I didn’t know what to say. At nineteen Bruno should have been hanging out with his friends without a care in the world. Instead he had a demanding full-time job to support himself and now his little brother.
“He’s not going back. Isaac, he… he had bruises all over his body. While I’ve been living my merry, happy life my five-year-old brother was being abused.”
I put my hand on his.
“Bruno, you haven’t been living a merry, happy life. You’ve been surviving. Look, we can contact a few lawyers and see what help we can get for you. You’re an adult now and you have a job and a place to live. There should be no reason you can’t keep Filipe with you.”
“They’ll fight me. They’ll say all kinds of horrible things about me so no judge will let Filipe stay with me.”
“When is Filipe expected to go back to your grandparents?”
“In one month when my grandmother has the cast taken off her leg.”
Filipe came running from the bedroom toward Bruno who picked his little brother up onto his lap. He was still holding on to his Superman doll.
“What’s up, buddy? Are you hungry?”
Filipe looked at me and then put his little hands on either side of Bruno’s face, pulling him down until he could whisper something in his big brother’s ear.
Bruno smiled but put on a more serious face for Filipe as he nodded, apparently agreeing with whatever the little boy had said.
“You can have one carton of chocolate milk and then you’re having a shower.”
Filipe jumped to the floor and ran toward the fridge.
“He’s really cute,” I said.
“He’s the best, and he’s so smart sometimes I’m not even sure he’s my brother.” Bruno chuckled but then became more forlorn.
“He’s afraid someone will take him away. He wanted to know if you’re my friend.”
“The Center will help you with anything we can, Bruno.” I got up and gave him a reassuring hug. We both knew there were no guarantees, but I’d do my damned best to make sure Filipe would stay with his brother.
As I left the apartment, I couldn’t help reflecting on how brave Bruno was. Willing to go up against his grandparents, even if he only had a small chance of keeping his brother with him, because the thought of Filipe going back to them was unimaginable.
My phone rang as I got in the car.
“Hey, David, how’s it going?”
“Hi, Isaac.”
There was a short silence on the other side.
“David?”
“Er… sorry. Isaac, I’ve been thinking… I need your help.”
“What for?”
“I need you to keep this strictly confidential because I don’t want to get hopes up, but I was wondering if you’d help me find Uncle Mário’s brother, Vítor. There’s no rush or anything, but… well, it can wait until I’m back in November, I just wanted to ask, that’s all.”
I was left speechless for the second time that afternoon. First Bruno wanting to fight for Filipe, and now my best friend wanting to find his uncle’s long-lost brother.
“Are you sure you want to do this? You know we may not find him.”
“Yes, I want to do it for my uncle. He talks about Vítor all the time now that it’s not a secret anymore. He still feels guilty over him disappearing twenty-seven years ago.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“…No. According to my uncle, Vítor is the only person who might know who my dad is. I know what you’re going to say but, Isaac, if there’s a chance I can find any information at all then I want to try.”
“Oh, David.” I couldn’t believe how far my best friend had come. “I’ll do anything I can to help.”
Chapter Five
Max
Hamptons
It felt strange getting out of Manhattan even just for the weekend but Joel was right, coming to his grandmother’s house in the Hamptons was a great idea.
I couldn’t remember when I’d last had some real time off with no agenda. Well, at least not since Portugal earlier in the summer.
As I sat outside in the lounger on the back patio, wrapped up in a blanket to protect me from the sudden chill of the early September Atlantic breeze, I couldn’t have felt more relaxed.
Joel and David were in charge of dinner tonight so I’d come out to catch the last of the afternoon’s sun.
I was also finding it hard to be near them for long periods of time because, as much as I was happy for my friends, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d been so close to having what they have.
I stared out onto the horizon and tried to think of something else, anything else. There were couples walking along the shore, close enough to the water that it was easy to walk on the sand, but not close enough that they’d get their feet wet.
A little boy chased a small dog that was running in circles around him. His parents were watching closely from their beach chairs.
It had been a long time, but I still remember
ed what family days out like that felt like. When I was young even though my parents couldn’t have afforded to come anywhere near the Hamptons we still had a good time.
Then I remembered the weekends away with a different family. Sílvia, Gary, Joel and I, here in this very same house, having dinner outside on a warm summer evening.
Those weekends had saved me from taking a wrong turn in my life. Sílvia and Gary hadn’t had a clue that the boy they treated like a son was living on the streets. Those weekends kept me focused on what I wanted as a grown-up. Safety, family, warmth, and love.
I had been so lucky then, and I knew it. Ryan hadn’t been so lucky. My sudden train of thought brought on pain I didn’t want to revisit and I wondered if I should head back inside until I noticed a figure in the distance.
The first thing I saw was wild curly hair that flew out of control in the breeze. I couldn’t see his face because he was facing the other way, but my heart felt like it was beating out of my ribcage.
The man approached a couple walking a dog. There was some discussion and then they pointed in my direction. My ears were ringing and my hands shook, my skin itched like it was full of ants having a party. No, it couldn’t be.
The guy nodded at the couple and then turned. I closed my eyes.
I wasn’t sure what I was more afraid of if I opened them. That the guy might be Isaac or that he might not be.
I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. The guy wasn’t there anymore. What the fuck? I scanned the beach to see where he was, wondering if maybe I’d imagined it.
The disappointment hit me like a punch to the gut. I hadn’t imagined the slim, curly-haired guy. He was now walking with purpose toward the house next door. He also wasn’t Isaac.
“Fuck!” I shouted as I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed my eyes.
“Hey, what’s up?” Joel said, sitting down on the chair next to mine, placing two cups of hot sweet tea on the small table.
“Nothing, is dinner nearly done?”
“Not quite. David kicked me out of the kitchen. Apparently I was too distracting,” he said with a huff.
“You guys together and this tea are enough to put me in a diabetic coma.” I took a sip and immediately the warmth of the tea seeped through my bones.
“How are you feeling?”
“Chilled. Physically and figuratively.”
“Max.”
“Fine.” I sighed. “I miss Isaac, okay? I miss the Isaac I met last Christmas. The Isaac who brought me to my knees with one look of those beautiful blue-green eyes.”
My chest felt tight but now the dam had burst I couldn’t contain it any longer.
“I wish I’d never bumped into him this summer. I wish I had a chance to still fly out there and be his romance-novel-worthy New Year kiss, like I’d planned. But I’m afraid too many misunderstandings have already come between us, and I don’t think I can live through watching him walk away from me one more time.”
I got up and went to the edge of the terrace.
“Why don’t you do something about it?”
I turned around to face Joel. “What am I meant to do? Fly out there and kiss the life out of him until he walks away again?”
“Do you know why he left that night?”
“No. You know I don’t. We were talking about your parents and then the other guy turned up, whispered in his ear, and they left.”
“So you didn’t tell him you had planned to go to Portugal to see him?”
Why did he have to be so damned sensible?
“I didn’t have a chance.” And I still didn’t know why he hadn’t even sent me an email.
We’d promised we’d get in touch.
“Max, come walk with me.” Joel grabbed a blanket and went down the steps that led to the beach. I followed him until he stopped only a few steps from the water and then wrapped the blanket around both of us.
“Do you remember what you asked when we stood on the beach and I told you about David?”
Looking out onto the water I was transported to the day I’d arrived in Portugal for the first time. It had been a beautiful, warm day. I’d heard in Joel’s voice how much he was already in love with David and how hopeless he was feeling.
“I asked you if you had to choose between New York and Portugal,” I said.
“You did, and you also made me consider for the first time that what was really important for me was my family and David.”
I looked back toward the house. The lights were on now. I hadn’t even realized how dark it had become. Joel’s words were weighing on me. Would I regret not reaching out to Isaac one more time? Was I strong enough to handle the rejection?
“Come on, Joebug; let’s check in on the sexy chef.”
“Hey!” He punched me playfully in my stomach.
“Yes, yes, he’s all yours.” I laughed. “I love you, Joebug.”
“Love you too, Maxy.”
The scent coming from the kitchen was amazing as usual.
“Joel, if you don’t marry this man, I will.”
Joel blushed, which was very telling, and I could have hugged him right there if it wasn’t for the fact I was hungry and didn’t want David to deny me my dinner because I touched his boyfriend.
Joel wrapped his arms around David who turned to kiss him while he stirred something in the pot.
“What have you got there, David?”
“Joel’s favorite. Beef and chorizo casserole.”
“That’s not your favorite,” I said to Joel, knowing his all-time favorite was his mom’s chicken, chorizo, and bean soup.
“That’s my favorite today,” Joel said, looking at me with murderous eyes. David chuckled.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what his favorite food is, but every time I cook something he says that one’s the one.”
“That’s because you surprise me every time.” Joel cradled David’s neck and took him in for a slow kiss.
I decided to take a quick shower before dinner. Thinking about the guy on the beach and Isaac and then talking about him with Joel had left me feeling discombobulated.
I noticed a missed call from Jean-Paul on my phone. I immediately thought about Diogo, the kid we’d been trying to help. Now this was something my brain could happily focus on.
Jean-Paul answered within two rings.
“Hello, Max.”
“That was quick,” I said. “I see your husband isn’t doing a good job of keeping you busy.”
I heard a chuckle in the background followed by a light moan from Jean-Paul.
“You’re on loudspeaker, jackass, and I’m keeping my husband very busy,” Dorian replied.
“Not you two as well. Jesus, can’t you all keep it in your pants for a day?”
A collective no was the reply I got from the other side of the call before I heard Dorian and Jean-Paul sharing a brief kiss, and then I was no longer on the loudspeaker.
“Max,” Jean-Paul said, “thanks for calling back.”
“No problem, what’s up? All okay with Diogo? I took a few days off and Shelly is refusing to give me updates saying I’m meant to be relaxing. I’m in the Hamptons with Joel and David.”
“That’s what I needed to talk to you about. He‘s okay, I spoke to Shelly this morning, and she said he’s ready to be discharged.”
“He can’t be on his own. He has no one else.” My breath caught in my chest. I couldn’t stand the thought that Diogo would now be alone in the world.
“Technically, he’s an adult. He can be on his own.”
From my short visits while I was at work I’d found out that while his mom hadn’t left him lots of money, the house they lived in was paid for, and he had a full ride scholarship to NYU to study business.
He also had a part-time job.
For someone who was barely an adult, the kid had it together more than a lot of adults I knew.
“I know he can be on his own but I don’t want him to be lonely. He had this determination in his
eyes. I don’t want him to be lonely.” That last part was said more in a whisper but I knew Jean-Paul had heard it.
“I agree with you, that’s why we will make sure he has a family in the Center. And also why I’m calling.”
“Okay, what can I do?”
“The kid hasn’t seen his family for three years. I want the Center to give him that experience, but since we’re doing it with Center funding, he will need a chaperone.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The Center will pay for Diogo to visit his family in Portugal. We’re doing it like a student exchange with Fundação Arco-Iris. Isaac is sending one of his kids to do work experience and we’re sending Diogo to visit his family.”
My breath caught when I heard Isaac’s name for the second time today.
“Max?” Jean-Paul called out.
“I’m here.” I struggled to get the words out. “You want me to take him to Portugal so he can see his family?”
“Yes, it’s only for a week. All expenses will be paid by the Center. Diogo is staying with his family. I could send someone else but I wondered if you’d like the chance to go back.”
Jean-Paul knew I‘d been to Portugal in June to join Joel but he didn’t know about my relationship, if I could even call it that, with Isaac.
I hadn’t told Jean-Paul or Dorian about what happened last Christmas. I could see from their point of view it made sense to send me to Portugal. Not only was I an approved chaperone for the Center, I could also look after him medically. But adding Isaac to the mix was throwing my head in a spin and I needed to figure out how to handle it.
“Can I think about it?”
“Sure, call me when you’ve decided. Are you all still up for brunch next weekend?”
“Absolutely.”
I lay down on the bed and looked up. Suddenly I felt like my life was as complicated as the vines that wrapped around the flowery motifs of the lampshade above me.
Diogo needed help. I didn’t know when I had become so attached to him. Unlike my parents, it wasn’t his mom’s choice to leave him on his own, so hell if I would let him be lonely. Even if his family was all the way on the other side of the ocean, he would have the opportunity to see them and celebrate his mom’s life with them. And then, when he returned, I would make sure he had a family here too.