At Sofia’s chuckle, Josh was relieved to get the reaction he had expected at the observation he made.
“Yes, she does look a little different.” She flicked the end of a braid over her shoulder. Her hand touched a few curls around her face, and she smoothed them down. He remembered her with short, curly hair, sometimes held back with a thin headband or little barrettes to one side.
Paulo’s and his wife’s voices comforted the baby. Outside, the rain washed against the windows less strongly than it had during the day. On the opposite wall, an acrylic painting of the Madrid temple took center stage in the room under a modest row of gallery light bulbs. His eyes came back to rest on Sofia.
“How have you been, Sofia?” Josh looked straight at her, unable to tame the shock of meeting her again in this fashion.
She shifted in her seat, then returned the look, no longer as timid as before. “I’ve been well, thank you.” Her reply in English came with the slight British accent he recalled. “And you?” After her question, she laughed a little and shook her head. “Sorry, but this is just—It’s caught me by surprise.” She leaned back and crossed her ankles. “I’m…a little bit flabbergasted, you could say.”
Her honest confession was the kind of straightforward conversation he appreciated. “I know what you mean. I’m totally shocked as well.” He couldn’t take his eyes from her. “It’s been eleven years.”
“Eleven and half, actually.”
“And do you live in Braga now or are you still in Famalicão?” Josh had never been able to say the name of the town like the locals did, and after all these years he was sure he still butchered the pronunciation.
Sofia pushed the platter of bread and cold meats towards him and he took a slice of bread, then bit the corner.
“I came to Braga after high school.” She placed a piece of cheese on a napkin and held it in her hand while she talked. “I was accepted to the Universidade do Minho, and it made more sense to stay here.”
“What was your major?” Josh took a slice of meat on a toothpick.
“Portuguese and English teaching. And you? I mean, what do you do?”
“I’m a freelance photographer.”
At his answer, Sofia sat up and leaned forward in his direction. “You’re a photographer? Were you downtown yesterday in the afternoon?”
Josh tilted his head. “Yes, I was.”
“I think I passed by you on my way to the parking garage. Did you have this black waterproof thingy over your camera?” Sofia’s hands spread apart to convey the size.
He smiled. “The rain sleeve. It protects the camera and lens when it’s raining.”
“And you wore a blue rain jacket?” He nodded and Sofia smiled. “I wouldn’t have recognized you.” She touched her chin. “The beard. It makes you look so different.”
Josh passed a hand along his jaw line. When was the last time he’d shaved his face clean? “It suits the life I lead.” That sounded presumptuous. “Easier to maintain than shaving every morning when I’m traveling,” he added. His mind flickered to the time in his life when going without shaving had become part of the rebellion. Now it was just part of him.
Paulo entered the room, followed by his wife, who carried the baby propped up. Large brown eyes cast a glance around the room. The baby’s cheeks were flushed. She whimpered and made a face when she saw him. Sofia rose and approached them, cooing in Portuguese and smiling at the baby, distracting her from Josh. When Paulo walked to the kitchen, Josh followed.
“Sorry, man. Amélia’s not feeling too well.” He opened a cabinet and drew out a baby bottle, then reached for a container of bottled water and filled it.
“No worries. You do what you have to do.”
They walked back to the living room. Sofia held the baby—who didn’t appear any better but was calm for the time being—on her lap. Margarida took the bottle and offered it to her daughter and Sofia helped guide the little hands around the glass, holding the bottom.
“Maybe we should give her a blessing?” Margarida looked up to Paulo. He shook his head slightly.
Josh caught the exchange between them and turned to the balcony door. This was the awkward part, when friends forgot he didn’t have the right to participate in that kind of business anymore.
The baby pushed the bottle back into Sofia’s hands and Sofia set it on the coffee table. “That sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it, Amélia?” The baby sat with her back against Sofia and Sofia turned her in her lap. “What do you say, bébé? You want a blessing from papá?” She pointed at Josh. “Maybe papá’s friend can help.”
Of course. She didn’t know. Add even more awkwardness. It seemed like a good time to say goodbye. The silence cued him. Paulo glanced at Margarida and in turn she took the baby in her arms and stood. Sofia frowned for a moment and followed her friend, clearly not understanding the situation but too polite to ask in front of him.
“It’s okay, guys. No need to tiptoe around me.” Josh walked behind the sofa towards the foyer. “It’s probably time I go anyway.” He took a step back and extended his hand to Sofia. “It was really good to see you, Sofia.”
“You too, Josh.” Her voice was soft but she held his gaze.
He liked the way his name sounded when she said it.
In the foyer, he donned his jacket and grabbed the umbrella from the stand. “Paulo, I’ll call later in the week.”
Paulo patted him on the back. “You better. We’re expecting you for dinner.”
When the elevator doors closed for the way down, Josh exhaled and closed his eyes for a moment. Maybe he should have been the one to tell Sofia why he couldn’t help Paulo with a blessing. Not that he owed any explanations to anyone. At least he wouldn’t have to see her too often since he wasn’t planning to attend church in Braga during his short stay. Already there were more surprises than the usual quota he allotted to each trip. And thanks to the rainy weather, he hadn’t even started his project in earnest.
What else was in store?
*
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Recipes
Spaguetti a la Bolognese
This is just one variation of this recipe. You may add different vegetables and herbs to make your own version. Don’t be afraid to experiment with ingredients and flavors.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1-2 hours
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
— 1 tablespoon olive oil
— 1 large onion, chopped
— 2 cloves of garlic, minced
— 1 lb ground beef
— 1 can of chopped tomatoes
— 1 cup beef stock (more as needed for simmering)
— 1/2 cup tomato purée
— 1 package of fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
— 2 bay leaves
— salt and pepper to taste
— dried thyme and oregano to taste
— freshly chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
In a shallow pan, brown the ground beef; season well with salt and pepper, and cook until meat is no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into little pieces while it cooks. Drain and keep the beef on the side.
Add the oil to a large pan with a lid.
Add chopped onion to the oil and let it sweat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, be careful not to burn; it cooks quickly. Add the cooked ground beef, bay leaves, and beef stock.
Cook until liquid reduces slightly. Add in mushrooms, thyme and oregano.
Blend the tomato purée with a little bit of water, then add to pan along with the canned tomatoes, stir well then cover and cook on low for 1-2 hours.
As this dish slowly simmers you will need to add more liquid; use either beef stock or a little water. For a more authentic Portuguese flavor, substitute one cup of red cooking wine with the beef stock (the alcohol evaporates during cooking). Check the flavor an
d add salt and pepper if needed.
After one or two hours, turn off the heat and remove bay leaves. Sir well.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese to taste.
Serve with spaghetti and a tossed salad of dark greens seasoned with salt, olive oil, and vinegar.
*
Chocolate Soufflés
This is an old Portuguese recipe that has been converted to American measurements.
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Baking Time: 18-20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
— 3.5 oz baking chocolate
— 1 oz of butter
— 8.5 fluid oz milk
— 2.5 oz granulated sugar
— 1 oz potato starch
— 1 teaspoon flour
— 3 egg yolks
— 5 egg whites
— confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions:
Liberally butter the insides of 4 individual soufflé dishes, or ramekins. Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit.
In a small dish, dissolve the potato starch and flour in a little bit of cold milk and set aside.
In a sauce pan, add the sugar to the remaining milk and boil (allow to cool until just warm).
Melt the chocolate with one tablespoon of hot water, and add the warm milk mixture and the flour mixture to it. Cook on low heat and remove before it boils. Add the butter over the surface, shaved in little pieces.
Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks.
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mix, one at a time. Fold in the egg whites carefully.
Pour in the individual dishes and place them on a baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until the tops have risen above the rim.
Remove from oven and transfer to serving plates. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.
Simon and Isabel at the belvedere in Lisbon.
Acknowledgements
This book was a surprise and a lesson learned about trusting my characters and their story. I had to start it four times and write over 60,000 words that ended in the scrapped pile before Simon and Isabel took over and I learned their true story, a beautiful one. Letter writing and pen pals were an important part of my life during high school and university and I’m glad they played a role for Simon and Isabel too.
Even though the life of a writer is mostly a lonely one, I’m lucky to have friends and professionals who helped me along the way.
Thank you, Laura and Amber, for the help with brainstorming and getting all the ideas straight. It took me a while to get there, but I did it.
Thanks also to my beta readers, Laura and Lori. Your edits and feedback were invaluable and your belief in Simon and Isabel’s story helped me to keep going.
To the ladies who helped me polish this story: Michele Holmes, Ellie Whitney, and Caitlyn McFarland. Thank you for sharing your talents and catching all the not-so-great parts and helping me turn them into something much better. Thanks also go to Sally and Victorine for the proofreading and adding more great suggestions.
A big thanks to E.M. Tippets Book Designs for the stellar job with the paperback formatting.
The cover turned out amazing and Steven Novak did a great job with it. I love it! Thanks!
Thanks so much to Jess Purser, of Castle On The Hill, for the lovely custom illustration of Simon and Isabel at the belvedere in Lisbon. I love how it turned out!
I also have to mention the two talented gentleman for the music and words that brought in the inspiration for Simon and Isabel’s story— Jon McLoughlin and Tyler Knott Gregson. Even though the final story turned out so completely different from that very first seed so many years ago, it still sparked from a song and a poem. Here’s to inspiration in all its forms.
Dedication
To all the pen pals who grew up writing letters.
About the author
Lucinda Whitney was born and raised in Portugal, where she received a Master’s degree from the University of Minho in Braga, in Portuguese/English teaching.
She lives in northern Utah with her husband and four children. When she’s not reading and writing, she can be found with a pair of knitting needles, or tending her herb garden.
She’s the author of The Secret Life of Daydreams, her début novel, and One Small Chance: a novella. Please visit her website at lucindawhitney.com for more information and news, or follow her Amazon Author page.
You may also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.
One Small Chance: a novella (a Love Story from Portugal) Page 16