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 theloudspeaker.
“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 thatDiogo 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 bepaid 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‘dbeen 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, but 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 floral 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 tosee them and celebrate his mom’s life with them. And then, when he returned, I would make sure he had a family here, too.
I wished I was as certain about potentially seeing Isaac again.
Maybe this was the opportunity I needed to set the record straight.After all, our best friends were together. Joel had always come first, and always would, so I needed to do this for him, too.
Sitting up, I made my decision to go to Portugal. I would put my feelings aside for Joel’s benefit and make sure Isaacand I were friends. I didn’t know when it was that I started lying to myself, but as Joel called me down for dinner, I decided to also put that thought away.
