I didn’t think it was possible for Diogo to blush more than he already had. He quickly got his phone out and showed Max the screening times, giving far too much unnecessary information and stumbling over his words.
“Fine, okay, just make sure your phones are fully charged so we can get hold of you,” Max said.
We’d more or less stopped to have the conversation, and I could tell Max wanted to keep moving, but Diogo was still fidgety. He looked at me as if to find reassurance. I nodded to give him my support.
“Er, Max, would it… would it be okay if we… me and Lucy got a milkshake after the movie?”
“You can’t have a milkshake at the cinema?” Max was so blind to what was going on right in front of him.
I interjected and hopefully brought poor Diogo’s racing heart down a few notches. “That’s fine, Diogo, just keep us updated by text.”
Diogo and Lucy returned to their earlier position a few feet ahead of us.
“Honestly, you two,” I said so only Max and Fernando could hear. “Can’t you see Diogo wants to take Lucy out on a date?”
Fernando looked at the kids like a lightbulb had suddenlyturned on inside his head and then punched the air. “You go, kid. My nephew has good taste.”
“No! They’re too young for that. They’re not going on a date… it’s not a date. They’re only friends.”
I chuckled at Max’s denial.
“Babe, they’re old enough, and they’re both responsible. Besides, I think Diogo is shit scared of what you’ll do to him if he puts a foot wrong with Lucy.”
“He is?”
“You really haven’t noticed how you behave around her, have you.”
“Fine, maybe I am a little overprotective. I justdon’t want to screw things up.”
I understood him more than he knew, so I gave him a quick peck and carried on walking toward the memorial.
* * *
It was dark by the time we arrived at the 9/11 memorial. I’d seen documentaries on TV about 9/11, but nothing had prepared me for the overwhelming feeling I got looking at the space where once the two buildings of the World Trade Center had been.
We stood by the South Pool, looking at the water that ran into the well in the center. The lights that illuminated the running water were enthralling. I wanted to visit the museum and spend longer there, but since the kids were going to the cinema, we thought we’d havethe rest of the evening at home.
Fernando got the subway home from the nearest station, and we left Diogo and Lucy exploring the memorial before going to the cinema.
Max put his arm around me and said, “What do you say about us having a movie night of our own?”
“Only if you promise we won’t watch it.” I winked.
“Oh, I mean actuallywatch a movie.”
I couldn’t hide my disappointment. We’d had a great day together, but I wanted to finish what we’d started in the morning.
“Hey, I want what you want, okay? But I…” He blushed a little. “I want to be up when Lucy comes back.”
“She’s safe with Diogo, you knowthat, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, “but I don’t want her to know I’m cool with it.”
“But you are, cool with it, I mean.”
“Yeah, I guess I can get used to it. She’s old enough to have a boyfriend, and if she’s going to figure things out, it may as well be with a good kid like Diogo.”
I squeezed his arm, so proud of how he was handling all this change.
