I opened the envelope and took out the three photos. On one of them, two young guys and two girls sat on the beach. My guess was they were eighteen or nineteen when the photo was taken.
"That's my aunt and uncle," David said, pointing to the couple on the right, "and that's my mom, so I guess Vítor is the other guy, but he could also be the one taking the photo. If you look at the other photo, he's there again with my mom next to the car she owned with Joel's mom."
"How about the third one? I can't see him." The third photo was a large group photo taken at Mário and Teresa's wedding. The age and resolution of the photograph made it difficult to distinguish faces, but after a minute I spotted him.
"Oh yes, he's here next to Mário. He looks really happy, and look, your mom is next to Teresa."
"I showed these to my aunt. She told me Vítor and Mom were their maid of honor and best man. They joked that day that Mom and Vítor would be the next ones down the aisle."
I looked at David. "Do you think they were together?"
"They were best friends, for sure."
I looked at the beach photo again. They all looked happy and relaxed. I noticed that Vítor had blue eyes unlike his brother but still had the same dark hair. The photo was old, but I could tell he'd been a very handsome young man. Paula and Teresa could have been twins with their long wavy dark brown hair and brown eyes.
"Can I keep these? I want to study them further."
"Sure. Thanks, T, I really appreciate what you're doing. I know it's not easy for you. So, what else is going on with you? I haven't seen Fred around in a while."
"Well, if that's not the million-euro question. I haven't heard from him, either, and it's worrying me, but I know sometimes he can be away for long periods of time."
"And how about you?"
I sighed.
"Believe it or not, there is more than one Vítor in my head at the moment." I chuckled.
David perked up. "Do tell."
I told him about the evening Fred couldn't meet me at the bar and how I met Vítor, the kiss, and then last night when he turned out to be the new tenant from the agency.
"He didn't have to do that, you know. He could have kicked me out right there and then."
"What's he like, then?"
"He's a little taller than me, well-built but not overly muscly, and he has this little dimple on his chin and salt-and-pepper hair—"
"Oh my god, you want to get in his pants."
"I don't think he heard you all the way from wherever he works now."
"Wait. How old is this guy?"
"Forty-five? A little older? Don't think he'd be fifty, though."
David stared back at me.
"What? I don't care about shit like age. The man is unarguably beautiful. It doesn't matter, anyway, because nothing is going to happen between us."
"Why not?"
"Because he lost his husband a while ago, and I'm not sure he's ready for anything."
"Not even some no-strings-attached fun?"
I shook my head.
David insisted that I could stay with them in their apartment in Caparica, but I didn't want to be in their space. After thirteen years apart, they deserved all the alone time they needed.
