“You mentioned working before,” he says. “I know you talked about being an au pair in Belgium, but you wanted to explore something else.”
“I actually studied to be a secretary. I learned about politics, administration, languages, psychology… a bit of everything, really.” I laugh lightly. “But when my dad suggested Belgium, it was like a lightbulb went off. I loved the idea of getting to know my family and exploring a place filled with history. Seeing where people walked hundreds of years ago, how they built their lives, and how what they did still shapes us today. Even the architecture alone leaves me in awe.”
“And how was it—the experience of meeting and spending time with your family?”
The wind whips at my hair, like the memories that are swirling around in my brain. My grin comes out.
“I loved it. My uncle developed a sort of tradition of taking me out every Tuesday night for dinner with his friends. It wasso special to be a part of that—that he wanted to include me. We had great laughs.”
“I stumbled my way around for a bit,” I continue, “because there were just some cultural things I didn’t understand, part of the language that I didn’t know. But the joy was there because I was just getting to know my family.”
He grins at me, and it’s a grin I’m starting to realize I can’t get enough of. My brain seems to be short-circuiting far more often than I’d like to admit. It’s like my body is reacting faster than my logic can catch up.
But right now… I kind of want to lean into it.
We keep talking for the next hour about everything and nothing, wandering along the shoreline and then slowly circling back.
He’s interested in me in a way that actuallymeanssomething. He wants to understand me, to know the stories that made me who I am. The family that shaped me—for better or worse.
Just another item to check off the list.
My list is getting checked off much faster than I expected.
But I’ll leave the questions my brain desperately wants to dissect for later tonight. Right now, I just want to enjoy this… and soak it in.
We slowly make our way back toward the buggy.
“Wait,” I say suddenly. “I can’t believe I haven’t asked this yet.” I pause. “You’re from São Paulo, obviously. How did you end up in Recife?”
We reach the buggy, and he pulls a small towel from the back.
“Wow, you’re prepared,” I say, amused.
He chuckles. “I knew I wanted to take you to the beach today so I had to be.”
He starts brushing the sand off his feet with the towel.
“In answer to your question—yes, I’m from São Paulo. I actually moved around a lot. I lived in Rio de Janeiro for a while, and then eventually ended up in Recife for work because of my ex-wife’s family. That’s how I went into business with my father-in-law.”
“Do you miss São Paulo?” I ask.
“I do. Mostly my family.” He pauses, then exhales. “After the divorce, I don’t think I’d ever felt lonelier in my life. They’re only a flight away, but I wanted to stay as close to my kids as possible. We’ve settled into a routine now, though. If I ever moved back, I’d probably fly up every couple of weeks… or have them come down to spend time with their grandparents—my parents.” He sighs quietly.
“I just wish I could have more time with them,” he continues. “I know I threw myself into work after the divorce, but that was mostly because of the loneliness… and missing them. Still, I’m grateful. God taught me so much through that experience.”
We’ve both finished cleaning the sand off, so we climb back into the buggy.
Now that we’ve talked so much about interests and stories, it feels like we’re standing at the edge of something deeper.
“Is it something you want to talk about?” I ask gently.
He glances at me, then smiles a little.
“How about we pause here and pick it back up at dinner? I do want to talk about it with you, but with the wind—and where I’m taking you next—I have a feeling this is a conversation better had while we’re sitting down.”
The curious part of me wants to dive in immediately. But I nod.
The past few hours with him have already shown me so much about the kind of man he is.
