Page 62 of Shapes of Love
“Yeah,” I mumble. Old times. I don’t know when us being us became part of the past.
Toni pokes his head through the skylight. “What the hell are you two doing up there? It’s not safe. Is that a cigarette? Mia…”
Mia pales and hides the cigarette behind her back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, that’s just… a small tampon,” I back her up.
Toni rolls his eyes and groans. “Come inside. It’s almost midnight.”
By the time we make our way to the living room, everyone has gathered around the TV. Asher seems confused when someone passes him a bowl of grapes. I barely have time to explain that in some Latin American countries and Spain people eat twelve grapes during the twelve strokes of the clock at midnight, one grape for each month. They’re supposed to bring you good luck if you’re able to eat them all in those few seconds.
“Is that humanly feasible?” He looks at his bowl of grapes. He’s picked the biggest ones, which is a rookie mistake because they are harder to chew.
“Here, have mine.” Kai offers him his bowl of smaller grapes.
“Oh. Um. Uh—” Asher’s eyes go wide. A dumbfounded look crosses his face, like someone’s just asked him to walk around naked. “Thanks.”
Chants of “Happy New Year!” “¡Feliz Año Nuevo!” and “Feliz Año Novo!” erupt all around us. Mia and I hug and stick out our tongues to show we swallowed our grapes. Beside me, Kai looks like a squirrel, cheeks bulging as he attempts to contain the grapes that he hasn’t had time to chew. He pullsme into a hug, and I squeeze his cheeks to force him to chew faster.
“Ah, you don’t kiss at midnight, I guess?” Asher looks around with a dejected look.
“Hm whom dom yoo wan no kith?” Kai tries to say something between mouthfuls of grapes.
“Here.” I squeeze Asher’s face and give him a kiss on the cheek.
“Bring it here, pretty boy,” Mia says, a playful glint in her eye as she kisses his other cheek.
Kai finishes chewing his grapes and chugs a flute of champagne to wash them down.
“So, what’s next?” Asher asks. Kai, Mia, and I exchange a look.
With a cat’s grin, Kai turns to Asher. “Are you down to go to the beach?”
The four of us end up driving to the beach in Mia’s car. No one’s around by the time we get there, and the place is secluded anyway, a hidden gem Mia and Kai found once when they went camping together and got a flat tire on the way back.
After we arrive, we unearth the portable lamps Mia keeps in her trunk for emergencies, and we discard our shoes in a pile. The air is warmer than I expected, the breeze carrying a hint of salt. Asher buys some small sparklers for all of us to light at the beach. When he gets cold, Mia proceeds to bury him in the sand for warmth and gives him a crumbling mermaid tail.
“Walk with me?” Kai grabs my wrist and pulls me to the shore, the sand shifting under our bare feet. When he reachesfor Asher’s hand a moment later, their gazes meet, and they both stand still for a second. Mia comes to my other side and links her hand with mine.
“What’s going on?” Asher asks, an expression I can’t read passing through his face.
“Jump when I jump,” Kai says with a gleam in his eye, gripping his hand. “Trust me?”
“And make a wish for each wave when you do!” Mia exclaims. Cold water licks my skin as the first wave rolls in. Asher gives a hesitant nod, and then we’re jumping through the waves, feet sinking into wet sand.
I learned from Kai that it’s a New Year’s tradition in Brazil. You’re supposed to face the ocean and jump through seven waves after midnight, setting an intention for each one. Vô Oliveira explained to us how it has roots in Indigenous, Afro Brazilian traditions. The water is a symbol of renewal, and it also serves as a tribute to Iemanjá, the goddess of the sea.
I’m not sure what to wish for until my feet leave the ground, so I let myself get lost in the moment, wishing I could stay here with them a little longer. I wish this moment didn’t have to end.
Our hands lose their grip on each other, but we keep jumping together, water splashing around our legs. By wave seven, I am shivering, struggling not to lose my balance, while Mia is twirling between jumps like a sea witch. Kai is still holding Asher’s hand when Asher trips and sends them both flying into the water.
“That was your fault.” Kai sweeps his hair back, looking annoyed.
“My fault?” Asher splashes water at Kai, wet hair stuck to his forehead. “You stepped on my foot.”
The rest of the night goes by in a blur. Kai and Asher race each other down the beach and tackle each other into the water while Mia and I look for beautiful shells with the help of the portable lamps. We make a boat with a few twigs and flowers and offer it to the ocean to show our respect.
I regret not bringing my disposable camera to capture this moment—but somehow, I can tell it will become a memory I won’t forget. The kind I can still visualize clearly years down the road.
