Page 270 of Seasons of Love
His words brought me back to reality.
"Are you nervous about seeing Mário again?"
"Yes," I confessed, "but I'm also excited."
"Let's grab a shower, then. From what David said, we're in for a family dinner tonight."
"Sounds like perfection to me."
"I love you, Vítor."
"Love you, too, sweetheart."
Even though it had all been planned with David, I was still a bundle of nerves as we drove south to Caparica to meet my brother and sister-in-law.
A lot had changed in the area in the last twenty-eight years. More buildings, shops, better roads, but in a way, it didn't feel that different because the same old buildings were still there; the bakery my mom used to get the daily bread from, the pharmacy where we went to get our vaccinations, and the small supermarket that always had a large display of fruit outside the bead curtain-covered door.
Tiago touched my hand. I saw his worried expression and smiled to reassure him. I hadn't even noticed we were parked.
"I'm okay, just reminiscing."
I realized once we got out of the car that I had no idea where we needed to go, so I linked my hand with Tiago's and let him take the lead toward David's Café Lima.
David had told me all about the business Paula had started up and how he'd carried on working there with Teresa and Mário. I was so proud of him and what he'd achieved. I couldn't wait to see it.
As we walked down the street, Tiago pointed out where David and Joel lived, as well as Bruno and Filipe, in the apartment opposite theirs.
My pulse raced as we walked into the café, and I came face-to-face with my brother for the second time in twenty-eight years.
"Mário," was all I had a chance to say before my brother pulled me into his arms in a tight grip. My throat was tight with emotion, and I didn't fight the tears when they came. Neither did my brother.
"I never thought I'd see you again," he said.
I pulled away to take a good look at him. He was older, his skin gathered in the corners of his eyes, and his hair, like mine, was more gray than black, but he had the same expression I remembered. Had we bumped into each other anywhere in the last twenty-eight years, there was no doubt I'd have recognized him.
"Vítor, my dear." I heard the voice of my sister-in-law as she approached us from a door on the other side of the café.
I hugged her tight, smelling her flowery perfume, the same she'd worn all those years ago.
"Oh my beautiful Teresa. You haven't aged a day. I thought you'd have upgraded him for a younger model by now," I joked, winking at my brother.
"Nah, I'm too old to train another one. You look really good, too."
She pulled back and told us the rest of the family would arrive shortly, but we had time to go for a walk.
I took it as my prompt for some alone time with my brother. Tiago offered to help out setting the table so Mário and I walked out of the café in the direction of the beach.
"Where do we start? It's been so long," he said, and I smiled because I felt exactly the same way.
"I don't want to focus on the past anymore, but I know we still need to put it to rest."
He agreed, so we each told our version of the events of my twenty-first birthday and subsequent days.
By the time we finished, we were at the beach. We stopped before we got to the sand.
"Do you remember when we all used to come here at the weekend?" Mário asked.
"Oh yeah. Do you remember Paula's picnic meals?"
