Page 202 of Seasons of Love
Then there was Mateus. Even though he wasn't talking to me, he still lived and worked in Porto. Would my leaving the city be the last nail in the coffin of my relationship with my son?
After doing some work I decided to send Mateus an email. He wasn't responding to my calls or text messages, so maybe he would read an email. I could only hope.
From:ví[email protected]
Subject: Your papa was an ass
Hey son,
I hope this email finds you well. You haven't replied to any of my texts, and my calls have all gone unanswered.
Mateus, I can't begin to imagine how much you're hurting right now, but I need you to know that, just like you, I didn't know.
I never thought there were any secrets between your papa and I. Yes, there were little things, which I'm sure weren't secret at all, but I never thought there would be something this big.
You became my son the day Dri introduced you to me, and I've loved you ever since. Please don't let this get in the way of our relationship.
I already lost my husband. Please don't make it so I've lost my son, too. It's more than my heart can bear.
With all my love,
Dad V
2
TIAGO
"Hey, mate, are you calling to say you're finally going to take on the running of the center?"
The hopeful voice of my best friend, Isaac, was almost enough to break my resolve.
"I already run the center." I chuckled.
"My point precisely, and that's why I want your name on the foundation letterhead."
I sighed. "You know I can't do it."
We'd had this conversation many times. I'd met Isaac at university when he'd started a student network to provide support and a safe place for LGBTQ students to talk and access support services.
When he'd graduated, Isaac was able to secure some key funding to open Lisbon's first youth-dedicated LGBTQ center, Fundação Arco-Íris. Despite being three years older, I'd taken a break in my studies, so I'd joined Isaac as soon as I'd graduated a year later. It was a partnership that worked well for us. We ran the foundation together, but he was the name and the face behind it all, while I looked after the daily running of the center.
It was as much as I could offer. There was no question about my commitment to it, which was the reason Isaac had been pushing for me to take over running the entire center since he now lived in Manhattan with his husband, Max.
Isaac knew why I didn't want to take on any more responsibility. For the last nine years, any time I'd not been at college or working, I'd been looking for my missing younger brother, Afonso.
"Tiago?" Isaac called from the other end of the line.
"I'll think about it, okay?"
"Okay," he said with a mix of hope and resignation. "Was there anything in particular you were calling for?"
"Yes. Is your apartment still on the market?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Would you mind if I rent it for the next two months? My landlord is finally going to do some work to my place, and I need somewhere to stay. I'll pay you, of course."
