by Ana Newfolk
Joel and I had spent three days holed up in my apartment. And no, it wasn’t because we were making like rabbits. We’d actually talked. A lot.
I’d recounted how my aunt and uncle came to the apartment to check up on me and how, at nearly breaking point, I told them I’m gay. The parts about Vítor were a little harder to remember so once we rejoined the outside world we’d gone to see my uncle so he could tell us about his brother.
It was an emotional conversation since it brought back a lot of painful memories for my uncle. He blamed himself for not being there for his brother. For the first time in my life, I’d also heard more about their desire to have a child. I’d fulfilled that role when my mom died, but I could see they still wanted someone who was truly theirs.
When we talked about the family, I asked them about my dad. They said mom had never told them who it was. They’d used almost the same words avó Violeta had used. They didn’t know if she’d been in a relationship, but Vítor might know because they were best friends. That had been the end of it.
During those three days, we also tried to figure out how we were going to make our relationship work. I didn’t want to leave my aunt and uncle when we’d just started rebuilding our relationship, and Joel didn’t want to stop teaching.
We’d ended up having our first fight as a couple. We’d sulked, each in our own corner of the apartment, but neither of us left, and when we’d realized how ridiculous we both were, we tested how good our make-up sex was.
I’d declared we were going to have to fight at least once a week. Joel grabbed my recipe notebook and started making notes about fighting topics. The first one was that he must never, ever, touch my recipe notebook.
In reality, it was a slow process, which we took a day at a time.
Joel took a leave of absence from teaching, initially with the premise that he was going to research how he could set up a student exchange program. He missed teaching, but once word got out, a lot of the English Languages students at the university came to him for tuition.
I’d kept in touch with two of the young guys from Isaac’s Center. They’d attended a few of my classes, so when I asked if they’d like a job at my café they jumped at the chance.
My aunt and uncle worked too much and deserved a little break. I hadn’t noticed how much they worked because I was doing the same, but when I took a step back, I realized how much we’d all worked. We’d built a successful business, but it was time to reap the rewards.
It took me two months to train one of the new guys to take over the production of my custard tarts full time. I’d had to threaten the life out of him to make sure he wouldn’t share my recipe, but I’d seen how much he enjoyed the work, and he seemed loyal. He also didn’t want to face the wrath of my aunt when she was angry.
After those two months, I took Joel to New York. He'd missed Max like mad, and he was moping so much I’d surprised him with tickets. That earned me a lot of naked sexy time.
We stayed in New York for another two months in which I took a few courses and expanded my blog to include world foods. Joel’s grandmother’s Hamptons house had the most amazing kitchen, so I used it for the food production filming.
I’d also become closer to Max. He still wouldn’t tell me what had happened between him and Isaac, but he’d asked us if he could rent Joel’s apartment for a few months. He said he was feeling burned out from work and had decided to take a sabbatical. I had a feeling there was a different reason for Max wanting to return to Portugal.
By the time we came back home, Joel’s exchange program was in its earlier stages where they were getting students, on either side of the pond, through the application process to find the best candidates.
Things slowed down a bit for Joel after that, which meant a lot of quality time for us, especially as I didn’t need to be at the café as much. He became very restless. I could see he was happy, but there was something missing.
One day when I saw a notepad on the floor on his side of the bed, I asked him about it, and he told me he’d been writing lots of notes and thoughts since our trip around the country with our moms’ journal.
I asked if he could turn it into a novel. He laughed and dismissed it, but a week later I woke up in the middle of the night to find him with his nose in his laptop on the love seat in the living room typing furiously. I’d made him a cup of coffee, kissed him and went back to bed.
Two months later he had the first draft. He shared it with a few college friends who helped him with editing and suggestions for a cover.
We’d been to the Sanctuary a few times, both to feel closer to his parents and because it was the best place to watch the sunset. I took a photo of the beach at the bottom of the cliff and asked if it could be part of the cover since it was such a special place.
Joel loved the idea and then decided to add a photo of our car too. We’d decided we’d eventually need a more reliable car, but the Citroen hadn’t let us down since that night in Évora, and it was our precious link to both our moms, so we weren’t in any rush.
The cover had turned out perfect and Made In Portugal was only a few weeks from being released. Joel was already working on a second novel, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
Which was the reason why I decided to propose. We’d been together just over a year, and as far as I could see, there was no reason to delay it.
We hadn’t exactly talked about marriage, but I knew it was an important step for Joel whenever he’d talked about his parents. My mom never got married, so I wanted to make her proud, and the thought of having Joel as my husband made me feel all kinds of happy inside.
“Baby...”
“Huh?”
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Joel said.
We’d come to Fonte Da Telha, our beach, for a walk, or so he thought.
“Your hands are all clammy, and you’re very quiet. Are you feeling ok? Maybe we should go back home.”
“No.” This was it; I had to do this now before I had a coronary. He wasn’t going to say no, was he? No, he loved me. Jesus.
“David, you’re worrying me.”
I kissed him like it was going to be our last kiss, which, if this proposal failed, it was.
“Mmm, Jesus David. You can’t kiss me like that in public, baby. And definitely not when I’m wearing beach shorts.”
I put my arms around his waist to keep him close, and to hide the erection I could feel against me.
“Joel, I wanted to bring you here because this is our beach. We spent many days here pretending we were so grown up because we could come here on our own. It was on this beach that we kissed for the first time. As confused as I was about liking that kiss, I also felt very comfortable knowing I liked you. Our childhood friendship became more that day.”
“David,” he choked.
“I lost you, but then I got you back, and then I nearly lost you again out of my own fear and stupidity. Two amazing women brought us back together. They may not be with us physically, but they are with us in everything we do. Every kid I help at the Center, every cake I bake, every word you write, every minute you spend with your grandparents. It’s all on them.
We’ve had the most amazing year together. I wouldn’t change a second of it, but there is a small change I would like to make to our lives.”
I paused and took out of the hidden pocket in my beach shorts two white gold bands.
When I went down on one knee, I knew he’d guess what I was about to do, so I just said it.
“Joel Paterson, will you marry me?”
Joel gasped, and then kneeled down to my level. Our magnetic pendants joined together, as they always did when we were so close to each other.
“Yes, you... you, just, yes,” he kissed me with the promise of a life together, like there was never any doubt about that particular aspect of our future lives.
I put the band on his finger, and it looked perfect. Then I put mine on my finger and interlaced our hands.
“I lov
e you so much, David.”
“I love you too sweetheart.”
I saw a glint of something in his eyes and smiled at the man who was going to be my husband.
“Baby, we need to go home because I need to make love to my fiancé.”
“Actually,” I laughed, “we can’t.”
“Why?”
I pointed to the length of beach along the stretch of sand, “because about five-hundred meters that way, there’s a whole family waiting for us to celebrate,” I said.
“A whole family?”
“Yup. The whole lot.”
When we got close enough to the group, they all cheered and congratulated us.
I’d left the arrangements of this part of the day to my uncle, who’d become my partner in crime, and in true Portuguese fashion, there was more food than anyone could eat, plenty of drink and a lot of loud celebration.
Four hours later, the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, but the party was still going strong. Apart from Joel’s grandparents who’d gone home, everybody was still here talking about wedding arrangements.
I was chatting with Joel’s cousin when I saw him walk towards the water. I got up and joined him.
“Hey gorgeous,” I whispered in his ear as I worked my arms around his waist, “do you come here often?”
“No, but I think I’ll change my mind.”
The End
Also by Ana Newfolk
Made In New York - A Christmas Short Story
You met Max and Isaac in Made In Portugal. Now you can see how it all started.
This is a 17500 word short story that happens six months before Made In Portugal takes place.
You can purchase it on Amazon or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited.
About the Author
Ana Newfolk was born in sunny Portugal where she grew up in a small town surrounded by countryside. She has always had a deep love of reading, and ever since she can remember, her favourite presents and treats have always been books. At 20 years old she moved to the UK where she still lives in the Suffolk countryside.
In 2015 Ana stumbled across her first gay romance novel by chance in 2015, and she was hooked. This new found love for LGBT+ romance has opened a new world for Ana, and in 2017 she decided to finally listen to the voices in her head and write them down.
You can follow Ana on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or through her website for up to date news of her book releases.
As an independent author Ana is always grateful for feedback, so if you have the time and desire, please leave a review, good or otherwise on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
