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“An errand,” she mouths back, putting up her fingers in air quotes.
“He has a girlfriend,” I reply silently.
Her response is the pucker of her lips and a stern look. Then she waves me off before saying, “Sure,” under her breath.
A few minutes later, Xavier hands Cleo her phone back. “I put all the safe clubs and bars in the area. I also installed a location app just in case you need us to pick you up so that we know exactly where you are. Put your hand on top of your drink at all times and always get into a car with Gael.” He motions to the driver.
“Okay, dad,” Cleo tells him.
He laughs in response.
Xavier cares about the twins; it hits me after he speaks. We’ve never had a man in our lives that truly cared and the fact that Xavier could be that for them, friend or not, makes me feel warm on the inside.
I feel myself smile at the thought.
It’s not fair how perfect he is.
The car stops, and I look out the window at the sun setting.
“Obrigado, Gael. Você pode nos buscar em cerca de uma hora,” Xavier says to the driver before opening the door to get out. I assume this is our stop, so I reach for the handle, but Xavier beats me to it. The door slides open and Xavier holds his hand out for me to take it.
“Ready?”
“Yep.” My feet hit the dirt beneath me, hesitation still very present in my mind.
Once I’m fully out of the car and I’ve made sure everything I need is with me, I look up. A gasp leaves my lips. There it is,Cristo Redentorin all its glory.
He’s staring at me with a small smile on his lips.
“We have to get up there before the sun sets,” he tells me, dragging me with our hands connected. We get a few steps in before Cleo rolls down her window.
“Have fun!” she yells out, with a tone that doesn’t require me to turn around to see her cheeky expression.
But I don’t care. I’m too busy staring at the statue in awe. It’s bigger than I thought.
We walk up through some dirt before making it to a little metro station. I’m guessing it will take us up.
“We have to hurry before they close. Once we get up there, they can’t force us down.” He tells me to step onto the platform, pulling me along with him. The doors close behind us. Nobody’s here but us. Both of us take a seat on one of the beige benches.
Then the car starts moving and so does our ascent up the mountain.
“Why did you decide on this in the afternoon?” I question.
“Well, first, we’re only going to be here for another few hours, which means you won’t be able to see the staple of the city. I think you’ll like the view at this time of day. It’s my favorite time to come.”
“Do you come a lot?” Interest takes hold of me.
“I used to. I moved here when I was getting better at karting. I was winning big amounts of prize money, so I brought my mom along with me. I like to come up here and think when the sun’s setting, it clears my mind.”
I listen attentively.
“When we were in São Paulo for the majority of my childhood, my mom wasn’t making enough money for us to live on. I knew from an early age that I would have to work to support both of us in any way I could. If that meant stealing candy from our local convenience store, I would do it with no hesitation.” He laughs at the memory. “Then I would spend my days after school selling it on the street. I won’t lie, I made a pretty good buck with this face.” He flashes me a grin.
I feel sadness taking over me as he continues.
“I would spend every day trying to get an education then selling candy on the street and occasionally go-karting. The day I stopped selling sweets to people was the day my mom went to beg my dad for money. I was just having fun on the little grid with my friends. Once I was done driving my cart, a man approached me and asked me my name as well as how old I was. At first, I was freaked out because I thought he was going to kidnap me. He didn’t. Instead, he took me to the café inside the building. I remember him buying me a sandwich and juice. He started off the conversation friendly and then started dotting on my karting skills. One thing led to another and then my mom got back from a few cities over. The man talked to my mother about the talent he believed I had; she was hesitant at first. Until she realized he knew what the fuck he was talking about.” He pauses.
“Soon after, he became my savior all in one. He became my trainer, sponsor, and eventually my stepfather. Having saved my mom and me allowed me to be a child in some capacity. We moved here when I was sixteen. I was already out of my kart and ready to jump into Formula 3. Then he passed away.” Xavier’s voice breaks a little before continuing.
