he’d been with the same woman, Katia, for almost a year now—Lucia had made it clear she was counting on Christo to marry and settle down and give her babies to dote on.
He’d never told her he had no intention of marrying because it would upset her. She would think it was her fault, that she hadn’t taught him well enough about love and family and the value of marriage. But today he felt edgier than he usually did.
And his grandmother picked up on it. “You are looking though,sim?”
“I—”Damn it, no. And he didn’t intend to.
“I had a good marriage with your grandfather,” she reminded him. “If he had lived, maybe Xanti—” And then her voice trailed off. “No matter,” she said briskly after a moment. “Xanti is who he is. But you—you will find her, Christo,” she assured him, her voice strong again. “Or I will find her for you.”
Since he’d turned thirty, two years ago, she’d been offering to do that regularly.
“Nāo é necessário,” he assured her again now.
“Alicia, she would be good for you. She is going to be a lawyer, too,” his grandmother went on as if she hadn’t heard. “So you will have something to talk about.”
Christo let her talk. He didn’t discourage her ever. He’d tried that, but it made her despondent and led to despairing comments like, “What have I done wrong? It’s not just your father who can’t settle down. Now you, too!”
“You want to meet her?” his grandmother asked hopefully.
Not really. “I’m busy,” Christo said. “I don’t know when I’ll be back to Brazil.” He was in no hurry to go down for a visit if Avó was planning to set him up with dates when he did.
“Sim, I know.” She sounded sad now. “It has been a year.”
“I’ll get there, I promise.”
“As Xanti promises.”
He heard a weary resignation in her tone. Christo’s jaw tightened. “Yes, but I keep mine,” he reminded her.
“I know you do.” Her voice was gentle. “So you will come.”
“I will,” Christo said firmly. “Before Christmas. I’ll call you in a couple of weeks and we can talk about it.”
“Of course we can. You are my favorite grandson.” It was what she always said.
“I’m your only grandson,” he reminded her with a grin.
“That is so,” she agreed. “I love you, my Christo.”
“You, too.Tchau, ’Vó. Beijos.”
He hung up, slumped in his chair and tipped his head back. Now visions of his doting grandmother overlaid those of Natalie in his mind. Avó would like Natalie. Natalie would like his grandmother as well.
It didn’t bear thinking about.
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