My name is Matthew
My name is Carlos
I met him on vacation
I met him at the airport
He was smoking a cigar
He was crying in the corner
He asked me what was wrong
He asked me to go away
He didn't go away
He didn't tell me what was wrong
But he let me finish my tears
But he let me stay
I asked for his name
He said his name was Carlos Machado
He said his name was Matthew Williams
He offered me a hand up
He took my hand
We walked out of the bathroom together
We walked out of the airport together
I said my family had forgotten me there
I said he could stay at my apartment until he could go home
Two days went by
Two weeks went by
We called the police
We asked for help
They put me on the (local) news
They put him on their (local) website
Carlos said we should try to reach out to my family by ourselves
Matthew said I could put up a website
Two more days went by
Two more weeks went by
I got a job to start help pay Carlos's rent, since I lived there too
I started working harder, trying to make my website more popular
My job at the Resort was paying well
My website, FindingMatthew, started increasing in followers
Carlos said he would open a donating on his website in case we had to fly to get me home
Matthew said he got a raise at work
Two more days went by, again
Then nine days went by
Carlos asked me if I wanted to get some Ice cream with him
Matthew said yes, and my heart leaped
He paid for my maple flavored cake cone
He talked about his dysfunctional family
It happened when we were walking home, on the beach
It was a classic Cuban sunset
He reached for my hand
He held my hand
I was sure Carlos was blushing a bit
I blushed even deeper when Matthew said he had a good time tonight
He said goodnight and went to sleep on the couch, since he let me have his bed
Lying on the couch, I realized something
I loved him
Two more weeks went by
We were dating
Carlos had some great news
Matthew had some great news
He had some twenty eight thousand nine hundred forty eight followers . . .
His boss had switched resorts . . .
And thirty one thousand four hundred and twenty seven dollars!
And promoted him the new manager of the entire resort!
I started making so much money
I started getting advertisers on my website
We moved out of our apartment
We bought a condo
Two weeks went by
And another
Carlos was wonderful
Matthew was amazing
I quit my job and focused on my website so I could raise awareness about Matthew
My job was going perfect
It was now our bed
It was now our home
It was now our life
Four months later
I laid my head against Carlos's shoulder while watching a movie
I hung my arm around Matthew
The movie was interrupted by an emergency broadcast
My face went white, could this be . . .
"We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for the following newscast."
I looked over to Carlos
I nodded, and Matthew's eyes widened
"While on vacation with his family, nineteen year old Matthew Williams was lost to his family in the airport before their return flight. He has been missing for two hundred and nine days, and was filed a missing person by his family one hundred and ninety four days ago.
"His father, Francis Bonnefoy, a well-known politician in France started searching immediately after the filed MIA. Though even with his best efforts, Mr. Bonnefoy had no leads as to the where bouts of his son."
My eyes glazed over when an interview of my papa began to play
My eyes glazed over when I saw how happy Matthew was
"Mr. Bonnefoy, how is it that you did not call the police the minute you realized Matthew was missing?"
The man on the screen was quiet, looking into his lap.
"I did. Mathieu was always such a quiet boy . . . I did not realize he was gone until zhen," said Francis, and a tear was visible sliding down his cheek.
Francis really forgot about Matthew?
"Oh, papa," I whispered, holding my hand up to my mouth
I hugged Matthew, and let him cry on my shoulder
"Matthew," Carlos said to me, "You'll get to go home now, the thing we've been working at for all these months,"
I let my words sink in
"But, then would I never see you again?" I said
I hugged Matthew tighter
It was then that I realized that I didn't want to be found, I wanted to stay in Cuba
It was then that I realized I had enough money to send Matthew back home months ago, but I didn't
Tomorrow passed
A week passed
I secretly began deleting my files at work
I began sending my donations back
I was caught, but I explained my situation
My followers just sent the donations back again, and demanded why I was doing this, so I explained
My coworkers began deleting more of my files with me
My followers sent even more money
Carlos woke me up this morning
I was yelling at a sleeping Matthew to come to the window
On our lawn we tons of signs and presents and people
Tons of people, all yelling "Don't make Matthew go! Don't make Matthew go!"
I nearly cried from happiness
We started walking down to greet them
I walked outside, and everyone cheered
They were cheering so loud, it sounded like a plane taking off
"Stay in there! They can't make you leave!" I recognized my employees from work
"Use those dollars to buy an electric fence, Carlos!" a policeman yelled
I did cry
Our followers had been in our lawn for a week when they came
Three big black SUVs rolled down the street
By now I was the biggest story worldwide
I was surprised they hadn't come the day we went viral
Out of the first and third car some men in suits
Bodyguards
The police stopped them from approaching the house, and where I was on the front steps
I stepped in front of Matthew, blocking him from the people who were going to take him away from me
The second car door opened
Out of the second car stepped out a tall man with dirty blonde hair and a cowlick
Alfred . . . I went further behind Carlos
Matthew hid behind me, gripping onto the back of my shirt
I peeked from behind my love, seeing another person emerging from the car
A short blonde man with huge eyebrows stepped out next
Father
Then a familiar Frenchman with long blonde hair came out of the SUV
Papa . . . ! Please, don't take me away!
The Frenchman, Matthew's father Francis, started looking frantically through the crowd
Papa's eyes met mine
"Matthew!" Francis yelled, pushing through the crowd
Papa was coming for me, but our followers blocked him off
I saw two of the international followers I spoke with, Feliciano Beilschmidt-Vargas and Ludwig Beilschmidt-Vargas, slam into him
Somehow, Papa was managing to break through the crowd
Matthew's father was now in front of me
The only one standing between me and Papa was Carlos, thank god
"You, you are my son's amour, Carlos is it?" I nodded to the man
"S'il vous plait, may I speak with him? Mon petite Mathieu?" begged Papa to Carlos
I looked over my shoulder to Matthew
I nodded
I stepped aside, and for the first time in eight months father and son reunited
Papa rushed up to me and hugged me
Matthew started crying
"Please don't make me leave Papa, please." I said to my Papa
"I will not! Your supporters have persuaded me enough, mon Mathieu," said Francis
"Thank you, thank you, thank you . . . ." I cried, hugging my Papa tighter
They cried in eachother's arms
Two weeks passed
Two months passed
I was wearing a white suit
I was wearing a black tux
I walked down the aisle with Papa on my arm
My heart melted
It was now time to exchange the vows
We had worked so hard on this together
"My name is Matthew,"
"My name is Carlos,"
"I met him on vacation . . . ."
The End