Chapter 14: Family Time
It is a quiet ride most of the way into Brooklyn. You plugged your iPod into her stereo moments after leaving the B&B, hit random and since then, neither of you has offered any conversation not pertaining to the drive. Allison took over the driving duties because, having been to the destination many times, she is familiar with any alternate routes that might be needed, if traffic becomes an issue. Also, it will make it easier to drop you off at the curb since finding parking near their home might be an issue.
She looks contented, but her guard is up, much like your own. It's a foregone conclusion that her thoughts are similar to yours. Reaching over the center console, you brush her arm to indicate you'd like to hold her hand. Her right hand lets go of the wheel and lowers allowing you to intertwine your fingers with hers. Then, propping your right elbow on the door you lean your chin on your hand as your eyes drift back to the landscape rolling past the passenger side window.
You admitted your feelings for her. It was so natural at the time, it felt right. Now, with the afterglow worn off, you wonder if you had acted rashly. There isn't doubt that you do love her, but telling her changes everything. It pulls her all in, and now… well, now you are both fully exposed and forced to trust one not to hurt the other.
It's only fair, you suppose. She's been on the limb since the night in her office. Time to climb out with her and see if maybe this will be the one that doesn't break.
Regret is something that is plaguing you right now. Logicly, you are sure that the two of you were not emotionally ready to be together five years ago. Despite your logic, you now feel like you've missed out; that your life didn't have to crash and burn. Maybe Amber didn't have to die. Would you have even met Amber? Doubtful that your team would have exploded the same way.
Stop it.
This line of thinking isn't healthy.
Focus on what's next. What should you do with the rest of your weekend? Splurge on a nice hotel room, order room service and have sex for two days? That could work. Then again, that isn't exactly the kind of getting to know you that you need to work on.
That and you're not twenty-five anymore and you are kind of afraid to try the little blue pill. You really love sex and you have an addictive personality. There are reasons it took you so long to graduate college and medical school, and skipping class for sex binges was just one of many distractions that got you into trouble. It's a good thing you can't get hard ten minutes after coming now, otherwise, you might never go to work or you'd go to work and never leave Cameron's office.
No, you need to take her somewhere that will help distract from both your libidos a little more. Meeting some of her family should be a good departure, at least. Maybe you should just keep heading north and visit your mother? You haven't seen her since the funeral. She'd be excited to meet Allison again. She had enjoyed teasing you about the way your young fellow looked at you and you were shocked at her for even joking about you dating your very young employee.
Damnit. Your mother was always so perceptive.
She would like to see you happy. Even if this doesn't last, it would give her some comfort to see you're making an effort to climb out of the pit you've been in since Stacy, to let her see you are managing to be sober. The two of you never spoke of your pain killer addiction, but she's no fool and you know she talks to Wilson.
"I was thinking about what we should do the rest of our weekend." You say, as free your hand from hers to turn down the music a few levels. Taking her hand again you continue. "How would you feel about taking a drive up to Lexington?"
She glances over at you with a curious look, obviously thinking about something. You are sure, given the amount of snooping you know you have both done in the other's personal life, and that she was around to help Wilson and Cuddy kidnap you for your father's funeral, that she is just about to place the reason why Lexington is ringing a bell.
"You want to visit your mother?" She makes the connection.
"Yeah, why not? Dad was the main reason I avoided visiting. She'll probably be really excited to meet you again. You can have that dinner you were hoping for last time you met her and you guys can get all girly over naked baby pictures and embarrassing stories from my childhood while I roll my eyes and drink her good scotch. You know, normal girlfriend/boyfriend stuff."
"I would like that. I'm just a little taken off guard, but in a good way." She says to you, then laughs. "You wanna hear something funny?"
"Okay?" You respond, confused at what she suddenly finds funny.
"Your mom will be my first official meeting of a boyfriend's parent since high school and that doesn't really count because my one official boyfriend, the one from my senior year that Mom walked in on me making out with, I'd known him and his family for years before we ever dated. Both Chase and Brian's folks were dead when we got together, and none of the other guys I dated or messed around with I ever really considered my boyfriend and so it never came up."
"Huh." Interesting it worked out that way for her. You can't imagine anyone's parents not adoring her. She's so nice, and pretty, and polite, and well… nice.
"We'll I'm sure Mom thinks it's never going to happen again, so it'll be a boat full of giggles for both of you. Besides, she'll remember you from the hospital. She liked you."
"Is that like the comment your dad made about you talking about me all of the time? Or did she actually tell you she liked me?" Remembering back to the look on Cameron's face when your father pretended to know about her to make a jab at you about never talking to them, puts a small lopsided grin on your lips. Fucking bastard. That little move, and the subsequent reaction, was all your mother needed to figure out there was something between the two of you beyond work.
"She gave me the ol' 'Dr. Cameron seems like a very nice young woman. I think she likes you.' wink wink, nod nod. So, yeah, she likes you."
"Interesting. Now I kinda wish I had gone to eat with you." She's teasing, of course. It meant a lot to you that she had not invaded your personal life. You doubt you would have afforded her the same courtesy, but then again, you might have. For whatever reason, she has always managed to get random sightings of your human side. That's probably why you never really could get her to push you away.
Of course, now she'll never really get to know your father. You never would have thought that would bother you, but since he has died, you've started thinking more about the times the two of you got along. He was a bastard, but you do respect him.
"I'm glad you got to at least meet my Dad. He, unlike my mother, was completely clueless about you. Thankfully. As I told you, we weren't exactly close, but I think, at least now that you aren't my employee, he would have really liked the idea. He always made it clear that I needed to find a nice woman to make an honest man out of me."
"Fat chance I or any other 'nice woman' will be able to do anything of the sort." She laughs and gently pulls her hands from yours back to the wheel. "There's our exit." She signals and exits the highway.
Fifteen minutes later she turns onto a tree lined residential street of turn-of-the-last-century row townhouses, all painted in pinkish colors ranging from light greys, to deep salmons and mauves. Each home was built adjacent to its neighbor and all had elaborate moldings adorning the doors and windows. Black iron fencing ran the length of both sides of the street between the sidewalk and the homes. Each seemed to be multi-family and had a set of stairs leading to the main floor with a door under the side of the main entrance's stoop to a ground level apartment.
Pulling up and double parking in front of one of the homes, she says "Let me drop you and the bags off. Looks like I'm going to have to park further down the block." Putting on her flashers, she pops the trunk and gets out, with you following behind her. She grabs both bags and runs to set them in front of a gate then points to the home beyond it. "That's it; seven sixty-eight A. They're not going to be home yet, so just hang here."
Jumping back in the car, she takes off down the street in search of parking and you open the gate and place each bag inside before you walk through and up to sit on the stoop to wait. A few minutes later she is back and climbs the steps past you, grabbing a bag as she does, then unlocks the door to grant you entrance.
"Wow. Swanky place." Stepping into the home you are immediately taken by the architectural style that is very similar to your apartment. The door leads into a large room with beautiful hardwood floors, warm light brown wall tones, and detailed trim and moldings. The home was either immaculately kept or recently refurbished in keeping with it's original architecture. The first room was not exactly what you'd term a foyer, it was more open than that, with sunlight pouring in from the large nearly floor to ceiling windows to the side of the door. Turning to your right, you take in the room's centerpiece, a medium grand piano, with the top fully raised, a beautiful dark nutmeg, satin finished Steinway.
"And a Steinway, no less." Dropping your bag, with a smile, you amble over to the beautiful instrument and lift the keyboard lid and poke out a quick blues riff, before closing it again. It had a warm, dark tone, more rich than your Yamaha, but you'd expect no less. It was also, thankfully, kept in tune. Not that you doubted a musician would maintain such a prized possession. 'I'll enjoy you later.' You think. Promising both it and yourself a more thorough dance.
Looking back at Cameron, she smiles at you, of course knowing how much you love walking in on such a beautiful sight. The one thing you really miss from your home is your piano. Lacking the bravery to be alone there long enough to practice it, you've been reduced to keeping up your chops on the cheap console in the hospital chapel.
"Our room is upstairs."
Taking both bags, she leads you up the stairwell opposite the main door. Good thing you aren't really a chauvinist, or you might have a problem with your girlfriend lugging your suitcase up a flight of stairs. As it is, you just enjoy the view of her ass again. You don't mind climbing stairs, other than it just is an annoying reminder of the missing piece of your thigh. It does remind you that you've been neglecting your workout routine of late, in favor of sex. Your right leg cramps for a moment forcing you to start climbing most the stairs with only your left leg.
Topping the stairs, Allison heads straight ahead into a room. You observe a hallway turns a corner to your right and runs behind you, parallel to the stairwell. Following, her, you enter a medium sized bedroom with a simple queen sized bed with no head board and a tall dresser that was worn and looked like it was likely something kept from one of their childhood bedrooms. It was much more homey and simple than the downstairs. She sets the bags down, and turning says "Let me give you the grand tour."
Walking past you into the hall she hangs a left and points straight ahead. "Bathroom. We'll share that one with the boys. So remember to knock first and to lock the door."
"Contrary to popular belief, I have been house trained." You say dryly.
Moving on down the hall she stops at the next door. "Boys' room. As you can probably tell by the bunk beds and the dirty clothes."
Stepping into the entry you assess the small messy room. "So if I need a playboy for the bathroom, my best bet is to search in there."
Raising her brows with a cock of the head, she continues toward the last door. Family pictures adorn the walls of the hallway and you pause to inspect them.
Many of the images are typical portraits of two boys, who you make the logical assumption are her nephews, at various ages. Peppered between are a few more casual images. One in particular catches your eye of a young couple with what you recognise to be the statue of The Redeemer in the background. The young man bears a familial resemblance to Allison and stands with his arm around a very lovely latina.
"Is your sister-in-law Brazilian?" You ask, wondering if there is a reason other than a simple vacation that the two would be visiting that country.
"Yeah. She and Gabe met in college. His roommate was a music major and Gabe spent a lot of time hanging out with him and went to most of his concerts. He introduced them and they ended up together. They moved to this area for grad school and decided to stay after they got married. Actually, their being here was a big factor in my moving here."
"She reminds me of the Brazilian singer Elis Regina." You mention as you continue to look at the image.
"Isn't she one of the vocalists on the bossa nova box set you gave me my first Christmas on the team? I remember thinking that one of them looked like Mariana. Oh and she really thought highly of you when she found out how I got those CDs." She says, wrapping herself around your back, curling her arms around your chest, planting soft kisses between your shoulder blades. Breaking the embrace a moment later, she continues to the last room on this floor.
"Office slash gaming slash workout room." Poking your head in you find a room slightly larger than the guest bedroom with a large computer desk topped with dual widescreen monitors next to a treadmill and some sort of fold away gym tucked into a corner of the room opposite a couch and entertainment cabinet with a wide screen TV.
She turns to point up a second staircase. "Then up the stairs is the master suite."
Returning downstairs you explore the main floor. The entry room opens into a formal sitting area with a leather sofa set and two more decorative side chairs finished in a red damask fabric. Under the furniture a large fluffy off-white area rug helps defines the space. You can't imagine the kids spend much time in this area, judging by their room. Past the sitting room you can see into a kitchen area. Just past the stairwell and living area is a powder room.
The openness of the first floor makes you lean towards thinking the place had been renovated and really well. It couldn't have been cheap, so her brother and sister-in-law must do pretty well in their professions or they have family money. A place like this, in this location, would set one back a pretty penny.
"So, where is everyone?" You ask, as you wander back toward the piano, wondering if you have time to play a few songs.
Sitting on the couch, and watching you as you make your way back to the instrument, Cameron answers. "The boys had some sort of activity this morning after which Gabe is going to drop them off at a friend's for the afternoon so we can go out and have some adult time. Mariana teaches a group class on Saturday mornings. Both should be back around in an half hour or so and then we'll go grab some lunch. You gonna to play something?"
"It'd be a shame not to. Steinways are a piece of art. They are like women, everyone is unique, and has her own voice. No two play exactly the same, and it is a pleasure to find which compositions really work her sweet spot. Some sound dark, others are bright, some rich, some thin, performers at any Steinway venue will tour their showroom to pick the one that best suits the work they intend to perform. They are still handmade by master craftsmen, so no two can ever be exactly alike."
You pull back the bench and sit down. Lifting the lid, you stare at the keys for a moment deciding what you should play. Your hands move to the keys and start improvising, not really playing any particular tune, just meandering around a few melodies you'd been working on, trying different harmonies with themes and variations.
You glance over to see Allison, with her legs curled up on the couch, her arm over the back, hand propping up her head as she listens to you with a look of appreciation and contentment. She knows you play, but this is the first time that you've ever played for her. Thinking back to your conversation in the upstairs hallway you transition a few key centers to modulate into an introduction to one of your favorite Jobim tunes, Corcovado. As you finish the turn-around back to the top of the form, you feel in the mood to sing the melody.
Um cantinho, um violão
Esse amor, uma canção
Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama
Muita calma pra pensar
E ter tempo pra sonhar
Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
O Redentor, que lindo!
Quero a vida sempre assim
Com você perto de mim
Até o apagar da velha chama
E eu que era triste
Descrente desse mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade, meu amor.
Halfway through the second section, you hear the door open and shut behind you, but you continue on. You see a figure walk past you to the sitting room in your periphery, but your focus remains on the piano in front of you. Finishing the melody, you improvise most of a chorus, singing the last refrain to close the song.
E eu que era triste
Descrente desse mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade, meu amor.
Playing out the final cadence, you slowly pull your hands up from the keys. A round of applause comes from the living area as you look up to see Allison and her sister-in-law standing and clapping. "Wow. I don't get many standing O's at home." You realise your double entendre and with a smug look add "Well, I guess I have been getting plenty of standing O's the last couple of weeks, one of which was thanks to the outstanding red dress you picked out. You have great taste in women's apparel." You address Mariana, who laughs back and you and turns to Allison.
"He is a naughty one. I like him." She says with a thick accent, smiling and laughing with your girlfriend, then turns back to you, speaking in her native tongue.
"Você cantou com um Português muito bom. Tu tens fluência ou só aprendeste para cantar essa música?
Looking nonchalant, you shrug your shoulders. "É de conhecimento geral que eu já o usei algumas vezes. Estou sem praticar por um tempo, mas eu acho que falar várias línguas é como fazer sexo. Leva alguns minutos para achar teu tempo, mas depois de algumas tentativas, é como se tu nunca tivesses parado."
"Tu deves ter um dom para isso. Línguas, quero dizer, se bem que tenho certeza de que vou ter os detalhes sobre o sexo da Allison em breve." She winks back to Allison, who smirks back. "Eu falo Inglês diariamente e ainda me sinto estranha com isso. Onde tu aprendeste?"
"Eu era de uma família de militares. Vivi por alguns anos em uma base em São Paulo. Eu peguei algumas coisas, então assim eu pude pegar algumas gatas brasileiras." You waggle your eyebrows at her.
(translation)
You sang the Portuguese lyrics well. Do you speak it or did you just learn how to sing the song?
Looking nonchalant, you shrug your shoulders. I've been known to speak it from time to time. I'm a little out of practice, but I find speaking most languages is like having sex. It takes a few minutes to get back your groove, but after a few goes, it's like you never stopped.
You must have a gift for it. Languages that is, though I'm sure I'll get the details on the sex from Allison soon enough. She winks back to Allison, who smirks back. I speak English daily, and I still feel awkward with it. Where did you learn?
I was in a military family. I live a couple of years on the base in São Paulo. I picked it up so I could also pick up hot Brazilian babes. You waggle your eyebrows at her.
(end translation)
Switching back to English, she turns back to Allison "He's as bad as my brother with the sex talk. You'll have to bring Greg over for dinner next time he visits. They can swap dirty phrases."
Mariana Cameron is a short woman, at least by U.S. standards, standing no more than five foot three inches tall and graced with a very curvy frame. Her hair was jet black and cropped short, just grazing her jaw line. Rich brown eyes light up as she converses joyfully with you and Allison about her day and what she and Gabe have planned for lunch.
A few minutes later, Gabe is home and Allison makes a quick introduction as the two of your stay true to your sex, and size one another up. He is just shy of six feet, and his stature reminds you of Wilson, even some of his mannerisms are similar. His facial features leave no doubt that he is related to Allison. They share the same eyes, nose and lips, though the shape of their jaw line differs. His sandy blond hair is cropped short, much like yours. As he reaches a hand forward to greet you, the two of you clasp the other tightly in a strong handshake. Releasing his hold right before it becomes awkward, he turns to grab his sister in a bear hug, making her squeal and hit him playfully over the back.
Putting her down he continues with a broad smile. "It's good to see you again Al. You need to visit more often; the boys especially miss you."
"I know, but it's not always so easy to get away from work." She delivers the blanket lie you've been using for years with your family. It's a convenient one to be sure.
Helping her out, you offer to take some blame. "Being on my team is often more than a full time job. Of course she's left me again for the ER, so I can't be blamed for her lack of time going forward, unless the copious amounts of sex factor in." Teasing her, you reach your arm around her, and tug her awkwardly against your side.
"Yuck. My friends keep telling me she's hot, but c'mon dude, she's my little sister. As far as I am concerned she doesn't even know about S E X." He spells out sex to make his point and tosses in a little shiver for good measure as you debate between another even dirtier remark, or just rolling your eyes now and dropping it. A quick look at Allison's smug grin makes you pause.
"Well I'll do my best to keep the screaming to a minimum while we're here then." She says.
"Again, yuck! Al!" He teases back with a stinky face and takes a seat on one of the chairs, signaling to the rest of you you should do the same. "So, nice drive in?"
The consisus for lunch is Bedouin Tent Restaurant, which according to the Camerons serves the best falafel in Brooklyn. Opting to take the bus, to avoid having to park, you all walk to the end of the block to catch the next run.
It was a pleasant ride over, filled with more sibling teasing and another enjoyable conversation in Portuguese about the day you hopped a railway up Corcovado to visit the Redeemer. You had hooked up with some local kids and just ran off for the day while you and your parents were on a vacation in Rio. Your father had not been pleased, but you left the details of that out of the story.
The restaurant was cozy and the walls were lined with elaborate red tapestries. You sit down at a table in the middle of the room and the waiter brings over water for the table and asks to take your order. Going with Gabe's recommendation, you order the falafel sandwich without even looking at the menu. The rest of your party orders and Gabe jumps back into conversation with Allison.
"Are you going to make it home for Dad's birthday this year?" He inquires as he grabs his straw and bangs it on the table to free it from it's paper sheath. Depositing it in his water glass he takes a drink while she replies.
"Nope." She answers, peeling her own straw's paper more delicately. "If he couldn't see fit to make time to walk me down the aisle, I don't think I'll be able to make the time for another life lecture over cake and icecream." She spears her water with the straw hinting to her frustration at the topic.
Raising a single eyebrow, he sits back, shaking his head at her reply. "A little unfair of you, since you ended up leaving Robert at the altar. They did end up saving big on airfare."
"That's not the point and you know it. And it doesn't even account for time I did get married." She leans forward crossing her arms on the top of the table, passing her brother a cold look.
He crosses his arms against his body, tucking a hand under each armpit. "One of you is going to have to give in Al, and it'd be a helluva lot easier if it was you."
"Except, I'm not the one who is wrong, and you know it." She reaches forward and pokes the table with her pointer finger to emphasize her point. "Since when did you become the family diplomat Gabe?"
"Since you abandoned the post." He leans forward on the table matching Allison's stance, but softens his voice as he continues. "You know, despite everything, you're still his baby and his favorite. He's just can't get over the money. C'mon Al, take one for the team." Reaching across the table he gives her a playful fist-bump on the side of the arm.
She responds by rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Yeah, that approach worked out so well last time." Collapsing back in her seat, her hand motions become animated as she continues. "And I can't take how he talks to Mom now. He would have never condoned that when were were kids. It's on him, because he raised me to expect better."
Gabe shrugs. "Yeah, I can't say that I am thrilled about that either, but she's forever the optimist. Once the business gets back on track, she really believes things will go back to normal. And she still loves him."
"And if it never gets 'back on track?' He should learn to let people help him. You think he would be happy my finances are in order, given the melt down he had over my inheritance and Brian. My offer to help pay off his debt just destroyed all of the work I did to repair the relationship. He can't have it both ways. He can't demand to exercise control over our money, then refuse to use our money when we offer it to him. He's just being a fucking martyr. I have a hard time believing he's the same guy that raised us."
You observe the exchange with extreme interest, occasionally glancing at Mariana who is listening politely to a conversation that to her is no surprise. She seems to know better than to chime in on the topic, so you take the cue from her and opt to observe and formulate a few hypotheses.
It's no secret Allison can get mad or that she can hold a grudge. But you had always assumed that she came from some sort of perfect parental situation. She's broken, not completely fucked up. It seems that, at least since her first marriage, this relationship was strained at best. It peaks your curiosity, but your gut tells you you'll get a better version of the story if you ask her later. She's revealed a lot to you simply by being willing to have this conversation around you at all.
Talk is abandoned as the food arrives. Allison jabs her fork into her greek salad as if she has a vendetta against it and proceeds to close the door on the conversation as she takes a bite and chews with equal aggression. After a few moments of eating in awkward silence, Mariana takes charge of the conversation asking you about your plans for the rest of your vacation.
"Well, I think we are going to drive to Lexington and surprise my mother. I haven't seen her in almost two years and I should get some bonus shock value points bringing home a girl." You nudge Allison with your elbow and she grins at you, trying her best not to make it look forced, but you are sure she's still brooding over her own parental issues.
"Why? Does she think you are gay?" Gabe asks, playfully.
"Well, she wouldn't be the first to think Wilson and I are a closet case." You laugh back, turning your gaze to Allison, who looks back innocently as she eats her salad.
After swallowing a bite she ask you, "Wonder if she wants in on the pool? I'd be interested to know if she thinks you are a pitcher or a catcher."
This earns her another outstretched tongue from you. Nothing like joking about her boyfriend screwing his best friend to get her out of a funk.
"Okay, I need some more details. Who is this 'Wilson' and what does playing baseball have to do with your mother swimming?" Mariana asks, and you all snicker about the double meanings getting lost in translation.
You explain to her, "Todo mundo no trabalho pensa que eu talvez tenha um relacionamento gay com meu melhor amigo Wilson. A tua adorada cunhada começou uma aposta no trabalho sobre qual de nós dois é o ativo e qual é o passivo na hora da ação na porta dos fundos. Eles ainda estão tentando descobrir uma forma de resolver a aposta. Ela está zoando que talvez minha mãe queira entrar na aposta."
(translation)
You explain to her, Everyone at work thinks that I might be having a gay relationship with my best friend Wilson. Your lovely sister-in-law started a bet at work about which one of us is the active (the top) and which one is the passive (the bottom) when is time for action in the back door. They are still trying to figure out a way to settle the bet. She's joking that my mother may want in on the bet.
(end translation)
Her eye widen and her mouth forms an 'O' as you explain. Then she breaks out laughing. "So, do you have the hot gay sex with Wilson?"
Smiling back at her you mock sincerity, "Sorry, I can neither confirm or deny these rumors. But I will say that he did buy me a ring and asked me to be Mrs. Wilson number four. I couldn't accept, but it was one of the more touching moments of our bro-mance." Bringing your hand to your heart you let out a girly and romantic sigh.
You tell them them the full story of your con job on Nora and Wilson's masterful winning move. It doesn't exactly put you in the best light, but you at least had the good sense to leave out the part about your sole purpose in acting gay was because you wanted to touch her boobs.
Gabe surprises you with a belly laugh as he playfully smacks the table. "God, now that is a great prank! I had a friend in college I would joke around with like that. I miss it. These days, between the kids and work, I'm happy to make the time to sleep." He rolls his eyes and takes the last bite of his sandwich.
As he swallows, his face lights up. "Oh, did Allison ever tell you about the time she got arrested? Now there was a prank of epic proportions!"
Arrested? Oh this should be good. How the hell did you miss that? Oh yeah, you didn't do a background check on her because she was hot. See what you missed thinking with your dick.
Looking at Allison like the cat who ate the canary, you get ready for this new piece of history. "Oh, I'm so going to enjoy this visit!" You tease, as she pushes forward her plate and lays her forehead down to the table across her arms.
Notes:
So, this is an example of how small the internet makes the world. I had this idea of basing these two characters on some good friends of mine, only I was considering a different nationality for the sister-in-law. My beta is from Brazil, and my favorite composer is from Brazil, Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim. So we starting thinking it would be super cool to use her awesome bi-lingual skills to work in her native language which is a way better idea than my using a translator app. And then I could give House an excuse to be singing some really romantic things to Cameron in one of his many languages so she doesn't really know how sentimental he's being, and it gives him a chance to show off by speaking in a really hot sounding language.
Isn't it super fucking cool that someone who just randomly read my story, who volunteered to be my beta, happens to speak one of my favorite sounding languages, that is also a language that House knows? Yeah it is. And we've just had a blast chatting and goofing off.
So thanks again astavares! We're not done having fun yet!
Some fun facts referred to in the story:
Corcovado is a mountain in Rio de Janeiro - State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and atop the mountain is the statue of the Redeemer, which is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Google it!
Also, here is a translation of Corcovado. If you don't listen to Jobim, then you should. :)
One corner, one guitar
This love, then a song
To make the one you love happy
A lot of peace to think
and time to dream
From the window see the Corcovado,
the Redeemer, how wonderful!
I want life always this way,
with you by my side until the last flame goes out
And I, who I was sad,
didn't believe in this world anymore,
when I found you I finally knew what is happiness, my love.