“...Yes, thank you.”

Andrew ended the call and pulled into the small parking lot of the 2 story multiplex, relief evident in his posture.

She hadn’t fired him after all.

Stepping out of the car with the puppy in his arms, he shut the door and took a moment to admire the complex.

It wasn’t big by any means, and compared to the other buildings in the outskirts of Earnest Province, it was as run down as one could get.

But it was their new home, and a fresh start.

On the southern part of the Eastern Central District, directly below the Reservoir of Hope, they would never see a hurricane, thick wisps of black fog, or freezing nights ever again.

He took a deep breath, letting the warm spring-like air enter his lungs as he took a step forward, towards the orphanage that finally deserved to be called Flowers Under the Sun.

Walking across the yard, he saw a few small children stop and stare at him in awe. Some he recognized, others he did not. He gave the brave ones that walked up to him a curt nod, and continued towards the central building.

Even though the orphanage had moved, the closer he got to the door, the more nostalgic he felt.

Chalk illustrations still littered the ground, the cherry tree he planted with his Abuelita years ago was excavated and planted in the center of the yard, thriving more than ever before, and even the faint hum of Latin jazz drifting from inside was the same.

It was as though they’d plopped the original right in the middle of spring.

He climbed the concrete stairs slowly as it all came rushing back.

The scoldings from his Mami came rushing back too.

She’s going to be so mad.

He hesitated for only a moment before lightly tapping the bell hanging beside the doorframe.

*DING, DING, DING*

The sound of chapel bells echoed throughout the complex as he took a step back, absent-mindedly tapping his fingers to the beat of the music inside as he waited.

Normally, he would’ve just walked in. But he’d technically never been ‘here’ before, and he hadn’t exactly called ahead. Andrew didn’t want to be scolded before even saying hello, either—affectionately of course.

The door slowly creaked open, and a short Colombian woman with salt-and-pepper hair pulled up into a messy bun, sharp brown eyes, and warm brown skin, peeked out with an annoyed look.

Clearly expecting someone else.

“¡Eche! I already told you—”

She trailed off. Slowly, she turned her head skyward and met Andrew's eyes. Her face shifting from annoyance, to joy, and then concern. 

“Ay, ¿Quibo, M’ijo?(What’s going on?), I thought you’d never show up. ¡Apúrate!”

She tugged at his arm and he followed her in, ducking his head below the doorframe and shutting the door behind him.

“Cariño(dear), Andy’s here!” She called toward the kitchen, where the music continued playing at full blast.

The older woman sighed and turned her attention back to Andrew, her eyes landing on the puppy in his arms.

“Hide that well niño—you know how your Abuelita feels about them, ¿Comprende?” 

“Sí, Mami.”

Andrew wiped his shoes on the welcome mat and slipped them off, leaving them on top of the old wooden shoe rack with familiar movements.

They even put this in the same spot.

“¡Cariño!” she called again, louder this time.

Nothing, the music continued unperturbed.

With another sigh, she disappeared into the kitchen, tapping on her wife’s shoulder.

The slightly younger Mexican woman was too busy swaying her hips to the music to notice her at first, and she jumped at the unexpected touch.

Andrew followed close behind, avoiding one of the smaller children that almost crashed into his leg. Side stepping her, he entered the kitchen and took in the sight of the space—larger than their old one—and the new furniture within it.

What attracted his attention more though, was the smell of cooking oil and freshly fried gorditas that filled the air, hitting him right in his exhausted bones and causing his stomach to growl in response.

“¿Mande?”

His Amá turned around and gave the shorter woman a clearly dissatisfied look, lowering the volume to a barely audible hum. 

She was covered in flour from head to toe, from the ends of her short brown hair to the sunflower-shaped slippers on her feet. Her faded pale green apron, worn down from years of use, had taken the brunt of the damage.

“Andy está aquí mi amor.” (Andy’s here my love)

She gave the flour-covered woman a peck on the cheek, swatting away the bits that came with it and indicated Andrew with her eyes. His Amá’s eyes slowly followed her gaze, and they too shifted from joy to concern. 

“Amá.” 

“M’ijo, ¿Qué pasa? (What’s going on?)”

“Nothing,” 

Andrew leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek as well, enveloping her in a quick hug before letting go, he made sure to keep the pup at a safe distance.

“Do I have a room?”

“¿Sí?” She eyed the dog in his arms suspiciously.

“¿Te quedas por un tiempo? (Are you staying for a while?)”

“No, ¿Dónde está el boti?(Where’s the first aid kit?)”

“Por el pasillo. (Down the hall.)”

“China cabinet?”

“China cabinet.”

He gave her a curt nod.

“Gracias.”

Andrew quickly opened the lowermost drawer, pulled out the red-and-black first aid kit, and went back to the kitchen. He sat at the dining table and gently lowered the puppy into his lap, unraveling her towel cocoon.

The 4-hour journey from the rainy cold of Sant, through the barely functional warp gate in the only Monico center in the district's major city, and finally into the ever-springs of Earnest was enough for the two of them to dry off, but just in case, he got one of the younger kids scurrying about curiously to grab him a towel.

Let me see.

Her fever had died down on the way there but she was still faint. There were a few shards of glass in her paws that needed to be taken care of, and tender bruises on her sides that needed to be salved.

Other than that, several patches of fur were matted with dirt, blood, alcohol, and even piss that needed to be washed off, and he could feel her ribcage protruding even with the dense layers of filth.

Andrew frowned as he methodically removed the glass, only easing up when the kid he sent to get a towel wouldn’t approach him out of fear.

He got up and headed for the closest bathroom he could find. Then, after an hour of scrubbing, fur cutting, and wound patching she was finally done.

It wasn’t perfect but it would have to do.

Once she was dry, he turned off the hair dryer and took away the dirty laundry, dropping it in a hamper on the back of the door and tucking the hair dryer back in the cabinet. He washed his hands, and left the bathroom.

Entering the kitchen, he snagged a gordita off the stove and took a bite. It had cooled a bit, but it was still warm enough for him.

As he rifled through the cabinets for anything dog-friendly, he felt a faint pressure at the center of his back. Tensing, he turned sharply before relaxing when he looked down.

“Mami.”

She eyed him.

“What are you looking for?”

He pulled a jar of peanut butter out from one of the cabinets.

“Dog food.”

Dogs like peanut butter… And cheese. Definitely cheese.

He opened the fridge and searched it with his eyes.

No cheese.

Peanut butter it is then.

“¿De dónde se saca el perro?(Where’d the dog come from?)”

Andrew’s shoulder twitched and he shut the refrigerator door.

“El vecino. ((My) neighbor)”

He grabbed a spoon from one of the drawers.

Her voice sharpened slightly. 

“¿Y? ¿Por qué tienes ese perro M’ijo? (Why do you have the dog M’ijo?)”

He looked her in the eye.

“I took her in.”

“Andrew.”

Her tone was calm but deliberate, goading him to continue, daring him to lie.

“Mami.”

He gave her his best pleading look. Though from the outside looking in, you could hardly tell.

Opening the fridge, she pulled out a can of whipped cream, placing it on the counter beside her. Her hand lingering on the can.

“I trust you niño,"

She opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a small bowl.

“Pero, ¿Hay algo que me estás guardando? (Are you keeping something from me?)”

He hesitated. She could always tell when he was hiding something.

“I took her.”

“Andy.”

“She was being—”

“No me importa por qué lo hiciste. (I don’t care why you did it.) You stole, Andrew.”

He silently rubbed the spoon handle between his fingers.

“Cuántas veces te lo he dicho— (How many times have I told you—)”

“‘Tu nariz se caerá si la metes en los asuntos de otros.’(your nose will fall off if you stick it in other people’s business.) 

His Amá entered the room, water dripping off her hands and face as she finished the other woman’s sentence.

“Tu favorito.”

His Mami glared at the other woman, who quickly raised her hands defensively before grabbing a rag and wiping herself dry.

Andrew looked to her, begging for backup with his eyes.

“Ay, don’t look at me, M’ijo. Listen to your mother.”

“Amor.”

His Mami sharply cut her off.

His Amá grabbed a paper towel and hummed a soft tune as she unassumingly stepped just outside the room to dust off one of the already polished flower vases.

“...”

Neither of them said anything.

His mother sighed. She filled the bowl with the hostage whipped cream and handed it to him.

“... Go do what you need to do, M’ijo. But keep that in mind.”

“Sí.”

He accepted the bowl and swiftly made his exit before she could change her mind.

“That boy.”

She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her wife re-entered the kitchen and placed her hands onto the woman’s shoulders, gently kneading the tension out of them.

“Perdónalo, cariño.” (Forgive him)

“You–” she bristled, but let out an indignant huff instead.

Her wife chuckled lightly and kept rubbing her shoulders.

____

The next few days flew by quickly.

Andrew spent half of his time monitoring the puppy’s health, catching up with his family, or talking to some of the volunteers. The remaining half was spent fixing things around the house that the trio of tiny old ladies and army of children couldn’t quite manage on their own, as well as becoming the number one jungle gym in the entire multiplex.

In fact, he was playing the part of a tree right now as well.

“Eh, M’ijo, are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer?”

Andrew readjusted his balance as another kid joined the Andrew climbing union.

“I don’t want to bother you, Amá.”

“That’s ridículo, M’ijo.”

She gave him a reassuring smile, and 3 small voices chimed in as well.

“¡Ridículo!”

“¡Ridículo!”

“¡Ridículoooo!”

She peeled them off one by one, scolding them for being rude before sending them inside and handing him the dog carrier.

“You can stay longer.”

He returned a polite smile, lowering his arms now that he was free and accepting the case.

“I’m on a schedule, and Abuelita will enter an early grave if I stay.”

She swatted him.

“No hables cosas malas a la realidad. (Don’t speak that into reality.)”

Abuelita, who was deathly afraid of dogs, was sending him off from behind a pillar, surrounded by the three stooges from before. Meanwhile, his Mami gave him an apologetic look, ducking into the kitchen to get the old lady a glass of water.

His Amá looked back as well.

“She’s just a scaredy-cat. The dog's muy chido.”

Shaking his head, he wrapped his Amá into a hug, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before calling into the house.

“¡Chao, Mami!

She poked her head out from the kitchen and handed his Abuelita the glass of water.

“Ay, take this with you.”

She carelessly threw something in his direction like used trash, and he caught it just before it managed to hit his Amá in the head.

“Para el perro. (For the dog.).”

It was a leash set.

“¡Chale! You almost hit me!”

His Mami gave her an apologetic look.

“Lo siento, amor.”

While they went back and forth with playful banter, Andrew took the chance to slip away. Walking towards the new van parked a little further away than his own vehicle, he observed it silently before moving to the other side.

He placed the carrier in the passenger seat and secured it with a seatbelt before tossing the leash set to the side. He looked at the multiplex one more time, gave the young beagle one last glance, turned on the car, and took off.

November 21st 5 AM.

It was the day he and Julien would meet for the very first time, and one month before their lives would change forever.

____

“Hey.”

He was abruptly awoken by the sound of Julien’s groggy voice as the young man walked down the stairs.

The red-head glanced at the kitchen counter, frowned, then sighed before turning in Andrew’s direction.

I guess it’s time.

The young man shuffled over, his hair poking up in every direction.

“You know there’s a TV right there right?.”

Andrew glanced at the TV.

“I don’t watch TV often.”

Julien yawned and plopped down on the nearby couch, sinking into it before readjusting into a more comfortable position. His eyes fell to Andrew’s neck and a flicker of exasperation flitted across his face.

“Alright,” 

He crossed his legs.

“Let’s talk.”