An abundance of smells invades her nostrils when the doors open. A feeling of familiarity filled her chest, reminding her of a special moment with her aunt. It was a rainy, cold, and sad night. She was grounded in her room after an ugly argument with her father, one of the many times he lost his temper thanks to his closed mind. Eyes swollen, she hugs her favorite hedgehog plushie; its fluffy body gives her all the emotional support and a way to wipe her tears, which she so desperately needed. Four light knocks on her door catch her attention.

“W-who is it?” Her trembling voice was weak, and she was afraid of who was behind the door.

“It is someone who loves you so much and could not wait for the next holiday to see you.” A muffled but recognizable cheerful voice answers her question. Like a lightning bolt, the young child jumped out of the bed and opened the door.

“Auntie Augusta!” She hugs her with all her might, like a desperate duckling trying to hide herself from danger under her wings.

“Oh!” She laughs, giving her the tightest hug she could give to her loved niece. “You will be okay, my dear, you will be okay.” They share a silent moment, exchanging energies. This was exactly what she needed at the moment, an adult who cared and could protect her from all the bad things she was passing through.

The warmth of Augusta’s body was comforting her wounded heart. There was no need for words; her presence there was enough. They stayed in that position for a long time, which looked like an eternity. Im a calming tone, Augusta whispered in her ear.

“Let’s go inside, dear. So you can get more privacy.” She agrees, and they close the door behind them.

“So…” Augusta started after sitting in the single bed with her niece. “ I guess your ignorant father is the culprit for your emotional distress?

“Yes…” She wipes her tears and blows her nose with some tissues. “It is the same thing again, I am not the son he raised, but a deranged creep. Those vile words cut a deep wound in her self-esteem. Consecutive attacks from her father and the total absence of her mother made those wounds hard to heal.

“I’m so sorry, my dear. You were so brave to tell everyone about your true self. Tragically, my younger sister decided to marry someone so stupid.” Augusta caresses her hair in an attempt to cheer her up.

“Have you already chosen your name? I’m sorry if I’m being too nosy, but there is no one here that I can ask.” Augusta’s thoughts were all filled with worries about her new niece. She knew well the man her sister married, a brute zealot with an extreme vision of his beliefs, no matter who he would hurt in the process to preach about his own truth. Somehow, her young sister was charmed by his behavior and slowly became like him.

“Yes…” In a whimpering voice, Carlos, her old name, said with a hint of pride, her new name. “Carmelia…”

“That is such a beautiful name, I loved it. Do you want me to call you like this now?” The reassuring smile on Augusta’s face slowly gave her the much-needed support.

“Only…only when we are alone. I don’t want to give you any trouble.” A little smile grew on Carmelia's face. She wanted so much to be called by her chosen name, but only with some close friends could she act that way.

“Excellent, so my dear Carmelia, as a gift for your new name and how you finally discovered your true self, I bought you a gift. It’s not a big, expensive, and deserved gift, but it's one filled with my love. Wait here.” She leaves the room at a quick pace; any second she left Carmelia alone could mean trouble to the poor child. Inside the trunk of her precious car, there was a basket made of vines. With a smile, she brought it back to the room.

“Now, close your eyes, my dear. I want it to be a complete surprise.” Obediently, Carmelia closed her eyes. She could hear the door opening, and an intense, sweet smell invaded her nostrils. What could her aunt bring? The smell made her mouth water.

“Right!” Augusta sits again in the bed and removes the red checkered cloth that was covering the basket. “Open your eyes, my dear.”

When Carmelia opened her eyes, it was a sight to behold. An enormous pie was inside the basket. The pastry topping was decorated with flowers made from the same dough. Cinnamon, sugar, and ground cloves were spread through the crust, giving it a particularly delicious smell. She was speechless; it had been ages since she had such a beautiful pie in front of her. Her mother was not a great pastry cook, and lately, because of her constant arguments with her father, she was denied sweets and other little pleasures.

“Wooooow! This pie looks incredible and smells sooooo good, Auntie!” The joyful expression on Carmelia’s face made the effort to bake this pie worth it.

“Yes! I knew it was the right move since I was going to visit you today. You and I will eat all this pie together, and we will not leave any crumbs for your pesky, grumpy parents.” With the tip of her finger, she lightly touches Carmelia's nose.

“It’s going to be our little moment together, ok?” Before they started eating, Carmelia gave her Aunt a big hug. It was a perfect afternoon after such a disheartening morning. This was the first of many secret pies that they shared. A gentle smile appeared on Aurora’s face at the end of her memory, and a masculine voice brought her back to reality.

“Miss Aurora, are you not going to enter?” Athorio was already inside, holding the door open for her.

“I-I’m sorry, I was distracted by the wonderful smell that is coming from inside the house.” Her tanned cheeks blushed a little, ashamed of her daydreaming.

Inside the house, the rustic and simple appearance caught her attention. A huge reception desk in the center of the room shared the space with some comfy chairs, two leather armchairs, a big three-seat sofa, and many different single pieces of furniture. Creating together a very welcoming atmosphere.

“This is the entrance hall, where we receive all our guests. We normally receive a huge influx of guests in the harvest season. You would be surprised how many people want to experience a day on the farm.” Walking slowly, Athorio guides her through the house.

“Now we are going to enter the dinner hall, this is where the food is served for all our employees and guests. We all eat together as a big community. We follow many rules here, but the most important is to treat everyone as equals so all can feel welcomed here.” When he opens the double wooden doors, the delicious smell intensifies. A symphony of voices creates an atmosphere of happiness and comfort for anyone inside. The exuding aura of happiness from this room hits Aurora like a gentle wave in the calm sea.

It has been so long since she had a meal in such a vibrant place. Athorio guided her into the middle of the room between the two large tables, where people were eating. The dinner hall grows silent, and everyone’s attention is directed to Aurora and Athorio.

“Good night, my friends. As we discussed in our previous meeting, our dear Augusta’s niece would arrive and be the new owner of our humble ranch. I am pleased to announce that she is here. Please let us all show our usual welcoming reception to Miss Aurora.” He points both his arms towards Aurora, who tries to hide her shyness in this situation.

For a brief moment, it was like time had stopped; she could feel all the eyes looking at her. It was not a good feeling for her; she had bad experiences with this type of attention. Doubts appeared in her head, a growing feeling of panic was taking over her body, and she could hear her heartbeat accelerate. Then, surprisingly, everyone around her shouted in a heartwarming way.

“Welcome to Lasaitasuna Ranch!” A round of applause echoed through the walls of that large dinner hall. All that panic inside her just vanished, and her emotions started to take over. Tears started to fall, wetting her face, but through these tears, a big smile appeared.

“Thanks, everyone, thanks so much.” Athorio hugged, like a brother finding a long-lost sister. He gave her a handkerchief to clean her tears and guided her to the center of one of the tables.

“Now, we are going to eat and toast to your arrival. Stay here while I bring you the best food you're ever gonna eat in this town.” He smiles and leaves. Two women approach her, bringing their plates.

“Welcome again, Miss Aurora. My name is Ellena, and I am the appointed master farmer here on the ranch.” Dark hair tied up in a long spiral braid, light brown eyes, dark skin tone, wearing green overalls and a white t-shirt. Ellena approached casually, as if they were friends for a long time.

“Hi! I’m Margaret, nice to meet you. I am a rancher here. If you have any questions about farm animals or how to find a good place to take a nap, I am the right gal for the job.” Her sweet voice was like a harmonious melody, glasses with circular lenses slightly hiding her big, pretty green eyes, and charming, dark, tanned skin tone, wearing blue cotton pants and a comfortable red checkered shirt.

“Nice to meet you two, and I will need all the help you can give.” The three girls laugh in a sincere good mood. Before they could even start talking more, Athorio arrived with a plate of delicious food. 

“Here we go, Miss Aurora. I believe you are going to love the food here, so I brought everything our amazing staff cooked today. Oh yeah, who was in charge of the cooking today, Ellena?”

“Today our cooks were Flavio, Nimella, and Abello, our favorites for the job.” She gives Aurora a slight poke with her elbow. “You would see a more somber reception if it were my turn to cook.” She laughs.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, soon you will be cooking as good as Flavio, don’t give up. Now please, eat, drink, and have fun, people. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

Hours passed quickly; it had been years since she had so much fun. Ellena and Margaret introduced her to the rest of the employees, and promised to help her when she needed. After the dinner, some were assigned to clean duties, while others went to their rooms. Athorio approached Aurora once again.

“Miss Aurora, let me guide you to your room. I hope you don’t mind sleeping in Miss Augusta's bedroom.”

“Her bedroom? But my uncle is not there?” Confused by the absence of her uncle, some thoughts brew in her mind. Maybe he doesn’t like her like her father.

“He asked me to say sorry to you, miss, but to stay in the room that they shared for so many years was too much for him. He left next week after her Funeral.” Athorio's sad tone drew a picture of the situation, but she understood. She probably would do the same if she were in his shoes.

They continue to talk about her uncle Marcus, how he was a quiet person, the total opposite of her Auntie. A hard-working man who devoted a great part of his time to helping others. Augusta’s death had a big toll on his mood and health, so he decided to leave before his memories of her consumed him. After climbing the stairs, they found themselves in a long corridor with several doors. Each door had a plaque with a name written on it, and at the end of the corridor, a double door made of solid wood, decorated with a plaque that read: Augusta and Marcus's room.