Two weeks had passed since Candado met with Hachipusaq, and today was also the day Héctor was returning to the village. He was lucky Candado had taken notes for him during his absence.
Candado sat beneath the great tree in the village square. Someone had finally had the idea to place a bench there.
While waiting for Héctor to appear, he couldn't help but dwell on what Hachipusaq had told him about death. He knew better than to trust the words of a stranger, and yet, something deep within urged him not to dismiss her phrases so lightly.
The woman’s body language had unsettled him. She spoke and moved with such confidence, as if she'd known him his entire life. And yet, she also knew how to conceal just enough—her subtle gestures, her carefully chosen words betrayed that there was something she didn’t wish to reveal. Candado hadn’t been able to figure out what.
"Death, pain, despair," he muttered to himself.
But those words weren’t only in his head. There was more. Hachipusaq knew Hammya. She spoke of her as if she were someone to be deeply trusted.
“Hammya Saillim…”
Months earlier — [Memories of Hammya]
“I never knew my parents, but there was a man who raised me.”
(Not by blood—still a father.)
“I walked all the way from Entre Ríos to find you and the Barret family.”
(Walked? She must’ve had help along the way.)
“One time, while I was playing in the garden, it started to rain. I went inside, but he wasn’t home—he was in a clinic. That’s when I found an open room. Curiosity led me in. At the back, there was an old wooden chest. I opened it and found many medals and a certificate. I couldn’t read most of it, except for one sentence I’ve never forgotten: ‘Monsters are human, and humans are monsters.’”
(Medals and a certificate… and Azheret.)
“Everyone’s waiting for you at home.”
(She said that, when she saved me.)
Now.
Candado placed a hand on his neck. He remembered how Hammya had stopped him from taking his own life. His heart pounded hard at the memory of her.
“I don’t understand… The Rueda hid from us for five years. He died of cancer. He bore the symbol of Azheret… Who—or what—is she? She’s stronger than me. Her DNA isn’t human, not even close. There’s something living inside her. The Baris fear her when that entity awakens… and Tínbari, Amabaray, Slonbari, and Yanmabaray… they either don’t know, or they’re hiding it from me.”
He rested his head on his fists, his thoughts tangled and directionless.
“Slonbari’s story about the creation of their planet… he mentioned the children of Keplant. One of them was named Hammya. I know she’s not human… but to think she’s from there… it would be madness. Madness… but not impossible.”
He leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes with a sigh.
“I guess I should stop thinking about it… I’ll just wait until she’s ready to tell me.”
“Well, well…”
Candado opened his eyes.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Héctor,” he said, standing and embracing him. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” Héctor replied, stepping back from the hug. “I’ve got so much to tell you.”
“Save it for later. Let’s go home.”
Candado grabbed his friend’s luggage.
“I can carry it myself…”
“Rest. Let me.”
Héctor sighed.
“Fine, whatever…”
“What happened with that call? I thought your parents were going to pick you up.”
“Truth is… I wanted to surprise them.”
“Well, that’s unusual.”
“So? How did it go?”
“With her? Same thing I told you over the phone—that’s what happened.”
“I can’t wait to hug her.”
“Your girlfriend’s going to be jealous.”
“I can’t wait to kiss her.”
“Alright then…”
“By the way, did someone new arrive?”
“Oh, you must mean Miss Park… sorry, Pak Sun-Hwa.”
“So she came…” Héctor sighed, resigned. “And?”
“I accepted her.”
“Knew it… Wait, what?!”
“I said I accepted her.”
“Did you lose?”
“No, it was a win. Her way of fighting wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad either.”
“Huh… wow.”
“In the end, I tortured her a bit with my suffering, and she still stood… pitifully.”
“Oh, wow…”
“Even so, she was brave. Like a bacterium facing a god.”
“Arrogant.”
“No, just… that’s how it was.”
Héctor sighed again.
“Well, at least it wasn’t a bad idea.”
Candado walked him home. As they reached the door, it swung open and Henry appeared.
“Oh, just in time.”
“You bastard! How’s it going?” Héctor exclaimed, hugging him. “My gloomy friend—how have you been?”
“Héctor, I was looking for you,” said Henry.
“What is it, Henry?” asked Candado.
Henry swallowed hard, dug into his pockets, and pulled out two envelopes.
“A letter?” they asked in unison.
“Yes… it’s from…”
“From…?”
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“You might want to sit down for this.”
“Speak,” ordered Candado.
“Lila Cárdenas.”
Candado and Héctor froze. Silence fell between them, like the bitter aftertaste of something hard to swallow.
“Hey… I’m sorry, but you know what this means.”
Candado covered his face with his left hand as Héctor placed his own gently on his shoulder, staring blankly at the floor.
“Well… I get that Lila is a strange person,” Candado muttered.
“Terrifying,” Héctor added.
“Annoying,” Candado concluded.
Henry scratched the back of his neck.
“Well, my little cloud… thanks for the bad news,” Candado said, resigned.
Henry smiled faintly and walked away.
“See you, friends.”
“If God wills it…” Héctor replied as a farewell.
Candado picked up Héctor’s luggage and stepped inside the house.
“Let’s go.”
“Candado…”
“Your home is my home.”
“Yes, but… Never mind.”
Candado climbed the stairs, entered Héctor’s room, and found Belén sitting on the bed, reading a braille book.
“Mmm? Mom, is that you?”
“No. It’s me.”
Belén closed the book, got down from the bed, and walked toward the voice.
Candado dropped the bag beside the bed and opened his arms.
Belén reached into the air, her fingers brushing his. The moment she made contact, all caution vanished—she leapt into his embrace.
“I told you not to do that.”
“Because it’s dangerous… but I know nothing will happen.”
Candado lifted her up, and seeing Héctor behind him, gave him a quick signal to enter the room quietly.
“I hear something…”
“No. Well… yes.”
“You know you can’t lie to me, right?”
Candado went silent for a moment, watching Héctor tiptoe slowly, absurdly careful not to make a sound. He rolled his eyes.
“So… will you talk?” Belén asked.
Candado grabbed Héctor by the collar and yanked him into the room.
“Waaaaaah!”
“What!?” Belén startled.
“Surprise! It’s your brother.”
Héctor stumbled and crashed to the floor.
“Héctor? You’re here?”
“Ah, yeah… it’s me. Your brother.”
Candado set Belén down, and she stepped toward her brother with a glowing smile.
“Hi, princess.”
Belén gently ran her fingers across Héctor’s forehead.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I missed you a lot.”
“I missed you too,” Héctor said, wrapping her in a soft hug.
“Sorry I couldn’t come before.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re here now.”
Candado slipped out silently, leaving the siblings alone.
“Good,” he murmured, satisfied.
As he stepped out of the room, he found himself face to face with Laura.
“You know, you’ve got two options right now: either I lift you up, or I lift Héctor.”
(Héctor… I don’t know if your mother is dumb, deaf, careless, or all three. With all due respect, I refuse.)
Before he could react, Laura scooped him up under the arms and hoisted him into the air.
“I missed doing this so much!”
“Fine, do whatever you want,” Candado replied, eyes utterly dead inside.
A minute later, she set him down.
“Your son’s in his room,” he said, fixing his clothes.
“Really? Really?”
“…Yes.”
Laura burst into the room like a hurricane.
“SON!”
“MOM?!” Héctor gasped.
“I MISSED YOU!”
“I missed you too, but don’t shout…”
“Up! Come hug your mother!”
“Wait—woah!”
Candado smirked as the yelling continued behind him and descended the stairs.
“Well… good luck, Héctor.”
Laura came out a moment later, carrying Héctor in her arms.
“Candado, I spoke with your mother. She said to go see her—she has something to tell you.”
“Uh… How did she know I’d be here?”
“What are you talking about, sweetheart? She’s Europa Barret. Did you already forget?”
Candado sighed.
“See you later, Mrs. Ramírez. Héctor.”
“See you.”
“Candado, wait—!” his friend called after him, panicked.
But he’d already shut the door behind him.
“Poor Héctor,” thought Candado as he stepped outside.
As instructed, Candado returned home. As he walked, his thoughts wandered to what his mother might want to tell him. Was she going to congratulate him for something? Scold him? The thoughts of Europa Barret were, by his personal estimate, 100% indecipherable. Just like his father's. Just like his late sister's. The only person whose mind he could read without fail was Karen—simply because she didn’t know how to keep secrets... or didn’t even try.
“Heavenly love and Isidro... please don’t let it be something bad,” he muttered to himself before opening the door.
“Mom, I’m home.”
Europa emerged from a room to his right.
“Hello, you’re back early.”
“How did you know I was at Héctor’s place?”
“Not just that. I also know Héctor came back.”
“What? How? When?”
“Today. Judging by your crumpled gloves and the slightly deflated left side of your pants, I’d say you were carrying a suitcase. You smell like orchids—the same perfume Héctor wears. He’s the only one who still uses his mother’s fragrance.”
“That could’ve been me. I wear your perfume too.”
“I would never in my life wear anything that smells like orchids,” she said, stepping closer. “Besides, the marks on your lower back match the benches at the square, which means you were waiting for someone. And knowing you, the only person you’d wait that patiently for is Héctor. Everyone else is already here.”
“That’s… debatable.”
“I’m afraid not. Last night, you were on the phone with someone. And today, you were at the square—not resting. Waiting.”
Candado opened his mouth to reply but gave up. He closed his eyes and sighed.
“I was right,” Europa celebrated with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah… What did you want to tell me?”
“Everyone’s in the living room. Go.”
Candado walked toward the sitting room.
“Oh… quite the crowd.”
Clementina and Hammya were seated at one end of the couch, leaving the middle spot for Candado. Hipólito sat next to Grandma Andrea, and of course, Karen was on the floor.
Candado dropped into the empty space between the girls. Karen, without a word, climbed onto his lap.
“All right, my dear,” Grandma Andrea cut in with a firm voice. “Tell us why we’re all here.”
Europa cleared her throat and reached out to her left. Her hand was taken by none other than Arturo.
“The truth is… Arturo and I have some big news.”
“What kind of news, lovebirds?” asked Candado, raising an eyebrow.
“I promise you’ll be surprised, Candado,” said Europa with a mysterious smile.
“I highly doubt that, Mom,” he replied, skeptical.
Europa gently placed a hand on her stomach before speaking:
“I’m pregnant.”
“Shit... she was right,” Candado muttered under his breath.
“WAAAAAAAH!”
Everyone except him screamed. The room erupted in cheers and happy tears. Everyone was celebrating the wonderful news. Everyone… except Candado, who only offered a faint smile, gently patting his thighs so as not to disturb Karen, still nestled in his lap.
“Well… I guess I’m going to be a big brother,” he said, with a mix of surprise and resignation.
“You already are a big brother,” Hammya teased with a sly smile.
Karen slipped off her brother’s lap and ran to hug her mother.
“Up,” she said, raising her little arms.
Europa lifted her tenderly.
“You’re going to be a big sister too.”
“Karen happy if Mommy happy.”
“Awwww…”
The room brimmed with joy. Colors, laughter, emotion… everything seemed to glow. A new life was on its way to the Barret family.
Yet, in the middle of all that happiness, Candado rose silently and left the room. Only Hammya noticed his absence. Without a word, she quietly followed him.
Candado climbed the stairs and entered his bedroom. He turned on the light, opened a drawer, and pulled out a white candle and a lighter. He lit the candle and placed it before a framed photograph of Gabriela. Then he turned off the light and sat down at his desk, gazing at it.
“All right... I don’t usually do this out of the blue, but today’s an exception,” he said with a nostalgic smile.
“Mom’s pregnant. And I guess that means I’ll have more than just Karen to look after… there’s another life now.”
Just outside his door…
Hammya had stopped right in front of his room. She was peeking in discreetly—until a voice startled her:
“What are you doing?”
“Ah! Clementina… shhh.”
Both of them peered through the small crack in the door.
“Oh… I see,” whispered Clementina.
“You do?”
“Candado is talking to Miss Gabriela,” the android said softly.
“It’s just a photo…”
“It’s Gabriela’s photo.”
“…For now… let’s listen.”
Inside the room...
“You know, I think I’m starting to understand how you felt when they told you you’d have a sibling. I didn’t get it when Karen was born… but now I do.”
He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Someone else moved in here. A girl. She’s twelve, and her hair is green… like a wild tree. Her name’s Hammya Saillim.”
“Still with that…” Hammya whispered from the doorway, clearly annoyed.
“Not only is her hair strange, she is too. She’s stubborn, doesn’t listen, na?ve, headstrong, defiant. She pokes her nose into things that aren’t her business, never knows when to shut up, doesn’t understand what ‘no’ means, insists on everything, and to top it all off, she won’t stop sneaking into my room.”
“Clem…” Hammya whispered, lowering her gaze. “I want to cry.”
Clementina gently stroked her head.
“But, despite all those flaws… I like that about her.”
Hammya’s face lit up with astonishment and emotion.
“Interesting,” she whispered, relief washing over her.
“Looks like there’s more,” Clementina murmured.
“I don’t get it,” Candado continued. “I don’t know why, but every time I try to push her away, she stays. She holds her ground. She’s kind, determined, brave… sweet, smart, and… pretty.”
“Oh, dear,” Clementina said, placing a hand over her heart.
Hammya froze at what she had just heard. Her expression was a mix of surprise, tenderness, and restraint.
“I think… if you were still here,” Candado went on, looking at the photo, “you would’ve really liked her. You might’ve even been great friends.”
He leaned forward onto his desk, resting his head on his arms.
“She saved my life… and gave me the push I needed to move forward.”
“I miss you so much, Gabi,” Candado whispered.
Outside, Hammya gently closed the door without making a sound. Clementina, still beside her, watched her with curiosity.
“I thought you’d hug him,” the android said, tilting her head.
“It’s better this way… Candado needs to be alone,” Hammya replied, her voice thick with emotion.
“Even so… are you really okay?”
Hammya remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
“No. I’ve been holding back, trying not to force him to face his feelings too soon. I just have to wait for the right moment.”
“If you say so…”
Hammya crossed her arms, frustrated, and murmured:
“Ugh… I really want to hug him,” she groaned, her voice somewhere between a sigh and a plea.
