Piñon loves the outdoors. He loves chasing rabbits and rolling around in freshly-cut grass and the feeling of mud in between his paws.
But he especially loves Carlos.
Carlos has a very special job. He drives a car around in a circle. It is a very rigorous job-- one that requires a lot of training and devotion. Carlos travels around the world to drive a car in a circle. So he is not at home as much as Piñon would like.
But when Carlos is home, they make the most of it.
Carlos takes him on the most amazing hikes, over tall mountains and across valleys that seem to go on for miles. They swim together at the lake, and Carlos will jump with him into the clear, cool water. They go on Sunday drives, and Piñon will stick his head out the window the whole way there. Carlos is a very good driver. The very best.
When Piñon was small, he would fall asleep on Carlos’ tummy, lulled by the rise and fall of his breathing. Now, they cuddle up on the couch together. Piñon will put his head on Carlos’ lap, and Carlos will scratch his ears in the way only he knows how to.
Piñon loves when Carlos comes home.
He will be coming to visit any day now-- Piñon heard his tías talking over dinner. They said he is bringing a surprise with him. Piñon hopes it is a new toy. He still has the last one Carlos brought him. It is a plush iguana. He keeps it tucked into his dog bed to sleep with every night.
...
Look who it is, Piñon!
Days later and it is finally time! Abuelo opens the door for him, and Piñon runs down the long driveway to meet him. Carlos! It’s Carlos!
He smells the exact same, like pine trees and cinnamon. It’s Piñon’s favorite smell! Carlos crouches down to hug him, but Piñon can’t keep still. He’s too excited. He plants his paws on Carlos’ shoulder and gives him a big lick across his cheek. Carlos laughs. That’s Piñon’s favorite sound.
“I want you to meet someone,” Carlos tells Piñon. Piñon has so much energy. He’s already thinking of all the fun things they will do together this week.
Carlos stands up, and Piñon notices he is not alone. Is this the surprise his tías were talking about? This is not a toy. It is a man. He is standing straight, with his hands stiff at his sides.
Carlos turns to the man. “Oscar, this is my dog, Piñon.”
Oscar waves. “Hi Piñon.”
Carlos scoffs. “Aye, he doesn’t bite! Give him a pet!”
Piñon huffs. Carlos is right, he does not bite. He is a very good dog.
“Right, just… nerves, you know?” Oscar reaches down and gives him a quick scratch. He has long claws. Sharper than Carlos’.
Before Piñon can turn his attention back to Carlos, they both walk around him back to the house. The last time Carlos came home, they had a wrestling match right there on the front lawn, before Carlos even said hello to Abuelo and Abuela. Now it seems like he needs to bring Oscar inside right away.
Piñon’s ears flop as he follows them inside.
They have dinner, and Carlos doesn’t reach under the table to pat Piñon’s head. He is holding Oscar’s hand under the table. He pats Oscar’s knee, rubbing his thumb over his skin. There’s no laughing at the table like there usually is. Everyone seems nervous. Abuelo is quiet. He looks at Oscar with narrowed eyes. Carlos is even too distracted to give Piñon his scraps from his plate.
Piñon goes to bed early. He cuddles with his iguana and hopes Oscar is gone by morning.
But Oscar is not gone the next morning. Piñon overhears his abuela saying that Oscar is staying with Carlos for the whole trip.
Carlos takes Piñon hiking. But Oscar is there, and the two take up the entire trail. Piñon usually likes to walk right next to Carlos, but now he has to walk either in front or behind them.
They go to the lake, but Carlos barely joins Piñon in the water, too busy chatting with Oscar on shore. Piñon is forced to chase the ducks all on his own.
They go on a Sunday drive, but Oscar takes the seat next to Carlos, and Piñon has to sit in the back seat again. Drives are not near as fun from the back seat. Carlos and Oscar talk the whole time. Piñon curls up by himself.
They park at an overlook, one where Carlos used to bring Piñon all the time. They would sit together on the bench, and Carlos would tell Piñon about the scary moments he had driving his car in a circle. Or about how he chose a new team, and about how he was nervous about doing his very best. Piñon would put two paws on Carlos’ legs and cuddle close. That always seemed to make Carlos feel better.
But now, Oscar is here, so it makes the whole thing less special. Now Oscar is on the bench with Carlos, and Piñon is on the ground with the bugs.
“I’m sorry. I’m… not the best with first impressions.”
“You’re doing great,” Carlos says, rubbing Oscar’s leg. “My dad… he’ll come around. They all will.”
Oscar huffs, curling and uncurling his fingers. “I just… I really want them to like me.”
“Piñon!” Carlos calls, and it makes Piñon’s tail wag. He can’t help it. “You like Oscar, don’t you?”
Piñon blinks, and his tail droops. He certainly does not like Oscar. Oscar, who takes the front seat and all of Carlos’ pats and the rest of his best friend’s time and attention.
“Oscar, give Piñon some love,” Carlos urges. “If you rub him behind his ears, you will become his new best friend.” Oscar moves to scratch Piñon’s ears again. Piñon moves away.
“It’s alright, Piñon,” Oscar says. He has a strange voice. It is not like Carlos’ or Abuela’s or anyone else he knows. He looks and acts different, too. “I just… want to…”
Piñon growls, low and scary. He doesn’t normally bark, but he lets one out just to lay down the law. He wants Oscar to go back where he came from.
Oscar looks surprised. Piñon watches his face fall. Piñon hates to be mean to people, but Oscar needs to know that he has overstayed his welcome.
“Piñon!” Carlos shouts. He never has to use that voice with Piñon. He is angry. Piñon has been a bad dog.
They drive silently the whole ride home. Carlos doesn’t even roll down the window.
When they get home, Carlos and Oscar go into Carlos’ room and shut the door. Piñon hears them talk. Carlos leaves and talks to Abuelo. They argue. Home doesn’t feel like home should. Nobody is laughing. No one is spending time in the living room together. Piñon is left to curl up by the couch, all alone.
Piñon is woken up by footsteps. Intruder? Piñon’s ears stick up. He is on high alert.
But the shadows clear and the figure comes into view. It’s Oscar. He walks very slowly. He notices Piñon.
“Hey, Piñon,” Oscar whispers. “Sorry, I… I won’t try anything, I promise.”
Piñon tilts his head. It’s late. The moon is high in the sky outside the living room window. His family is never awake when it’s this late.
Oscar walks to the kitchen. Fills up a glass of water and drinks it all in one gulp. He walks over to the couch and flops down. He buries his head in his hands.
Piñon tilts his head. He has seen Carlos look like this before, last year. When he was tired all the time. When he stayed up late with Abuelo and Caco to read paper after paper around the dinner table.
“I can’t sleep,” Oscar whispers. “And I don’t want to wake Carlos up.”
Piñon didn’t ask, but he blinks anyway.
“I just… I knew this was going to be a hard sell to his family.” Oscar rubs his face. “I thought… if I could get one person to like me on this trip, it would feel like a success.”
Piñon lifts his head.
“And now everyone’s seen that I’m just… the complete opposite of Carlos and a total phony and that I can’t make him happy and…”
Oscar takes a long breath in and out.
“I love him. I wouldn’t have… this trip has been so scary for me, but I’m doing it because I love him.”
Oscar loves Carlos? Piñon loves Carlos, too. And Piñon also does scary things because he loves Carlos. Carlos tells him that he is so brave every time he goes to the vet.
Maybe Oscar and Piñon are more alike than he thought.
Oscar huffs a quiet laugh to himself, watery. “I’m talking to a dog. A dog who doesn’t even like me.”
Piñon blinks. Slowly, he stretches from his bed, padding over to the couch. Gently, he hoists himself on the couch and lays his head on Oscar’s lap. Oscar gives a little oh in surprise. Slowly, Oscar rubs the top of Piñon’s head with the pad of his thumb. Piñon licks Oscar’s knee. He hopes that it says sorry for barking at you earlier.
Oscar keeps talking softly about the things he loves about Carlos. “Don’t tell him this,” he whispers, “but I’ve always loved how you can bring up something like golf or cycling and he can just go on for hours about it.” Piñon wags his tail, just a quick swipe because he is quite tired. He likes it when Carlos talks, too.
“He talks about you a lot, you know,” Oscar says. Piñon’s ears pick up. “I think he was most excited for me to meet you.”
Carlos really must love Oscar if he was excited for him to meet Piñon. Carlos doesn’t let Piñon meet just anyone. Carlos says he saves Piñon for just the most special people in his life.
If Oscar loves Carlos, and Carlos loves Oscar, then Piñon loves Oscar, too.
He cuddles a bit deeper into Oscar’s lap. He can feel Oscar relax a little more under him.
…
“Oscar?”
Piñon opens his eyes, groggy. It is still very early. The sun is not even over the horizon yet.
Oscar wakes up, too. “Hm? Oh.”
“What are you doing out here? I woke up and you were not…”
“I couldn’t sleep. I, uh, came out here, and… Piñon-”
“Piñon came up to you?” Carlos asks. “You... fell asleep like that? Together?”
“Yeah, it was like… he knew that I could use a cuddle.”
He can hear the hope in Carlos’ voice. “You two are friends now?”
Piñon licks Oscar’s leg. He can see Carlos beam from above him.
Oscar shuffles, patting the space next to him for Carlos to sit. Carlos sits and Piñon scoots so he’s sprawled over both of their laps. They both laugh softly, combing their hands through Piñon’s fur. It is a great feeling.
Maybe later they can all play together by the pond. Carlos can teach Oscar how to throw the frisbee just right to make Piñon run for miles. And Oscar can tell Carlos how much he loves him while Piñon naps between them.
Slowly, gently, Piñon falls back asleep.
He has a lovely day ahead of him.
