Piรฑon 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 Piรฑon would like.
But when Carlos is home, they make the most of it.ย
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 Piรฑon will stick his head out the window the whole way there. Carlos is a very good driver. The very best.
When Piรฑon was small, he would fall asleep on Carlosโ tummy, lulled by the rise and fall of his breathing. Now, they cuddle up on the couch together. Piรฑon will put his head on Carlosโ lap, and Carlos will scratch his ears in the way only he knows how to.
Piรฑon loves when Carlos comes home.ย
He will be coming to visit any day now-- Piรฑon heard his tรญas talking over dinner. They said he is bringing a surprise with him. Piรฑon 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, Piรฑon!ย
Days later and it is finally time! Abuelo opens the door for him, and Piรฑon runs down the long driveway to meet him. Carlos! Itโs Carlos!ย
He smells the exact same, like pine trees and cinnamon. Itโs Piรฑonโs favorite smell! Carlos crouches down to hug him, but Piรฑon canโt keep still. Heโs too excited. He plants his paws on Carlosโ shoulder and gives him a big lick across his cheek. Carlos laughs. Thatโs Piรฑonโs favorite sound.
โI want you to meet someone,โ Carlos tells Piรฑon. Piรฑon has so much energy. Heโs already thinking of all the fun things they will do together this week.ย
Carlos stands up, and Piรฑon notices he is not alone. Is this the surprise his tรญas were talking about? This is not a toy. It is a man. He is standing straight, with his hands stiff at his sides.ย
Carlos turns to the man. โOscar, this is my dog, Piรฑon.โย
Oscar waves. โHi Piรฑon.โ
Carlos scoffs. โAye, he doesnโt bite! Give him a pet!โ
Piรฑon huffs. Carlos is right, he does not bite. He is a very good dog.ย
โRight, justโฆ nerves, you know?โ Oscar reaches down and gives him a quick scratch. He has long claws. Sharper than Carlosโ.ย
Before Piรฑon 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.ย
Piรฑonโs ears flop as he follows them inside.ย
They have dinner, and Carlos doesnโt reach under the table to pat Piรฑonโs head. He is holding Oscarโs hand under the table. He pats Oscarโs knee, rubbing his thumb over his skin. Thereโs 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 Piรฑon his scraps from his plate.
Piรฑon goes to bed early. He cuddles with his iguana and hopes Oscar is gone by morning.
But Oscar is not gone the next morning. Piรฑon overhears his abuela saying that Oscar is staying with Carlos for the whole trip.ย
Carlos takes Piรฑon hiking. But Oscar is there, and the two take up the entire trail. Piรฑon usually likes to walk right next to Carlos, but now he has to walk either in front or behind them.ย
They go to the lake, but Carlos barely joins Piรฑon in the water, too busy chatting with Oscar on shore. Piรฑon is forced to chase the ducks all on his own.ย
They go on a Sunday drive, but Oscar takes the seat next to Carlos, and Piรฑon 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. Piรฑon curls up by himself.
They park at an overlook, one where Carlos used to bring Piรฑon all the time. They would sit together on the bench, and Carlos would tell Piรฑon 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. Piรฑon would put two paws on Carlosโ 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 Piรฑon is on the ground with the bugs.
โIโm sorry. Iโmโฆ not the best with first impressions.โ
โYouโre doing great,โ Carlos says, rubbing Oscarโs leg. โMy dadโฆ heโll come around. They all will.โ
Oscar huffs, curling and uncurling his fingers. โI justโฆ I really want them to like me.โ
โPiรฑon!โ Carlos calls, and it makes Piรฑonโs tail wag. He canโt help it. โYou like Oscar, donโt you?โ
Piรฑon blinks, and his tail droops. He certainly does not like Oscar. Oscar, who takes the front seat and all of Carlosโ pats and the rest of his best friendโs time and attention.ย
โOscar, give Piรฑon some love,โ Carlos urges. โIf you rub him behind his ears, you will become his new best friend.โ Oscar moves to scratch Piรฑonโs ears again. Piรฑon moves away.ย
โItโs alright, Piรฑon,โ Oscar says. He has a strange voice. It is not like Carlosโ or Abuelaโs or anyone else he knows. He looks and acts different, too. โI justโฆ want toโฆโ
Piรฑon growls, low and scary. He doesnโt normally bark, but he lets one out just to lay down the law. He wants Oscar to go back where he came from.ย
Oscar looks surprised. Piรฑon watches his face fall. Piรฑon hates to be mean to people, but Oscar needs to know that he has overstayed his welcome.ย ย
โPiรฑon!โ Carlos shouts. He never has to use that voice with Piรฑon. He is angry. Piรฑon has been a bad dog.
They drive silently the whole ride home. Carlos doesnโt even roll down the window.ย
When they get home, Carlos and Oscar go into Carlosโ room and shut the door. Piรฑon hears them talk. Carlos leaves and talks to Abuelo. They argue. Home doesnโt feel like home should. Nobody is laughing. No one is spending time in the living room together. Piรฑon is left to curl up by the couch, all alone.
Piรฑon is woken up by footsteps. Intruder? Piรฑonโs ears stick up. He is on high alert.
But the shadows clear and the figure comes into view. Itโs Oscar. He walks very slowly. He notices Piรฑon.ย
โHey, Piรฑon,โ Oscar whispers. โSorry, Iโฆ I wonโt try anything, I promise.โ
Piรฑon tilts his head. Itโs late. The moon is high in the sky outside the living room window. His family is never awake when itโs this late.ย
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.ย
Piรฑon 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.ย
โI canโt sleep,โ Oscar whispers. โAnd I donโt want to wake Carlos up.โย
Piรฑon didnโt ask, but he blinks anyway.ย
โI justโฆ I knew this was going to be a hard sell to his family.โ Oscar rubs his face. โI thoughtโฆ if I could get one person to like me on this trip, it would feel like a success.โ
Piรฑon lifts his head.ย
โAnd now everyoneโs seen that Iโm justโฆ the complete opposite of Carlos and a total phony and that I canโt make him happy andโฆโ
Oscar takes a long breath in and out.
โI love him. I wouldnโt haveโฆ this trip has been so scary for me, but Iโm doing it because I love him.โ
Oscar loves Carlos? Piรฑon loves Carlos, too. And Piรฑon also does scary things because he loves Carlos. Carlos tells him that he is so brave every time he goes to the vet.ย
Maybe Oscar and Piรฑon are more alike than he thought.
Oscar huffs a quiet laugh to himself, watery. โIโm talking to a dog. A dog who doesnโt even like me.โ
Piรฑon blinks. Slowly, he stretches from his bed, padding over to the couch. Gently, he hoists himself on the couch and lays his head on Oscarโs lap. Oscar gives a little oh in surprise. Slowly, Oscar rubs the top of Piรฑonโs head with the pad of his thumb. Piรฑon licks Oscarโs knee. He hopes that it says sorry for barking at you earlier.
Oscar keeps talking softly about the things he loves about Carlos. โDonโt tell him this,โ he whispers, โbut Iโve always loved how you can bring up something like golf or cycling and he can just go on for hours about it.โ Piรฑon wags his tail, just a quick swipe because he is quite tired. He likes it when Carlos talks, too.
โHe talks about you a lot, you know,โ Oscar says. Piรฑonโs ears pick up. โI think he was most excited for me to meet you.โย
Carlos really must love Oscar if he was excited for him to meet Piรฑon. Carlos doesnโt let Piรฑon meet just anyone. Carlos says he saves Piรฑon for just the most special people in his life.
If Oscar loves Carlos, and Carlos loves Oscar, then Piรฑon loves Oscar, too.ย
He cuddles a bit deeper into Oscarโs lap. He can feel Oscar relax a little more under him.
โฆ
โOscar?โย
Piรฑon opens his eyes, groggy. It is still very early. The sun is not even over the horizon yet.
Oscar wakes up, too. โHm? Oh.โย
โWhat are you doing out here? I woke up and you were notโฆโ
โI couldnโt sleep. I, uh, came out here, andโฆ Piรฑon-โ
โPiรฑon came up to you?โ Carlos asks. โYou... fell asleep like that? Together?โ
โYeah, it was likeโฆ he knew that I could use a cuddle.โ
He can hear the hope in Carlosโ voice. โYou two are friends now?โ
Piรฑon licks Oscarโs leg. He can see Carlos beam from above him.ย
Oscar shuffles, patting the space next to him for Carlos to sit. Carlos sits and Piรฑon scoots so heโs sprawled over both of their laps. They both laugh softly, combing their hands through Piรฑonโs fur. It is a great feeling.ย
Maybe later they can all play together by the pond. Carlos can teach Oscar how to throw the frisbee just right to make Piรฑon run for miles. And Oscar can tell Carlos how much he loves him while Piรฑon naps between them.ย
Slowly, gently, Piรฑon falls back asleep.
He has a lovely day ahead of him.





















