What had happened?
None of this was what he expected. The Diego that Brody remembered had been accepted to the University of Texas with a full academic scholarship. He’d been a sweet, gentle soul who was a whiz at chemistry and had plans to go to pharmacy school. These images looking back at him from various social media accounts -long hair, tattooed arms- were inconsistent with those memories. But the kind eyes and the quick hands hadn't changed one bit.
In a kinder world, what would have happened to them if his parents hadn’t broken them up?
Old feelings tugged at his aching heart, but Brody shook his head. Right now, his top focus and priority had to be his nephews and the new dogs, getting them trained up as quickly as possible. They depended on him.
Brody was about to set his phone down and move on with his day when a thought occurred to him. Maybe seeing Diego again wasn't a coincidence, but a sign from the universe. In that moment, he couldn't help but feel as if it was fate bringing them together for some unknown purpose. Brody hadn't believed in signs or omens before, but this felt like more than just a chance encounter.
Could Diego help him connect to an organization that would help his charity? Would it be the worst thing to reach out to Diego and ask for an introduction?
Surely that would be okay. Right?
He couldn’t offer Diego any more than friendship, not with his broken body.
Chapter Six
Itwashardgettingused to having an eastern-facing window in his new bedroom. Maybe Nolan had been lucky enough to sleep through anything when this was his bedroom, but as the sun rose, Diego’s eyes blinked as the morning light shone into his room.Gonna need some of those dark drapes, he thought as he rolled over and covered his head with a pillow.
But now that he’d shifted, his bladder added to the conversation and let him know it wanted to be relieved. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he found his phone and noticed a new message from Nolan’s mother–just a picture of canned creamy soups, a rotisserie chicken, and a package of corn tortillas. The ingredients of a King Ranch casserole.
Diego’s face broke out into a wide smile. It was his favorite food in the world. He replied quickly.I’ll be there!
Sunday lunch at Ms. Reynolds’s house was usually around noon, and when Diego parked his car in front of her yard, both Nolan and Noah’s vehicles were there as well. Even better, he decided, as he headed inside.
There was always fun to be had when both the twins were there to entertain.
To prove his point, he heard them jabbering as soon as he entered the front door. “Oh, come on, Noah! It's Christmas, the most magical time of the year. We need to embrace the spirit and spread some joy. The more decorations, the merrier!” Nolan’s tones were already high-pitched and theatrical as he carried a large plastic tub labeled ‘Christmas’ into the living room.
Noah, Nolan’s twin brother, scoffed as he followed, carrying an identical plastic container. “You won’t be happy until Mom’s house is lit up like a blinking neon sign,” he retorted in response. Then they both noticed Diego walking toward them and grinned identical smiles at him.
“You guys never change.” Just looking at them, Diego remarked how two people who worked so hard to look different and act different were still so similar. Where Nolan’s hair brushed his shoulders in loose curls, Noah’s hair was short and tidy, and Noah wore wire-rimmed glasses instead of contact lenses like his brother. “You guys are fighting and it’s not even your house. You two don’t live here anymore.”
“I hope they listen to you. I’ve been telling them both that since they got here.” Dani Reynolds walked over and tossed her arms around Diego. She hugged him tight as she led him into the kitchen. “How are you, sweetheart? Do you want a soda to drink? I’ve got your favorite.”
Diego enjoyed how both Noah and Nolan rolled their eyes at this demonstration of affection but ignored them as he accepted his orange soda. Everyone understood Dani took a special interest in Diego because his parents lived far away, just another example of her generous nature. “I’m doing better now that I can smell that casserole cooking.”
Dani laughed, a soft twinkling sound. “I had a craving for it all week, so I thought, what better way to get all my boys together for lunch. It needs another twenty minutes to cook, so you boys go take your time and catch up.” She glanced down at her plastic containers full of holiday decorations. “You can referee the shouting match.”
Lunch was spectacular, as usual, for all its simplicity. Diego loved the homey feeling of family, eating delicious comfort foods while listening to the brothers’ chatter and light bickering. Ella and Roxanne, two of Dani’s closest friends and organizers of the End of the Rainbow Rescues where Dani volunteered, joined them for lunch as they often did. The ladies shared stories about their recent animal rescue, a pair of abandoned dogs found downtown and talked about plans for the future of their rescue organization, growing leaps and bounds every month.
Noah pushed himself away from the table first. “I can’t eat another bite. I’m so full, I might not eat until Thanksgiving. That reminds me—” Noah wiped his mouth with his napkin. “What time are we getting together for Thanksgiving? I promised Levi that we’d split the holiday between the families.”
Dani cleared her throat and looked down. “That’s the reason I wanted to have lunch with you boys today. I’m going out of town and won’t be here for Thanksgiving this year.”
The twins’ identical expressions of shock made Diego snicker. “Where are you going, Dani? Somewhere fun, I hope.”
“Phoenix. A sort of mini-reunion with some friends that I haven’t seen in a while. I’m looking forward to it. I think they call it a Friendsgiving,” she added with a laugh, then noticed her sons. “Noah, Nolan, stop pouting. You boys all have your own lives now. I’m sure you’ll find someone else to make you a turkey dinner.”
“Won’t be as good as yours.” Nolan reached out to touch her hand. “But it sounds like fun. You never do anything fun for yourself.”
Ella nodded. “That’s what I said. The woman works non-stop at her job and then with the rescue. And speaking of—” Ella stood with her plate. “You mentioned you had an extra whelping box we could use while you’re gone, right?”
Noah, Nolan, and Diego offered to take care of cleaning the kitchen mess while the women stepped into the back of the house where Dani's rescues - dogs, cats, and other animals - usually were housed. Dani had a passion for rescuing animals; it was her way of giving back to them after they had gone through so much. Diego felt good for helping Dani with this whenever they could.
“It’s gonna be weird, not having Thanksgiving here with Mom. I guess she deserves some time with friends.” Nolan washed and rinsed off a plate before handing it to Noah. “You and Levi going to his family’s house?”
“Probably. His mom makes good food, so it’ll be amazing.” Levi, Noah’s boyfriend, came from a large Hispanic family who had welcomed him with open arms. “And you guys? You should make Harrison take you out to some fancy restaurant.”
