CAMILO

"Great. It's decided. We'll go here next." Bruno declares and rolls up our map with a smile. The lot of us sit gathered in a circle on the grass, under the shade of some trees on the side of the road. A quick respite for us before moving on again.

Al leans back, hums, and purses his lips, his gaze taking on a distant stare. "That means we should arrive there on . . . late Tuesday, you think?"

"Hm. Yes. That sounds right." Bruno shrugs.

Al sighs and looks at Sofia. "Well, that's not ideal. But at least we'll be able to do something in a city next weekend."

"Right." Sofia and him both nod.

I squint at them, lost at the turn, and glance at Bruno, who appears just as confused. "Is there something special about next weekend?"

Like a holiday I've missed?

Sofia and Al both perk up. "Oh! It's our birthday on Monday."

"Sixteenth, to be exact." Al smirks, pointing a finger at me.

"What!" My jaw drops so hard and fast I could swear it hit the floor. "You mean . . . You guys are older than me?"

I can't stop myself from my raising my voice.

Sure, it might only be by a few months, but up until now, we were on equal footing. At least in my head.

Sofia grins. "I guess so, if your reaction says anything." She snickers.

I gawk at the two of them, my head swimming through a loop of unformed questions, mixed in shock.

My girlfriend . . . She's older than me.

Al too.

Meaning, I'm the runt?

No!

"Aw, don't worry, hermanito," Al coos in the smuggest, teasing tone. "Your big brother will always look after you."

He and Sofia burst into a fit of laughter.

I scoff and roll my eyes.

Terrific.

I'll never live this down.

Ever.

Not so long as I draw breath, forever cursed to be younger than them.

Shaking my head, I glance up at the chuckling twins. Sofia and I make brief eye contact, and in that moment, I realize something important. More important than the days of taunting I've no doubt got waiting ahead.

My girlfriend's birthday is coming up in a few days, and so far, I've got nothing planned.

Night falls and panic starts to set in.

I've spent hours since the revelation trying to come up with something, anything, that we could do with our current travel plan, with no real success.

Of course I could just do something simple. Take the easy route and insist I'll do something bigger on the weekend, when we'll have more access to things. But where would be the fun in that?

It's Sofia's first birthday we're celebrating together, after all. And if there's one thing Papi drilled into my head when I was younger, it's that firsts for women are always supposed to be treated with grand gestures to demonstrate their importance, to both parties involved.

So, if I don't go all out now, what would that say then?

How would Sofia interpret it?

Moreover, what would that say about me as a person? My reputation?

I'm supposed to be the life of the party.

I AM the party.

Simple and easy are not in my spectacular party-planning vocabulary. Nor will they ever be.

Leaving me one choice.

I approach Bruno's and my tent, already aglow from the lit lantern he's set up inside. Bruno's stretched out on his bedroll, reading the latest book he picked up. Some romantic, adventure drama that probably gives his and Dolores' favorite telenovelas a run for their money, from what I gleamed, skimming its first chapter in secret.

Bruno peeks over at me briefly, and I stop and stare at him.

"Hey. Tio?"

He focuses on me again, eyes widening expectantly.

"I uh . . . I was wondering . . . "

I fidget and play with my hands, glancing back over my shoulder once, in fear that the twins might appear at any second.

"Would it be possible if we took a little detour, only you and I know about, on our way? Nothing too crazy, mind you, but uh . . . a little off the beaten path?" I make the request in a rushed whisper, hoping neither happened to overhear. Privacy's not really an option out here, on the same campground. But hopefully their current places by the fire, where I left them, is just perfectly far enough out of earshot at a whisper?

"What did you have in mind?" Bruno sits up and furrows his brows at me, also glimpsing at the motionless tent flap entrance behind me, as if checking for possible intruders as well.

I grin and sit cross legged in front of him on my bedroll, heart pounding with unbridled joy at his thus far openness. "Let me break it down for you: the who, what, when, where, why, how. There's plenty of benefits for you, and I promise, you won't regret it."

SOFIA

"Why are we here?" The confusion that laces my voice is unmistakable as I stare out at the western entrance to the town we visited not that long ago, where I worked as a teacher and Camilo got his tiple, instead of the one we agreed on visiting.

"Oh! You see, Bruno actually had to drop by regarding an important letter." Camilo hops by his uncle's side, curls bouncing with enthusiasm. "Apparently, some big-wig lawyer contacted him about that small injury he had. You know, that scratch on his hand he got at his job here? Turns out he qualified for some settlement payment or something. But he has to sign some paperwork here first, in person, and there's a time limit."

"Exactly! So, we uh-I figured we'd just drop by and take care of that first. Before going elsewhere." Bruno grins, glancing back and forth from me to Camilo continuously.

The pair both smile at me with a persistence that's almost unnerving. Camilo's: the epitome of calm and confident. While Bruno's the exact opposite.

I squint at the two of them, my suspicion piqued.

They've been acting strange for the past couple of days. First by not letting us take a look at the map to help with directions. Then with their growing fidgetiness. And now, leading us back to this town, after wandering in likely pointless circles, without letting us know? And because of some random lawyer contact to match?

"When did you get the letter?" I tilt my head at Bruno and cross my arms.

Both Bruno's and Camilo's eyes widen for a split second.

Camilo then looks off to the side. "Oh, well. Would you look at that!" He points at a nearby shop's clock, in the store window, and elbows Bruno. "It's almost noon. The lawyer's office closes at noon! We should hurry. Before it's too late."

"Oh! Right! Yes!" Bruno nods, stepping quickly further down the dirt road, into town with him.

"We'll . . . uh . . . catch up with you two later! Same inn as last time?"

The two scurry off before I can say anything else.

"Why are they acting so strange?" I gape at their retreating forms, disappearing behind a group of passing townspeople.

"Eh. Who knows?" Al shrugs, unfazed. "Come on. Lets go see if there's any room at the inn, then maybe wrangle up some more coin. The more we have for next weekend, the better."

Bruno's and Camilo's odd behavior continues the next day. What was supposed to be a quick, one day trip, suddenly has become a more complicated matter, involving more necessary paperwork and meetings—or so the two claimed, over a hurried dinner last night, before swiftly going to bed, conveniently avoiding answering any more questions.

They're already gone by the time I wake up, and I'm almost always the first to rise, barring unexpected illness. Until now.

"It's suspicious. Too suspicious," I mutter as Al and I make our way down the dirt street, away from the school, where I used to help with my prior classes. A tiny blessing I didn't expect with this twist, but something I am grateful to revisit, especially to see my old colleagues and the children.

"Oh, come on. You're looking into this too much. Leave them be," Al huffs, both hands clasped nonchalantly behind his head.

"No, I'm serious!" I swat his chest. "How does any of this make any sense? When would Bruno have even gotten this letter? And why turn back only now? And why are they acting twitchier than a cat that's been trapped in sack?"

"Look," Al halts and grabs my shoulders. "Stop. Worrying. About. It. Let it go. I'm sure it's nothing. Your lover boy and his tio will be back to normal before you can blink, and we'll all be on our way again."

I scowl at him, hating this unbothered, unthinking side of him. "I've already blinked."

"Then blink some more! I never said how many blinks it would take."

With that, Al resumes his walk.

I snort and shake my head.

Sometimes I wonder how we're related. We might look alike, but our personalities couldn't be any more different.

I'm not overthinking this.

Something weird is going on, and I'm going to find out.

Determined to do so, I charge in the direction of Camilo's old restaurant workplace. The scorching, afternoon sun bears down hot on my back, creating tiny beads of sweat to build on my forehead, which I quickly try to wipe away. By the time I turn onto the restaurant's street, I'm anxious to step into some shade, to get a nice, cold glass of water.

But then I see him.

The troublemaker himself.

He's standing outside of the restaurant talking with some old guy I've never seen before.

I strut up to them, trying to overhear. However, the second I really start to hear anything, Camilo's eyes pop up, noticing me.

He instantly holds his hands up in a rush, says a quick goodbye to the man, and scurries up to me.

"Mi luz! What uh . . . what are you doing here?" he asks with a nervous sounding chuckle.

I glare at him, then at the man walking away, into the distance. "I could ask you the same thing. Weren't you supposed to be out, helping your uncle?"

"What? Oh! Yeah. No, yeah. I was! I just dropped by here to get a quick snack. All that legal talk and paperwork can really work up an appetite."

"Reallllyyy?" I squint at him. Hard. Drawling the word out to show my skepticism.

"Yeah," Camilo chuckles again with an even tenser smile. "Really."

He holds eye contact with me, but I still feel like I can't believe him.

He's hiding something.

But what? For what purpose? And why?

Camilo glances at something behind me, his mouth opening slightly as he takes in whatever it is. I try to turn to look around to see, only for him to suddenly grab me by both arms, lift me up high into the air, and spin us in a fast semi-circle.

"A-Anyways! It's so great to see you, mi flor! Just seeing your face and I feel re-energized," he laughs the second he puts me down. "I should . . . really get back. Tio Bruno, you know. He needs me." Camilo slowly starts to step back in retreat, pointing a blasé thumb over his shoulder. "I'll see you back at the inn later! But don't wait up!"

He waves to me, then runs off at an unsteady sprint, leaving me standing there. Alone. In the middle of the street. Mouth gaping like a hooked fish.

All I can do is watch until he turns a nearby corner. More dumbfounded than I was before, no closer to any answer, much less any speculative theory to return to Al with. But my suspicions? One-hundred percent higher.

Another night passes without follow up. Camilo and Bruno arrive late, once again—this time after Al and I have already fallen asleep, trying to wait up for them. When I awaken, the only proof they even visited is a new note left on our nightstand, apologizing and explaining how they stepped out before sunrise. How either is still functioning with so little sleep astounds me. But it shows their dedication to whatever they're hiding.

I sit on the edge of our bed and stare down at the short note in the room's still dim sunlight. The elegant handwriting clearly belongs to Camilo; Bruno's being a tad bit more compact and doctor-esque.

That fact elicits a slight pang in my heart. The reality that Camilo wrote the note, but didn't even bother to write a happy birthday.

I swallow down the bitter feeling, swirling in my mouth, and bite my lip.

No. It's okay. I'm okay.

Maybe he was just in a rush or he forgot?

It's fine. I'll just . . . do my own thing with Al again. I'm sure we'll all meet up later. Maybe at lunch.

Those reasonings push me through the beginning of the day, spent teaching at the school.

But lunch doesn't happen. Al's the only one who shows up again.

By the end of the day, it's a struggle to fight off my despondence. The fake smiles and forced laughs for the kids and Al start to become too much, when all I want to do is go curl up in bed.

"Tio! Tia! Come with us! We want to show you both something!" A few of the kids tug at our hands as Al and I leave the school.

"Okay! Okay! Just stop yanking," Al complains, throwing his head back, while his arms go limp in their eager holds.

I giggle at the sight and let them also take the lead. A handful of them skip ahead, but don't go too far. All of them always sticking close.

The group guides us to the same street as Camilo's old restaurant workplace. The second I see it, the pang returns.

"Where are you taking us?" I gulp.

"Just wait and see!" One of the girls chirps.

They pull us up to the restaurant's front porch and open the front door. There's a little jingle from a bell overhead as we step inside, and then, "SURPRISE!"

I jump at the horde of unexpected voices coming from our left, my heart just about leaping out of my chest.

Gathered in the main dining and performance area of the restaurant are all of our coworkers and past acquaintances from this town, along with Bruno, and of course Camilo and the restaurant owner. A colorful banner with the words 'Feliz Cumpleaños' hangs off the wall behind them, along with several other decorative strings of party flags and flower streamers.

I gawk at the lot of it, struggling to process all I'm seeing.

Camilo then steps forward and clears his throat, carrying his tiple. Slowly, he smiles shyly and starts to play.

"Cumpleaños Feliz. Te deseamos a tí. Feliz Cumpleaños as Sofia y Alejandro. Feliz Cumpleaños a tí," everyone sings and claps.

Tears fill my eyes, and I cover my mouth as they finish the second verse.

Near the very end, the woman Bruno used to help out in town walks out from the kitchen area carrying a ponqué with a lit candle on top. She holds it before us, and when the song's over and everyone cheers, I look to Al and together we blow out the candle.

"See! We told you you'd like it!" One of the girls grasps onto my arm, beaming widely.

"We did a good job, didn't we?" Another boy runs up to Camilo. "They never suspected a thing!"

"You all did great." Camilo high-fives him, grinning and glancing over at me. When I return one back, his eyes brighten and his smile grows bigger. "Now let's get this party started! Shall we?" he shouts.

Everyone else cheers.

With that, he starts strumming again. A few other musicians on the other side of the room quickly join in with violins and trumpets, as well as the restaurant owner with another tiple.

Handfuls of the guests come to greet us and give us hugs and kisses, while others start to dance. And in the joyous music, conversations, and food that follows, all prior negative feelings that have followed me throughout the day vanish, replaced with a happy warmth and ease, in a birthday celebration I'm certain I'll never forget.

CAMILO

The night's gone off without a hitch.

Exhausted and sweaty from all the planning, organizing, playing, and dancing that've spanned the past couple days, let alone the past few hours, and all the errands that fell between, I sneak away to get some more lulada and empanadas. My dry, scratchy throat thanks me with the first sip. My stomach agreeing soon after.

"You free for a sec?" Sofia approaches me on the right, both hands clasped behind her back.

My eyes widen at her, and I nod. "Yeah, of course."

She tilts her head to the restaurant door, and we move to walk outside. I spare only a glance back at the party before we step out onto the dark, cold street, catching sight of Bruno chatting at a table with the woman he used to work with, who happily helped us with the decorations and cake, and Al playing tingo, tingo, tango with a bunch of the school kids.

Their laughter and voices, along with the continued music, fade into the background with the added distance. It's as if for a moment we're crossing between two different worlds when compared to the night's quiet calm. But the further Sofia leads me away from the restaurant, to walk side by side more down the moonlit street, the faster that other party world seems to disappear from existence.

"You know," Sofia says, pulling me out of the reflection, back to our present, "you've gotten pretty good with that tiple of yours." She smiles at me.

I grin at her, my heart fluttering with pride and excitement. "Really? You think so?"

She nods. "Your mentor also seemed really proud of you."

I think back to the hours of practice with him, both before when I started and over the past few days. He's never outwardly said he was proud with my progress, but that's characteristic of him, being a gruffer man of few words. He'd never actually say it. But by his desire to play with me continuously today, and the lack of criticism compared to our first classes, I hope and want to agree. The thought filling me with a higher sense of delight.

"He's a character, that's for sure," I say.

A silence falls between us.

Sofia stares down at the ground and hums. I glance at her, noticing a pensiveness to her lingering smile.

"Sooooo, tell me. What'd you think of the party?" I ask, trying to keep up the pleasant atmosphere.

"I loved it. It was great," she says. "I do have to say, though, you and Bruno are terrible at keeping secrets."

My jaw drops in shock. "What? Okay. Hold on now. I did the best I could, in the short time and limited resources I had. Bruno's horrible acting didn't help. In my defense."

"Even excluding Bruno's acting, I could still tell you were hiding something. You can be so obvious."

"How so?"

"Oh, I don't know. The overly complicated, detailed excuses? The twitchy and unlikely behavior? And don't get me started on the avoidant changes to your sudden changed sleep schedules."

I grin and rub my neck, recognizing all of the reasons, but wishing she wasn't so observant for planning sake. "Alright. Alright. You got me," I admit. "But it all worked out in the end, didn't it? You were still surprised, weren't you?"

Sofia laughs and walks over to sit on a nearby store porch step. "Of course! I knew you were up to something, I just couldn't figure out what or why."

I plop down next to her, and with a teasing smirk, she bumps me in the side immediately afterward.

"Given another day or two, however, I bet I could've put two and two together."

"Good thing we didn't have another day or two then, huh?" I wiggle my eyebrows smugly at her.

She giggles with a roll of her eyes.

That thoughtful look from before reappears again, perplexing me and making me furrow my brows.

"To be honest, for a while today, I worried you'd forgotten," she at last reveals.

My heart sinks.

The disheartened tone of her voice is more bone-chilling than when we lost the candle in Casita's crumbling in the past.

"No, I'd never forget." I desperately reach out to grab one of her hands and cup her cheek. Anything to help reassure her.

"I know that. Now." She grins, leaning into my touch. She scoots closer and rests her head on my shoulder, her proximity adding a tender coziness on a physical and emotional basis. "Thank you. For everything. You're wonderful," she murmurs.

My cheeks burn at the unexpected and encouraging compliment, and staring up at the stars alone with her, with fireflies flickering overhead, everything I did to make this magical day happen feels more than worth it. A thousand, no, a million times over. Terrible lies, poor but beloved acting partners, extra, tiring effort with weird sleep schedules, and all. No question.