'A conflict runaway from, is a conflict never resolved'

Tanya Cruz was cleaning the café tables as she decided to close early when she heard the door open. Loudly. She turned around, "Estelle what- Henry? Are you alright?"

She rushed to the aid of said bo- satyr and paused.

"Mrs. Cruz I know this is going to sound very insane but," Henry gave a dramatic pause, "Estelle's a demigod"

Tanya blinked, "I know Henry. I just didn't know you were a, uh, satyr?". She guided the wounded boy to a chair and locked the café door. "I'm assuming there's a lot to unpack"

"Estelle's in danger. They're starting to catch on"

"She barely started middle school" Tanya paced trying to find the first-aid kit as she spoke with a distressed look on her face, "why would they catch on to her this soon?"

Estelle took in the scene her gaze drifting to her shoes, the scuffed edge and faint smell of gasoline a clear reminder of the recent incident. She looked up at them and asked, "they who?"

Henry shared a look with Tanya, "just... You remember when I said you were a demigod?"

Estelle nodded her brows furrowing further. Tanya placed the first-aid kit near Henry and bandaged his wounded hand.

"That's just it, monsters, the kind we met before, hunt after demigods. After you"

There was a silent pause before Estelle gave a small laugh, "don't be ridiculous. I have both my parents anyway, how am I supposed to be some god's child"

Tanya looked to Estelle her tone careful and gentle, "remember before Dylan?", she paused trying to figure out how to word it.

"He left", Estelle responded quietly, "he wasn't there. Now you're telling me I have to be afraid of some weird creatures trying to kill me because of something to do with him. The dude that abandoned you after I was born". By the end of her sentence her tone had risen in volume conveying her anger. "Because of him Henry's hurt and all he ever did was nothing. Nothing"

Henry inched back trying to blend with the shadows in the café, he wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be privy to this conversation, Tanya shifted away from the wounded satyr as he nursed his wounds himself.

"I'm sure he couldn't stay", Tanya pulled Estelle into a side-hug, "I don't care about him you know. I have you because of him and I have Ryan and Hela, some of the most important in my life, because he left. You don't need to be angry on my behalf". Estelle looked down biting the inside of her cheek giving a slow nod.

Henry waited a few minutes before clearing his throat and getting they're attention, "we have to take her to camp"

Tanya nodded as she looked at the time, "you can stay over today and I'll ask Dylan to take you two there tomorrow"

"I wouldn't want to intrude", Henry stood up with a wince and turned to leave.

"Stay", Estelle said looking at him in concern, "You can have my room, I'll stay with Hela tonight"

Tanya nodded as she dialed Dylan's number and urge them home soon. She shifted upstairs as she did so leaving Henry and Estelle alone.

"Darling", Dylan answered his voice somewhat faint, "we're still walking Caramel"

"I know. Do you think you two can hurry home? Estelle has a friend over", Tanya murmured into the phone unsure if she should divulge the entire truth to him.

"I'll see what I can do", Dylan's unsteady voice reached Tanya as Hela's laughter could be heard near the phone.

"Mommy!", she screeched into the device, "can you hear me!" She yelled, apparently clinging onto her father as her feet swung mid air.

"Yes, dear", Tanya chuckled, "be a good girl and get home soon with Caramel, Henry's staying here tonight"

The phone disconnected almost immediately and Tanya moved to Estelle's room picking up some pillows and taking them to Hela's room. She went downstairs to find Estelle poring over Harry's phone.

Estelle swiped the screen excitedly, "so you guys just grow strawberries and play games all summer?"

"Not exactly.." Henry paused, "it's more of a survival training"

Estelle paused her mood darkening, "You mean from those creatures?"

Henry gave a nod, jolting in surprise as Tanya placed two mugs of coffee infront of them. "Drink up for now and calm down while I make some dinner", she left them to their thoughts once more. The conversation faded to the background as Estelle mulled over today's incident constantly going over what happened. She snapped out of her thoughts when the café bell clanked and an excited Caramel bounded over to her.

"Hello boy", she greeted kissing his fur lightly and enveloping Caramel in a hug. The excited Alaskan Klee Kai circled around Estelle before settling on licking the tips of her fingers.

"What happened?", Dylan moved to Tanya's side as he placed his work bag on a café stool, "You sounded a bit panicked over the phone"

Tanya stopped prepping for the meal conveying the seriousness of the topic, "I was thinking... I want to take Estelle to New York"

Dylan paused and spluttered trying to wrap his mind around it, "I... understand that but right now? without any preparation in the middle of a school year?". Nearing the end of his sentence you could see the absurdity clearly on his face, "that's a nonsensical idea"

"I'm taking her," Tanya responded firmly, "its an emergency, can you just trust me"

"Tanya," he frowned, "Estelle's my daughter too, you can't just independently make decisions about her without consulting me. Stop leaving me out of this secret. I care about her as well," the two moved outside and as the door shut the voices faded away.

Hela looked at Estelle curiously, "where are you going?"

Estelle looked to Henry for help. "Just to meet a bunch of relatives," Henry responded awkwardly.

"Oooh, me too! Me too!," Hela bounded to them her hands covered in the sticky texture of melted chocolate.

"No! You can't," Estelle frowned, "you're too small and you're a kid"

Hela furrowed her brows, preparing to burst into a cry when Henry interrupted, "what she means is that you have to be here to take care of your daddy, right?", he cast a meaningful glance at Estelle.

"Right," Estelle nodded, her mood still sour from the revelation of the evening. Henry's words had effectively calmed and somewhat distracted Hela as she returned her attention back to her cookies.

"Kids," Tanya interrupted the painstakingly restored calm, "pack up. We'll leave now." Her sentences were clipped and the way she stood conveyed her annoyance. An equally disgruntled looking Dylan leaned against the door, "you're being too hasty with this," his tone was almost warningly directed at Tanya.

Tanya cast a pointed look at Estelle and she bounded up the stairs to get her things. "You don't understand why its so urgent," the argument continued downstairs.

"Because you won't tell me." Three, four sets of casual clothes, a harmonica and a notebook were haphazardly tossed into a backup and Estelle rushed down. Tanya gripped her hand and pulled her into the driveway, "you won't understand Dylan, just... trust me for now"

The door slammed shut with a resounding thud and the three stepped into a taxi, "take us to Granada-Jaén Airport", Tanya mentioned as she began scrolling the booking websites for the earliest flight while the driver stepped on the gas. Aire played on the radio as the taxi turned off the road.

"Henry," Estelle whispered, "where are we going?"

"Why're you asking me?"

"You should know," her voice came out accusatory, "you told my mom"

"Probably.. New York"

Estelle frowned softly, "that's where the camp is?" The place with the black haired boy, she refrained from adding as she recalled the vague figure from her dreams and the news

"Yeah," he said and the conversation dwindled down. A few insistent messages from Tanya's phone gave slight reminders on the status of how they left home. The song shifted again to another familiar upbeat melody as the endless night stretched on outside the window.

(Disclaimer: I am not from Granada and do not claim to know what its like living there, specially not 19 years in the past. Everything mentioned in the story is just me taking creative liberties and if it by any chance offends someone please let me know so I can correct it (within reason) Thanks for taking the time to read this!)