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7:44 p.m.

Alano is staying in LA to look after me, but I’ve actually been taking care of him all day.

For the past seven hours, I’ve been occupying Alano as best as I can to get his mind off Death-Cast’s integrity being dragged,

something I know a thing or two about. That’s meant keeping him far away from the news by playing video games, dusting off

the coloring books Mom bought during the COVID-19 lockdown, eating leftovers while watching the second Nightlight Saga movie

( Old Sun , my favorite), and planting flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables in the garden. I even drew Alano a nice hot bath with Epsom

salt to help relax his body after the gardening, but the water went cold because he was making a list of suspects at Death-Cast

for Dane and Shield-Cast to investigate.

I suck at taking care of other people just like I suck at taking care of myself.

Mom was able to break through to Alano like only a mom can. She got home from work and sat Alano down, asking if he was okay,

and he couldn’t shrug her off. He admitted that he was concerned about his parents, especially his dad, who treats Death-Cast

like it’s another son.

“I’m scared he’s never going to talk to me again,” Alano had said, something he hadn’t even confessed to me.

“I don’t know Joaquin, but I’m sure he is just hurt,” Mom said. “The best parents strive to put their children’s feelings

first, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own.”

I wish Mom acted on her feelings more, but I’m glad she shed that light for Alano. It helped him see what I’ve been trying

to break through to him all day, but it’s gotta matter more coming from someone who actually has a kid.

Then Mom embarrassed the hell out of me by mom-ing us so hard. First she sent us to go take showers since we were both dirty

from gardening and then had us help her and Rolando with dinner prep. It was a rough start, since it was the four of us trying

to cook in our tiny kitchen, but it got fun when Mom put on a Bad Bunny playlist because every time we knocked into someone,

they became your dancing partner for a hot second, even if something was getting overcooked. Mom taught us how to make spicy

black bean patties, mango avocado salsa, a vegan nacho platter with our own freshly baked tortilla chips, and even smoothies

from our leftover mangoes.

Alano and I are setting the table, the cutlery all mixed and matched from different sets since we’re not fancy like that.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been very present today,” Alano says to me.

“You’re here. That’s pretty damn present to me.”

“Well, I hope my mind catches up with my body. I’d like to create more fun memories with you in the city.”

“I looked into some fun stuff going down this week when you were on your Detective Alano flow. The Griffith Observatory has a new exhibit about space sounds. The Hollywood Bowl is doing a live concert of the sixth Scorpius Hawthorne movie. The Last Bookstore is hosting a dystopian romance author tomorrow. And this weekend we can catch a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.”

“A movie at a cemetery?”

“Yeah, this organization Cinespia decks out the cemetery with a big-ass screen for people to watch movies every summer. It

seems cool, but I’ve been too scared to go.”

“Because of all the dead people?”

“The living ones.”

He chuckles. “That sounds very LA. I’m in. I hope it’s okay that Agent Dane and other Shield-Cast agents will have to tag

along now that I’m a bigger target.”

“No shit that’s okay, anything that keeps you alive.”

There’s a knock at the front door. Rolando looks around, counting everyone, including the baby. “We’re all here.”

“That’s Dane with Bucky,” Alano says. His dog is spending the night here.

Mom tries fitting a fifth plate for Dane at our already cramped table and goes back to slicing carrots for Bucky even though

he had dinner at home.

I’m so excited to meet Bucky that I open the front door, but he’s not there, it’s just Dane with two Shield-Cast bodyguards I’ve never seen before. I tense up, like they’re about to attack me even though I didn’t do a damn thing, or like they’re about to take Alano away, in which case I might do a damn thing.

“Alano,” Dane calls from the door like I’m not here. “Your presence has been requested.”

Alano approaches. “By who?”

The bodyguards all step aside, revealing Death-Cast royalty.

“By us,” Joaquin Rosa says, joined with Naya Rosa in one hand and holding Bucky’s leash with the other.

The creator of Death-Cast glares at me like I’m some secret Death Guarder.

I glare back because Joaquin Rosa ruined my life.