Everything had been going as Hutch had hoped. His mom had been awake when he arrived home, and at the mention of Stephanie going with her, she readily agreed that it was a good day to get her nails done. Now, all he had to do was hope they stayed gone until after Casimir left, and seeing his mom's car in the driveway when he returned from his run gave him more confidence.
"I'm leaving as soon as Steph gets here," Cherry told him as he headed towards the bathroom to shower.
"Then I'll say goodbye and tell you to have a good time, now," he replied, turning in the hallway to face her. "And please, take your time and enjoy your afternoon."
"You mind if I talk Steph into dinner at Valentino's?"
"Will you bring back an order of breadsticks?"
"Of course."
"Then enjoy your dinner as well. I'll be in the shower."
Hutch was thorough with washing away the first half of his day and was mid-rinse when his mom knocked on the door and shouted in at him.
"Ren's here!"
"Be out in two minutes," he shouted back.
"Alright. I'll see you later then!" she replied.
Finishing his shower, he dried off, and headed for his bedroom, wrapped in a towel.
"Can't believe you managed to pull this off," Ren remarked from where he was stretched out on the couch watching TV.
"Where there's a will," he replied, before disappearing into his room.
A few minutes later, dressed in his best jeans and a black sweater, Hutch emerged from his room with his hair combed back in a presentable manner.
"And now we wait," Ren muttered as Hutch sat on the end of the couch and put on his socks.
"Oh, that's easier said than done."
Hutch could not manage to sit still. Within seconds of putting on his socks, he was back on his feet wiping down every spotless surface for the second time that day. He fluffed the pillows, billowed the drapes, and swapped out the hand towels in the bathroom for the best set he could find in the closet, although they were still five years too old and horribly misshapen from years of abuse in the laundry.
Hutch's heart nearly burst when a loud knock came to the door, stopping him in his tracks to look towards it, as Ren turned off the TV. Looking at the clock it was a quarter to three. Either Casimir was early, or the clock was wrong, but somewhere in the back of his mind he was hoping it wasn't Casimir at all.
Regardless of the current situation, Hutch wasn't certain if he could contain himself at the sight of Casimir. Everything in him still thought of Casimir as the enemy to be defeated; the man responsible for continued violence and dissention, and now, he was also the man responsible for him being stuck back on Earth without the woman he loved.
"Remember, I know nothing," Ren reminded him in a hushed tone.
Hutch nodded, and headed to the door, wiping his palms on the side of his pants before reaching for the doorknob.
He hated the jitters he was experiencing. The nerves. The anxiety. The way his stomach was lodged in the back of his throat or the way his heart was pounding so loud in his chest he could feel a bruise forming on the inside of his ribcage. To him this was worse than riding into war, and he was more than satisfied at the thought of never having to do that again.
Grabbing the doorknob, he turned it, and threw open the door.
Time seemed to pause for a brief, yet noticeable moment, as on the other side of the storm door, standing on his porch, was not the Casimir he had expected to see, but a younger version of him.
"Impossible," Hutch gasped.
He knew that Casimir was in his fifties, but his appearance belied his age. For anyone unknowing, to gaze upon him, would swear him to be little more than thirty. Younger than he appeared the first time they had met.
"Hutch," Casimir spoke first, pulling him out of his daze.
"Salvador," he muttered, with a vigorous shake of his head before opening the storm door. "Sorry, please, come in. Thank you for making the journey here."
Casimir's eyes narrowed, and he watched Hutch's face closely as he stepped inside, Hutch closing the door behind him.
"It was no bother. We have a great deal to discuss," he replied, being careful to keep a safe distance between them, as he removed his heavy wool coat, revealing his pristine, tailored black suit, with dark blue shirt, black tie, and matching onyx tie tack and cufflinks.
Removing his hat, Casimir's hair was trimmed short; his signature white streaks having not yet appeared. The scar on his upper lip, remaining the most familiar thing about him, leaving Hutch more confused than anything.
"Ah, you can just leave your coat on the chair," Hutch remarked, stepping back into the living room, where Ren had stood from the couch and was waiting to greet his guest.
Setting down his coat and hat, Casimir's expression softened, and his guard lowered at the sight of another with them.
"You must be Renaldo Dodge," he said with a faint bow of his head.
"How'd you know that?" Ren questioned, stiffening his back.
"My wife. I'm Casimir Salvador, and Celina spoke highly of you. You left quite the impression on both her and my daughter."
"Really?" Ren appeared shocked, his eyes growing wide at the thought. "I mean, that's amazing. I really shouldn't be all that surprised though. They are both incredible ladies," he said, beaming with a sense of pride, despite rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck or the blush in his cheeks.
"I couldn't agree more," Casimir replied. "She mentioned that she spoke to you about the co-op program as well."
"She did. And I'm super excited at the possibility of being a part of the program. You can't imagine how important it is for me to have a second co-op listed on my applications," Ren began to ramble.
"Ah, I see. And what specific university or college will be applying to?"
Ren paused and looked up at him, seemingly surprised that someone had asked him a follow-up question causing him to divert his gaze.
"I want to attend Star Canyon University. Their Robotic tech engineering program to be more specific," he replied in a quiet tone as if he feared being judged over what he wanted. "But realistically," he straightened himself and looked Casimir in the eyes, "I'll end up at Cauthard Community. I've already qualified for a partial scholarship there, so it would be foolish to give that up."
"Would it? It seems to me that if you're interested in engineering that Cauthard would be waste of time, money, and effort," Casimir said as he reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a business card and a pen. "Not to mention that a second co-op would make you overqualified for one and under for the other." Moving back to the counter, Casimir wrote something on the back of the card before slipping the pen back into his pocket. Taking the card, he stepped closer to Ren and held it out to him. "Star Canyon is an exemplary university with incredibly high standards. If you want a real possibility of attending, call this number on the 27th or 28th, and ask for Mrs. Muriel Comstock. Her names on the card. She'll have an internship position available for you at a company called Iosat Robotics. Complete the hours and keep your grades up, and Celina will be in contact to discuss a real scholarship to Star Canyon."
Ren took the card and stared at it, as if he were unable to process what he was holding in his hands. "You're joking right?"
"I hope that wasn't the impression I was giving off," Casimir replied, a faint smile hanging to the corners of his lips. "The truth of this world, Renaldo, is that nothing is beyond your reach, if you know what you're reaching for. All I've given you is the direction. You still have to do the work, put in the hours, and shoulder all of the risks. However, if you stay motivated, you can accomplish just about anything."
"I don't understand how this keeps happening," Ren muttered, his eyes still stuck to the card. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. And as for you," Casimir remarked, directing his attention to Hutch, "Celina didn't tell me what your aspirations were."
"I don't…" Hutch hesitated, having no idea what to say or even do, given the circumstances. "I mean, I'm interested in trade co-ops."
"Broad category. Hopefully, we can narrow it down and find a good fit for you."
"Right," Hutch replied, smacking at Ren's shoulder. "Didn't you have to get going?"
Ren looked up at him, and then at the clock. "Yeah! Sorry! I need to get home!" He clutched the card as he grabbed his coat from the couch. "I need to tell grandpa." Rushing to the door, he jammed his feet into his boots and pulled on his coat. Pulling open the door, he stopped and turned back around, bowing to Casimir. "It was really nice to meet you, Casimir Salvador."
"It was nice to meet you as well."
"Thank you for this," he said, flashing the card he was still clutching in his hand. "I have to go. Bye!"
Throwing open the storm door, Ren bolted from the house, slamming the door behind him, causing Casimir to faintly chuckle.
"He's as lively as Celina told me."
"Yeah," Hutch replied, the air souring as Casimir turned to face him. "But no more need for the act, Salvador. We're alone. Time to tell me why you wanted to meet."