The next morning, Candado awoke with a sharp pain throughout his body due to the uncomfortable position in which he had slept. The sound of his bones cracking as he moved echoed in the room. The sun penetrated through the curtains, bathing his face in its radiant brightness. As he observed his palm, he noticed that the mysterious circle that had tormented him had disappeared. However, his mind remained haunted, far from finding the peace he longed for.
Just the day before, Candado had discovered that his sister, Gabriela, had been murdered. A profound sense of guilt engulfed him. His eyes, once vibrant with life, were now dull and contained immense hatred, but he felt helpless. He had vented his anger and frustration on Hammya, who was entirely innocent. Candado felt guilty and wanted to apologize properly to her. If it weren't for her sensitivity to noises while sleeping, Hammya would have been killed by Tínbari without hesitation, as the latter didn't hesitate to confront Candado's enemies.
It was at that moment that he decided to control his anger and focus on finding the person responsible for the death of his sister and grandfather. He was astonished to discover that Gabriela had not died from an illness but rather from a powerful and deadly spell, a spell that also flowed through his veins. Although death did not scare him, he did not wish to die at that moment. He needed to uncover the truth and catch the culprits, even if it meant killing them. His goal was twofold, but he strongly suspected that both were somehow connected.
As he tried to move, he realized that Yara, his daughter, was still asleep in his lap with closed eyes. Seeing her like that evoked a feeling of tenderness and nostalgia. He knew he had time to reflect on the matter, but today was a special day, both for him and Yara; it was her birthday.
Gently, Candado stroked Yara's cheek with his palm. She was so peacefully sleeping that he hesitated to wake her up, but he didn't want to spend his day sleeping. So, he lifted her and made her laugh with tickles on her abdomen. Yara laughed and jumped out of bed in a desperate attempt to escape.
"What's happening?" asked Candado.
"It's time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty."
"Where am I?" Yara asked as she picked up the little clown lying on the floor.
"You're in my house."
But Yara didn't pay attention to his words. Instead, she got off the bed and hugged the plush toy.
"Painted Face, what are you doing on the floor?"
"Painted Face?"
"Yes, I just named my new little friend that."
Candado made a face and lifted Yara.
"Well, you and Painted Face need to wash your hands," he said with a smile as he led her to the bathroom.
In the bathroom, he placed her on a small stool so she could reach the sink. Candado turned on the faucet and wet a small towel hanging nearby. Then, he gently wiped Yara's face, removing the traces of sleep from her eyes and upper lip. Afterward, he took a brush and began to comb her hair as she looked at him through the mirror. Yara noticed a smile on Candado's face.
"Today, you seem happier."
Candado looked at Yara through the mirror as he continued brushing her hair. His daughter's sweet voice filled the room.
"Today, you turn five. I'm so proud to see you grow. Five years ago, on a day like today, you came into my life, and that's something I'm grateful for."
"I'm also happy to be with you, Uncle Mauricio, Logan, Diana, Clemi, and Hammya."
Candado raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Who is Hamaya?"
"Hamaya, Hamaya, the girl with green hair."
"Oh, you mean Hammya."
"Yes, her. She's a good person."
Candado smiled, although his words didn't quite match his smile.
"Yes, I know, although she can be a bit silly, weak, and impertinent at times. But, I guess she also has her good side."
"She's very beautiful, very beautiful."
Candado nodded, contemplating his daughter's words.
"Yes, she's pretty, I can't deny that."
After brushing their teeth together, Candado reminded Yara not to swallow the toothpaste. While Candado swallowed the toothpaste, Yara tried to spit it out, but the sink was too high for her. However, Candado lifted her and helped her spit it out properly. Then, he gave her a glass of water to rinse her mouth.
"Spit it out."
Yara took the water and, without tilting her head back as she should, ended up soaking herself and Candado. However, instead of getting angry, Candado laughed at Yara's expression. He took one of the towels from the nearby drawer and helped her clean her face and neck area. Afterward, he dried himself.
Candado left his toothbrush in its place, and Yara did the same, with her father's assistance, as she couldn't reach the countertop on her own.
"All set, time to get dressed," announced Yara with a smile.
"Yes, of course."
Candado and Yara left the bathroom, but before moving forward, Candado took a tie from the hanger and used it to blindfold Yara.
"What's going on?" Yara asked, confused.
"It's a surprise," replied Candado with a mysterious smile.
"Surprise! I love surprises."
Candado went to his wardrobe, opened a green box, and carefully took out a fitted and low-cut violet dress with white details on the collar and sleeves.
Yara was full of excitement, jumping and clapping in anticipation.
Candado approached his daughter, bent down to her height, and said:
"Now I'm going to take off the blindfold, and you, young lady, will keep your eyes closed. Don't open them until I say so."
"Alright, I'll do it!"
Carefully, Candado removed the tie covering Yara's eyes. The girl had her eyes tightly closed and furrowed her forehead with intensity.
"Now you can open them."
Yara opened her eyes, and upon seeing the dress Candado was holding, she jumped with joy. She grabbed the dress and hugged it tightly, with a radiant doll-like smile on her face.
"Happy birthday, princess!"
"I love it, it's very beautiful. Thank you, Dad, thank you so much," said Yara excitedly as she approached Candado and gave him a tight hug.
Later, Yara parted from him and ran to the bathroom with the dress in her hands to try it on. Seizing the moment while she was busy, Candado snapped his fingers, and his formal attire appeared in the wardrobe, but this time with some variations: a white double-cuffed shirt with an orange handkerchief instead of a tie, a light red vest, dress pants, and dark shoes.
Once dressed, he snapped his fingers again, and a comb flew into his hands. He looked at himself in the mirror and combed his hair back, reminiscent of Gardel's style. Then, he took two white gloves from his drawer and put them on. He grabbed his beret and placed it with elegance, then smiled at his reflection in the mirror.
Yara came out of the bathroom wearing the dress Candado had given her and a playful smile on her face.
"How do I look?" she asked, twirling to showcase the dress.
"It suits you very well, you look very beautiful," replied Candado with a smile.
"Wow, it suits you well too."
"Thank you."
Candado took a mirror and placed it in front of Yara so she could see better.
"It's very pretty."
Candado, hands behind his back, closed his eyes and placed a white hat with a violet ribbon on her head.
"With this on, you look even prettier."
Yara was amazed by the new gift, but then she gave an even wider smile.
"How pretty, it matches my dress!"
"It's called 'matches,' and yes, it goes well with that dress."
Yara smiled, ran to the bed, and took out her dark patent leather shoes to put them on.
"Now I'm even prettier than before."
"Yes, but you'll always be beautiful," Candado bent down and kissed her forehead. "Now, let's go."
Candado stood up and headed towards the door, but just as he was about to reach it, it swung open forcefully, hitting his nose and making him fall to the ground, holding his nose with both hands.
"SON OF A—!" he yelled on the floor with closed eyes.
He felt delicate fingers on his shoulder and chest helping him to his feet. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Hammya looking at him with concern.
"I thought it would be Clementina breaking my nose this morning," Candado joked as he put a hand on Hammya's shoulder. "Don't worry, am I okay?"
"That's strange; I thought you'd be in a very bad mood."
"Not today, it's a very special day."
"Alright, little one, let's go..."
Candado stopped when he felt a tug on the sleeves of his shirt. He bent down to hear what Yara had to say and then looked at Hammya with a surprised smile.
"Really? Are you sure?" Yara nodded.
"What's going on?" Hammya asked, confused by the sudden invitation.
"Yara wants to know if you want to come with us."
The question caught Hammya off guard, and her response was hesitant and fumbling.
"I... uh... don't... know... what... I..."
"Are you coming or not?" Candado asked, showing signs of irritation.
"Sure," Hammya said, hesitating.
"Alright, I'll go get Clementina, and we'll meet you shortly," Candado continued. "But with that look, you're not going. Go and change out of those rags."
"Alright, see you."
Hammya rushed to her room while Candado and Yara left the room.
"She's... very strange," commented Candado, smiling.
Then, Candado took Yara's hand, and they headed to the living room. They found Clementina sitting, sewing a doll, with a smile on her face.
"Clementina, I've come to invite you to..."
"To go with you to the meadow," Clementina interrupted while cutting the thread with her hand turned into scissors.
"Oh... yes, can you?"
"Of course, I have nothing to do. Don Hipólito made breakfast while I finished sewing."
"Sewing? What are you sewing?"
Clementina stood up and walked towards them. Then, she looked at Yara and bent down to her height, causing the girl to take a step back. Clementina took her delicate right hand and handed her the doll she had been sewing moments ago.
"Happy birthday, little miss."
Yara looked at the doll and hugged Clementina.
"Thank you, Clemi, thank you so much."
"It's been a pleasure," replied Clementina as she reciprocated the hug.
Candado was moved to see the scene between Clementina and his girl, although he didn't show it on his face.
"Alright, let's wait," said Candado as he sat on the couch.
"Wait for what?" asked Clementina.
"Wait for Hammya to finish getting dressed."
"Is she coming with us?"
"Yes, it wasn't my idea, but Yara wanted her to be there."
"Oh, why doesn't it surprise me?"
"What are you insinuating, girl?"
"Nothing."
Yara approached Candado and sat on his lap.
"It's going to be so much fun if she comes too."
Clementina joined them.
"By the way, where did you buy her that dress?"
"You don't think you're the only one who can sew, do you?"
"Are you telling me you made it with your own hands?"
"My mom taught me to be a tailor when she had time for me."
"A tailor? I don't have that information in my data. Would you mind explaining?"
"A tailor is a person who professionally cuts and sews suits, especially for gentlemen, although I had to research how to make a dress."
Clementina's eyes shimmered orange for a moment before returning to normal.
"New knowledge acquired."
"Ha, where have I heard that before?"
"Hey, let's play a bit," said Yara as she tugged on her scarf.
Candado smiled and snapped his fingers. As he did, objects in the house, like books, ornaments, pencils, and other things in the room, began to float and take various forms: a car, a bear, a star, a cloud, a crescent moon, a sun, a mustache with a monocle and top hat. All this was done by his index finger, rotating on its axis, changing the shapes over and over again. This brought more than one smile to little Yara, and not just to her, but also to him. Candado loved to see Yara smile and be amazed, as he was one of those people who felt happy when they saw others happy. Clementina, who was watching, noticed the unusual sight of Candado being content instead of his usual angry or serious expression.
When Candado finished his little demonstration, he put all the objects back in their places. Hammya came down the stairs wearing a green blouse that reached her knees.
"I see you like to match when dressing," said Candado, maintaining his unchanging expression.
"Why do you say that?" asked Hammya.
"For nothing."
"Alright, are we going now?" asked Yara as she tugged on her scarf.
"Yes, yes, let's go now."
Candado lifted Yara from his lap and stood up, took the girl's hand, and they left the house.
On the way, Yara stayed hidden behind Candado, never taking a step beyond his legs. This brought a certain tenderness to Hammya, while Candado made sure to protect Yara from any danger, as the only things that betrayed her as non-human were her snake eyes and her tail.
Finally, they arrived at the meadow they were talking about. To everyone's surprise, they found Mauricio lying under a tree, playing with his staff. Yara let go of Candado's hand and ran towards Mauricio. When she was close enough, Yara jumped and hugged him. This surprised Mauricio, who fell to the ground. When Yara looked up, she saw two hooded figures, prompting her to scream for help.
Upon hearing the scream, Candado ran along with Clementina and Hammya to find out what was happening. When they arrived, the three prepared to fight until one of the figures spoke.
"Well, I didn't know you would be here, Candado."
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" asked Candado, pointing with his dagger.
The two dark figures removed their hoods and turned out to be Kevin and Martina.
"It's us, Candado."
"I thought you had left."
"I thought so too, but we decided to stay a few more days here. After all, there are no circuists in this area."
"Area? This area?"
Mauricio, who was on the ground, got up and looked at Candado.
"I'm showing them around since they said they wanted to live around here."
"But... this area," Candado looked around and continued, "this area belongs to Logan."
"And so what?"
"Did you consult with him before letting them stay?"
"Do you think I'm stupid, Candado?"
"No, but it wouldn't be the first time you've pulled this prank."
Mauricio burst into laughter and said.
"But that day was because I was bored and wanted to do something fun, but since you showed up, I wanted to mess with you a bit."
"You're a..."
"Don't worry, Logan approves of this, it's all good."
Kevin and Martina interrupted.
"Excuse us, but what the hell are you talking about?"
"Nothing, Kevin, nothing."
"Wow, I didn't know you two already knew each other."
"We had the pleasure of meeting, yes."
"Uh-huh, then it was surely in a fight."
"How did you know that?" Kevin asked.
"Ha, because all of Candado's friends fought with him the first time they met him."
"Did you have to say it?" Candado said with his hands on his eyes.
Mauricio smiled, lifted Yara onto his shoulders, and said.
"Don't be like that, after all, it's our little princess's birthday."
"Yes, let's have fun," Yara said.
"How beautiful your little sister is, Candado," Martina said.
"Oh no, no, no, he's my dad."
"I knew that face belonged to an adult who experienced 'certain physiological things.'"
"I don't know what you're saying, Kevin, but I adopted her."
"Ahrre, it was a joke."
Mauricio applauded and said.
"Well, then, let's have some fun."
That was how it went; Candado and the others played various games, not only with Yara and the other two but also invited Mauricio and the two Bailak. It was entertaining, Candado showed himself happy and content that day, something that caught the attention of Hammya and Clementina.
Yara was like a storm in motion, nothing could stop her. She was very happy to spend the day with her father and the others, even though she encountered two unexpected people, she got along well with them. They didn't bother or make her uncomfortable at any moment; on the contrary, she got along better with them. But the person she liked the most was Martina, God knows why. She spent more time playing with Martina, Candado, Hammya, Clementina, Mauricio, and Kevin. They participated in various games like hide and seek, soccer (with Mauricio's ball), and tag.
In many cases, Candado would lift Yara by the waist and raise her in the air, both smiling. Yara moved her tiny arms up and down, as if she were flapping to fly through the air like a bird. She smiled while in the sky, often reaching out her hands to try to touch the clouds. Obviously, that was impossible, but she kept trying to touch the fluffy clouds. Candado ran around with his little one in the air, but at one point, Candado stumbled and fell to the ground. However, to prevent her from getting hurt, he raised his arms high and ended up chest down on the ground, hurting himself but not Yara.
When Candado ended up on the ground, Yara got down and went to see his face to check if he was injured. When she was in front of him, Candado lifted his face and laughed heartily, hugging Yara.
"Don't worry, princess, I'm fine."
"I thought you got hurt because of me."
"Oh no, of course not."
Candado stood up, fixed himself a bit, and sat under a nearby tree. From that spot, he watched his little one having fun with the others. After a few minutes, Kevin walked over with his hands in his pants' pockets and sat next to Candado.
"You know, I think I owe you an apology."
"Why?" Candado asked, still watching Yara.
"For the 'greeting' I gave you yesterday."
"Don't worry, it's my fault. I should have hit or warned about my presence before entering."
Kevin leaned against the trunk and said.
"It's the first time I'm interacting with other people. It seems like it was centuries ago."
"Tell me, what is Martina to you?"
Kevin looked at him curiously and replied.
"She's my sister; I take care of her from the great dangers that threaten us every day."
Candado tilted his head.
"Do you know? I also need to apologize, on behalf of the W.O.G.A.B. and all the guilds worldwide following Harambee." He looked at Kevin, took off his beret, and nodded his head again. "I apologize on behalf of the international institution for the shame of remaining silent for years about the massacre of the Bailak."
"Lift those killer dog eyes of yours," Kevin said without looking at him and continued, "The Bailak handle all kinds of powers, natural and artificial, but we can't change history. My father always said it's wrong to generalize things. My mistake was blaming the entire organization. I want to believe that someone in that institution tried to help us, that not everyone is bad, but every time I try to think about it, it just makes me angrier. Angry that if they had at least done something, my mother, my father, and who knows how many more lives could have been saved. Martina is all I have left; I can't leave her alone." He looked at the ground and then glanced towards Martina. "It's funny; it's the first time I see her having fun with other people."
"I know how it feels," Candado said with a nostalgic voice. "I lost family too."
Kevin looked at Candado again with the same curious expression.
"What happened to you?"
"Well, I lost my sister due to a spell they cast on her. For years, I thought she had died from an illness, but it wasn't until yesterday... that I learned the truth about my sister. I'm sure that if she were still alive, she would befriend Martina, and she would be proud to see Yara growing up day by day."
"I'm sorry..."
"We are all the same, Kevin. We encounter suffering, no matter what kind of life you have, whether you are rich, poor, mortal, immortal, you will always find sadness. It's something inescapable, like death."
"You're very strange when you talk, as well as your view of the world."
"I'm often told that, and I always say the same thing: 'You'll get used to it.' I hope someone in this vast world tells me something that isn't always the same."
"Well, it's not normal to see a child your age thinking so deeply."
"I wonder when the world became so insensitive."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's stranger for a child like me to think so deeply, but it's not strange for a child to have magic. Society is so contradictory."
"Ahrre."
"I think I'm starting to get irritated with that catchphrase."
"Ahrre?"
Candado acted as if he didn't hear, lay down on the grass, and looked with relaxation at the beautiful leaves of the tree. The gentle morning breeze could be heard delighting in the trees around them.
"I wish this would never end."
"Unfortunately, all beautiful things have an end."
"Yes, I know; it's a shame that life is like this. You Bailak are lucky; you're immortal."
"No, it's not."
"Why?"
"Maybe Martina and I are eternal, but it will be painful to see our friends die from old age, unable to hold onto them even."
Candado covered his eyes with his beret and said, "Yesterday is the past, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift, that's why it's called the present."
Kevin didn't say anything else; he just kept silent and thought about what Candado had said. He was right, even though they didn't know each other much, Kevin saw great kindness in the young man despite his outward appearance. He noticed it when he personally went to see them to save Addel, who was terribly ill, even though these two didn't know each other, and also when he had spied on him with Yara; that peace and kindness cannot be faked, at least not for him.
While Candado had his beret on his face, Kevin carefully observed the people around Candado. He could tell that they, no matter what happens, would stand by him in the worst moments, something he didn't understand. Candado was an enigma to everyone around him; he is hard to figure out.
As Kevin tried to decipher the indiscernible nature of Candado, Mauricio arrived and sat next to Candado.
"Heavens, how Yara runs," he looked at Kevin, "How are you, friend?"
"Good, thank you."
Mauricio looked at Candado and said, "I better not ask you."
"Well, don't, and that's it," Candado said with the beret over his eyes.
"Ha, I thought you were asleep."
"No, I never was; I just love feeling in harmony."
At that moment, the others approached where Candado, Kevin, and Mauricio were. Yara ran towards him and jumped onto his chest, causing him to stand up quickly.
"Don't do that anymore, please."
"Okay, I won't do it anymore," Yara said with a smile.
"Wow, I'm exhausted," Hammya said as she wiped sweat from her forehead and sat in front of Candado.
"And you can say that again," Martina said as she lay down on the ground next to Kevin.
"By the way, sir, why didn't you go to Mauricio's forest to celebrate Miss Yara's birthday?" Clementina asked as she sat next to Candado.
"Because this son of a bitch refused to pull out the poisonous weeds," Candado said while covering Yara's ears.
"I told you I'm not going to pull out anything in my forest."
"And I told you that Yara won't go there until you remove those damn weeds; they do a lot of harm to the girl. You don't know how I was the last time she got sick."
"What did you do?" Hammya asked.
"Nothing, I did nothing."
"He stayed by her side day and night, lowering her fever, acting as both a father and a mother at the same time."
"What... what a big mouth you have," Candado said indignantly while showing his clenched teeth.
"But it's not bad; your daughter got sick, and you stayed with her all day, didn't you?" Hammya looked at Mauricio and continued, "When did that happen?"
"A year ago, you should have seen that look of desperation when her fever wouldn't go down."
"It's not for jokes, kid. It was one of the most desperate moments of my life; I was very worried to see my little one in that situation," he said while resting his cheek on Yara's head.
"Well, it would be hypocritical to say I wasn't worried; I was scared too. I was the one responsible for making medicines with medicinal herbs for the Tobas."
"And you know why that happened? Because the young gentleman didn't remove the poisonous weeds."
"I must admit that was my fault," Mauricio said, scratching his head.
"Hey, everyone gave me a gift, but you didn't give me anything."
"It's 'you all,' Yara," Candado said, still with his cheek on the girl's head.
At that moment, Mauricio took a tiny box from his poncho and took out a gold chain with a snake-shaped "S," placing it around Yara's neck. Meanwhile, the siblings gave her teddy bears shaped like bears.
"How did you get something so expensive?" Candado asked, pointing at the necklace.
"I had help from your other daughters."
"Other daughters?" Hammya asked, surprised.
"I'm talking about Erika and Lucy, the twins you met a few days ago."
"Yes, but daughters? Daughters?"
Candado sighed and said:
"They never knew their father because he was a real son of a bitch. He impregnated a twenty-three-year-old woman and ran away to avoid taking responsibility for his daughters. Before they met me, they hated men intensely because of what this nature's mistake had done to them, not to mention that their mother instilled her hatred for men too much in her daughters. When they moved here and started going to school, they found me and Hector having breakfast in the classroom."
"What happened?" Yara asked.
"Hector wanted to be their friend."
"Oh, how sweet."
"It would be, but they slapped Hector so hard that he fell off his chair. And when they came towards me to do the same, I put my textbook on my cheek, and they hurt their hand."
"Who exactly did that to you?" Hammya asked.
"It was Lucy. While Erika also suffered from misandry, she would never dare to raise her hand against someone."
"How did you get along with them?"
"Well, thanks to Isidro, I didn't have to fight them. First, we started talking civilly, and slowly we started getting along."
"How long ago was that?" Hammya asked again.
"More than three years ago."
"Changing the subject, why the term 'daughters'?"
"Because the sisters see Candado as a father figure. You don't need to be an expert in observation to see the formality and naturalness in how the three of them talk to each other. The only difference between Yara and the sisters is that none of them calls him dad, at least I never heard them."
"Sister Lucy scares me," Yara said while playing with her doll.
"I think you're more different than I thought," Kevin said.
"It's true, it's strange to see you experiencing parenthood at an early age," Martina said.
Mauricio crossed his arms, leaned against the tree, and said:
"That's what makes him a wonderful being."
Candado closed his eyes and said:
"Never call me that again, Mauricio. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth when people call me that way."
"Heh, his attitude is very funny, young boss," Clementina said mockingly.
Candado, with the orbit of his eyes looking up and showing his teeth, said:
"Be thankful that it's Yara's birthday, and on top of everything, she's a minor, because I assure you, I would have ripped out your speakers."
Everyone laughed at what Candado said, including Hammya. They all laughed at what he had said, even though he said it seriously, but Candado had noticed at that moment that it was very beautiful, and he didn't want to spoil it. Deep down in his heart, he loved seeing his friends happy and carefree. But in his mind, there was a little voice telling him that all beautiful things have an end, sometimes an abrupt one. If he wanted this moment to last as long as possible, he had to protect it. That doesn't mean he's entirely pessimistic; unfortunately, his logical nature always seeks an explanation even in places where no relevant information is needed, despite trying all the time to separate that thought from his everyday life, he never succeeds. Every day he wonders when, how, and why he started thinking that way.
But today was his daughter's birthday, and he didn't like the idea of having to think about his problems. Just for today, for the first time, he wanted to forget about the important issues that knock on his door every day of the week. He just wanted to see her laugh, wanted to see her play, and most importantly, he wanted to be with her. He had been so busy in the last few days that he didn't have time to be by her side, and today he wanted to make up for lost time. Candado smiled, turned Yara around, and looked into her eyes.
"What else do you want to do today, my little snake?"
Yara nestled on his chest and said.
"I want to stay a little longer here; it's so nice to spend a day with my dad."
"Oh, I'm jealous," Mauricio said sarcastically.
"Shut up..."
"I'm so sleepy," Yara said suddenly as she rubbed her left eye.
Candado remained motionless upon hearing that.
"Clementina, what time is it?" Mauricio asked with crossed arms.
"It's 11:06 in the morning."
"It's early; what time did you wake up?" Mauricio asked.
"Well, we woke up at 9:23 in the morning."
"No surprise; with me, they wake up at 11:00 in the morning or at 1:00 in the afternoon. I'm not one of those people who wake up as early as you, except on those occasions when we study."
Candado watched his little Yara sleep so peacefully on his chest. On her face, a certain tenderness and relaxation were visible. Candado stroked Yara's head and placed his hand on her forehead with a rather cold expression, but after a few seconds, a faint and calm smile appeared. When Mauricio was about to put his hand on Candado's shoulder, Hammya instinctively stopped him. It was as if she wanted to keep that smile that very rarely showed. It seemed as if his true "self" was well buried in that hard and cold shell. It was surprising that a five-year-old girl could awaken that side of Candado. But he would be lying if he said she was the only one who could do it, as her sister Karen could do the same with him. It was as if the only thing in the world that brought more than one smile to his face was these two.
Hammya gestured to Clementina to take a picture to remember that moment, and she gladly took out the camera again. But she made sure to turn off the flash so he wouldn't notice. As soon as she finished doing that, she took a picture of a happy Candado.
"It will be a memory for this day," Hammya whispered.