They sat like that for several minutes, not speaking, because everything that mattered had been said. There was a transfer of comfort from one to another and the rightness of just being together.
They probably would have stayed that way for some time, but Javi’s phone rang. He had to shift Cami to pull it out, and his intention had been to mute it and throw it on the coffee table, but he saw Cal was calling so he answered. “What is it?”
“I think I’ve lost her,” said Cal, sounding a little panicked.
“What?” roared Javi.
Cami, being close enough to hear what was being said, immediately shifted to her feet and demanded, “Put him on speaker.”
“We were watchingAngels in the Outfieldand I went to the bathroom. When I came out she was gone,” he explained.
“Did you check her room?” asked Cami.
“I did. I checked the whole house,” Cal replied with frustration and a tone that indicated he wasn’t dumb.
Cami narrowed her eyes and Javi thought she might light into Cal. But she didn’t. She just continued to question him. “Is Amigo there?”
“Um, no. I don’t see him either,” answered Cal.
“She’s probably taken him out. Go look outside. We’re on our way,” said Cami as she headed for the door.
They’d taken Javi’s truck, and minutes later, when they rounded the corner to Javi’s house, his headlight picked up Cal with Lola on the side of the road.
Cami was opening her door before he’d even thrown it in park.
“She’s hurt her ankle,” called Cal.
When Javi reached her he kneeled down, and she looked up at him with a tearstained face. “Chiquita, what happened?”
“Amigoestabainquieto,” she wailed before more tears started.
“We need to get her in the truck,” advised Cami.
“Find Amigo,” said Lola through sniffling tears.
“Lola, hold my shoulders, I’m going to pick you up,” said Javi.
He hefted her off the ground and Cal ran ahead to open the door. Once he sat Lola down, Cami nudged him over.
“Lola, I’m gonna check your ankle and foot. Let me know what hurts,” Cami instructed.
Javier stepped back further and Cal tossed him a slide.
“She lost that,” his friend said.
Javi wanted to throw it back at Cal’s head. “Help me find her dog,” he gritted out.
“I don’t think her ankle is broken, probably just sprained. I’ll drive us up to the house while y’all look for Amigo,” said Cami.
Cal and Javi split up, combing each side of the road through the neighborhood. They called for Amigo, but there was no sign of the pup. When they reached the end where the road rounded to form the cul-de-sac, Cami called out to them, “I’ve got him!”
Javi jogged the distance between them. “Where was he?”
“I saw him when I pulled in. He was scratching at the front door to be let in,” she responded while handing the little dog off to Lola, who was still sitting in the back seat of Javi’s truck with her leg resting across the bench seat.
Javi watched Lola cuddle the pup to her chest while scolding him in Spanish for leaving her. He understood; he kind of wanted to scold her and Cal, too.
“Come on,chiquita. Let’s get you in the house.” He reached and took the pup before passing him back to Cami. “Scooch this way a little,” he directed Lola so that he could get an arm under her knees and another around her back.
