It wasn’t long before she started talking to Red.

“Juan huh? Must have been something. I bet he can feel your love for him, wherever he is.” Dune stood up and started making an espresso. Beans from the freezer, ground, unleashing the gorgeous smell, packing the Vesuvio, filling the bottom with water, turning on the burner.

“I was in love. Before Marta hurt me I was so in love with her. And before that I guess I was in love with Ana, like first love type love? Ana was so good. Maybe too good for me.” Dune hadn’t admitted that before, ever. “And Marta was really beautiful. Is really beautiful, I guess. I don’t know where she is. But she was so beautiful, so cool. The cool girl.”

“Juan. Home.”

“She wouldn’t have noticed me in high school I don’t think. I wasn’t the cute boi you see before you. Not ’til I got older. Ana was more my type really. Nerdy. We spent our time together thinking. I still remember those conversations, you know? Ideas ... Ana didn’t believe that humans belonged to each other, or even to a place. She thought we were all meant to be nomadic. But like, all theory. We would talk a lot about how to become more free, inside our little lives.” Dune laughed, remembering.

“Dance. Kiss.”

“We never even kissed. But Ana’s parents loved me, we would sit in her room working next to each other on our computers and then compare our ideas… She never initiated anything in our relationship, I didn’t know how. We were like, along for the ride of it. I wish I could combine them, Marta’s beauty and passion, Ana’s big mind, her humility.” Dune smiled, trying to imagine this impossible combination. “Maybe Juan was your combo though. I don’t think that is ever going to happen for me.”

“Juan, home. Dance. Kiss.”

“I’m basically alone now. My mama died, my grandmama is in her last days upstairs. My dad died a long time ago, everyone is dead or leaving. I’m going to stay for a while. So. You’re good to be here, you know.”

’Til you die. Dune couldn’t say it, even if it was the clear truth, even if Red showed no signs of registering anything Dune was saying.

Red was named Bethany Brown according to her wallet, but Dune still called her Red. She talked to Red about love and lessons while she downed her coffee, then made tomorrow’s iced tea from chicory and dandelions she’d found in a nearby lot, washed and hung to dry.