After we talked for a minute, it was time for Rudy and me to go home.
It felt weird. After all those years of looking for my parents, I finally found out the truth. My mom was dead, and my dad was in a halfway house in El Paso, Texas. I didn't know what to do with that information. It was like spending your whole life wanting to see someone, only to find out they didn't want you around—not because they hated you, but because they believed staying away was better for you.
I sat in the truck, staring out the window, trying to process everything. Rudy sat beside me, watching me closely. He could tell something was wrong, but because his vocal cords had been damaged, talking was difficult for him. Even when he wanted to say something, getting the words out wasn't easy.
So instead, he just looked at me.
And somehow, that look told me he knew exactly what I was feeling.
As soon as I started the truck we got back on the road and headed straight to Ruidoso, our hometown.
While on the road Rudy fell asleep while I was focusing on the road but I still couldn't get what he said off my mind. A few hours later past Tularosa, my phone suddenly started ringing. I looked down to see who it was. It was Hina.
I quickly answered.
"Hello?"
"H-hey! Where are you?" Hina asked, her voice shaking.
"I'm in the truck. Why? What's going on?"
"You need to get home. Now!"
I sat up straight. "Hina, slow down. What happened?"
"There's a flood!" she shouted. "The water is rising, and it's already getting into some of the roads. I don't know how bad it's going to get!"
For a moment, I didn't say anything. I could hear people in the background, along with the sound of rain hitting something nearby.
"Hina, are you safe?"
"I—I think so, but I'm scared. Everyone is trying to figure out where to go."
I looked over at Rudy. He was already watching me, trying to understand what was happening.
"Okay," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Stay somewhere safe. Don't go outside, and keep your phone with you."
"But what about you?"
"I'm coming home."
I ended the call and stared through the windshield. A few minutes ago, I had been thinking about my parents and everything I had just learned. Now, none of that seemed as important.
Something was happening back home.
And Hina was scared.
I had barely put my phone down when it started ringing again. This time, the screen showed Ethan and Emy.
I looked at Rudy before answering. "Hello?"
"Where are you?" Ethan asked immediately. His voice sounded serious.
"I'm on my way home. What's going on?"
"We heard about the flooding," Emy said. "The roads around town are starting to get bad. We need you two to get home safely."
I looked out the windshield at the dark sky. Rain was coming down harder now, hitting the truck like thousands of tiny rocks. For a moment, I thought about everything that had happened that day—finding out about my mom, learning where my dad was, and now hearing that there was a flood back home. It felt like everything was happening at once.
"We're coming," I said.
"Good," Ethan replied. "Just be careful. If you see water covering the road, don't try to drive through it."
Emy's voice came through the phone again. "And call us when you get closer. We just want to know you're okay."
"I will."
After I hung up, I sat there quietly for a few seconds. Rudy looked at me, then at the phone.
I knew he was worried too.
I started flooring the gas pedal, and we began making our way home.
As we passed the Mescalero reservation, rain kept getting heavier as we drove. Water was beginning to collect along the sides of the road, and every few minutes I could see small streams running across the pavement. I kept both hands on the wheel, trying to stay focused, while Rudy sat quietly beside me.
Neither of us said much. There wasn't really anything to say.
My mind kept going back to the phone calls—Hina's panic. Ethan and Emy telling us to be careful. Underneath it all was everything I had learned about my parents. It felt like my life had changed in just a few hours.
Then my phone rang again.
I glanced at the screen.
It was Emy.
I answered through the truck's speakers. "Hey."
"Where are you guys now?" she asked.
"Still on the road. We're getting close."
"Okay. Just be careful. The water is getting worse around here."
Ethan spoke in the background. "Tell them to take the longer route. The main road is starting to flood."
I looked at Rudy. He pointed toward the road ahead, then toward the side streets.
"I heard you," I said. "We'll take another route."
"Good," Emy said. "Just get home safe. That's all we care about."
I could hear the worry in her voice.
"We will."
When the call ended, I slowed the truck down. The rain had turned the road into a blur, and I could barely see the houses through the windshield.
Rudy looked over at me.
"I know," I said quietly. "We'll make it home."
For the first time that night, I wasn't thinking about my parents.
I was thinking about the people waiting for us to come home.