Echo

That’d be cool if I could see your uncle’s monkeys,” he said, changing the subject. Chloe turned away, shading her eyes as she stared past Scotty down the beach. Barney struggled to his feet, running off toward the same direction.
    “We’ve got company. Your dog seems happy to see him.” Barney was doing his best to lick the hair off Jose’s legs.
    “That’s my sister’s boyfriend. He’s my best friend too.” Jose reached the group, his eyes searching cautiously; acknowledging Scotty’s company.
    “Where’s Echo?” Jose sounded worried. Chloe looked at the dogs.
    “Did I miss one?”
    “No, Echo’s in the carriage with Mimi. She’s just a cat we have,” Scotty said quickly, jumping up and introducing them, pointing to Chloe’s house down the beach.
    “I think that little guy belongs to you, young lady?” Teddy blissfully ignored everyone, going to town on Penny’s ear again. Getting up out of the sand, Chloe laughed as she detached Teddy from the Springer’s ear, said good bye and headed down the beach to her house. She turning once, giving them all a wave. Jose knelt in the sand, removed his sunglasses and stroked Penny’s coppery fur.
    “Chloe seems like a nice girl. This the first time you met her?”
    “Yeah, we needed to just get away from the house for a while. Don’t worry, we were careful. Chloe invited me to her house. I’d like to go. She says her uncle lives there with a collection of monkeys. That’d be cool.”
    “Yeah, monkeys are cool. I knew a few when I was little, a long time ago.” Jose’s face took on a distant haunted look, his eyes unreadable. Scotty thought to ask him about it when, just as fast as it came, his eyes cleared. Maybe he just imagined it. Jose’s eyes now glowed golden so much they were hard to read, anyway.
    “Wouldn’t mind seeing them myself. Just let me know when you leave the grounds next time.” Going to the carriage, he lifted the netting. Two heads popped up.
    “Hello, Brother Jose, Look at my new automobile.” Echo’s colorful aura swirled languidly.
    “Your new automobile?”
    “Yes, it is a Carriage, modified just for me. I am sorry I cannot give you a ride, but you have your own car. Mine is a gift from Brother Scotty.”
    “Yeah, real nice Echo. That Scotty is just full of surprises. Okay, let’s saddle up guys. I need to have a word with Scotty and you better get home, now.” As they walked back to their cars, Jose told Scotty about his impending trip to New Jersey.
    “That’s great,” Scotty said, realizing Jose decided to drop the issue of last night’s rescue. He must be pretty occupied with the search for his family. They all missed Mama Diaz, being the only adult maternal presence left in their life. And he missed Emma and Bonny. They wouldn’t care how funny he looked. If Jose located the rest of the family and they joined them in Sarasota, his life would be much more normal. Things were starting to look up. His thoughts drifted back to Chloe. Yeah, he smiled to himself, things are looking up.
    “Let’s head back to the house. I’d like us to spend some time together with Abby before Peter takes me to the airport.”
    “Ok, I’ll meet you back at the house.” Jose drove off after making sure everyone was secure, Scotty following in the baking afternoon sun.
    ###
    Scotty sat at the kitchen table with Abby, trying to talk to her about meeting Chloe. Jose stood at the kitchen sink, listening to him chatter on. Abby sat in her ornamental pig iron antique kitchen chair, oblivious to it all. She was staring at Echo, who, for some unfathomable reason, sat plucking white hairs out of Barney’s fur and holding them up to the sun. She guarded a small plastic jar sitting on the floor where she deposited the hairs. Well, thought Abby, at least Echo found something to occupy herself with. Her attention turned moodily to Jose and Scotty, who were both staring at her.
    “What?” They both started in on her at the same time.
    “What are you guys yelling at me about? For Pete’s sakes.” She lifted her heavy hair off her neck, radiating impatience and boredom. She stood up suddenly, her chair scraping noisily on the marble kitchen floor. The dogs startled out of their placid late afternoon snooze, heads swiveling in unison to face Abby.
    “Gee, doesn’t anyone have anything to do except whine at me all the time?”
    “Babe, we weren’t whining at you at all, we were just—”
    “Oh, so now I’m wrong about