It was already past 9:00 a.m. when Alan woke up. He slowly drifted into consciousness and realized the sensation of his mom trying to shake him awake in a dream was Boomer pawing at his arm. Alan sat upright and hoped that his oversleeping didn’t lead to any accidents in the house.

“Were you a good dog?” asked Alan. “I was a bad person. I was supposed to take you out a couple of hours ago.”

Alan pulled on the jeans and T-Shirt draped over the chair in the corner of his bedroom. Boomer followed him down the stairs and padded as quickly as he could toward the kitchen door. Alan rubbed his eyes trying to bring the world into sharp focus. He grabbed the leash from its rack near the kitchen door and snapped it onto Boomer’s bright red collar on the third try.

It was gloomy and cloudy outside. It looked like buckets of rain could pour from the sky any minute. “We’re not roaming far from the house, Boomer. I forgot the umbrella, and neither one of us wants to get soaking wet.”

The weather matched Alan’s mood. He sent an email message to Elaine before he went to bed the night before. It only partially lacked in truth. He said he didn’t feel well. That part was correct, but he added that he thought he might be sick. Only Alan’s heart was sick. He knew that he couldn’t face a day of work in the office right after hearing Diego’s news.

As he meandered down the street with Boomer’s nose burrowing through the grass along the sidewalk, Alan said, “I guess we’re back to square one now. Remember when I first met Dak at the Corner Hitch?” Alan laughed to himself. Of course, Boomer wasn’t there, but he could pretend that his dog was at his side.

Alan added, “I was happy to make a new friend, and now Dak and Brody are two of the best friends I’ve known in a long time. I am in good hands with them.”

Alan only walked two blocks with Boomer before turning around and hurrying back to the house. Thunder began to roll through the sky before they reached the kitchen door. Alan filled Boomer’s dish with his breakfast and added a treat on top. He pulled open the refrigerator door and retrieved a container of yogurt. With a spoon in hand, he set his cell phone on the kitchen table, opened the container, and began to eat.

Even his favorite orange creamsicle flavor tasted off. He whispered to Boomer, “It’s going to be a long day.”

The cell phone rang and clattered against the table’s surface. Alan didn’t recognize the specific number, but it was someone calling from Red Wing. With a glimmer of hope in the back of his mind, he answered.

“Oh, I’m glad you answered. I knew that you wouldn’t recognize the number. Alan, this is Rhea. I’m the M-Trak secretary and work for Mr. Flores.”

“Oh, yeah, Diego’s mentioned you.”

“I’ve got one question for you, Mr. Hansen.”

“A question?” asked Alan.

“Do you love him?”

Alan paused. He knew the answer, but he hadn’t told anyone else yet. In a firm tone, he said, “Yes.”

* * *

The fragrance filling the car was so intense that it was intoxicating. The overwhelming aroma went straight to Alan’s head. He rolled down a window to dissipate the smell.

As he pulled up to a stoplight on the edge of Red Wing, Alan glanced at the massive bundle of roses lying in the seat next to him and grinned. “I hope these do the trick. If they don’t, I’ll never want to see a damned rose again in my life.”

When he pulled into the parking lot behind the former school building that contained the M-Trak offices, Alan spotted Diego’s car. There was an empty parking spot on the right side of his car, and Alan decided to take it. It might have been pure superstition to think that parking their cars in close proximity would help keep them together, but Alan needed any assistance he could get, superstitious or not.

It only took one buzz on the office door for Rhea to answer. She wore a brightly colored dress with blocks of pastel blue and yellow. She smiled broadly when she saw the flowers. “How many do you have?”

“It’s three dozen. Do you think Diego will like them?”

“I’ll personally kill him if he doesn’t,” grumbled Rhea. “I think he will come to his senses. It seems like temporary insanity to me, but you know how emotional he is. I’d better not announce you. Just go down the little hall and knock on his door.”

Alan followed Rhea’s instructions. He took three long, deep breaths and knocked on Diego’s door. He heard a muffled voice say, “Come on in, Rhea. I’m trying to get everything in order. I don’t have much left to do.”

Alan pushed the door open and held the roses up in front of his face.

Diego was staring at his computer screen and continued speaking. He said, “I’ll have plenty of time to finish the rest of this when I get back home from Tulum. I already have four property showings scheduled.” As he ended the sentence, he looked up.

Alan pulled one dozen of the roses to the side and peered between the blossoms. “Can I interest you in a rose or two?” asked Alan.

Diego looked confused. He asked, “Why are you here? I assumed you’d hate me forever after I told you what I’m doing.” He gestured at the chair opposite his desk and said, “Sit, and where did you get all those flowers? It’s not a funeral. I’m just going away for a couple of weeks.”

“And then you’ll come back for good?” asked Alan. He reached out and grabbed an empty brass vase on the corner of Diego’s desk. He mumbled, “These will need some water,” as he stuffed the roses inside.

“I told you last night. I don’t want to do it, but it’s for the best.”

“Since when does Diego Flores do anything that he doesn’t want to do? Isn’t following your desire a guiding principle?”

“Damn, Alan! I’m trying to think it through for once! I’m trying to stop following that rage in my heart everywhere. I should have done this before I ever came to Minnesota. I already have the plane ticket, and I’ve got four properties to see.”

Alan threw his hands in the air. “Like a ticket matters to you. It’s throwaway money to you, Diego.” Alan placed his hands on the edge of the desk and leaned forward. “At least do me the decency of sharing one last visit to the Paddle Wheel. We can walk by the river one last time.”

Diego growled. “You don’t give up, do you? Why didn’t you stop me from leaving the first time we met? I might have stayed that time.”

“I was shocked that I had you in the first place. I assumed a man like you could only be a fleeting memory. I couldn’t imagine that you wanted me. Until last night, I thought all of that was different this time around.”

Diego leaned back in his chair. “Okay, I’ll drive us down to the Paddle Wheel. We’ll each get a cup of coffee, and we’ll walk down along that muddy river. Rhea says you can toss your memories into the current and watch it all float away. That’s what we should do. We should let it all float away and move on.”

Alan followed Diego out of his office. As they passed Rhea’s desk, he said, “Hold all of my calls for now. I will be back within…” He glanced at Alan. “Ninety minutes.” Diego opened the door and stepped outside.

Rhea looked at Alan and whispered, “So?”

Alan mumbled, “Who the hell knows,” and he followed Diego out into the late morning sun.

“You don’t mind if I drive, do you?” asked Diego.

“Not at all as long as you don’t have any Thelma and Louise fantasies.”

“Those crazy women?” asked Diego. “That would be an exciting end, wouldn’t it? It might take care of so many problems. I could drive us into the river and bring our sad story to an end.”

Alan rolled his eyes and climbed into the car. The seats were expensive chocolate-brown leather, and the ignition started with the touch of a button. The luxury of their surroundings whispered, “Diego.”

As he pulled out of the parking lot, Diego asked: “Do you know the problem with you, Alan?”

“I have a problem? I guess I don’t know what it is.”

“You don’t know when to give up and move on.”

“Move on?” asked Alan. “I’ve been moving on my entire life. That’s all I’ve ever done. This time I want to stay, and I want you to be here with me at my side. I’m tired of moving on, and something inside nags at me saying you don’t really want to go.”