Jaiden had fallen silent on the phone with Valeria as he recalled his last case with Carlos. He knew he was grasping at straws, trying to find the similarities between the two cases. Perhaps it was too close to the anniversary of Carlos' death. Or maybe it was because he was frightened of the similarities.

"Mijo? Are you ok?" Valeria asked. It seemed like she called out to him a couple of times.

He leaned against the porch's railing and released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Terrance is dead.

"Yeah. Just thinking about this case." He answered quietly.

He shot Terrance in the neck.

"I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it." He continued.

He watched Terrance bleed out and die.

"Jaiden..." He didn't realize how strained his voice was until Valeria called out to him.

Terrance is dead.

He tried to bring himself back to the present. "Sorry, tia. Just distracted."

She clicked her tongue. "Do you face thingy on this damnable phone?"

He groaned. "It's called FaceTime, tia. It's dark where I am, so it won't work well."

"Jaiden Ethan Ryder, you will do the face call this instant." Her voice was stern.

He grimaced when he heard her saying his full name and didn't bother with correcting her again. He let out another groan before standing under the porch light and switched to a video call with her.

He saw her face light up the screen. She was in her robe in front of her fireplace, and her face was a little too close to the camera.

"Oh, mijo, you look terrible." She said with a frown.

"Terrible? You used to say I was handsome." He grumbled.

"Don't sulk. You have bags under your eyes and hair... Dios mío, it's a mess." She complained. Jaiden didn't mind her candidness. It was something that was part of her charm.

He ran his hand through his hair. "I haven't found a barber."

She pursed her lips. "This case you're working is difficult, isn't it."

He knew she wanted to do the video call to gauge his expressions. She was married to a detective for a long time and helped raise another. She knew certain tells, and he knew that he couldn't lie to her.

"Yeah... it's a tough one." He answered, not willing to look her in the eyes.

"Are you being safe?" She asked, her eyes revealing the deep concern she held for him.

He nodded. "I am. I promise."

She hesitated before her next question. "Are you handling this case by yourself?" It was the question she always asked. She had hoped that he would find another dependable partner, but he was always stubborn.

He felt a tug at the corner of his lips. "No. I have a partner for this one."

She sighed. "You really shouldn't be doing this alone... qué?" She realized what he said a moment too late.

He laughed. "I'm not working this one alone. I'm actually working with-"

He stopped talking when the porch door opened, and Toni peeked out. When he saw Jaiden, he smiled. "It's cold outside, mi sol. You should come in."

Jaiden returned the smile and nodded, but then he heard. "Jaiden?" from the phone. Valeria's voice was a little pitched when she called out.

"Ah, sorry, tia. I'm just moving locations." He told her quickly. Jaiden's body shivered a little as he walked inside the home, feeling the warm heat blanket him.  He didn't realize how cold he was.

"Jaiden... who are you with?"

"Ah, the man I was about to tell you about. Toni Alvarez. Carlos used to talk about him sometimes." He explained as Toni quickly wrapped a blanket around Jaiden's shoulders and handed him a mug of his Mexican hot chocolate to warm him up.

Toni was in the camera frame and waved with a bright smile. "Hola, tia. Jaiden has told me a lot about you. It's nice to meet you."

Valeria seemed to be overwhelmed with emotions. "Yes... very nice to meet you. Carlos had complimented you quite a bit."

Toni looked a little embarrassed. "To be acknowledged by him is an honor."

Valeria sniffled a little. "So you two are partners?"

Jaiden nodded. "That's right."

She looked between the two of them. "Work partners or something more?"

Jaiden flushed and coughed a little. "Both."

A bright smile stretched across Valeria's face. Her wrinkles around her eyes and mouth deepened to accentuate her joy. "Bueno. Bueno."

Jaiden gave her a playful frown. "You're acting like I would be alone all of my life."

"Idiota! I was about to give up on your love life!" She lamented and gave an exaggerated sigh. "Toni, you let me know if he does anything stupid to ruin your relationship. I will beat some sense in him for you."

Toni laughed. "I will keep you in mind if he tries."

Jaiden creased his brow. "Why would I be the one doing something stupid?"

Valeria chuckled. "Oh sweetheart, when something good comes along, you resist it as much as possible."

Toni nodded. "That is true. I remember someone trying to leave our relationship up to coincidence."

Jaiden opened and closed his mouth, unable to refute.

"You should have seen how he resisted being a cop." Valeria chimed in.

Toni raised an eyebrow. "He resisted? He seemed born to be a detective."

"My Carlos was impressed with Jaiden the moment they met. Although, it wasn't the best of circumstances. Jaiden had quite the mouth on him, especially when he was locked up in a holding cell." She said with a laugh.

"Tia!" Jaiden called out, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"A holding cell?" Toni asked with wide eyes.

Jaiden leaned back and ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Except beat the hell out of three grown men. Actually, everyone was impressed." Valeria joked, but then she became nostalgic. "Who knew how things would have changed for Carlos and me."

Jaiden smiled warmly. "For me too."

Valeria nodded. "Now, Jaiden, vete. I want to talk to Toni alone."

Jaiden gave her a perplexed look. "What? You're shooing me away?"

"Vete. Vete." She said as she waved her hand.

He gave Toni a helpless look, but Toni grinned to show that he would be ok. Jaiden stood up and went into the hall, trying to provide them with some privacy but still in earshot.

Valeria sighed a little. "Gracias, Toni."

Toni was confused why she was thanking him. "I haven't done much."

She shook her head. "You have done so much. All I want is his happiness, but he seemed to work hard to fight it. He must have given you a hard time."

"We worked it out together." He said.

She smiled. "Meeting Jaiden was a blessing for us. Carlos had always hoped that one of our children would follow in his footsteps and go into law enforcement. But they took after me and found their passions in teaching or the ranch. Then he met Jaiden and felt that they had a connection. Both were stubborn, curious, and had a sense of justice instilled in their bones. Carlos saw the detective he could be.  Jaiden resisted Carlos' mentoring at first but soon gave in, and their bond became extraordinarily strong. I see so much of Carlos in Jaiden. He may not be blood, but he is our son."

Toni felt the emotion from Valeria's words. He knew that Carlos was Jaiden's mentor but never understood how deep their relationship was. "I'll treat him right, tia."

"I have a feeling you will... but may I ask... what did you call him?"

Toni felt confused for a moment. Hadn't Jaiden asked him about this as well? "Mi sol." He answered with a tilt of his head.

Valeria was smiling with tears running down her face. Toni started to panic, but she shook her head to silence him. "I'm fine... It's just that those words are special."

"He had a similar reaction when I first said that."

"He hasn't told you anything about it? Did he ask you to call him that?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I called him mi sol because it seemed right. Not only does he have the tattoos, but I know he has a fascination for the sun. He embodies that thing he admires and has brightened up everything in my life."

She smiled happily as she watched Toni become bashful from his own words. "Jaiden's love for the sun is something he picked up from Carlos. They would both sit out on the house's roof and watch the sun rise and fall together. Who knows what conversations they would have out there..."

She wiped the falling tears. "Carlos would always call me mi sol. It's a term of endearment that resounds in our hearts. It's wonderful to hear it again."

Toni was surprised about this revelation and started to understand why Jaiden reacted the way he did. Sometimes at night, Jaiden would ask to hear Toni call him mi sol repeatedly. It must have brought him comfort hearing the term.

He felt his heart ache, realizing how much pain Jaiden felt after losing Carlos.

"After Carlos passed away, Jaiden suffered. He has lost two fathers now. Anything that makes him open his heart again scares him, so he had elected to be alone for a long time. Just be patient with him. Once he lets go of his insecurities, he will give it his all." Valeria said.

"I'll remember that." He said quietly.

After overhearing the conversation, Jaiden held a shaking hand over his mouth in the hallway. The affection both sides had for him made him want to collapse in their embrace. He had a mother and a man who adored him.

He didn't realize that Toni was calling him to come back. It took a little for Jaiden to break away from his thoughts, and he joined them in the living room. He sat down next to Toni and smiled happily as they said their goodbyes to Valeria.

As Jaiden sat down the phone, Toni pulled him into his lap and held him tightly.

"Lo siento." He said quietly as he nestled his head in the crook of Jaiden's neck. "I knew he was your partner, but I didn't understand how close you and Carlos were."

Jaiden leaned into the embrace and played with the plain ring on his finger. "My mother died when I was child in a car accident. She was taking me home from the amusement park and a drunk driver took her away from me. All I have left from her is her wedding ring and vague memories of sunflowers on her dress."

He held up his hand to show the ring he was just fiddling with. Toni gently pulled his hand towards him and pressed his lips against the ring.

"You were in the car when it happened?" He asked.

Jaiden nodded and pulled up his pant leg revealing the scar that had now been partially covered by a sunflower tattoo. Toni brushed his fingers over the scar.

"After that, my biological father wasn't the same. He was grieving because he lost a part of himself. He supported me as much as he could, but it was like he was dead inside. I didn't see a spark in him until I was about twelve and he met Tracy." He said quietly.

Toni grumbled a little after hearing Tracy's name. He was still upset with the way she treated Jaiden even now when she was nearly across the country.

Jaiden lifted his hand and intertwined his fingers with Toni's. "He was better for a little, but then that's when the cancer came. I watch my father die emotionally when I was six years old... and then I had to watch him wither away at fourteen."

He shivered a little. "I wasn't the easiest kid to raise but found a good support system in high school. I watched my friends fall into these relationships that completed them and made them whole. As happy as I was for them, I was still bitter. They were so honest and open with each other when I couldn't even find the strength to tell my crush that I liked him."

Toni shifted a little, feeling a little irked knowing that Jaiden had someone he liked. "A crush?

"A pretty blonde boy; petite with a fiery soul." He chuckled a little. "Still, it didn't matter. He found someone else that was a perfect match for him. I was ok with stepping aside."

Toni snorted. "High school relationships don't last though."

Jaiden raised an eyebrow. "They're married still... all of them to their high school sweethearts."

"Well, fuck. It's rare to find your other half so young."

Jaiden laughed. "It is, but somehow they did it. But high school sweethearts were not in the cards for me. And I didn't know what to do with myself, so I left. Got in a fight and thrown into a holding cell in Cruces.... I always thought Carlos was an idiot for taking me in. I was an asshole with a chip on my shoulder and a heavy grudge against cops. I had no future and no path, but Carlos gave me an opportunity. He took me into his home and suddenly I had a family again."

He rubbed his hand over his face, feeling the sorrow overwhelm him.

"He trained me. Mentored me. Supported me. He was the first person I told that I passed my exams and earned my badge. He was so fucking proud that on my first day on duty, he insisted that he had to pin my badge on me. Then he pulled so many strings so he could be the one to announce that I become a detective..."

He looked up at Toni, his eyes glistening a little. "Being his partner was amazing... but being his family meant so much more. He was a father to me, but I was scared to acknowledge that feeling. He would call me 'son', but I couldn't bring myself to call him anything other than 'tio'."

Tio was still a title of a familial bond; his uncle. But Jaiden truly respected him as a father.

"He died in my arms. But before his last breath, I called him 'dad' for the first and last time." Jaiden's tears started to fall and he wiped them away with frustration. These were the words muffled in his dreams. Even subconsciously, he was scared to say 'dad' again.

"I killed the man who shot him... and it was so easy; just a pull of the trigger and the bastard was gone from the world... But it was impossible to save Carlos. I couldn't stop his bleeding and it didn't matter how much I begged or called for help. So, I did the only thing I could think of and tried to be his son for his last moments."

Jaiden had laid bare the worst night of his life, the one that shattered him. These were words that were buried inside of him that not even Valeria knew. They were his secrets, locked in a tomb of despair.

Toni tightened his hold around the trembling Jaiden. It didn't matter which language he spoke, every word seemed cheap. Instead, he chose silence and held the beautiful man who was breaking apart in his arms.