The sun's light rays kissed the hardwood floor of the cantina as another morning came again in Punto Donostia. But before the sun even rose, Renee has woken up early to begin cooking, as the town needed their fix of bread and coffee. She usually worked on her own, and she could've as her guests were still fast asleep. But as soon as she started moving, she awoke the hungover mess that was Guelio.

As predicted, Guelio felt tired, nauseous and overall unwell, so Renee prepared a cup of tea for him. He cooked fried eggs again, for both of them, as Renee began kneading the dough for the pan de sal and pan de espanyol. Guelio wanted to help but nearly fell face-first onto the floor, so he stayed seated, drinking up his tea as he began feeling the heat of the wood-fire, brick oven.

The brick oven was already there when Renee was given the cantina by a family friend. She needed a source of income, and since she didn't want to get married yet, they allowed her to run a business, which was a rarity in colonial periods, especially in conservative countries like Spain. The oven was a fixture from a past bakery, and since Renee's passion for food knew no bounds, it was perfect for her business venture. It was hard work though, since she worked mostly on her own, from sun-up to sun-down, but it was worth it, not only to support herself but also have a job she actually enjoyed doing. Again, another rarity in a country oppressed by foreign invaders.

Dough was already becoming bread by the time Guelio felt like his head wasn't spinning like a top. The smell of bread wafting onto the streets was like a fresh breeze, attracting farmers, merchants and housewives for their daily bread. Not only was it filling, but it was also the centerpiece of a community, drinking coffee, chatting about life and enjoying food at its simplest, but finest. First-timers would taste the bread and would be delighted by such a different yet outstanding taste. It was the pride of Punto Donostia, as the locals called. Not bad for the girl who cooked dry empanadas a decade prior.

As the sun began to rise in the town, so did the people of the town. The bread was being baked, the coffee was being brewed, the fillings were being sauteed and the people were piling up. With all the activity that was buzzing, Adrienne and Rodrigo woke up. Guelio bade them good morning and asked if they can help with the cantina considering they were unemployed for the next couple of months. Almost immediately, they washed and dressed up and began to help in all sorts of culinary endeavours. Before they knew it, Renee opened shop and the people began the most important meal of the day.

The breakfast rush lasted an hour long, with food changing hands faster than a card game. By this time, trays of bread have been emptied and all the tea and coffee were consumed. Some even began to eat rice with some kind of viand Renee could cook up. The activity both inside and outside the kitchen then slowed, as the sun was beginning to rise in strength.

Adrienne, who was busy helping with the dishes and not falling from cabinets finally had a chance to rest for a while. She was lying on the hammock when Rodrigo happened to pass by, also taking the chance to rest. As he sat down on the worn-out desk in front of the hammock, she was piqued about what happened last night, not least why Guelio keeps looking at a piece of paper throughout the night. Since she wouldn't do anything anyway, she might as well satisfy her curiosity on this.

They greeted each other, and after a few pleasantries, Adrienne asked: "What happened to Guelio last night?".

Rodrigo shrugged. He, too, was confused about last night. He didn't act that way at all, he said. It was almost abnormal for Guelio to be sad, though judging by the alcohol he had consumed, maybe it wasn't such a stretch. "It reminded me of a time when I saw Guelio at his most emotional.", he said. Adrienne prodded further, so Rodrigo told a story.

"One time, when we were fifteen years old, I went to Guelio's house since we were supposed to the Port, I don't remember. When I came in, I noticed his parents were outside his room. His father and mother were screaming through the locked door. They were worried about him, he wouldn't go out all day. Without warning, I went out and smashed Guelio's window. When I climbed in I saw Guelio lying on his bed, an entire bottle of whiskey in hand, crying and bawling. It was horrible to look at."

"Any reason why he would do such a thing?", Adrienne questioned.

"I can't say. He kept on saying a name. Something along the lines of Julia and Yuna? I don't remember. After that, he just didn't talk about it, at all. Even if I'd ask, he'd just shrug and say it was just a bad time for him. But me being caring and the somewhat intrusive friend, I dug around in his stuff."

"What did you find?"

"Un dibujo. [A drawing]"

"De que? [Of whom?]"

"A woman. I don't know who she is. Her face doesn't look familiar, but it must be very important to Guelio. He doesn't know how to draw, but it looks like he drew it, and spent a lot of his time at that."

Adrienne stayed quiet for a while, thinking and internalizing it again. Thinking and rethinking about it. The story felt like it had something to do with Guelio's past, and maybe even her's, considering the countless coincidences and deus ex machinas that have happened recently.

"If you want to know more about it, you have to talk to Guelio.", Rodrigo said, probably responding to the thoughts in Adrienne's mind. 

And so, she did.