“Of course! I’d love to!” Eva had exclaimed earlier that morning when the Front Office manager asked if she wanted to stay on after her internship and work for an additional six months at the Décor Hotel. By the end of her shift, Eva was still charged with energy and decided to enjoy the sunny weather by going for a walk.

Lost in thought, she walked downhill, leaving the hotel’s clean, green surroundings and entering an area filled with cramped shops, bright neon signs, and poorly lit interiors. In this part of the city, pedestrians flooded the boardwalk, rushing carelessly through the crowds. A man roughly bumped into her. As she reached for the wall to steady herself, she nearly tripped over a young woman sitting on the pavement on a piece of cardboard. Their eyes locked.

The woman had dark circles under her eyes, smudges of dirt on her face, and greasy, messy hair. She cradled a few-month-old baby wrapped in worn, dirty clothes. A five-year-old boy slept on the pavement with his head in her lap, his body pressed against the stone wall, his arms and legs dirty. The woman, now aware that Eva had taken in the scene, lowered her gaze and raised her hand, palm up.

Eva walked on, feeling a dull knot in her stomach. Being confronted with the homeless and displaced people was part of life in this city, but every now and then, these encounters still unsettled her. She crossed the street, heading back toward the hotel. As she walked uphill, the gloomy feeling lingered, like a gas bubble in her stomach, waiting to escape. Again, a passerby nearly knocked her off her feet. Turning around to call him out, she spotted a realtor’s office across the street. Suddenly, the gas bubble popped, and the reality hit her—she wouldn’t have a place to stay.

She had agreed to the six-month extension without thinking it over. She lived in an intern-only apartment, a contractual stipulation by the rental agency preventing people overstaying in the city’s overheated rental market. What if she couldn’t find a suitable place? A safe place, so she could walk to work for her night and early morning shifts. Would she even be able to afford a good place? Though she would receive a salary, she knew not to expect too much.

With thoughts racing through her mind, Eva walked through the tourist area of El Poblado. At nighttime, the vibrant restaurants, bars, and cafés catered to locals and tourists alike. However, during the day, the area exuded a soothing calm, attracting passersby to its modern artisan shops selling local, lesser-known clothing brands and the occasional artwork. A creek ran along the outer edge of the area, the soft trickle of water and the sound of the wind rustling through the trees calming Eva’s overstimulated senses.

She stopped by a café for a coffee, hoping to further quiet her racing thoughts. Seated at one of the few tables, she had just taken her first sip, when a woman entered with her dog. The dog spotted Eva and yanked the leash, causing the woman to stumble and drop it. The dog bolted straight towards Eva.

The Jack Russell eagerly rubbed against her legs, tail wagging, begging for attention. Surprised, Eva laughed and patted it. In its excitement, the dog leapt onto her lap, wriggling frantically and trying to lick her face.

“Your manners, Winston!” the woman exclaimed, approaching Eva with deliberate steps, careful to maintain her balance. Once at the table, she uninvitedly sat down facing Eva.

“It’s okay,” Eva countered. Now that the woman was closer, Eva noticed that she was dressed warm for the weather, with a wool vest under her padded coat, a shawl around her neck, and a scarf tied around her head.

“Well, it’s clear that Winston likes you! Are you sure he’s not bothering you?”

“No bother at all! I love dogs. Since moving out from my parents, I haven’t been able to have one. I’m probably enjoying these cuddles more than Winston, who gets them regularly.”

The woman laughed. “He does get a lot of cuddles! It’s his energy that’s the problem—and his attitude, of course.”

Eva raised an eyebrow.

“Winston likes you, but he hates almost everyone else,” the woman continued. As if to emphasize her point, the dog growled at the waitress, who, clearly accustomed to the dog’s quirks, expertly circled around them to serve the woman a cup of tea.

The woman sipped her tea and turned to Eva. “Are you visiting Medellin?”

“Actually, I’m doing my internship at the Décor Hotel.”

“That hotel is beautiful! I sometimes visit the lobby for some tea, to relax and, surrounded by those lush plants, watch the rays of sunshine pouring in through the open roof.”

“The hotel is a hidden green retreat in the bustling city. I love being here for my internship, to explore the city, meet people, and experience the daily Colombian life and culture. Just this morning, I received an offer to stay and work for six months after my internship!”

“Congratulations! So, you live nearby?” the woman asked, carefully setting her teacup on the table. Eva noticed the loose skin on her hands; the skin lacking the elasticity to fit snugly around her fingers and wrists.

“I live around the corner for now,” Eva sighed. “I need to find a new place since I can’t stay where I am once my internship ends.”

The woman pressed a handkerchief to her mouth and nose, and Eva caught a whiff of eucalyptus as she noticed the woman’s white fingernails gripping the damp cloth.

“Well, you’ve already been vetted by Winston. I might have an idea,” the woman said. “I live nearby in a spacious apartment. If you can take care of Winston—walking him twice daily and handling my weekly grocery shopping—that should cover your board.”

Eva gasped in disbelief. “I don’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense! I have Deborah to help me,” the woman said, nodding to the front door. Only then did Eva notice the woman, Deborah, sitting outside, keeping a discreet, yet watchful eye on them.

The woman turned back to Eva. “It’s just Winston that doesn’t let anyone near him.”

Eva sat silently, at a loss for words. The woman took her silence as agreement.

“Well, that’s settled! There’s just one last thing: when you return home after six months, you’ll need to find a good place for both you and Winston.”

Eva shook her head, confused by the woman’s remark. “No,” she replied, “Winston has a little crush on me now, and I’m grateful for the chance to stay at your place. But he belongs to you; he must love you and want to be with you.”

“Yes, he does love me,” the woman replied, a slight crack in her voice. “Unfortunately, I can’t take him with me where I’m going soon enough. He’ll need a new home and a new person, and it seems he’s chosen you today.”

Eva absently stroked the dog’s back, lost for words as the weight of the woman’s message sank in.

The woman broke the silence as she took another sip of her tea. “Patting his coat is really relaxing, don’t you think? It just makes all your worries float away.”

Eva nodded, stroking the dog’s soft coat was calming. As if on cue, the dog turned its head from Eva to its owner, wagging its tail in approval.

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