A long road, indeed

Hector leans back in his chair, scratching his salt and pepper beard. “Where to begin. I suppose a bit of background couldn’t hurt. When I was a lot younger, I wasn’t such a sweetheart like I am now.”

He chuckles at his own joke. “Did some time in the army, but I was never any good as a leader, so that didn’t last long. Got a taste for breaking heads though. Turns out there’s a market for that, if you’re willing to work for some shady people.”

Hector shakes his head. “I was living the life, ****, women, you name it. Made a lot of money, spent it just as fast as I got it.”

You nod. “Sounds like a fast trip to an early grave.”

Hector chuckles. “Definitely, and I saw more than one guy go down that way. I’d probably be dead in a shallow grave somewhere if it wasn’t for Diane.”

Marin cocks her head curiously. “Diane?”

He nods. “Met her at a laundromat on one of my off days. Fiery little red headed gal, real smart. We hit it off right away.”

You glance at Naia. “Sounds like someone I know.”

Naia giggles. “Of course!”

Hector smiles as he continues. “We started getting serious pretty quickly, but when she found out what I did, she was horrified, told me I had a choice to make. Leave that life behind, or leave her behind.”

Julie nods. “I know what I’d choose.”

Hector chuckles. “Easiest decision I’ve ever made. Called the boss man that night and told him I was out.”

You shake your head. “I can’t imagine that went over well.”

Hector nods. “Yeah, we didn’t hang around to find out. Left the city and found a quiet little town to settle down in. Guess I wasn’t important enough to chase. We built a life for ourselves, and we were happy. I became a boxing coach, Diane a teacher. Life was good.”

Aisha smiles. “That sounds lovely.”

Hector nods, but his smile fades. “It was, for a long time. Years, long enough that I thought we’d be together forever. But life isn’t a storybook. Diane got cancer.”

He sighs. “I won’t go into details, but I was lost after she died. I was too old to go back to my old life, and I didn’t want to live my current one without her. So when I heard about the portal opening, I figured why not. We never had kids, I had no family, what did I have to lose.”

A smile returns to his face. “The early days were much looser with who they let through. I’d never pass a background check!”

He shrugs. “I’ll spare you my wandering, but long story short, I ended up in this city. I started to fall into old habits, getting in with the wrong crowd. But every time I did, I thought of Diane, and how she’d disapprove. So in the end, I bought this place.”

Hector gestures around. “At first it was just a dive bar, attracted a lot of rough people. I spent a lot of time breaking up fights and fixing furniture. Made a name for myself as someone not to mess with. But as more and more travelers came to town, I figured I could change things a bit. So I remodeled the place, imported a bunch of new world stuff, and made it look like the bars I used to hang out in when I was younger.”

He smiles. “Had the benefit of a less rowdy night, too. Plus everyone knows by now not to mess with me or my people.”

He shrugs. “So that’s my story. I’d like to hear yours as well, but first I think we need drinks.”