In her dream, Elena saw herself at five — a total tomboy. She was always chasing after stray cats and dogs to feed them, running all over the place like a little whirlwind.
Her family had no idea how to handle her, so they ended up setting up tiny houses for the animals in the front garden. Even hired someone to take the strays for vaccinations, just in case one scratched her.
The first time Elena's mom brought Gabriel over, a cat climbed up a tree. Elena, of course, teamed up with the neighborhood kids to climb after it. Her pink princess dress got shredded by the branches — not that she cared.
They all tumbled down one by one, looking like they'd gone a few rounds with gravity. Her mom was so mad, she grabbed a broom and chased her around the yard.
Initially, everyone thoug
