Santiago Huamán Pérez lives in a two-story suburban home in Eugene, Oregon, with Carolina Pérez Apaza, his mother, Michael Hawk, his step-father, Camila, his younger sister, James, his “step-twin,” and Hayden, his older stepbrother.
General Description
Type: Two-story suburban home with blue siding and white trim.
Built: 1990
Location: 1701 E. Saucer Circle, Eugene, Oregon
Residents: Santiago, his mother (Mamá), stepfather (Michael), younger sister (Camila), stepbrothers (James and Hayden). The Huamán Pérez family moved in 2019, when Santiago was four years old. The Hawk family moved in next door on the same day.
Additional Resident: Patch, the family’s dachshund.
Exterior & Garage
The house is located in a cul-de-sac, with a garage overtaken by Michael’s outdoor gear—bikes, kayaks, skis, snowboards, and other adventure equipment.
The driveway and front yard are well-maintained, but the garage is teeming due to Michael’s hobbies. The family often enters through the garage.
Interior Layout
First Floor
Living Room
The living room isn’t used much by the family, but Carolina and Michael insist that it stay clean for guests. Carolina’s extensive library has slowly overtaken one side of the living room, spilling over from the study.
Family Room
This is the main space for family interactions. It contains furniture, a TV, and a place for casual gatherings. It opens up to the kitchen and dining area.
Kitchen & Dining Area
Carolina and Michael often cook here, and family meals take place at the dining table. Santiago’s favorite dish is lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir-fry his late father used to make.
Study
Carolina always needed a quiet place to work at home, especially when Camila and Santiago were younger. Carlos always felt more at home in the kitchen and never used the study, but Michael makes frequent uses of it. He doesn’t take up any space besides his simple desk and chair, which is fortunate, because Carolina takes up most of the space.
Laundry Room
Carolina often complains that there aren’t laundry machines on the second floor where the bedrooms are.
Second Floor: Bedrooms & Personal Spaces
Santiago and James’s Bedroom
Santiago has slept in the same bedroom since his family moved in. He was thrilled when James moved in when they were both ten, but they got off to a rough start for a few weeks. James proved to be less tidy than Santiago, and it challenged their friendship (not to mention their new “step-brotherhood.” After an argument that ended with neither wanting to sit with each other at lunch, James and Santiago realized that they missed each other. Eventually, James worked to become tidier and Santiago learned to tolerate his untidiness.
Santiago is naturally scared of heights, but James really wanted the bottom bunk, so he let him have it. Santiago struggled to sleep that first night, but Michael heard him tossing and turning and stepped in. The two shared a bottle of water in the kitchen and formed a plan to desensitize Santiago to heights. This helped cement Santiago and his stepdad’s budding relationship.
Santiago’s bedroom houses a blue magical chest that serves as a portal to Flamingo Springs on the Northern Colony Flyland.
Their room is decorated with a mishmash of running medals, costume pieces, family photos, and fantasy novels.
James frequently blasts musical theater songs on an iPod player owned by his mom. He often sings along.
Santiago keeps a Gluteus-Floribunda plant (a gift from Bess Belfry) that neutralizes bad smells, making his room much fresher than before.
Camila’s Room
Likely decorated with her explosive personality in mind. Camila enjoys socializing and frequently visits friends.
Hayden’s Room
Mostly a mystery, as Hayden doesn’t interact much with Santiago. He’s a cheerleader and often away at practice.
Master Bedroom
Belonging to Mamá and Michael, this space serves as their private retreat.