@ElBichoRaro - When you think about it, though, the surprise has been waiting for us all along. We never once see his father, and his mother behaves as the owner of the pet shop.
@ElBichoRaro - Don't get me wrong. I was caught by surprise too as I was transcribing the chapter. I wrote the translation to that page before any of the others, and without needing to consult with a dictionary. It was only after the fact that I realized we could have seen this one coming. But didn't.