He heard a faint sound.
Crying.
He opened the door.
Laura was sitting on the floor.
Her hands were tangled in her hair.
“Laura.”
She looked up.
“Dad.”
He knelt.
“Come here.”
She ran into his arms.
For the first time in months, Ricardo held his daughter without trying to solve anything.
He simply held her.
And for the first time, Laura didn’t pull away.
But the following morning, something happened that nearly destroyed the fragile peace.
A phone call came from the school.
Mariana had gotten into a fight.
PAGE 5
Ricardo arrived at the school furious.
He expected an apology.
Instead, Mariana sat in the principal’s office with a split lip.
A boy from her class had a bruise beneath one eye.
The principal explained that the argument had started after the boy said something about Claris.
“What did he say?” Ricardo asked.
Mariana looked away.
“Nothing.”
“Mariana.”
“Nothing.”
