He looked toward the doorway.
Luía was standing there.
She hadn’t meant to listen.
But she had heard enough.
Ricardo folded the letter.
“How much of that did you hear?”
“Enough.”
Silence.
Eduardo stood.
“I’ll leave you both.”
He walked out.
Luía remained by the doorway.
“I should go.”
“Why?”
“Because this is private.”
Ricardo stood.
“Claris knew.”
Luía looked confused.
“She knew what?”
“That one day I might meet someone who helped us.”
Luía shook her head.
“She didn’t know me.”
“No.”
Ricardo looked at her.
“But somehow she understood exactly what I needed.”
Luía’s eyes filled with tears.
Then the front door slammed.
Mariana came running inside.
“Dad!”
“What happened?”
“The school called.”
Ricardo’s face tightened.
“Which school?”
Mariana was crying.
“It’s Laura.”
They ran.
Laura had collapsed in the school bathroom.
When they arrived, she was barely responsive.
Ricardo dropped to his knees.
