Chương 6
“Smart cat.”
“You can have the bedroom.”
“No.”
“Sofía.”
“I’m not taking your bed.”
“You lost a pregnancy and got kicked by your father-in-law.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then stop being polite.”
Sofía looked at her.
“Can I at least brush my teeth before you start bossing me around?”
Maribel pointed toward the bathroom.
“There’s a new toothbrush under the sink.”
The ordinary act nearly undid her again.
Sofía stood in front of the mirror wearing borrowed sweatpants and a hospital T-shirt, brushing her teeth while her abdomen throbbed.
Her face looked pale and older.
She rinsed the sink.
Then she rinsed it again because a tiny streak of toothpaste remained near the drain.
She caught herself doing it and gripped the edge of the counter.
For years, when life felt uncertain, she cleaned.
Drawers.
Refrigerator shelves.
Bathroom grout.
Anything that could be made orderly by hand.
There was nothing in Maribel’s bathroom she had permission to organize.
So she sat on the closed toilet lid and cried soundlessly until the toothbrush stopped shaking in her hand.
When she came out, Maribel had made tea.
Neither of them drank much.
At one thirty in the morning, Sofía finally called her mother.
Elena answered on the second ring.
“Mi—”
She stopped herself.
“Sofía?”
Her mother’s voice was thick with sleep.
“Mom.”
“What happened?”
The question came instantly.
Sofía stared at the steam rising from her cup.
“Can you come tomorrow?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
“I’m at Maribel’s.”
“Why?”
Sofía tried to speak.
Nothing came.
Elena’s voice changed.
“Are you hurt?”
“Yes.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Mom, please.”
“I’m already getting up.”
Sofía heard a drawer open on the other end.
“Wait until morning.”
“No.”
“Please.”
That word finally stopped Elena.
For several seconds neither of them spoke.
Then Elena asked, “Is Andrés with you?”
“No.”
Another silence.
“What did he do?”
Sofía almost said nothing.
The old reflex was still there, protecting him even now.
“He didn’t stop it.”
Her mother inhaled slowly.
“Stop what?”
“His father.”
The rest came unevenly.
Not elegantly.
Not in order.
Sofía told her enough.
The argument.
Carmen’s hand around her arm.
Ramiro’s kick.
The hospital.
The pregnancy.
When she reached the last part, Elena made a sound Sofía had never heard from her before.
It was small.
Almost swallowed.
Then she said, “I’m coming.”
Sofía did not argue again.
After the call, she lay in Maribel’s guest room beneath a quilt covered in blue squares.
Sleep refused to come.
At two fourteen, Andrés sent a message.
I told them what I remember.
She did not answer.
At two twenty, another arrived.
You’re making me out to be a monster.
Sofía stared at the words until the screen dimmed.
She turned the phone facedown.
At two thirty-seven, it vibrated again.
My dad might spend the night locked up.
She almost threw the phone across the room.
Instead, she opened the message and typed three words.
I lost ours.
She did not send them.
She deleted them.
At three eleven, Iván called.
Sofía let it ring once before answering.
“What?”
His voice was low.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Yeah.”
Silence followed.
Iván sounded different without an audience.
“You told the police Andrés said not to get involved.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because he did.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Iván exhaled.
“Because I’m tired of everybody acting like nothing happened.”
Sofía waited.
“I was outside,” he said.
“I heard Dad yell.”
“You said you didn’t see the kick.”
“I didn’t.”
“But?”
“I saw you before you went in.”
“That doesn’t prove anything.”
“I know.”
“And you took my keys.”
He was quiet.
“Yes.”
“You started the whole argument.”
“I know.”
“You thought it was funny.”
“I know.”
Anger rose so quickly that Sofía had to sit up.
“Stop saying you know.”
Iván did not answer.
She pressed her palm against her abdomen.
“You don’t get points for feeling bad now.”
“I’m not asking for points.”
“You took something that wasn’t yours and acted like I was ridiculous for objecting.”
“I know.”
“Iván.”
“Sorry.”
His voice cracked slightly.
That irritated her more than if he had argued.
“Why did Andrés tell you not to get involved?”
“He said the police would make everything worse.”
“For who?”
“He didn’t say.”
“He didn’t have to.”
Iván went quiet again.
Then he said, “Mom wants me to say you shoved her hard.”
Sofía closed her eyes.
“Did you see that?”
“No.”
“Then don’t say it.”
“I’m not going to.”
“Why are you telling me?”
“Because she keeps calling.”
“So block her.”
“You say that like she’s not my mother.”
The sentence landed strangely.
There was no accusation in it.
Only exhaustion.
Sofía looked toward the dark ceiling.
“You’re right.”
Iván seemed surprised.
“What?”
“She is your mother.”
“Yeah.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to lie for her.”
“I know.”
This time Sofía let him say it.
At four in the morning, neither of them had anything useful left.
Before hanging up, Iván said, “For what it’s worth, the car was stupid.”
Sofía frowned.
“The car?”
“Me taking it.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you’d get mad and then Andrés would smooth it over.”
There it was.
A pattern admitted accidentally.
Sofía sat very still.
“You expected him to handle me.”
“No.”
“You expected him to make me accept it.”
Iván did not answer.
“That’s different.”
“It is.”
“Good night, Iván.”
“Sofía.”
She waited.
“I’m sorry about the baby.”
Her throat closed.
She ended the call without answering.
Morning arrived in gray strips through the blinds.
Sofía had slept perhaps forty minutes.
Maribel left quietly for an early shift after putting pain medication, water, and toast on the kitchen table.
Benito the cat sat across from Sofía while she ate half a piece.
At seven sixteen, someone knocked.
Sofía froze.
The knock came again.
Then Elena’s voice called her name from the hallway.
Sofía opened the door.
May you like
Her mother took one look at her and stopped.
Elena was still wearing the same green cardigan she used for grocery shopping and doctor appointments.
