Chapter 7 - Sofia Asks About Camila
I met Sofia by accident.
Not dramatically.
Not at court.
At a pediatric therapy center where Claudia and I had separate
appointments with the same family specialist.
Sofia stood beside her mother.
She had Alejandro’s eyebrows.
That was the first thing I noticed.
The second was how frightened she looked.
Claudia whispered:
“This is Camila.”
Sofia looked at me.
“The sick lady?”
I almost laughed.
“Yes. I was sick.”
“Are you dying?”
Claudia closed her eyes.
I crouched carefully.
“No. My doctors think I’m going to be okay.”
She nodded.
Then she asked:
“Do you hate me?”
Every adult in the hallway stopped breathing.
“No.”
“Because my dad was married to you.”
“That was an adult problem.”
She studied me.
“Mom cries because of you.”
Claudia flinched.
I answered carefully.
“Your mom and I are having a difficult time. But that is not your job to
fix.”
Sofia seemed to understand more than a nine-year-old should.
Before leaving, she said:
“My dad says you took his house.”
I looked at Claudia.
Claudia looked furious.
I smiled sadly.
“That’s another adult problem.”
After they left, I sat in my car and cried.
May you like
Not because Alejandro had a daughter.
Because he was already teaching her to carry his version of the story.
