Her mother smiled—a real one, not the brave kind she'd been wearing for two years. "The dressing is in the fridge. Marco's secret recipe."
Mateo grabbed his shoulders. "We'll fix it. We'll talk to him." lias big stepfamily
The turning point came on a rain-soaked Tuesday. Her mother and Marco were at a parent-teacher conference for the twins. Lia was home alone, supposedly. She had just settled into a bath, the first moment of peace in weeks, when she heard the front door slam. Her mother smiled—a real one, not the brave
Shouts. Rafa's voice, raw and cracked. Then Mateo's, lower, urgent. "We'll fix it
She was still a planet. But she was no longer alone in her orbit.
"He's not going to send you away," she said. Her voice was steadier than she felt. "I've been watching him for six months. He buys the almond milk you like even though he's allergic to nuts. He stayed up all night fixing your bike chain. He told my mom he was proud of you for trying out for the soccer team, even though you didn't make it."