“My girls… my girls… forgive me… forgive me…”
Marisol remained standing, not knowing whether she should leave. She wiped her hands on her uniform, uncomfortable, as if suddenly her presence was in the way.
Then Camila pulled away from her father and went back to her.
“She took care of us, Daddy,” she finally said. “She gave us cookies and didn’t let us cry.”
Emiliano looked up.
His eyes met Marisol’s.
For an instant, he said nothing. He only looked at her as if he couldn’t understand that this woman, whom he had surely seen a thousand times without truly seeing her, had been his daughters’ safe place during the worst hour of his life.
“You found them?” he asked.
Marisol nodded.
“They were scared. I just… stayed with them.”
Emiliano slowly stood up, holding one girl by each hand.
“It wasn’t ‘just’ staying,” he said, his voice breaking. “You have no idea what you did for me.”
“Anyone would have done it.”
He shook his head firmly.
