Chapter 3 - THE NURSE WHO DIDN'T LOOK AWAY
The nurse’s name was Rebecca.
She had kind eyes and the calm voice of somebody who had seen too many children learn to lie for adults.
“Camila,” she said gently, “does Grandma put you outside a lot?”
Daniel stepped forward.
“She’s three. She exaggerates.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“I asked your daughter.”
He shut his mouth.
Camila twisted the blanket in her fingers.
“Sometimes.”
“How many times?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you get food?”
Camila shook her head.
“Grandma says crying makes me ugly.”
I turned toward the wall because if I looked at Daniel, I was afraid I would scream.
The doctor examined Camila and said she had mild cold exposure and dehydration, but no lasting injury.
Then Rebecca returned with another woman.
“This is Ms. Gomez,” she said. “She’s a hospital social worker.”
Daniel stood so fast his chair scraped the floor.
“You called social services?”
Rebecca didn’t blink.
“We are required to report suspected child neglect.”
Daniel looked at me like I had betrayed him.
I stared back.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t make me responsible for the consequences of what you allowed.”
His mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Ms. Gomez asked if Camila had a safe place to sleep tonight.
“Yes,” I said.
Daniel said, “Home.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
That was the first time he understood I might leave.
He followed me into the hallway.
“Mariana, please. My mom went too far, okay? I’ll talk to her.”
“You’ll talk to her?”
“She didn’t mean to hurt Camila.”
“She locked her outside without dinner.”
“She thought she was teaching discipline.”
“And you?”
His eyes dropped.
I stepped closer.
“What did you think you were teaching her?”
Before he could answer, my phone buzzed.
A bank alert.
$18,400 had just been transferred from our joint account.
May you like
The recipient name made my stomach drop.
Carmen Ruiz.
