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I was once again curled on the sofa, trying to disappear inside my quiet despair. I was so lost in my nightmare, I didn’t notice Sonia coming closer and jumped when she touched my hand.
“We need to trustmi hijo. He’s a smart man, and he’s not alone. They’ll bring our little girl back.”
My chin trembled beyond my control, and my throat closed. “I’m so scared.”
Without saying another word, she stood up and pulled my hand. I followed her to a little table on the corner, where she’d put an image of a baby Jesus.
She kneeled in front of it and motioned her head for me to mirror her. Still clutching my hand, she closed her eyes and started praying what seemed to be “Our Father” in Spanish. I closed my eyes as well, although I was skeptical it’d make any difference.
She finished her praying and turned to me. “I prayed every day he was deployed. Then I prayed when he met that hateful woman, so God wouldprotect him and Sofia. I prayed when he started working at that agency, and I prayed when he came here to work with his friends. Then I prayed he met someone worthy of him andmi princesa.” She touched my face with care. “And God answered my prayers.
“I wanted to say I taught him to do the same, but I need to give credit for that to thatchicaMia. She’s a prayer—or she used to be before what happened to her brother—and Danny became one as well. I do believe that, beyond their experience and good work, our prayers have been protecting them. And if they aren’t, they serve to calm the heart of this worried mother.”
As I considered her words, she explained, “You can pray to whomever you believe in. Either God, another entity you look up to, or even a higher force you think might protect you. This isn’t a religious lesson.”
I nodded after a bit. It wouldn’t hurt to try. We closed our eyes again, and I followed her lead. My closed lids couldn’t keep my tears away, but they felt cleansing somehow.
After a while, we went back to the sofa and waited some more. The officers who were at Danny’s earlier had swept the place and gone away with whatever evidence they’d collected. Izzie had texted me earlier to know how we were and to let us know a federal agent would keep us safe. She and April kept texting me to check on us, and I felt less on the edge of drowning knowing I wasn’t alone.
I was starting to get fidgety again when Sonia’s and my phone vibrated. It was a text from Danny.
“Our baby is safe. We’re coming home.”
Without a second thought, Sonia and I embraced each other and started bawling in relief. I was amped up after the text and couldn’t wait to see her again and make sure she was fine.
I informed my parents what was going on and told them I might be home late. It was already weird calling their place my home. But I couldn’t impose on Danny. He might need his time with Fee; I just wanted to see her before leaving.
After what felt like forever, I heard three cars parking outside Danny’s place. We were instructed not to open the doors, so Sonia and I stayed standing in the living room, barely containing our anxiety.
When Danny walked through the front door carrying Sofia in his arms, Sonia ran to them, and I lost my battle against my tears again. Fee huggedherAbuela, and Danny signaled to me to get closer. I tentatively approached them, not wanting to disrupt their family time, but when Fee saw me, she all but jumped onto my chest, and we cried together. I barely noticed when Danny pulled us and his mother into his arms.
It took me a while to realize we weren’t alone because everyone else was giving us time and privacy. After our hug ended, Mia squeezed my arm and gave way to a man and woman to walk inside the house.
“Honey, these are Aaron Scott and his friend, Dr. Ariel Miller.” Danny turned to them. “You already know my mom, Aaron. And this is my woman. Lisa.”
Aaron seemed to be a man of few words. Not as tall or built as Danny, he was lean and still impressive. His blue eyes were sharp, and he oozed competence. Not even his dark, ruffled hair took away from his imposing posture. I could bet his hair was methodically arranged when the day started. For some odd reason, though, despite his stern posture—or because of it—it was easy to trust him.
The woman was warmer, although she was poised professionally. Her dark skin was flawless, and her curly dark hair framed her face, giving her an inviting aura. She stepped closer to us, and only then did I notice her medical bag.
“It’s nice to meet you, although the circumstances aren’t optimal. Scott asked me to come here and check on you.”
Scott? Danny said they were friends, so why not use his first name? From the grimace on his face,Scottwasn’t happy about it either.
Sonia was the first one to be checked. The two women went to one of the bedrooms for privacy, and while we waited, I called them to the kitchen so I could make some tea for all of us.
“Ouch. That was cold.” The man glared at Mia, who just ignored him as they followed me. “What have you done to her?”
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Like in Time Out, for example?”
She grinned at him, unaffected. “You’re cute. Want me to ask her out for you? She’s still hot, and well, you’re not getting any younger.”
The man was fine as heck, no worries needed about his age.
Danny intervened, “I think you have more pressing matters to discuss with her.”
She just rolled her eyes at him and boosted up on top of the counter. “Actually, we should probably talk about what happened—why are youlooking at this counter funny? Oh, my God.” She stared at me and then at him again, horrified. “You did it here, didn’t you?” She jumped down and headed to the living room.
“I’d avoid the sofa if I were you,” Danny muttered, pulling my first laugh of the last twenty-four hours.
