Emiliano thought.
His brows furrowed.
Then—
“She said… ‘It has to happen tonight.’”
The car seemed to shrink around me.
“And Héctor?” I asked.
“I couldn’t hear him,” Emiliano said. “Just her.”
I nodded slowly.
Then I pulled into a gas station.
Bright lights.
People.
Noise.
Something normal.
Something grounding.
I turned off the engine.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then I turned to him.
“Listen to me carefully,” I said.
He looked at me, eyes still red.
“You did the right thing,” I said.
His lip trembled.
“I was scared you wouldn’t believe me.”
“I believe you,” I said, without hesitation.
And in that moment—
I realized I did.
Not every detail.
Not the full picture.
But the fear in his voice?
That was real.
And I trusted that.
“Are we in danger?” he asked.
I took a breath.
And this time, I chose my words carefully.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “But we’re going to be smart.”
He nodded.
Trying to be brave.
Trying to be older than he should be.
And something inside me hardened.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Clarity.
I called Daniela.
It rang twice.
“Dad?” she answered.
Her voice was normal.
Too normal.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“At home. Why?”
“Is Héctor with you?”
A pause.
Small.
But there.
“Yes,” she said. “Why?”
I looked at Emiliano.
He was watching me like everything depended on my next words.
