The next morning, I asked Vanessa and Patricia to sit at the dining table.
Sofia sat beside me.
Patricia immediately began complaining.
“Your daughter has been telling stories about me. You need to teach her to respect adults.”
I looked at her.
“Respect is something we show each other. It isn’t something we demand while making a child afraid.”
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Gabriel, you’re misunderstanding everything. Patricia is family, and we’ve all made sacrifices.”
“I agree that family matters. That’s why I want to understand why our daughter has been washing clothes by hand in the dark.”
Patricia opened her mouth, but I continued.
“I also want to know why she was afraid to tell me what happened to her arm.”
Vanessa’s face became tense.
“She bruises easily. You’re making this into something it isn’t.”
I turned to Sofia.
“You don’t have to answer any questions right now. You can tell me what happened in your own words, when you’re ready.”
