Chapter 8: The Family That Finally Came Looking

Three weeks passed.

My life in New York settled into a rhythm I had never known before.

Classes in the morning.

Research in the afternoon.

Late-night walks through the city when I couldn't sleep.

I had stopped checking my old family's social media.

I didn't care what they were doing anymore.

Then one Friday afternoon, I received a message from Mia.

Alejandra, are you okay?

I frowned and looked at the message.

Why wouldn't I be?

She sent me a screenshot.

It was a post from my mother.

My heart sank when I saw the picture.

It was our old family portrait.

The one I had missed.

But someone had edited me into the photograph.

My face looked awkwardly pasted beside Isabela.

Underneath it, Mom had written a caption about how much she missed having the whole family together.

The comments were filled with sympathy.

Everyone thought I had abandoned my family for no reason.

I closed the screenshot.

I didn't want to defend myself to strangers.

But that wasn't the end of it.

That evening, another message appeared.

This time, it was from Grandma.

Alejandra, please call me when you can.

I stared at the message for a long time.

Grandma was the only person in my family I had never wanted to hurt.

So I called.

Her voice was quiet when she answered.

You really left California?

Yes.

Are you safe?

I'm safe.

She was silent for a few seconds.

Then she asked the question I had been avoiding.

Did they really know about the pills?

My throat tightened.

How did you know?

Your mother called me.

She told me everything.

I closed my eyes.

And what did she say?

That Isabela made a mistake.

That she never meant to hurt you.

That the whole thing had gotten out of hand.

I laughed softly.

A mistake doesn't happen twice.

Grandma didn't argue.

She already knew.

Then she said something that made my heart ache.

I should have protected you when you were younger.

You shouldn't have had to grow up feeling like you were second place.

Tears filled my eyes.

For years, I had wanted someone in my family to say those exact words.

But hearing them now didn't make me want to go home.

It only made me realize how much time had already been lost.

Grandma asked if I would come back for a visit.

I told her I wasn't ready.

She understood.

Before we hung up, she said one last thing.

Santiago came to the house every day after you left.

He keeps asking your parents where you are.

I didn't respond.

After the call ended, I sat beside my window and watched the city lights.

I wondered why Santiago was still searching for me.

Then my phone rang again.

This time, it was a number I recognized.

Santiago.

I let it ring.

He called again.

Then again.

Finally, a voicemail appeared.

I listened despite myself.

His voice sounded broken.

Alejandra, I know you don't want to hear from me.

But there's something you need to know.

I wasn't the one who put those pills in your milk.

I never knew what Isabela was doing.

I don't expect you to forgive me.

But please believe me when I say I never wanted you hurt.

I stared at the phone.

Maybe he was telling the truth.

But that didn't erase what he had chosen.

He hadn't needed to put a pill in my milk to betray me.

He had simply needed to choose her over me.

I deleted the voicemail.

Then I opened the folder for the Boston program.

I had an interview coming up.

For the first time, my future was becoming bigger than my past.

And I wasn't going to let anyone pull me backward.