Chapter 44

AURORA. Visiting my abuela over the weekend had become a comforting routine for me. While I worked during the weekdays, I dedicated all my time to her on the weekends. She seemed to be fine with it, arguing that she was not a child who needed looking after, even though I still had my reservations. The hospital, with its sterile corridors and the perpetual hum of machinery, had been our backdrop for weeks. But this particular visit was different, packed with good news, one of which I’d waited two days to tell her. The doctor had just informed me that my grandmother could finally be discharged. The happiness that surged within me threatened to bubble over, and I couldn't wait to see her smile when I shared the news. As I entered the hospital room, Abuela was sitting on her bed, a book in her hand. She looked better than the first day we’d arrived in New York from Mexico, that frail form now replaced by a more energetic one. Her eyes lit up as I approached, and she greeted me with a w