HIS NEIGHBOR WOULDN’T STOP REPORTING THE SOUND OF A GIRL CRYING INSIDE HIS HOUSE—THEN HE HID BENEATH HIS DAUGHTER’S BED AND HEARD HER PLEAD FOR SOMEONE TO SPARE HER

Perfect justice would have meant none of it happened.

But it was a beginning.

Lucia’s healing came slowly, unevenly, and without the inspirational music people imagine.

Some days she laughed with Rosa over pancakes and looked almost like herself. Other days she stayed under blankets until noon. She panicked when unknown numbers called. She deleted every social media account. She checked locks three times. She flinched when Thomas knocked too loudly on her door.