That night, as soon as I returned from work, I reached out to Adaira. I suggested a phone call, but she was unable to do so because our father forbade any communication between us. Text messaging was our only option. Frustrated with our father, I resorted to typing lengthy texts to share my experiences from the past years. For three hours, we exchanged stories via text. Despite my aching thumb, it didn't matter; I had missed my sister immensely. Typing extensive messages was a small price to pay for the chance to connect with her.
I found out from her that our mother had fallen ill and had been in the hospital for two weeks. Worry and guilt pierced my heart. How I wished I could return, just to see her once more. My sister revealed that our mother had thought about escaping, but our fathe
