Dally POV
I hated givin' up.
Mamá used to say the only time quittin' was acceptable was if somebody's life depended on it.
Otherwise...
"One more try, mijo."
She'd say it every time.
Didn't matter if I was learnin' to read, fixin' a fence, or tryin' to ride my bike without bustin' my ass.
One more try.
So we kept trying.
We flipped through old files until my fingertips were gray with dust.
We wrote dates on a legal pad.
Crossed them out.
Tried new ones.
Every time the little keypad blinked red, my stomach sank a little more.
Eventually I leaned my head against the cabinet.
"...Shit."
Ayla laughed softly. "I was thinking the exact same thing."
I looked over at her.
There wasn't a trace of frustration on her face.
Just...curiosity.
Like she still believed the answer was s
