After a week, I was on my way to meet Uncle Papi.
We met halfway, near a stop sign where everyone had already gathered. My aunties were there. Smiles, laughter, food—it felt like I had stepped into a different world. For a moment, I forgot everything.
Later that day, we went to his place.
That became my new routine.
I stayed with Uncle Papi, but I rotated between houses. One aunt’s place today, another tomorrow. The houses were not close, but I walked between them whenever I felt like it.
And strangely… I liked it.
It was far from the place where I almost died.
Far from the blood.
Far from the memories.
But even as I found peace, there was a quiet voice inside me reminding me:
You’re drifting away from your mother… and your brother.
Still… part of me breathed easier.
Learning t
