Father and Daughter Time

"Are you really going to take me to Monterrey?" Emily asked excitedly. She had never traveled in her life.

Her longest trip—and that was thanks to Naomy’s brother—had been to La Marquesa, and that was four years ago. Having the chance to go to another city fascinated her.

"I won't allow it!" Nina shouted, standing up from the armchair where she sat. "The girl stays here."

"Let’s do this, mother-in-law," Rodrigo said. "Let the girl decide. She’s ten years old now, and I think she can decide for herself."

"To begin with, the girl is thirteen," Nina corrected him. She stared at Rodrigo with a look that seemed to burn. "The girl is under my custody. Besides, Sandra won't allow it."

Emily was getting tired. If she truly had the capacity to decide, then she should interrupt, scream so that finally her grandmother would listen to her. For the first time, she shouted, and for the first time, she defended herself.

"To begin with," she started to explain in a loud voice. Not screaming, but loud enough to interrupt the adults. "I am twelve. I’ll turn thirteen in August. Second: I’d rather go out for a walk than stay here all day."

"Stupid girl," Nina said, trying to slap her granddaughter. Rodrigo stopped her dead in her tracks with a look of repulse.

It was a look Nina remembered, one that made her tremble. She recalled the fights with Sandra when she tried to warn her not to go out with that man of bad habits. Nina backed down.

"Have you had breakfast yet, Emi?" Rodrigo asked calmly. Emily shook her head in silence, shaken from nearly being struck by her grandmother. "Let’s go get some breakfast."

Calmly, Rodrigo walked out of the house, and Emily followed behind him. Nina watched with fear as her granddaughter left the house. Rodrigo mentioned with a laugh that they would be back in the afternoon. Emily didn't turn to look at her grandmother. Not even a goodbye. She simply left the house with the promise of an exciting vacation.

Rodrigo's car, a 1997 model, was waiting near the house on a corner. Emily felt like someone important. For her, only public transportation existed. Not even taxis; only, sometimes, the rickety car belonging to Juan, Naomy’s brother, would take them somewhere.

The car started, and they drove for a while through streets Emily didn't recognize. Rodrigo talked about vacation plans and places they could visit: plans for the movies, going to the Chapultepec Zoo to see the pandas, and he even promised to take her to Six Flags.

"Do you really live in Monterrey?" Emily asked while looking at the scenery, which was new to her.

"Yes, I live in Apodaca," Rodrigo explained. "It’s amazing, you’ll like it. I can take you to Parque Fundidora, to eat cabrito, and if we get your passport and visa ready, I can even take you to Laredo."

Finally, they arrived at a restaurant to eat. Emily was amazed upon entering. There were so many dishes and drinks she didn't know where to start. She wanted to try everything.

"Pick whatever you want most, Emi," Rodrigo said with a smile. "Today we’re going to have fun. Afterward, we can go buy you clothes, shoes, or whatever you wish. I know a game center you're going to love."

While father and daughter were having breakfast, Naomy and Lucía arrived at their friend’s house, believing they could help. They found a lost old woman, staring into space, waiting for someone. Her impatience was visible in her worry.

Nina didn't respond; she only murmured words and phrases that no one understood. Naomy tried to explain what she knew, what she had seen in the mirror, hoping the old woman would believe her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nina shouted. She had no patience for the nonsense of spoiled girls. "Don't tell me Emily has already filled your head with trash."

"What did you expect, Naomy?" Lucía whispered with concern. They had arrived too late. "Women like her are hardly going to believe us."

A few moments later, a taxi pulled up at the entrance of Emily’s house. It was Karla who had arrived. She looked worried, but not for the right reasons.

"Well?" Karla asked without saying hello. "What nonsense do you have in mind now? Where is Emily?"

Lucía explained the little they knew: that her friend's father had arrived, they had left, and she didn't know what time they would return. Another taxi arrived shortly after. It was Sandra.

She looked pale and walked with a tremor. She entered the house and sat down. Nina took her daughter's hands; they were cold and shaking as if it were winter.

"We can... we can report him..." Sandra whispered.

Her eyes showed a fear of the unknown, and her pupils darted back and forth inspecting the house, looking for something she wasn't going to find. She didn't recognize the visitors and didn't say hello. Her mind was elsewhere.

"Did he tell you where he was going? What time was he coming back?" Sandra asked at full speed. Her mother shook her head. "Did he tell you where he’s staying? Does he have a cellphone?"

Sandra tried to calm down; she went to find the phone to call someone, but she had no one. She realized her daughter's friends were there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking mainly at Naomy. "As you can see, my daughter isn't here. Someone took her."

Karla asked about the matter and was excited to learn that her friend’s father was back. She commented that it was surely part of God’s plan that he had returned now.

"You don't know what you're saying," Sandra whispered. "That man was intense; he lies, manipulates, and always leaves people devastated when he leaves. I’m sure he only wants Emily to turn her against me."

"Ma'am, I’m sure everyone can have a second chance," Karla commented, believing she was saying the right thing. "God has forgiven our offenses, so we can do the same."

Emily and her father were finishing breakfast. Rodrigo drank his coffee while attending to SMS messages on his phone. Emily was finishing a strawberry milkshake, amazed at how her father handled those messages.

"Do you like it?" her father asked, pointing to the cell phone. Emily nodded excitedly, her mouth full of milkshake, smiling. "I can buy you one whenever you want. That way you can call your friends whenever you like and send messages."

They left the restaurant shortly after and, as promised, went to buy clothes. Emily had fun choosing, trying things on, and seeing what the stores offered, which made her father relax. But the phone kept ringing. He answered it while his daughter was trying on some outfits.

"What happened?" he asked. Immediately, shouting could be heard on the other end. There was little patience and an urgency to continue the plan as quickly as possible. "It’s fine. Just trust me. By Saturday, if not sooner, I’ll be back in Monterrey.”