1
Melina
Pressing her fingers hard against her cheeks to stop the tears, Melina barely made out the blurred shapes of Mamá and Papá as the bus pulled away from the station. She folded herself into the sticky, plastic seat and squinted out the rear window until they were just fuzzy specks on the horizon. At the bus stop, they seemed so small. Mamá held on to Papá as if her whole being depended on it, while Papá summoned all the strength his tired body had to offer, just to hold her up. He wore his mask of courage, the one he used when the family heard a strange knock on the door, frightened it might be the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His head balanced rigidly on his narrow, muscular shoulders, and his mouth forced into a thin straight line, as if drawn by a Magic Marker. His eyes didn t betray him with tears as he stared straight ahead. Mamá and Papá seemed like one as they melted into each other for support. Neither appeared able to break away and stumble toward home.
Huddled deep inside the folds of her well-worn favorite yellow coat that Mamá mended last week, Melina touched the tiny gold cross. It was pretty much all she brought from home. A few weeks ago, after the last dinner plate was put away from dinner, Mamá took Melina s hand and led her to their usual place on the couch by Papa s recliner. Mamá bowed her head as if to pray but instead removed the delicate gold chain from around her neck and put it on Melina.
This will keep you safe, Melina. Please keep it on and remember how much we love you. Melina knew this had belonged to Abuela and that Mamá never took it off. What would keep Mamá safe without it? Now, it was Melina s turn to worr
