‘Papa,’ I said to him one day in Viña del Mar, ‘I am sorry I could not save Mami and Susy.’ He smiled sadly and took my arm. ‘When I was certain all of you were dead,’ he said, ‘I knew I would never recover from the loss. It was as if my house had burned to the ground, and I had lost everything I owned, forever. And now, to have you back, it’s as if I have stumbled on something precious in the ashes. I feel I am reborn. My life can begin again. From now on, I will try not to feel sorry for what was taken from me, but to be happy for what was given back.’ He advised me to do the same. ‘The sun
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