At the time, I had no idea why Rafael was crying, but I’ve been able to piece it together after Josefina shared once that the anniversary of his mother’s death lands on December twenty-third. The memory fades as Nico speaks again. “That doesn’t make it any better.” My arms tighten around him. “I’m sorry.” He snuggles into me. “It’s not your fault.” “No, but I am anyway. You’ve been carrying this inside all this time…”
