The next ten minutes stretched into an eternity. I sat in the darkness of my car, watching the hotel entrance like a hawk. Each passing set of headlights made my heart leap, a jolt of adrenaline in the icy calm. I was no longer just a wife; I was a field commander, watching the pieces of my strategy move into place. The first to arrive were his parents. Their sedan, a sensible and well-maintained symbol of their orderly life, pulled up with a quiet finality. Carmen emerged first, her face a pale, grim mask in the dim streetlights. Rafael followed, his movements stiff, his jaw set like granite. He didn\u2019t look at his wife; he stared at the hotel as if it were an enemy fortress he was about to lay siege to.<\/p>\n
Moments later, my brother Luis\u2019s car screeched to a halt behind them. He got out and came directly to my window, tapping gently on the glass. I rolled it down, the damp air rushing in. He didn\u2019t ask if I was okay; his eyes, full of a fierce, protective loyalty, told me he already knew I wasn\u2019t, and that it didn\u2019t matter. \u201cAre you ready?\u201d was all he said. I nodded, a single, sharp dip of my chin.<\/p>\n
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