It was mid-November 2007. This day my mom had taken me and Ale, my sister, to school. I did not know that she was starting to experience subtle contractions. However, nothing was different for me and Ale, until dismissal. For some reason, my mom’s friend, Carmen, had picked us up. 

After she took us to her home, I suddenly realized that my brother and my second sister were not present. We were there for a few hours until my dad picked us up. I was happy to see him, but it had not realized that he had left mom at the hospital alone. As an innocent child I went to sleep back at home, without realizing that mom was not there.

After going to sleep, my aunt and uncle decided to take care of us while we slept and at the morning. I was a little nervous since I had to provide directions for the first time rather than actually following them as my aunt walked me and Ale to school.

After dismissal, Carmen picked us up again. This time, however, she walked us to our home.
Right by the door, my mom was standing there with a delighted look on her face. She told us two, “Hello kids, I have a present for you.”

I was bewildered by those words. I didn’t know what to think. Something big had happened, since all these people were meeting us at the same time. But what? As we entered home, I saw her; she was sleeping as peacefully as I had ever seen her. It had been a long day for her and mom.

“This is Mayra, your third sister.”

Then I noticed the dark circles under both of their eyes.

I sat there happy for my mom and Mayra, as I tried to recapitulate the way my parents organized our past 24 hours in a way that we were not home alone.