Amelia remained kneeling on the floor, holding Anaís with the same gentleness with which a mother protects the most precious thing in her life. Tears flowed freely down her face, mingling with the confusion and pain in her heart.

The girl, her innocence intact, lifted her little face and, with those large, gray eyes, looked at Amelia with a curiosity mixed with pure love. They did not need words to communicate; their souls spoke a language older and deeper.

Anaís raised her small hands and bega