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mention it to you.” He walked into the kitchen and I followed him.
    I was really getting mad. The way he said it, his tone implied there was something wrong with my marriage.
    “It must have slipped Moses’ mind. He normally tells me everything.”
    My father stared at me like he didn’t believe a damn thing I said. Of course it could have been my hormones making me act all crazy and shit.
    “Have you said anything to Victória about me?”
    I paused, distracted. I wanted to know why Moses didn’t tell me about speaking to my father. I also wanted to know what else he was hiding from me.
    He said, “Verónica.”
    My father brought me back to the present. I’d forgotten what we were speaking about.
    “Huh?”
    “Have you told Victória anything about me?”
    “I haven’t told her that you are here. She’s still getting herself together, so I don’t want to bombard her with too much information at one time.” I started to get nervous. Truth was that I hadn’t told Victória anything, not even about our brother Ramón. I was waiting for her to ask me what happened.
    “She hasn’t asked any questions?”
    I fidgeted. “Well ... she’s curious about what happened to her.”
    “She doesn’t remember anything?” He pulled a glass from the cabinet and poured some water in it.
    “Uh, she believes you have something to do with her being in the hospital.”
    A vein in his neck stuck out; he stopped moving, glass halfway to his mouth.
    “Me? Are you serious? And you’re okay with allowing her to believe this when you know I had nothing to do with it?” He was ass-kicking mad. He slammed his glass down on the counter and started pacing back and forth.
    “Padre, I don’t know what I’m doing right now. She looks so frail, I don’t know how much she can take. Hell, what do you think we should do?”
    He didn’t hesitate. “I think we should tell her right now! There’s been too much deception as it is, and I’m ending this shit today. No more deception.” He looked as if he wanted to strike me.
    “I’m not the one who started this shit.” I followed him into the living room.
    He put me on the defensive as he stood over me. Who the hell did he think he was? He can’t come in my house and tell me what the fuck to do. That shit is over and done with.
    “It doesn’t matter who started it, Verónica. It has to end. I can’t have Victória thinking I harmed her or her brother.” His voice was more subdued and authentic.
    “She doesn’t know about Ramón, either.” Since I was being honest, I confessed to the rest of it too.
    “That’s it! I’m going to the hospital now.” He rushed toward the door.
    “Padre, wait, at least let me go with you. She doesn’t know you.”
    He looked like he was about to refuse but he lowered his hand.
    “Fine, hurry up. This shit has gone on long enough.” Tears rolled down his cheeks as I reached for the phone to call Moses.
    I had mixed emotions about his tears. While I understood he wasn’t responsible for the actions of his brother, he created the circumstances that allowed the situation to happen. And I was not about to let him go to the hospital and possibly destroy all the progress my sister had made toward recovery. That was not about to happen if I had anything to do with it.
    Padre stumbled, falling back onto the couch, clutching his heart. His face turned blue; he looked like a Smurf. I immediately regretted lashing out at him.
    “Padre!” I screamed, running toward him. “What’s the matter? Are you okay?” I knelt in front of him, uncertain of what I needed to do. The last thing I needed was another parent dying right before my eyes.
    “I need to see Victória,” he said, gasping for breath. Padre changed right before my eyes, suddenly looking old and sickly.
    He’s faking. There’s nothing wrong with him, I thought.
    “Padre, are you ill?” Even though I didn’t believe his little act, my heart started beating a little faster. What if