Chapter 8 - THE PERSON AT THE DOOR
Mateo told me to stay in the bedroom.
He called Carmen before approaching the door.
The knocking came again.
Three times.
“Mateo.”
I whispered his name.
“I know.”
He looked through the peephole.
Then his expression changed.
“It’s Noelia.”
I almost laughed from disbelief.
Of all people.
“Don’t open it.”
Noelia knocked again.
“Lucía!”
“I know you’re in there.”
“How?”
Mateo called through the door.
“How did you find us?”
“I followed Andrés.”
Mateo looked furious.
“Go home.”
“I can’t.”
Her voice broke.
“Please.”
I hated that one word could still reach the part of me that remembered us as children.
Before the comparisons.
Before the favoritism hardened into entitlement.
Before I learned that Noelia’s tears always mattered more than mine.
“What do you want?”
I called.
“I need help.”
Of course she did.
“What happened?”
“Sergio came back.”
Mateo and I looked at each other.
“Where?”
“He came to Mom’s house.”
“When?”
“An hour ago.”
“Call the police.”
“I can’t.”
I almost screamed.
“Why does everybody in this family suddenly become allergic to the police?”
Then Noelia said something that changed the situation.
“He took my son’s passport.”
My anger disappeared for one second.
Her baby.
Whatever Noelia had done, her child had done nothing.
Mateo opened the door only after Carmen confirmed officers were on their way.
Noelia stood outside in sweatpants and an oversized coat.
No makeup.
Hair tangled.
For once, she didn’t look superior.
She looked terrified.
“What does Sergio want with the passport?”
Mateo asked.
“He wants me to leave Spain with him.”
“Then don’t.”
“He says if I don’t, he’ll tell police I helped with everything.”
I stared at her.
“Did you?”
Noelia looked at the floor.
There it was.
“What did you do?”
“I gave him copies of your documents.”
My chest tightened.
“What?”
“He said Dad needed them.”
“When?”
“Months ago.”
“You knew they were forging things?”
“Not at first.”
“At first?”
She started crying.
“Later I knew.”
I stared at my sister.
“You knew they were stealing my house.”
“I thought Dad would pay you back.”
“With what?”
“I don’t know.”
“You never cared enough to ask.”
She covered her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You’re scared.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
Her hands dropped.
“I didn’t know Mom would hurt you.”
“You saw her do it.”
Noelia looked away.
“You could have stopped her.”
“I froze.”
“No.”
“You smiled.”
That landed.
Her face crumpled.
For the first time, Noelia had no answer.
Police arrived minutes later.
Noelia gave them Sergio’s recent number.
She also gave them something nobody expected.
A flash drive.
“What is that?”
Carmen asked.
Noelia swallowed.
“Sergio keeps records.”
“What kind?”
“Properties.”
“Loans.”
“Names.”
“Payments.”
“Signatures.”
May you like
She looked at me.
“And Lucía isn’t the only person they stole from.”
