Chapter 50

It wasn't until the next morning that Joshua gave Valeria a call to ask about what had happened the night before. "Sorry, Valeria. I was at the factory last night. It was too noisy, so I didn't hear my phone. I've been rushing an order for a brand and worked straight through the night." Valeria didn't say much. She knew that was simply how life worked for adults. She never really expected someone she wasn't close to to truly understand what she'd been through. Smiling, she chatted a bit about fabric and textiles before ending the call. After breakfast, Valeria got ready to take Selena to school. "Mommy, the teacher said we'll be having an outdoor activity next week. Are you coming too?" Selena handed her a voluntary participation form from her backpack. The weather that Saturday was expected to be unusually nice, and the school had planned an outing to a cultural park and a botanical garden, with group tickets arranged. Valeria's first reaction was to say no as she worried it mig