Not ever again.” My mother’s manicured finger came up and pointed at Gabriel.

“He is the one who took a bribe to marry her!

You cannot stand there furious at us and not be equally furious at him!” “Gabriel signed that paper to save her life,” I said, stepping between them and him.

“You signed it to be rid of your own child.

Those are not remotely the same thing, and you know it.” And it was then that I noticed the silence around us, and looked up, and saw that the hallway had filled.

Nurses had stepped out from their station.