And for a few minutes, the room held no fear at all.

PART 19

The court proceedings began months later.

By then I was stronger, though certain smells still took me back to the morgue.

The sharp scent of disinfectant, a cold metal handrail, even the sound of a rolling cart could stop my breath.

A counselor helped me understand that remembering danger was not the same as being in danger again.

I testified about what I had personally experienced: the wedding toast, my loss of consciousness, waking beneath the sheet, Leticia’s demands, Octavio’s concern about the glass, and the ring taken from my finger.