"Are you SURE I can't punch him in the face?" Elena asks Angel while still glaring at the man in front of them "Yes" he replies "What if I just break his nose a little?"
In the arid heart of California, amidst the shadows of Santo Padre, Elena Ramir...
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The sun rises blood red on the horizon as Elena Ramirez cruises along the dusty roads cutting through the Mexican desert. Her car moves with determination, only accompanied by the rustle of the wind and the hum of the engine.
Inside her, there's a jumble of emotions.
Elena has left behind the hustle of Mexico City and is heading towards Santo Padre, the town her mother called "home". It's a journey back to her roots, an attempt to find herself again after the tragedy that shattered her family.
****
At the end of the long dusty road, Santo Padre emerges on the horizon. The houses with red roofs stand out against the blue sky, and the scent of wet earth mixes with the sweet smell of wildflowers.
Elena stops in front of a small house with white-painted shutters, her new refuge. The rent was arranged over the phone, but seeing the house with her own eyes brings a mix of excitement and nostalgia.
It's time to start a new life, away from the past she truly hopes to forget.
Entering the house, Elena smells dust and old wood mixing with the freshness. The walls are painted in a warm terracotta color, and the furniture is simple but welcoming.
Truth be told, Elena didn't do much on this first day. The rest of the day flew by quickly between unpacking boxes and arranging the few things she brought with her.
There aren't many memories to unpack, just her clothes and a few family photos she jealously keeps hidden in a box under the bed. Every object she touches makes her feel closer to normalcy, as if she's building a new balance in her disrupted life.
She wastes no time and tries to find work, but the search doesn't go well for now.
Elena was a skilled lawyer, but now she wants to set aside her career for a while and do something simpler. Something that helps her adjust to the new life, like working as a waitress or bartender in one of the town's cafes.
She decides not to be discouraged; finding a job won't be easy, but she's determined to do whatever it takes to rebuild her life here.
She has to. For herself and especially for them.
Needless to say, between one thing and another, it's already night. The sun dives behind the mountains when Elena closes the door behind her, exhausted but satisfied with the day just spent. She still has a long way to go, but she feels like she's taken the first step towards a new life in Santo Padre.
Or at least she hopes so.
As night falls, Elena sits on her bed, looking out the window at the starry sky. But the quiet of the night doesn't bring her peace, but rather a whirlwind of thoughts.
Among them, painful memories of how she lost her family: her husband and her little girl.
Their absence weighs on her heart like a boulder, every time silence falls, every time she closes her eyes. Nightmares haunt her. The image of how the two people she loved more than anything else were slaughtered and barely hung on the wall continues to haunt her.
