Sofía staggered backward, her eyes stinging with tears. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, not just from the physical pain but from the deep-seated despair of being powerless to help her brothers. She could feel the cold pavement through her thin clothes as she stumbled into the street, clutching the twins to her chest.
It was a bustling afternoon in Pasadena. Cars zipped by, their occupants oblivious to the little family huddled on the sidewalk. Sofía felt utterly alone, the world around her an indifferent blur. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan, any plan, to find a way to feed Lucas and Mateo.
