Hospital Hallway - 8:30 AM
After Rio falls asleep again, Teodoro takes my hand.
"Come with me," he says quietly.
We walk down the hospital hallway to a small sitting area. It's empty at this hour.
Teodoro sits down on the couch. He looks tired. Older than I've ever seen him.
"Sit," he says, patting the seat next to him.
I sit down.
For a long time, he doesn't speak. He just stares at the wall.
"I need to tell you about Rio," he finally says. "About why he is the way he is. About what happened to him."
"Okay," I say softly.
Teodoro takes a deep breath.
"When Rio was fifteen years old, his mother got sick," he begins. "Heart disease. Very serious."
He pauses. His voice gets quieter.
"Elena was a beautiful woman. Kind. Strong. Rio loved her more than anything in the world. He used to follow her around like a little shadow."
I listen.
