Only a few minutes after Sophie and I turn off the lights, however, I begin to wonder if trying to sleep was a good idea after all. Now that the ray of hope I felt earlier is all gone, the fear has come back, and it’s darker and heavier than before.

I don’t know how long I’ve been lying here—a couple of hours, at least—when I realize I can’t do this any longer. I throw the covers off me, and being careful not to wake Sophie, I get up from bed and sneak out of the room.

I tiptoe my way down the hallway, thinking I’ll grab a glass of water from the kitchen. I’m nearly there when, all of a sudden, I hear someone moving nearby.

“Is someone there?” I ask into the darkness of the apartment.

“Matt?” Jorge’s voice answers. Blinking a few times, I make out the shape of him sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter. “What are you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” I say. “You?”

“Me neither.”

I pull back the second stool and sit next to him. “What do you think is going to happen at my dad’s hearing tomorrow?”

It takes him a few seconds to answer. “I’m not sure,” he says. “But I do know Mr. Wilkins is the best lawyer I could find. And you and I will both be there to try and convince the judge to let your dad stay.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” I ask. “What if the judge orders Pa to go back to Mexico?”

“We’re going to do everything we can to—”

“I know,” I interrupt him. “But what if?”

Jorge sighs. “I don’t know.”

“What would Sophie and I even do? I mean, if both of our parents were gone, we’d have nowhere to go. We all know she and I can’t live with you forever.”

Uncle Jorge turns toward me. Even though I can’t make out his face in the dark, I imagine he’s frowning. “I promised your dad that Amy and I would take care of you no matter what.”

I open my mouth to say something, but then I close it again. I just don’t think Jorge knew exactly what he was signing up for when he made that promise. I don’t think he imagined Ma and Pa would actually get deported, or that he ever pictured Sophie and me living in this tiny apartment permanently. He might’ve not even thought about the fact that he and Amy would have to raise Sophie themselves if my parents were deported.

“Your dad saved me, you know that?” he says slowly. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably be in jail by now. Or worse.”