“That’s good,” I say. “Just remind the judge that you’ve been here all this time. Tell him about Sophie and me. No one in their right mind would ask you to leave the country if they understood who you are.”

“Papi,” Sophie says.

“Fine, you talk to him now,” I say, handing her the phone.

While Sophie and Pa talk, his face changes. He smiles, which makes the wrinkles around his eyes look a little deeper. I wish this window wasn’t in the way. I wish he were able to give us a hug, if not for me, then for Sophie’s sake.

When they’re finally done, it’s Uncle Jorge’s turn to pick up the receiver. At first, I don’t even pay attention to what they’re saying. I tune out, thinking about the way the air in our booth has become serious all of a sudden. But then I realize I can hear what’s coming through the phone. Even though Uncle Jorge has the receiver pressed against his ear, I can still make out bits of what my dad is saying.

“—barely been sleeping. There are just too many things that I—”

The room gets louder every now and then, with two dozen families having conversations with their loved ones. I lose track of what Pa is saying, but I quickly realize that it helps if I stare at his lips while I listen to the murmur coming from the phone.

“—be able to stay. And I’ve been going over it in my mind again and again, trying to imagine what might happen if things don’t go the way we expect them to.”

“What do you mean?” Uncle Jorge asks beside me.

“Mateo and Sophie,” Pa answers. “What will they do if me and Adela end up getting deported?”

Uncle Jorge clears his throat. “Amy and I will do everything we can.”

“We shouldn’t talk about this anymore. Not here.”

They must be aware that I can hear everything Pa is saying. And if I can hear, that means Sophie probably can as well. I turn toward her, but she’s just standing there waiting, with her face a little too close to the glass.

“Keep my children safe, Jorge,” Pa says after a moment of silence. “Please, just keep them safe.”

Uncle Jorge looks right into Pa’s eyes. “I will,” he answers. “Te lo prometo.”

Pa nods once, but his expression falls. Seeing him like this, with tears building up in his eyes, I can’t help myself—I blurt out all the things I’ve been trying to hold in.