“My son!” she cries out, cupping Pedro’s face in her hands until her well-manicured fingernails leave small crescent moon–shaped marks on his skin. “Are you in one piece? What happened?!”

“Mom, I’m fine,” Pedro says, sounding a little smothered.

“You’re not fine!” Dona Eulalia is starting to sound angry at him. “Look at this ankle! Is it broken? Where’s your doctor?” Her sharp eyes turn to the nurses behind the desk, who all straighten their backs in response like meerkats. “Where’s my son’s doctor? I want to talk with a doctor!” She turns around to Pedro again, starting to cry. “Did you take anything for the pain? Are you in a lot of pain?! My son!”

“Let the boy breathe,” Seu Romário says in the back.

And I see the blood drain from Pedro’s face.

“Grandpa?” He takes a step away from his mother, trying to stand like his ankle isn’t bothering him. “I mean, Chef. You shouldn’t be here.”

“How am I supposed to stay home when I hear my own grandson is at the hospital?” Seu Romário’s eyes are accusatory, and Pedro immediately lowers his gaze.

His grandpa acts like he’s angry with Pedro for getting hurt... How is this his fault? It’s infuriating!

“Pedro saved a family today,” I blurt out at Seu Romário. “He was a hero. That’s how he hurt his ankle.”

Pedro glances at me nervously like he’d rather I stayed out of this, but it’s too late now. Mom’s looking at me funny. Dona Eulalia grasps Pedro’s arm like she’s only now fully realizing the extent of what happened. And Seu Romário turns to me. He nods, letting my words sink in, and his expression softens when he looks at Pedro again.

“Are you alright, son?” Seu Romário asks Pedro.

“Yes, Chef,” Pedro nods eagerly, and I can tell just the question means the world to him. There’s a lot of unspoken concern in the way Seu Romário glances at Pedro’s leg.

Dona Eulalia ruins the moment, stepping around them to confront me. “Why were you with my son?” she asks, indignant.

Mom pushes me behind herself, getting in Dona Eulalia’s face. “You say one thing to my daughter and I swear I’ll forget I’m in a hospital!”

“I’m not afraid of you!” Dona Eulalia shouts at Mom. “I want to know why my son was with your daughter! She put him in danger! I don’t trust this Ramires kid!”

A hollowness spreads inside my chest. Dona Eulalia thinks I’m this horrible person, based on...what? Our family’s feuding history? How can she accuse me like this?