Tears run down sweet, young Pazito’s cheeks.

Sweat glistens off Rolando’s bruised and beaten face.

Blood pools around Frankie like a spilled bucket of red paint.

“Don’t move, Pazito,” Gloria says, eyeing the gun still clutched in her son’s hands.

Pazito is shaking.

One wrong move and Gloria will find herself dead next to her husband. She knows that Pazito won’t harm her, not intentionally, but accidents happen all the time whenever a gun finds its way into someone’s hand, especially a child’s. This weapon shouldn’t have been in their home in the first place, but she couldn’t convince Frankie to get rid of it, and it’s hard arguing with a foul-tempered gun owner. Gloria feels as if she failed Pazito by not fighting harder, by not trying to leave sooner, by putting him in the position to protect her when it should be the other way around. Now, Pazito will be scarred for the rest of his life, haunted by the ghost of the father he killed, and there are no words for how much that breaks Gloria’s heart.

For now, with loving hands, she takes the gun out of her son’s.

She sets it down and picks him up, carrying him to his bedroom.

She covers his eyes as if he won’t be able to see his dead father in the darkness.

Together, they cry in bed, their final fight fought.

Orion

6:56 p.m.

Last night, my life changed.

Last night, my life also almost ended.

I had the heart attack in Times Square and I was in the backseat of a taxi, tucked between Dalma and Valentino as they rushed me to the hospital. Now we’re headed back to the exact same hospital, only this time it’s Valentino we’re trying to keep upright, trying to save. He’s got a chance, I know he does, especially since it’s a quick drive to Lenox Hill, even if those three minutes feel like the longest three minutes in the history of three minutes. We waste no time getting Valentino inside, abandoning the car, which Dayana can deal with when she pulls up in her car with Dahlia. I’m too woozy to help carry Valentino, but Floyd has got that handled as Dalma runs ahead of us to alert Dr. Emeterio of our arrival.