Chapter 2 - The Warm Room on the Other Side
The cold cut through my pink sweater within seconds.
It was the kind of winter air that did not merely touch skin.
It entered.
The terrace was narrow, bordered by a metal railing, two potted plants, and a single outdoor chair. Beyond it, neighboring buildings glowed beneath a darkening sky.
Inside the condo, Christmas lights reflected across the glass.
I could see the table.
The dishes.
The family moving through warmth only a few feet away.
I struck the door with the flat of my hand.
“Paola!”
No one turned.
The music was too loud.
I hit the glass again.
Then harder.
My palms began to sting.
I shouted Alejandro’s name.
Nothing.
At first, anger kept me moving.
I tugged the handle.
Pounded the glass.
Looked for another way inside.
There was none.
The terrace could only be accessed through the sliding door.
My fingers became stiff.
Then numb.
My feet followed.
I stopped feeling the tips of my toes inside my soft shoes.
A cramp tightened low in my abdomen.
I froze.
It released after several seconds.
I placed both hands over my belly.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Mommy’s here.”
The words sounded absurd.
I was outside.
Locked away.
Unable to protect either of us.
Another cramp came.
Sharper.
I bent forward, breathing through it.
The condo remained bright and alive.
Doña Victoria carried serving dishes across the room.
Ernesto returned from downstairs and removed his coat.
Alejandro followed behind him, looking down at his phone.
None of them saw me.
Then Paola crossed the living room.
She glanced toward the terrace.
For one second, our eyes met through the glass.
I lifted both hands and struck the door.
She looked away.
That was when I understood.
This was not an accident.
Not a prank that had gone too far.
Not a careless moment she would correct once she remembered.
She knew exactly where I was.
She saw me begging.
And she chose to leave me outside.
My teeth began chattering so hard my jaw hurt.
I pounded again.
“Please!”
The word disappeared into the glass.
My breath fogged the surface.
My knees weakened.
The cramps were arriving closer together now.
I tried to count the seconds between them but could no longer focus.
Ten minutes.
Twenty.
Maybe more.
Cold changes time.
It stretches each moment until fear becomes the only clock.
I imagined my baby’s heartbeat slowing.
Imagined something happening inside me that I could not stop.
I hit the door again, but the sound was weaker.
My hands no longer hurt because I could barely feel them.
That terrified me more than the pain had.
I pressed my forehead against the glass.
The warmth inside looked unreal.
A painting of a family.
Safe.
Laughing.
Completely disconnected from the woman collapsing a few inches away.
Then another cramp twisted through me.
I cried out and struck the glass with both fists.
“Alejandro!”
This time, someone turned.
May you like
Doña Victoria looked toward the terrace.
Her face changed instantly.
