Carmela felt a profound sense of relief when she finally managed to calm her child, but in the haze of her exhaustion, she couldn’t even remember how long it had taken or how much patience she had to summon. The scene had been overwhelming, not only for Clarissa, who was just a young child grappling with emotions too complex for her age, but also for Carmela, who struggled with how little she could offer in terms of answers.
Clarissa’s questions came one after another, tumbling out in a torrent of confusion and curiosity that only a child can bring forth. She wanted to understand everything, but there were too many pieces missing, and even Anthony, who usually had a solution for most things, was at a loss this time. The unanswered questions settled heavily in Carmela’s heart, a weight she
