Mrs. Delgado stepped closer, eyes narrowing.
“Excuses already? There are fifty girls outside who would take your job in a heartbeat.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. It won’t happen again,” Clara murmured.
Outwardly she stayed calm.
Inside, however, her heart carried a fierce determination.
Clara didn’t endure the long shifts for pride.
She did it for her younger sister.
Lucía was sixteen years old and had been deaf since birth.
Her bright, expressive eyes were her voice to the world.
When their parents died six years earlier, Clara — only twenty-two at the time — became Lucía’s guardian, protector, and provider all at once.
Every insult from customers…
Every overtime shift…
Every aching muscle…
It was all for Lucía.
The special school for deaf students cost more than half of Clara’s monthly salary. But seeing her sister learning, laughing, and dreaming of becoming an artist made every sacrifice worthwhile.
Clara returned to the dining room just as the main doors opened.
The maître d’ announced loudly:
“Mr. Adrian Navarro and Mrs. Isabel Navarro.”
A quiet ripple passed through the restaurant.