My uncle got out of prison, and the whole family shut the door on him—except for my mom, who hugged him as if someone else were to blame.

her soft heart and unyielding compassion, had reached for him—my uncle, the criminal, the outcast. I watched as she clung to him, as if holding on tight could erase the past. I didn’t understand her impulse. Didn’t understand why she was willing to take the risk that everyone else shunned. Ramiro had been gone for years, locked away with his secrets,continue reading …