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.

whiskey. I would sink into the couch, feeling the weight of those words settle into my bones. My uncle never defended himself, never offered explanations. Instead, he simply lowered his head, as if accepting whatever judgment was handed down as his due.

“You are going to know the truth, Diego. But not just yet,” he would say, his voice low, almost a continue reading …