If she had known of her imminent death, Sra. Lopez would have said something different at that moment. Worldly advice, like "No matter where life takes you, always find a reason to smile" or something poignantly simple like "I love you." But it is not in the nature of war to give advance notice, so her last words were not for a young woman who would soon find herself all alone in the world, but for her daughter who was looking rather nervous about her upcoming quinceaƱera. "Never show them your fear."

And that, perhaps, has made all the difference.