Carmen hated feeling helpless because she knew she was far from it.
She'd accomplished a lot through the sheer force of her will: she'd fled Ecuador to escape her husband's enemies; she'd set up a new life in America for herself, her mother, and her son; she provided for them.
Yet she now found herself helpless regardless of a lifetime of herculean willpower. Because her son was on an ER table. The next twenty-four hours were the most critical of his life, and all Carmen could do was wait outside, with nothing but tears and prayer to power her through.
