He sat with his wife’s photo, waiting for a son who had already boarded without him

it in the system. She also claims to be married to Mr. Rodriguez.”

Patricia turned to me, and the look she gave me made my stomach drop. It was pure judgment, bordering on disgust. She raked her eyes over my messy hair, my thrift-store cardigan, and my scuffed sneakers.

“What seems to be the problem here?” The emphasis on “here” felt intentional, as continue reading …