—See? He admits he’s only here for the money.

“That’s not true,” Carmen replied firmly. “I started for the money, yes, but I really grew fond of Valentina. She reminds me so much of myself when I was a child.”

—And how do you plan to support your siblings if you decide to work in education? —Carlos asked.

“I’m not planning on it, sir. My siblings are my priority. My oldest is already 17 and works part-time. He’ll graduate in two years and will be able to help with the younger ones. Then, perhaps, I’ll consider changing careers.”

Dolores crossed her arms.

“Mr. Carlos, this girl is using our Valentina to satisfy her frustrated maternal instincts. That’s not healthy for a child who has already suffered so much trauma.”

“Doña Dolores, with all due respect, Valentina is better than she has been in the last six months,” Carlos replied.

—For now. But what if this young woman decides to pursue her own career? And what if she gets married and has children of her own? Valentina will suffer another loss.

Doña Dolores had a point, and Carlos found himself torn between loyalty to the woman who raised him and the well-being of his daughter.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said.

In the following days, the atmosphere in the house grew even more tense. Dolores began giving Carmen direct orders, limiting her contact with Valentina to the strictly necessary working hours. The girl noticed the change and became quieter again.

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The following Saturday, Carlos had an idea.

He decided to take Valentina to see the company office for the first time. He wanted to create special memories with his daughter, just as Carmen seemed to do so naturally.

“Dad, why didn’t you bring Aunt Carmelita?” Valentina asked in the car.

—Because today is our day, darling. Dad and daughter.

—But Aunt Carmelita would like to see where my dad works.

Carlos tried not to show his frustration. Even when he was alone with his daughter, Carmen was a constant topic of conversation.

At the office, he introduced Valentina to the employees, who were delighted with the little girl, so intelligent and communicative. But Carlos noticed that she clung to him all the time, lacking the naturalness she had with Carmen.

“Mr. Mendoza, your daughter is a delight,” said Gabriela from reception. “She said she has a special friend at home who teaches her interesting things.”

Friend. Uh-huh.

—I asked her if she was a classmate and she said no; that she’s a young woman who lives at home and makes everything more fun.

On the way back, Valentina fell asleep in the back seat. Carlos took advantage of the silence to reflect. His daughter saw Carmen not as an employee, but as a friend, a caring figure.

Perhaps the question that tormented him was: was this healthy or dangerous?

When he arrived home, he found Dolores waiting for him in the living room, with a serious expression.

—Mr. Carlos, I need to speak with you urgently.

—What happened, Mrs. Dolores?

“I found this in Carmen’s room,” he said, showing her a crumpled piece of paper.

It was a search for private schools in Mexico City.