Eight years had passed since Elena last saw her daughter, yet the memory of that afternoon in Puerto Vallarta had never loosened its grip on her heart. The boardwalk had been loud with music and laughter, the air thick with salt and sunlight. Sofía had been ten, wearing a yellow embroidered dress, her hair in neat braids. Elena had turned away for just a moment—long enough to search for her hat—and when she looked back, her child was gone. At first, she told herself Sofía must be nearby. Children wandered everywhere along the beach. But minutes stretched into panic. Lifeguards...
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