Found at Sea - By Anne Marie Duquette Page 0,55
Unless you see me sooner, those are the plans.”
Tanya nodded. “If the jerks here hadn’t taken my wristwatch, I’d have us synchronize our watches like in the movies.”
Aurora started to remove hers.
“Don’t. I won’t be allowed to keep it. Besides, there’s a clock in the dispensary. I’ll use that.”
Aurora reached her hand through the bars to squeeze Tanya’s. To her surprise, Tanya pulled Aurora close for a fierce hug.
“Thanks, Rory,” Tanya whispered.
Aurora stroked the girl’s hair. “Don’t thank me yet. Wait until we’re home.”
“Three more days,” Tanya whispered.
“Three more days,” Aurora echoed.
Three more days...
CHAPTER TWELVE
Roberto’s house
Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT,” Aurora said, staring at the forged papers. “These are all wrong!”
Seated at the breakfast table with her, Jordan and Roberto studied the paperwork for the third time, while Roberto’s mother stood patiently beside them.
“My friend’s uncle could only use what forms he had in supply. I know these are not what we ordered,” Roberto said. “But we can still use them.”
“How?” Jordan demanded. “The adoption papers are made out to a Mexican couple. I may speak Spanish, but I can’t fake a Tijuana accent. And Aurora can’t pass for Mexican on a bet—even if she did speak the dialect. Which she doesn’t.”
Aurora frowned. Jordan was right. Her high-school Spanish, while fluent, wouldn’t fool any border guard. And her driver’s license and other paperwork clearly identified her as an American. “Now what? Jordan and I were supposed to take Alfonso across the border with Dorian. We were an American family—not Mexican. And we only got one death certificate for Dorian. What about Tanya? Not only that, the date on it is wrong!”
“I already explained—I can only get whatever forms are available for purchase, señorita. I can’t ask for new ones when they are not at hand. And I will not be given a refund,” Roberto said stiffly. “I am grateful to have this much.”
“What do we do now?” Aurora asked.
Aurora felt Jordan squeeze her arm with one hand, then he reached for the papers and slid them closer. He studied them a moment and shook his head.
“We’ll never get across the border with Alfonso now,” he told them. “Tanya will have to remain among the living, and Alfonso will have to stay here. Maybe you can get new papers for him when we send for you in a month. Sorry, Roberto.”
With a despairing cry, Roberto’s mother rushed outside. Aurora watched her run far past where Alfonso and Yadira pulled weeds in the pathetic vegetable patch.
“But there is no guarantee of that. And no one else will take him, not even the orphanage,” Roberto said. “When my sister and my mother come to join me in California, he will die.”
“What do you think will happen to my sister?” Aurora asked. “This death certificate is dated two days from now, not today like it was supposed to be. We can’t change the plan now. As it is, Dorian could be dead by the time we come back to get her out.”
Aurora was close to tears. The plan called for Tanya to get herself and her mother out of jail, leaving death certificates behind to buy them time. Aurora and Jordan were to meet them in the truck and drive across the border with Alfonso and Dorian, while Roberto was to lead Tanya across the border on foot. The truck would meet the pedestrians once they had crossed to the American side, and all parties would reunite in safety.
At least, that was our plan, Aurora thought.
Jordan looked at the anguished faces of the others. His lips drew together in a thin line.
“According to these papers,” he said slowly, “Alfonso is being adopted by a Mexican couple. It doesn’t say a married Mexican couple. Roberto, you and your mother could be that couple. From what I gather, once you and your mother and sister get residency papers, you could adopt him—from either side of the border. All we need is Aurora to look after him until we bring the rest of your family over next month.”
“Señorita? You could do that for us? I could take Alfonso across the desert with your niece.”
“A baby trekking across the desert? He belongs in a hospital himself, he’s so malnourished.”
“We shall take him,” Roberto insisted.
“This is insane,” Aurora said. “That boy will die.”
“He’ll die for certain if he stays here,” Roberto reminded her.
“This is a child’s life.”
“He’s not going by desert,” Jordan said.
Aurora stopped, confused. “I— What?”
“We’re changing our plans,” Jordan announced. “Aurora, you and I take the