“‘Look, that’s the way things work over there.’”

When Ivon expresses dismay over having to pay the priest and the nurse who will help her adopt Cecilia’s baby, as well as keep extra cash on hand in case she has to bribe anyone, Ximena tells her this is how things work in Juárez.. When Irene echoes Ivon’s hesitation by saying “‘[T]his sounds like so sleazy,’” Ximena retorts, “‘Welcome to the real world of the border, baby girl’” (16). Ivon continues to be surprised by the questionable legality and ethics of the adoption process. Father Francis, who is also more desensitized to the corruption, later explains that he and Ximena do what they must to help these girls. They understand that they must work within the system, however corrupt, in order to help the vulnerable. Ivon, who has not been home in years, will gradually begin to see the truth of their statements.

“Dad, I thought you were gonna supervise me in the kid’s section, I’m starting to feel kinda lonely.”

As she settles into El Paso, Ivon recalls how her wife Brigit tried to convince her to have a child and how she resisted because she did not want parenthood to interfere with her job. She feels pressure to finish her dissertation so she can earn tenure, which would enable them to buy a house.