She revealed their foster caretaker was a man named Derrick Vale, whose temper erupted without warning. Max used to distract him, stepping between Vale and the younger kids. She said it like a practised truth, something she and Max had repeated silently—a rhythm of survival learned long before she reached Manny’s care.
Some nights, Vale shouted so loudly that even the neighbor’s dog barked nonstop, as though trying to drown out the yelling. The girl would hide under her blanket while Max held the door shut with his small weight. Manny imagined the terror embedded in those nights, fear becoming routine for two children alone.