She cradled the baby in her arms. No one was going to take it from her! Not now, not ever!

“Please Mariana, just do what they say.” Her husband dejectedly pleaded with tears in his eyes. “They’ll kill you if you stay in their way. They’ll take her anyway.”

Mariana refused to listen. Tears coursed freely down her face and dripped on the soft pink blanket and the dark wispy curls. The baby was so little, so fragile, so precious. It wouldn’t survive out there. And if it wouldn’t survive, then she had no reason to, either.

“Mariana,” her husband tried again, “I want to keep her, too. I do! No, don’t look at me like that! Mariana! No!”

Mariana got to her feet and began gathering things into a diaper bag. She didn’t know where she would go. She only knew she had to get away from here; from him. He did this! He caused this pain, this trouble to befall her and this innocent child. She was leaving and she was taking her daughter with her.

“This is insane! They’ll follow you! They’re probably out there right now!”