Alejandra Atencio, the narrator of this story, lives with her father, Ramón, her mother Nayeli, and her older sister Cora. Her father works as a maintenance man at Julian Plaza Senior Home. Alejandra and Cora are in the habit of checking the chalkboard in the Home’s lobby for the names of recently deceased inhabitants.

One day, Cora asks Alejandra one of her characteristically leading questions: “Do you think Papa loves one of us more than the other?” (87). After Cora concludes that their father clearly likes Alejandra more—but that the issue of his actual love is a more complicated one, she also asserts that he “doesn’t love anyone more than he loves Mama” (88): “You’re supposed to love someone the most if they’re sick,” Alejandra replies (88).

Alejandra recalls the day, during the previous December, during which her mother forced her to aid her in examining her breast. After Cora refused the task, Nayeli placed Alejandra’s hand beneath her nightgown and onto her breast, to confirm the hard lump that she had found there.

Afterwards, Ramón kissed Alejandra’s collarbones and told her that everything would be fine. He told her that he could switch to a job with a better insurance plan. Nayeli, however, responded that a job switch would be too risky: “I’ll go to Cynthia’s when it’s time,” Nayeli responded (89).