Chapter 20 Summary

Carmen becomes tired of staying in the dark den with Valia. She puts Valia into her wheelchair and takes her outside for a walk. Soon they arrive at a Mediterranean restaurant, and Carmen gets them a table outside under a white umbrella that contrasts starkly with the bright blue sky. There are a number of items on the menu that Carmen recognizes from the Kaligaris' house, but the Kaligaris aren't cooking ethnic foods right now because Lena's father thinks it makes Valia homesick. Getting some Mediterranean dishes and taking them to the table with lemonades, Valia is at first critical and sniffs the food disdainfully. Carmen immediately is sorry for bringing Valia here. She thinks it is definitely another one of her good ideas gone bad. After staring at the food for a moment, Valia breaks into tears and hangs her head, telling...