Part 1, Pages 109 – 130 Summary

Isabel pushes the doctors to try to wean Paula off of oxygen. She hopes this will either help her to wake up or to at least make it easier to transport her to another location such as home.

The doctors are leery, but agree to cut back on the oxygen a little more every day to see what Paula can tolerate. Isabel believes that if they don't, Paula will slip away from her earthly bounds.

Isabel goes on to talk about her relationship with Willie, her husband, a man she came to know when she was in her 40's. She then contrasts that mature love to the young, innocent and ultimately disastrous love she felt for Michael. When Isabel was only nineteen, Tío Ramón was sent to Switzerland to be Chile's representative there. Isabel and Michael were married and...