Summary

Even when Eric was a baby, Vica wondered how their lives might be different if she were able to buy the expensive baby things she saw advertised. She and Sergey were not even able to afford a changing table, so she changed Eric’s diaper with him lying on the couch. It was while changing his diaper one day that she slapped six-month-old Eric. She had to struggle to get wipes out of the canister. When she turned back to him he had feces on his hands and face. Eleven years later, she was still pained when she remembered that slap.

Vica stood in line at Sebastian Levy High School with preteen Eric waiting to take a test for admission to the school’s program for gifted and talented students. Even though Sergey had offered to take Eric to the test...