Dark wood showed through the white paint, especially at eye level where most of the graffiti were scratched. DORIS LOVES JOEY. DORIS PUTS OUT. Paolina wondered what moms said when they brought little kids into the bathroom and the four-year-olds asked about the swear words on the door. Even as she had the thought, the toilet in the other tiny stall flushed. Jeez, Ana would start calling her name any minute. She wished they would just leave her alone for one second, just leave her in peace so she could think. Honestly, she’d given her word. She was old enough to be left on her own for a second. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe she was just getting weird, thinking too much, watching too hard, letting small irritations build on one another until they blurred into a loop, playing over and over like a late-night movie, on and on. Maybe it was just a coincidence that every time she had to go to the bathroom, Ana needed to go, too. But if she wanted to take a walk, well, Jorge wanted to take a walk, too, really needed to stretch his legs, so grateful she’d mentioned it.
