Everything Here Is Beautiful

Years later, Miranda meets Esperanza in New York for the first time since she was four months old. Essy moved to the city to attend college at NYU. They speak about Manny, and Essy tells Miranda that he is getting married to a woman named Daniela and that he is happy. Essy asks Miranda to tell her about Lucia. They discuss Lucia’s illness and how she was growing up.

Miranda thinks about the months following her sister’s death. Her relationship with Stefan had become rocky, and she left to China to learn more about her family. She learned that her father had died by suicide after gambling his way into extreme debt and getting into trouble with the police. She thinks about how this has changed her image of her mother, and she feels guilty that her mother carried that weight on her own. Afterward, Miranda decided to leave Switzerland and move back to New York. Stefan did not try to stop her. Years later, Miranda and Stefan reevaluated their relationship and decided to seek counseling. Stefan will come and stay with her for six months next week.

Miranda continues to speak with Essy, answering her questions carefully. Essy asks if Lucia had ever loved Manny, and Miranda tells her that she doesn’t know.