Chapter 35: Hailey's Chance

“We think… your father may be alive.”

The words that left officer Baker's lips echoed in Carlos' head. He did not know for how long he sat there, thinking. His mind wandered back to his father’s wake. Carlos recalled how his mother never let him see Manuel’s face because of his father's injuries. He felt a headache coming his way, trying to identify those who peered inside his father’s coffin.

The accident that resulted in his father's death was a head-on collision with a truck and resulted in a fire, barely recognizing the bodies of both vehicle drivers.

‘Uncle Ethan and aunt Sam, I’m sure they had a look,’ Carlos thought. Then, Carlos's voice came through with the recollection of how the police went to his mother about the accident. He stammered into his reply, “I think… the police identified him properly. I remember how, aside from his private things, there was a DNA test done -”

“Teeth. I already checked,” said officer Baker. “They identified your father’s DNA through his tee