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illegal about me? Only that I was born on the wrongside of a border? As for “alien,” I asked the teacher's helper, and she explained that an alien is a creature from outer space who does not even belong on this earth! So, where am I supposed to go?
    Even at home, I feel so alone sometimes. I cannot tell Papá about the boys making fun because he would pull us out of school, especially now that he is so protective after you left. I cannot speak to my little sisters, as I don't want to worry them any more than they are. Besides, Ofie has such a big mouth, I am afraid she would tell Papá whatever I tell her. And how could any of them understand why I feel so lonely? I am not like my sisters, who are little American girls as they were born here and don't know anything else. I was born in México, but I don't feel Mexican, not like Papá and my uncles with all their memories and stories and missing it all the time.
    If only you were here, Mamá, you would understand. Now that you are gone, Papá says I am to be the mother to my little sisters. “But who will be my mother?” I ask him. He just bows his head and gets so quiet for days on end. I'm not going to make him more sad by asking him that again.
    That is why I am writing, Mamá. Not only to tell you where we are moving to, but also because I have nowhere else to put the things that are inmy heart. As you always used to tell Papá when he found you writing letters, or just writing in a notebook,
“El papel lo aguanta todo.”
Paper can hold anything. Sorrows that might otherwise break your heart. Joys with wings that lift you above the sad things in your life.
    Mamá, you know what I have missed most of all? Your stories! What wonderful ones you always told my sisters and me even before they could understand why you and Papá had come from Las Margaritas to Carolina del Norte, the dreams that drew you here so you could give us a better life and help our grandparents and aunts and uncles back home.
    Since you left, Mamá, I have continued to tell them those stories. Luby and Ofie do not have as many memories of you as I have. So I am always adding mine to theirs so that you will not be a stranger when you come back. And I write you for the same reason, so you will know me through these words. So when you see me I will not be an alien to you, too, Mamá. For that would break my heart, even if I also write it down.

I love you with all my heart and with
    my
corazón,
too,
    Mari
    19 agosto 2005
Queridísima Mamá,
    I am writing to tell you that we arrived safely. I hope by now you have returned to Carolina del Norte and will find this letter as well as the first one waiting for you.
    We have not yet gotten our own telephone number, but you have the number of the
patrón
we left for you and I will write it down here, too: 802-555-2789.
    Our journey to Vermont was not as long as our journey to this country. At first, the plan was to buy a used car and Tío Armando would drive us, a voyage of about three days. But Papá feared that the
policía
would pull us over and find out that there were four of us without papers, including one driver without a license, and two little American- citizen girls whom we had obviously kidnapped.
    There was the added problem that Tío Felipe thought the police might be looking for him. No, Mamá, he did not do anything wrong. But the old lady he worked for had two little dogs, and part of Tío Felipe's job was to feed and walk them. Tío Felipe said those animals ate better than most of the people in Las Margaritas. Several weeks ago,one of those little dogs disappeared, and the lady was sure that Tío Felipe had sold it, as those
perritos
are very valuable. But as Tío Felipe said when he told us the story, “Then why didn't I sell them both?”
    But Tío Felipe could not defend himself because he does not know enough English. He did understand when this lady said the word
police.
So, after she went back inside her house, Tío Felipe ran off,