Maria took a deep breath. This wasn't her first time entering this room, and it wouldn't be her last, but it never got easier. There were always new and missing faces. She held on tightly to the envelope in her hand as she stepped inside.
A long banner stretched over a circle of chairs. She didn't have to look up to know what it said. 'LOST SUPPORT GROUP.' The people in the chairs were more interesting for her. A few of them were familiar. Edwin had returned, so had Isabella and Rodolfo. Dylan was missing, which was a bit disconcerting; he had sounded restless during the last meeting.
Three new faces caught her eye. Maria squinted at their name tags — left her glasses in the car — but two men and a woman sat stiffly, staring at the floor. Their expressions were hollow, almost uniform, as if grief had already carved it into them.
And there was Kendal, their counselor, smiling as always. Once Maria sat, he cleared his throat.
"Okay. I believe this is everyone. Has anyone heard from Dylan?"
Rodolfo's frown deepened. "I passed by his apartment today. I knocked, but he didn't answer. His neighbors haven't heard from him either."
Kendal nodded. "We can only hope the best… How about our new members introduce themselves?"
"I'm Jewels."
"Jorge."
"Miguel."
Kendal's smile brightened. "Welcome. I'm glad you're here."
"Hello," the other four said, almost in unison.
"If you would like, could you share why you're here today?"
A tense silence stretched. Jorge, middle-aged and short, spoke up. "My daughter. She is… She was eight."
Jewels spoke next. She fidgeted with a gold ring on her right hand. "My fiancée."
Miguel opened his mouth, then looked away, squeezing his eyes shut. Maria could see him struggling — tears threatening to break through.
Kendal reached out, placing a gentle hand on Miguel's knee. "Thank you. I know it can be difficult to talk about this, but it's important to process it. Coming here is already a step in the right direction. Would you like to share what happened that day?"
The three newcomers stayed quiet. They took care not to make eye contact with anyone. After a minute of this, Edwin cleared his throat. "May I share?"
"Of course," Kendal replied. "You can get the ball rolling. The stage is yours."
Edwin nodded, scooting his seat closer to the center. He cleared his throat, and…
I have a big family. Five siblings, three children, and eight grandchildren. I love them all equally. Perhaps my siblings a little less so. But… My youngest daughter, Yasmin, she had married this eccentric man. It's not that I didn't like him — he joined my little drinking group — there was just something off about him. In a good way, though. Like the difference between a hug and an embrace.
When they had kids, they had the same aura. I still remember, sitting there in the hospital. I was holding little Rosita in my arms. She had her mother's eyes. Cried as much as she did, maybe even louder… But then she got quiet. I blinked and… And she was gone. Just a little cloud of dust. Her older brother and father had fallen to the ground, trembling. They didn't answer, even when we shook them. They had both been very sick some years ago, but it was nothing like that.
We lost them a couple days later. My Yasmin joined them a couple weeks later…
Maria's lips quivered. She had heard this same story countless times, but it never failed to get to her. She clutched the envelope against her chest, coughing to fight back the tears.
Miguel hadn't been so strong. He held his head in his hands, quiet sobs rocking his body.
"Pobrecito," Edwin whispered, getting up to hug the boy.