Breathe and Count Back from Ten

Throughout her life, Verónica has been denied autonomy because of her disability and her parents’ concern for her. They also have traditional views on femininity and sexuality and worry about being deported. Verónica describes the way her parents treat her: “They treat me like a fragile package no one should ever dare touch or open. All these rules, left and right, when I’m the one who knows what my body can and can’t handle” (11). At 17, Verónica is almost an adult and ready to become a fuller, more independent version of herself, but her parents resist the change. They are particularly harsh in communicating their values, shaming Verónica for being with a boy in a hot tub (even though she was being assaulted) and for being seen with Alex. Verónica notes her parents’ one-dimensional view of sexuality at her age: “In the eyes of my parents, it doesn’t matter what I choose to do with my body, it only matters that I do what they think is right. As if girls don’t get to have a say. As if it’s not really my body at all” (270). They constantly remind her of the risk of pregnancy and what people think of promiscuous women, and Papi implies she is promiscuous when he finds her with Alex.