“Why is my pregnant wife the only one in the kitchen?” — I Asked My Mother and Sisters After Finding Camila Washing a Mountain of Dishes at 10 P.M.

She never tried to compete with anyone.

She simply existed with a patience that made other people slow down.

We married three years later, in a small church outside San Antonio, Texas, with my sisters sitting proudly in the front row and my mother wiping tears from her eyes.

At the time I believed the blending of our families had gone smoothly.

Camila made every effort to welcome them.