An unexpected medical appointment meant calculating which expenses could be postponed.
Even purchasing a new pair of shoes for Mateo sometimes required rearranging other priorities.
Carlos worked long hours at the plant, often returning home with aching muscles and little energy left for conversation.
His job involved demanding physical tasks, repetitive movements, and hours spent concentrating on production requirements.
He rarely complained.
He believed that providing for his family was one of his most important responsibilities.
But somewhere along the way, that responsibility had become tangled with a growing fear that he was not doing enough.
Every unpaid bill felt like a personal failure.
Every unexpected expense seemed to confirm that he was falling behind.
Even when he worked overtime, the relief was temporary.
