Mariana was inside her kizh, making clothes for her children and Metztli, until she heard someone stop outside.

"Mariana, may I enter?"

"You may enter, Toypurina."

Toypurina bent slightly down to enter the kizh and sat beside Mariana. Mariana noticed that something troubled the young woman. "Something is in your mind."

Sighing, Toypurina said, "I didn't want to say this, but my brother informed me that we have received new members to our tribe. Refugees who had escaped from nearby ranchos were being abused. One of them was an adolescent who was raped by a Soldado de Cuera and is now pregnant."

Mariana covered her lips, feeling distraught. "Tonantzin (Our Revered Mother Earth). Icnotepilhuan (Poor child). To have her innocence taken away from her so violently."

"Yes, I met with her, and she is only sixteen. She is going to give birth soon, but her eyes are filled with void."

"What of her parents?"

"Her father was killed due to the beating he received while trying to defend his wife and daughter, and the mother died of disease. The poor girl had no one, and the ranch owner let this happen to 'breed' future workers."

Mariana made her hands into fists. She understood her daughter's hatred for the Spaniards and the Padres, and she tried to teach her daughter hope. Mariana wanted to believe that there were some good Spaniards like Victoriano. "It almost happened to me when I was younger. Remember when I told you?" Toypurina nodded. "I have never been so terrified in my life."

"You were brave, Mariana. You mustn't let the guilt overcome you."

"Victoriano was defending me, but he had to kill to save me. Such an action is never easy to forget. If I didn't go get water that night, then perhaps..."

"You and I know that if you and Victoriano hadn't killed those Soldados, then they would have done what they planned to do. There would have been no justice within the land they proclaimed as theirs."

Mariana stopped what she was doing and stood. "I know."

Toypurina watched Mariana as she slowly paced. "Didn't you tell me that when Victoriano was a Soldado, trying to pursue you?" The young woman decided to change the subject, not wanting Mariana's mood to sour even more.

Mariana stopped pacing and chuckled. "Yes, he did. I believed he wanted to use me, and I decided not to accept his advances. My grandmother, who was alive at the time, always told me that every Spaniard was evil, and I believed that."

"You and Valentina are very similar."

"More than I am willing to admit. Still, Victoriano pursued me without force. I slowly began to believe that there were some Spaniards who weren't all evil. He never left my side."

"It is because he was in love with you. He knew that what his people were doing was wrong."

"I was inconsolable when I had to leave my tribe, my home, my culture, my language, my grandmother. Victoriano was always by my side, but our challenge was yet to come when I became pregnant."

Toypurina's eyes softened. "Mariana, how long are you going to keep this secret? Guillermo and Valentina need to know the truth about their father."

Mariana immediately looked at Toypurina. "Please don't speak of it. I cannot afford anyone to know or listen. I should have kept this to myself."

"The secret is destroying you, Mariana. Whether you want to admit it or not, you have lied to your children. You and Victoriano." Before Mariana could counter, Toypurina stood as she continued, "Are you willing to die with the secret and keep pretending that their supposed father died? I understand Victoriano chose to become a man of God for all of your sakes, but when he can no longer continue his duties, you all will no longer have protection. Go away together and be the family you have always wanted."

The older woman hugged herself. "Enough, Toypurina. We were poor, and we didn't want our children to be in danger. Victoriano and I knew that the only way they could be protected and have a better life was if they became a Padre, and now he is a Bishop. He has more power and was there for our children. This is what he wanted as well. He was always there to protect and educate our children."

"What?"

The women flinched when they saw Metztli at the entrance; her eyes and lips were wide. They realized that she had heard everything.

Metztli didn't mean to. She didn't like to pry into other people's business. After speaking with Valentina, she wanted to speak to Mariana and ask her questions to test her theory. When arriving outside Mariana's kizh, Metztli couldn't help but hear that Mariana and Toypurina spoke to one another. She thought it would be best to wait until they finished speaking and to wait for another time, but then she heard Mariana say something about her past. 

Metztli felt her legs go weak as she listened to the conversation. "What?"

Mariana and Toypurina looked her way. "M-Metztli!?" Mariana shrieked with horror while covering her lips.

"You heard everything," Toypurina said while looking displeased, but looked at Mariana, who felt she was going to faint. She went to her elder and kept her in balance.

"Yes, everything!" Metztli tried to calm her breathing while looking at Mariana, who was in shock. "I-I can't believe it!"

"Metztli," Toypurina said sternly, "I understand this is a shock, but please keep your voice down.  Understand?"

Metztli's mind was all over the place, but she took deep breaths. "I will keep calm if you tell me everything. The damn truth." She entered the kizh and then sat apart from the women. "I can't believe you two. How could you keep such a secret?" Metztli whispered harshly. 

Mariana wiped away the tears that were forming. "P-Please do not be angry with Toypurina. She is not at fault. I begged her and her family to keep this secret hidden for our safety. For the safety of my children."

"You mean the same children you had with Bishop Victoriano? I can't believe this!" Metztli remembered that she had to calm herself down and took another deep breath. "Tell me the whole truth, Mariana. You're not even of the Tongva people, are you?"

Mariana slowly tried to sit on the ground, but Toypurina assisted her to sit; the duo sat together, away from Metztli. "No, I am of the Kumeyaay people, but my people and I were called Diegueños since we lived near the Mission San Diego de Alcalá. Mariana is not my real name. My actual name is Mitena."

"Wh-What!?"

"You heard everything that happened when I was younger. Victoriano was a Soldado de Cuera who guarded the Padres of the Mission of San Diego de Alcalá. We met there, and he tried to pursue me, but I didn't return his interest. One day, I was almost raped by two Soldados. Victoriano saved me, but he killed the Soldados. We couldn't return to how we were and how we lived. We left; I had to leave the land where I was born. I was scared, but Victoriano never left my side as we had to go into hiding. As we spent time together, my feelings for him developed, and well..."

Metztli covered her lips in disbelief. "M-Mariana or M-Mitena...what should I even call you?"

"Call me Mariana. I have let go of the name of my birth a long time ago. Victoriano gave me that name."

"Y-You both, I mean, it's hard to grasp that you two had feelings toward each other. Wait, do you two still have feelings with each other?" Mariana looked away, and Metztli's eyes softened. "You two still love each other. It's no wonder why you two are very close and why Vic-I mean, the Bishop has done everything to protect you, Guillermo, and Valentina. You two could have gotten married and could've had a life together."

"Victoriano and I feared that we would have been captured since it would have been a matter of time before the bodies would have been found. The Soldados de Cuera have connections throughout the land, and it would have been dangerous for us. We had nothing, and we feared for our children, but we were taken in by this tribe for shelter. Toypurina's father, the previous Chief, welcomed us as we told them the story. My children and I were able to stay, but since Victoriano was a Spaniard, he could not. He decided to become a Padre to protect us and this village."

Toypurina spoke, "We understand that you may not agree to this, but it was because of Victoriano that we are safe from possible kidnappings and abuses. He helped our village and other villages from the Spaniards."

Metztli sat quietly as she took everything she was told. "So...Guillermo and Valentina don't know that the Bishop is their father?"

"No, they can't know. Victoriano and I believed it would be best if they didn't. We made the lie that their father was dead. It could put all of us at risk, Victoriano included, since he is the Bishop and has enemies everywhere. If he loses his position, the wrong people will be in power, which could be the end for our people."

"But there will come a time when he won't be able to protect you all. He is getting older, and then what? Will Guillermo and Valentina die without knowing the truth? That is the most selfish thing you can do to your children." Metztli stood up and slowly walked toward the entrance.

"Metztli, you..."

"I won't say anything. It's not my place." Metztli looked at Mariana. "I will say this. You will have to tell your children the truth. They deserve to know. I will see you later." Metztli left without saying anything more.