Incantation

Over the next few days, the looting continues. Estrella’s grandfather installs a new lock and nails the windows closed. At night the family must take in the animals to protect them. Dini sleeps in Estrella’s room secretly. He sleeps peacefully while she cannot. One evening, she goes on a walk with Catalina and regrets the distance between them. She tries to bring up a happy childhood memory of racing donkeys. Catalina is happy to remember winning, not realizing Estrella let her win. After talking about the donkeys and their nicknames, Catalina pulls her arm away and says that Estrella was always prettier than she was. After voicing this insecurity, she warns Estrella to stay away from Andres. 

Someone breaks into the deMadrigals’ house to steal food, and in response Estrella’s grandmother pledges to leave a basket of food in the yard for anyone who is hungry. She then worries that Estrella’s pearl necklace was stolen. Estrella tries to avoid confrontation by lying that the pearls are safe in the box, but her grandmother wants her to wear them so they’ll stay safe. When Estrella says that it’s too hot out to have them on her skin, her grandmother knows she’s lying.