Moisés loved to dance and he had his perfect dance partners for life – his wife and his daughter, Yamili y Itzel.
It all started when he came to the United States and passed by a soda machine. Yamili was trying to buy a coke but she had no change. She asked Moisés if he could break her dollar. Moisés pulled the change out of his pocket and bought her a coke. And he smiled.
His smile changed everything.
The two of them fell in love and became life-long dance partners. Moisés liked to joke that Yamili was the most expensive coke he ever bought.
He worked so hard. He wanted to become an air conditioning mechanic, but the trade school wouldn’t accept him because he didn’t have papers. He didn’t give up though. He found a way and followed his dream.
When his wife got pregnant, Moisés fell in love all over again. The three of them were inseparable. Life was perfect. They danced all the time, letting the music carry them to whatever came next. Even when the pandemic started, they danced. After Moisés came home from work, they danced and laughed, playing dominos and loteria together. Their daughter was so happy because they were all together. They would always have each other, and that was all that mattered.
When Moisés and his wife got sick they put their daughter in another room so she wouldn’t get sick too. They couldn’t dance. They couldn’t cuddle or tell good night stories. They told her they loved her and they would all be together again soon.
But Moisés got sicker and sicker. He was hospitalized. Two days later, Moisés died.
When Yamili tried to explain to her little girl what happened, her daughter was devastated.
“Now who am I going to dance with?” Itzel cried.
“He will always be with you,” Yamili promised.