The Church of Esparza

It had been the warmest day New York City had seen in months, so Adela decided to take full advantage and go for a walk. She locked the door and slipped her keys into her purse as she skipped down her stone steps. Her first stop was her favorite coffee shop where she picked up a large cup to go. "Good Morning, Miss," the barista grinned when she saw Adela come in the front door.

"Morning," Adela smiled, paying for her usual order and slipping a five into the tip can. "I hope you get to enjoy this beautiful day," she said when the young woman handed her the cup of coffee.

Leaving the coffee shop, she made her way to the florist for some fresh flowers. Adela always liked having fresh flowers on her dining table, it made her smile, but she never had the time to grab some anymore. Staring at the large variety on display, she couldn't decide which ones she wanted most. "I think you should go with the sunflowers," the older gentleman announced, as if he sensed Adela's dilemma.

The sunflowers were massive and bright, maybe he was right. "I think you might be right, I'll take the bunch," she beamed and he grabbed the two remaining bunches and took them in to be wrapped.

"Beautiful day isn't it?" he asked conversationally while he worked. "Maybe spring is right around the corner," he said optimistically.

Adela nodded, "I hope so, but we've still got February and March to get through...very tricky months," she sighed.

She paid for her flowers and carried on walking through her neighborhood, picking up odds and ends for her home. Adela hadn't had the chance to walk around like this in a long time and she was enjoying it quite a bit.

At a green light, she felt her phone vibrating in her purse and she quickly fished it out and saw Mr. Barba's number. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hi Ms. Garcia, is there any chance you could come by my office? I wanted to discuss the case with you," he told her.

Adela nodded, "yes, of course, I'll be there shortly," she promised and disconnected the call. She stopped a cab, "124 West 132nd street, please," she said as soon as she got in. Adela hadn't anticipated hearing from Mr. Barba so soon after the arraignment.

When she arrived back at her house, she asked for the driver to wait for her. "I need to drop these things off and I have somewhere else to go," she explained.

Quickly, she dropped off her things and got back in, "I need to go to One Hogan Place, please," she informed the driver when she returned.

While she waited to arrive, she pulled up her conversation with her mother, and shot her a text.

Mr. Barba wants to discuss the case today, on my way to his office now

She watched the scenery zip past them, her stomach turning itself into knots. She couldn't understand what she was so nervous about, she'd already faced him once.

Let me know how it turns out. Love you

Before too long she'd arrived and paid the driver her fare and a generous tip for waiting for her. Adela climbed the stairs and made her way to the bank of elevators, pressing the button for the third floor.

The elevator doors slid open and Adela stepped off, making a left towards his office. She could hear voices coming from inside the office, so she stopped to speak to his secretary. "Hi, Mr. Barba is expecting me, my name is Adela -"

"Ms. Garcia, please, come in," Barba called out from the office and she let herself in.

He was sitting across from her brother and Lieutenant Benson. "I didn't realize that they would be here as well, how are you Lieutenant? Nico?" she said, wringing her hands.

Barba got up and produced a chair for her to sit in, "please, Ms. Garcia, have a seat. I was just discussing your father with your brother here," he said glancing at Nick.

"Has something happened with pop?" she asked after she'd sat down.

"Barba wants me to take the stand and testify against pop," Nick told her and she looked at Barba in surprise. "Look, weren't you the one who wanted me to stay away from this case?" the asked Barba.

The lawyer nodded, "I did, pero, tu padre-" he said, glancing at Adela before continuing. "-who's even more stubborn than you are, wouldn't take a plea deal. He says that his honor's too important."

Nick shook his head, "that's not my problem, look, there like a hundred people at that party and I wasn't one of them-"

"Neither was I Nico, but here I am. Please sit down," Adela said in her usual calming tone, she knew that her brother was getting worked up. Nick sighed and sat back down, the looks of surprise on Benson's and Barba's faces did not go unnoticed by Adela. "You were saying, Mr. Barba," she pressed.

Barba shook his head and Benson spoke up, "there were a hundred people at that party, but not one of them saw the fight," she pointed out. "You were the one Gabriella made her outcry to, Nick, and it'll look better to the IBA if you testify against your father," she reminded him.

"Please Nico, this will be so much easier for me if I'm not the only one taking a stand against pop," Adela pleaded.

Nick faced his sister, his heart wrenching in his chest. He wanted to see his son of a bitch father behind bars, but he wasn't sure he could go through with destroying the already extremely fragile bond he had with Sonya and his mother.

"Nico, por favor, piénsalo," she pushed, they'd come so far in a handful of days and it could all be over in just a handful more.

"I don't know if I can destroy my family, Del," he sighed.

Barba cleared his throat and got up to shut his door, he stared at Olivia for a minute and heaved a deep breath. He was about to do something he never did in his career as a lawyer, he was going to get personally involved. "Amaro, no eres el unico con un padre abusivo," he announced.

Adela stared up at Barba, but he refused to look at her. He couldn't believe he was making himself vulnerable to her. "He's been out of my life for decades, but my mother still makes excuses for him. I'd put his ass away, even if my mother never spoke to me again."

Nick stared at Adela, her hazel eyes lining with tears, "you understand what you're asking me to do, Del, right?" he asked.

"The same thing you asked me to do, Nick," she replied simply.

Nick wiped his face and looked up at Barba, "I'll do it," he said finally.

Day of the trial

Adela heaved a deep breath and climbed the stairs to the courthouse. She'd spent the entire morning on the phone with her mother. Adela hadn't been able to eat or sleep, anxiety was wrecking havoc with her body. She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her that she was going to be fine, that she could do this. The two had said a prayer before Adela left for court.

Nick met up with her and handed her a cup of coffee. "You okay?" he asked, noticing the look in her eyes.

She nodded, "I'm fine, I can do this," she replied. It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself more than anything else.

Her brother grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "you can do this, Del," he reminded her. She nodded and confirmed that she could.

The pair of them entered the courtroom and took their seats, away from his family. They knew that this would not end well for them, there was no need to make a scene before anything happened.

When the trial started, Adela could feel her head spinning. Nick handed her a bottle of water from her purse, "calm down," he told her in a quiet voice. She nodded and continued to breathe and drinking water. They started by questioning one of the guys who attended the party who had been questioned.

The man explained that he and Gabriella shared a dance and were genuinely enjoying themselves, until Nicholas started to stare them down. Apparently, that's what had spooked Gabriella and made Nicholas go after her. "I may have tempted fate by dancing with her, but I'm not dumb enough to get between a man and his woman," Arenas explained.

Adela leaned towards her brother, "not that he could have saved her from pop," she muttered and Nick nodded in agreement.

When asked about when he next saw Senior or Gabriella, he claimed that he'd seen Senior come up a few minutes later and put ice on his hand. "Did you see Ms. Nunez?" Barba asked.

Arenas nodded, claiming that he'd seen her later when her mother was helping her up the stairs, apparently she was out of it and that was around the time the fight had broken out. "Gabriella's father was just protecting his daughter," he added.

When Senior's lawyer got up to question Arenas, he'd managed to wipe away his entire testimony.

Adela could practically feel her brother vibrating with rage. She rested her hand on his arm, "it's almost our turn, his lawyer can't turn anything against us," she reminded him. She had solid evidence that proved without doubt,  that Nicholas Amaro Senior was a barbaric bastard,  and deserved nothing more than to be thrown in a dark hole and forgotten.

Next, they questioned Gabriella's father and it was hard for Adela to watch. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to watch one's own child choose to be in such a relationship. It had to be hell to see her go through that and not be able to do anything about it.

The case was looking very good for Senior, Barba asked that the case reconvene in the morning. Nick and Adela got up to leave, hoping to avoid Sonya on their way out. It had been a tough day and the last thing they wanted was to argue with their sister.

"Calm down, he's not going to walk away from this. It doesn't matter how much he smiles at the jury and winks at the stenographer. We testify tomorrow and there's no way he or his lawyer can weasel out of it," Adela told her brother when they reached the sidewalk.

Nick nodded, running a hand over his face. "I'm going to head to work, I'll pick you up tomorrow for court. Love you," he said dropping a kiss on her head.

Adela stared out at the illuminated city of New York, it had been nearly a week since she'd agreed to bury her father. She'd put in for leave time at work, wanting to keep this completely separate from her professional life. Adela had given her statements, handed her evidence over to the police and was told by Mr. Barba, that they were working closely with the officers in Miami to help strengthen their case.

A phone rang on the other side of the apartment and Adela moved away from her window to answer it. Reaching for her phone, she frowned, it was her mother. She had been meaning to call her to tell her what was going on, but she was too chicken to do so. "Hola, mama," she answered.

"Del, is there something you'd like to tell me?" Madeline Garcia asked her daughter point blank.

Surely, the officers in Miami had reached out to her by now. Adela sighed, "I'm sorry, ma, I meant to call you...I just didn't know how to bring it up," she explained.

"It would have been nice to be given a heads up that I was going to be questioned by the police, that's all. How are you holding up?" Madeline asked her daughter.

Adela shrugged, "I could be better, this was something I'd always wanted to do, but now that I'm actually doing it...it's...hard. I haven't seen dad yet, but Nick said that the arraignment is sometime next week. Both Nick and Mr. Barba, the ADA, assure me that I don't have to go, but I feel like I have to go," she said in a small voice.

She sat on her couch and pulled her knees to her chest, a small part of her regretted telling Nick and Mr. Barba that she would do this. "I don't know that I'm ready to relive this, ma," she said, her voice cracking.

"I know mija, but do you want this looming over you for the rest of your life? What's going to happen when you start a family of your own? This is something you need to do to put an end to that part of our history," Madeline explained. "This was something you started and I've always taught you to finish what you start, you gave your word."

Adela nodded, even though her mother couldn't see her. "You're right, I have to do this. I have to do this for the both of us," she announced, wiping her face free of the few stray tears that had fallen from her eyes.

"I'm proud of you, Adela, you have courage that I'm not sure I would ever have. Just remember that I'm only a phone call and a plane ride away if you need me," Madeline promised before she disconnected the call.

Adela stared at her phone, ideas running through her mind. She could let this get her down, or she could bury her father and take a step to ensure that it wouldn't happen to anyone else. With stark determination, Adela nodded to herself, "I'm not backing down from this, he's going to pay for his abuse."

                   The following Monday

Today was the arraignment and Adela spent the better part of her morning telling herself not to go. Finally when Nick called her, she bit the bullet and promised to meet him at the courthouse. What she hadn't anticipated was that she would run into her sister Sonya and Nick's mother Cesaria.

"What is she doing here?" Sonya asked Nick, eying Adela.

"Don't worry about what she's doing here, Sonya. Take mom inside," Nick said turning away from Sonya and watching as she walked away with their mother.

When they'd gone, Nick wrapped an arm around Adela's shoulders and led her inside where he sat with her. She could feel Sonya staring daggers at her, the two never had a friendly relationship. Sonya was always daddy's princess and she hated Adela for always making Nick Sr out as a villain.

Adela took Nick's hand when their father walked into the courtroom. He stared at his youngest daughter and almost couldn't believe that she was there. He'd tried to get in touch with her when he arrived in New York, but she'd blocked him at ever turn.

Throughout the proceedings of the arraignment, Adela kept a firm hold on her brother's hand. The pair of them drew strength from the other and Adela knew that she was right in showing up today.

At the end of the arraignment her father was charged with various assault charges and they were holding on a $100K bail. Surely between his precious daughter and his new bride they would come up with the money to get him out. "Are you going to go see him?" Adela asked quietly, knowing that his mother would try to play peace maker.

Beside her, Nick shook his head. "Not a chance, this is what he deserves, let him rot."

Nicholas was taken away and Barba turned to Adela, "I'm surprised to see you here, Ms. Garcia," he said, packing his things.

"I had to face him, and I wouldn't let the first time be while I was on the witness stand, Mr. Barba," she replied.

He nodded and looked back behind them at the seething woman glaring daggers at them, "I just hope you're ready for the family fallout that this is going to cause," he said to her and Nick. Both of them nodded, claiming that they were going to do what was right, no matter what anyone else thought about it.

Dismissing themselves from Barba, Nick led Adela outside and they were attacked by Sonya. "I knew you showing up couldn't be a coincidence. Whatever you're planning on doing to papi, you'd better stop. You're just jealous because he loves me more than he ever loved you," Sonya accused.

Adela laughed at her sister's idiocy. "Jealous? Do you hear yourself Sonya? Jesus Christ, how delusional are you?" she asked, raking her fingers through her hair. Sonya had always lived in her own reality, but surely she couldn't be this stupid.  

"Sure, pop never laid a finger on you, and for that I'm glad. You'll never have to know what it's like to have to cover up for a monster. But don't delude yourself into thinking that this somehow makes you special, Sonya. Let's try to remember that this man beat your mother," Adela pointed out before kissing Nick's cheek and leaving the courthouse.

The following day

"Nico? Are you okay? Que te pasa?" Adela asked worriedly. Her brother had called her and his voice was strange.

He was silent for long moments, only the sounds of his heavy breathing remained. "I just came from the county jail, I went to see him Del," he said.

Adela was already reaching for her coat, "I'll meet you, let's have some coffee. You're in no state to go back to the precinct," she told him. She didn't know his coworkers very well, but this would look bad on him.

"Please, Nico, have coffee with me," Adela pleaded, she knew what her brother was like. When he was angry he could turn into their father, it was that anger that had cost him his marriage. She always tried to get Nick to find other outlets for his anger, even see someone about it.

"I'll take a cab to your place," he finally promised and Adela breathed a sigh of relief. She promised to put on a fresh pot of coffee and make them some lunch.

As soon as she hung up with her brother, Adela moved into the kitchen and pulled some left overs from her fridge and set about heating up some food for her brother.

As she prepared the coffee pot, she caught a glimpse of the picture on her fridge. A picture of herself, Nick, and Zara...Zara, a beautiful little girl who had no idea that he world was about to be turned upside down. This trial was going to completely obliterate already fragile familial ties, but it had to be done.

While the food heated, she cleared her work off of the dining table and cleaned up a little bit. She was broken for her thoughts when she heard her doorbell ring. Looking through the peephole and saw a very agitated Nick Amaro.

Adela opened the door and let him in, hugging her brother as soon a she shut the door. "What happened?" she asked, taking his jacket and hanging it by the door. "I thought you said you weren't going to see him," she added, remembering the conversation they'd had at the courthouse.

Moving into the dining room, she motioned for him to take a seat, "I'm heating up some leftover picadillo, should be ready in a bit," she told him.

Nick nodded and sat down, rubbing his face and looking down at his hands. "I wasn't going to go see him, but I thought I could get him to spare us all the fucking trial if he would just take a plea deal," he told her.

Nick stared at his baby sister, he loved her so much and he didn't want her to have to go through the ordeal of a trial. He wanted to save her from reliving painful memories if he could, but his father refused to go down without a fight. "I wanted to spare you, Del, I'm the one that got you into this mess and I thought I could save you."

Adela shook her head, resting her hand on his, "you didn't drag me into anything Nico, I chose to do this. He has to be stopped and I intend on helping you stop him," she swore. Granted, she wasn't looking forward to seeing pictures of her battered mother in a courtroom full of strangers, but it was a price she had to pay in order to take him down.

"Can you believe that he actually thought I'd bail him out?" Nick chuckled with a shake of his head.

This didn't surprise her at all, their father was nothing if not delusional. "Well he did always have more balls than brains, Nick," she sighed, getting up to grab their lunch. In the kitchen she served two plates and her brother came in behind her to grab their drinks.

"Tell me what happened, you sounded beyond pissed on the phone," Adela told him. She'd gotten better at getting him to talk through his anger.

Nick shook his head, taking a bite of his food, "the usual bullshit, he didn't hit her. He claims she was all mixed up and you can't believe anyone's testimony at the party because they were all drunk," he explained. "The son of a bitch refuses to plea guilty to something that he claims he didn't do."

"But that's not what triggered you, Nico," Adela told him pointedly.

The pair stared at each other, as they often did when Nick worked himself up. There was something calming about Adela, something so peaceful...he could never explain it. "He said that I was just like him, Del. What if I turn into him? What if one day I lose it and I turn on Zara?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper.

Adela got up and hugged her brother close, "you're not going to turn into him Nick, you're not dad. You get angry, but you would never intentionally hurt your family," she assured him. She could feel the tears that fell from her brother's eyes. "Nick, you're better than dad. You protect people from animals like dad. Don't you ever let him or anyone else tell you otherwise," she told him pointedly.

Nick nodded, wiping his face and reaching for his water and taking a drink. Adela remained crouched beside her brother, watching him to make sure he didn't have another breakdown. "You know, Liv says I should learn to forgive him," Nick announced.

Instead of saying anything, Adela nodded, she knew it would be a long shot to get him to forgive their father. "Maybe she's on to something, Nick," she stated tentatively. He stared at her, almost in disbelief. "I'm not saying forgive him and act like he didn't beat us, Nico, I'm saying forgive him for your sake and for Zara's sake. Do you know why I'm doing this?" she asked, getting up and reaching for an empty chair.

Sitting across from Nick, she reached for his hands and stared into his dark eyes. "I'm doing this for my sanity. I can't carry this for the rest of my life, Nick. As long as we continue to hold on tho this anger and this resentment, he's going to keep winning. He knows all he has to do is look at you and it flips a switch on you. He wants you to turn into him and if you let it happen then he wins."

"Now, I want to kill him for what he's done to my family, but I can't. I can kick his ass, sure, but that wouldn't make me any better than him...in fact it would make me exactly like him. So then what can we do? We can lock him away and make sure he doesn't do it to anyone else either,"  she added.

Nick stared at her as he let all of this settle into his mind. "Now in order to find this peace, we have to be willing to cut ties with people and relationships that don't serve us anymore...is that something you're willing to do?" she asked. Adela knew that Nick was in this position because he was trying to appease his mother and play nice with Sonya.

"I have two kids that I need to worry about. I have to find a way to be a better father to them, maybe you're right Del, maybe I have to forgive him and cut ties with him and everyone else," he told her honestly.

"I'll always be here to help you, you know that Nico. You're my brother and I love you," she said with a smile. He gave her a smile in return and Adela pointed to the plate, "now eat, so you can go back to work," she sighed, getting up and replaying her dining chair.

His stomach churned; how could he possibly ask her to face their worst nightmare? But he was in a jam and he knew that she was the only person who could help him out. Nick Amaro sat at the bar staring at his drink waiting for his half-sister, Adela. Their father was in town and his new fiancé disclosed to Nick that Nick Sr. was abusive towards her. No one believed Jr, they knew how much he hated his father and he'd use any excuse to lock him up.

"Nick?" a small voice asked, and he look up from his drink. He met with the bright green eyes that belonged to his baby sister. His stomach turned at the memory of the last time he'd seen those eyes, she was barely able to open them because they'd been so swollen.

Nick got up from his seat to hug her, he held her tight, "thanks for coming," he said into her hair.

Adela nodded, "I figured it was important, you wouldn't have asked otherwise." Adela knew how much Nick hated their father and would go to any lengths to avoid speaking to him.

The two sat down and Nick waved down the bartender, "do you want a drink?" he asked. Adela shook her head and asked for some water.

"What did he do this time?" she asked, Nicholas Amaro Sr. had a nasty habit of leaving a trail of beaten and battered people in his wake, usually his family.

The bartender returned with her water and left them alone again. "Did you know he was getting married?" Nick asked, taking a drink of his bourbon.

His sister shook her head, "my condolences to the bride," she muttered, and silence fell on them. "What, did he kill her before the wedding?" she mused. Adela wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that his father had murdered his fiancé, especially after what he'd done to her and her mother.

Nick shook his head, "no, he didn't kill her. Who knows what really happened at that party," he growled and Adela stared blankly at him so he pressed on. "I was called to the scene, she was being pulled out on a stretcher and she disclosed to me that he'd hurt her...the next day she claims it was all a lie and now I'm in the hot seat."

Adela nodded, "he obviously visited her and convinced her to change her mind, the poor woman has no idea what she's getting herself into," she sighed. "Alright, what do you need my help with?" she asked finally.

Nervousness played on Nick's face, "Dad's being put on trial...I needed to find Barba witnesses to dad's cruelty and my mom refuses to say a word," he explained.

Her stomach turned, "you're asking me to relive my most painful memories in a courtroom full of strangers and dad," she said slowly as her heart rate started to pick up. Images flashed in her mind and she quickly reached for the glass of water to try and calm down before she had an episode in the bar.

Nick shot out of his seat and stood at her side, rubbing her back. "I know that I'm asking a lot Del, I know that this is going to be difficult, but I really need you to do this," he said. "This isn't just about his new girlfriend, this is about getting justice for us, for our moms, especially yours."

Nick Sr. had beaten Adela's mother within an inch of her life when she'd confronted him about his drinking problem. Adela's interference only made things worse and it all resulted with both seeking medical attention and Nick Sr. leaving his family. Adela hadn't seen her father since then and she vowed never to lay eyes on him again. "I'll do it," she said before she knew what she was saying.

Her brother was surprised to hear her say that she'd testify against their father. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel obligated to do this, Del."

Adela nodded, "that asshole nearly killed my mother and he got away with it once, but he won't get away with it twice," she said fiercely. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy, but it wasn't going to stop her. Adela was going to face her demon and put her past to rest.

Nick hugged her, "thank you, Adela." The following weeks were going to be a nightmare.

Barba's Office

Rafael wiped his face tiredly; this case had taken up every waking hour of his life. Just as he was going to walk away from it, there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called, sitting up straight in his chair.

The door opened and a small woman stepped in, smiling nervously at him. "Are you Mr. Barba?" she asked.

"I am, how can I help you?" he asked, getting up from his chair and buttoning his jacket. He recognized the woman as Adela Garcia, the newscaster he watched every morning before work.

She fiddled nervously with the hem of her sweater, "my brother sent me, my name is Adela Amaro," she announced.

Rafael extended a hand to her, "it's nice to meet you Miss Amaro," he said with a smile of his own. He led her to the table on the other side of his office and pulled out a chair for her, this case just got ten times more complicated.

Adela sat down and thanked him, "please call me Adela," she added, she absolutely hated hearing the name Amaro and had decided on using her mother's maiden name professionally.

"Thank you for coming Adela," he said sitting across from her. "I know that this is difficult for you," he added, remembering what Nick told him. Rafael was no stranger to an abusive father, but he had to keep his emotions out of this.

She looked down at her hands that rested on the table. "It is difficult, but he can't keep going around brutalizing people," she said firmly. Her eyes met Barba's and she took a deep breath, "what do you need me to do?" she asked.

Rafael nodded, "if you're sure you want to do this, I'm going to need you to testify about your father's abuse," he told her. She nodded, stating that she was prepared to do just that, adding that she wanted to see him fry. He didn't know why that put a smile on his face, but he couldn't help himself. "Amaro mentioned that you have police reports, hospital records and pictures that could help this case."

Adela reached into her purse and extracted the folder that lived in her safety deposit box, awaiting the day they'd crucify Nicholas Amaro. "There are still cases open against my father in Miami," she added, sliding the folder over to him.

"Thank you, do you mind coming with me to the police station? I'd like for you to meet Detective Benson," he asked, and she readily agreed. He packed away her evidence and reached for his coat. On his way out, he told his secretary that he was going to be at the precinct.

Outside the courthouse, Adela flagged a cab while Rafael pulled up the Uber app on his phone. She turned back to him, "aren't you coming, counselor?" she asked.

He stared at her then at the awaiting cab, he never took cabs. Still, he found himself walking towards her and motioning for her to get in. "Ladies first," he said and climbed in after her. He gave the driver the address to the police station and sat back to check his messages.

Rafael glanced at Adela from the corner of his eye and frowned to himself, this case was going to be difficult enough for him without throwing a beautiful woman into the mix. There was something...almost forbidden...about sitting in a closed space with Adela Amaro. It was as though he knew he shouldn't be here with her, but he couldn't help himself.

"Are you very close with your brother?" he asked conversationally and looked her square in the face.

A smile crept onto her face, he liked how it brightened her green eyes. "Yes, Nick and I are quite close," she told him. "Do you have any siblings, Mr. Barba?" she countered.

Rafael shook his head, "no I'm an only child," he told her, well as far as he knew he was an only child. After his father left his mother it was anyone's guess what became of him.

The cab stopped outside the precinct and before Barba could reach for his wallet, Adela was paying the fare. Rafael led her into the building and upstairs to the special victims' unit where they'd meet with Olivia.

Adela wrung her hands nervously as they ascended in the elevator. This had been a long time coming and she'd waited a long time for this moment, but now that it was here, she didn't know how to handle it. The elevator stopped and she hadn't noticed, not until Barba nudged her. She muttered a quick thank you and stepped off the elevator.

Barba led her towards Olivia's office when they heard Nick's voice. "Del?" he asked, and she turned around.

"Hi, Nico," she said politely to her brother. His colleagues were already watching her, and she didn't want any more attention than was absolutely necessary.

He noticed that his friends were staring at them, so he quickly introduced her to them. "Guys, this is my baby sister Adela. Del, these are my friends and co-workers, Fin, Amanda and Carisi," he said, and Adela waved to them.

"Oh, yeah, I know you, you're on the morning news!" Carisi announced with a smile.