In a poor district near Lima, a young man leaves his tiny home, which has a plastic roof. He looks up at the cloudy morning sky, noting that there hasn’t been any sunshine for days. The recent weather has been harsh, and he cannot remember the last time he saw the sun. Dark clouds loom above him, and a feeling of sadness weighs on his heart. He reflects on how everything feels darker without a certain someone in his life, thinking about the long absence of that person and wondering if she has left for good.
As he looks around, he is reminded of his children, who miss their mother dearly. They often ask him when she will return, and he struggles to give them reassuring answers. He understands that she has gone to Madrid to earn money for their family, as jobs are scarce at home. The burden of providing for five hungry children is heavy, and he feels their absence just as deeply as they feel theirs.
He knows that it is time to get the children ready for school, despite the temptation for some families to send theirs to work instead. Their mother always insisted that education is important. Still, he cannot ignore how much he misses her—the warmth of her smile, her singing, and the joy she brought to their lives. He worries that she may have moved on or forgotten about them, but he must keep a brave face for his children.
Suddenly, he hears a dog barking, snapping him back to reality. As he prepares for another day, something miraculous happens. A ray of sunshine breaks through the clouds, illuminating the doorway just as his daughter Verónica steps outside. He feels the warmth of the sun on his back, and he is filled with hope. When Verónica wakes and calls his name, he momentarily wonders if he is still dreaming. But then she shouts for her mother, and in that moment, he realizes that sometimes dreams do come true.