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When she arrived at Calle de la Paz, number 1423 was now a small bakery called La Coquí Feliz . An elderly woman with silver braids stood behind the counter, kneading dough. Around her neck hung a gold locket shaped like a tiny house.

Mariana found the letter while cleaning out her late grandmother’s attic. It was tucked inside a worn copy of The House on Mango Street , pressed between pages 84 and 85. The envelope was yellowed and unsealed, addressed in her grandmother’s familiar cursive to a name Mariana did not recognize: “Beatriz Ramirez, 1423 Calle de la Paz, San Juan, Puerto Rico.” readtheory.org

The woman’s hands stopped. She looked at the image, then at Mariana. Her eyes watered, but she did not cry. Instead, she smiled—a slow, sad, knowing smile. When she arrived at Calle de la Paz,

“Elena’s granddaughter,” Beatriz whispered. “I’ve been waiting for you for thirty-nine years.” 1. The primary purpose of the letter in the story is to A. explain why Elena left San Juan B. reveal that Elena had a secret family C. show that Elena never intended to return to Puerto Rico D. introduce a mystery about Elena’s past Mariana found the letter while cleaning out her

For weeks, Mariana debated what to do. The internet offered no Beatriz Ramirez at that address. The street number might no longer exist. But one evening, while cleaning out a closet, Mariana found a shoebox of photographs. Beneath the pictures of her mother as a baby was a black-and-white image of two young women smiling in front of a flamboyán tree. On the back, in Spanish: “Elena y Beatriz, Santurce, 1979.”