In the morning, she struggled to keep her eyes open, not even having the Cuban comfort of a hot, sweet coffee to steady her into the day—coffee being one of the things her religion did not allow. She cared for her baby throughout the day, changing dirty diapers that required washing by hand, feeding the baby on demand, and also making food for her little family—while keeping up with her sewing business. Some days, she could barely stitch straight, pricking her fingers so many times they were red and swollen by afternoon.