Summary

Chapter 5, “Flights,” describes the passionate romance that develops between Anita and Ariella. Ariella provides encouragement for Anita as Anita fights against her family about suddenly leaving Arnaldo. Ariella opens up about her past to Anita, describing her first lover when she lived in New York City. However, Anita feels isolated, and observes that the military dictatorship has not affected life so much in Ariella’s rich neighborhood, called El Prado. Anita spends her time tending to Ariella’s young son, Mario, from a previous relationship, while privately contemplating her own miscarriage. Anita eventually invites Romina and Malena to one of Ariella’s parties, but notes that a new distance has opened between them. Ariella suddenly receives a two-year fellowship to work on music in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Meantime, Romina and Malena begin a relationship with one another. Malena eventually reveals that, after...