At home the day before school started, Rubio pointed to an image of Lexie that was added to a family portrait taken after her death. All eight of her, her parents, three boys and three girls, were captured at the same time and appear to share a happy family moment at a state park. They had saved up for professional photography earlier this year, but “we’re running out of time,” Rubio said.
The Rubios family joined other parents of the victims in a quiet gathering that evening in Uvalde Square, which has been a grieving sanctuary since the shooting. Some parents no longer had children to send to school. They held hands in a circle and prayed.
The next day, the Rubio children woke up before 6:30 a.m. as David, Jalilla, and sister Carisa Barbosa, 18, yawned and rubbed their eyes as they sat on the plush couch in the living room. When Rubio’s husband, Felix, arrived with breakfast from McDonald’s, they perked up.
Julian, the youngest, sat with his siblings at the kitchen table, staring at his food. “Eat, Julian,” Mr. Rubio appeased him at first, then gave up. “When you’re done, you’re done,” she said. “Go upstairs and wash your hands.”
Julian didn’t move. “Shall we go with you?” his mother asked. The boy nodded as he hugged the stuffed animal.
Shortly after 7am, Rubio rallied the troops and Carisa gathered them to take pictures. All were wearing matching t-shirts with a picture of their missing sister.