I settled down beside her.
For several minutes, we remained quiet.
Finally, I asked, “Could we talk about what happened yesterday?”
She appeared uneasy.
“Do I have to?”
“No, sweetheart. Only if you’re comfortable.”
She reached for a purple marker.
“Is Mr. Frank in trouble?”
Her question caught me off guard.
“Why would you think that?”
“Because you were so angry with him.”
I swallowed slowly.
“I was.”
“Are you still angry?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
She gently lowered the marker.
“Did he do something wrong?”
“No, honey. He was doing his best to protect you.”
Ellie lowered her gaze toward her fingers.
“I didn’t understand that at first.”
“Neither did I.”
For a brief moment, she seemed reassured.
Then she asked, “Did you notice that man?”
I paused before answering.
“Not while he was standing behind me.”
“But I saw him.”
My stomach tightened immediately.
“At our bus stop?”
