Lily entered first, wearing a yellow cardigan over a blue dress. Emma followed close to her grandmother.
Lily looked at me thoughtfully.
“You’re the man from the park.”
“I am.”
“You look better.”
“Thank you. I feel better, too.”
Emma approached the table and noticed the books.
“Are those for us?”
“If you’d like them.”
She opened one to a picture of a giraffe. Lily leaned over to look, and within moments they were discussing which animals would make the strangest pets.
Denise sat nearby, allowing the girls to settle in at their own pace.
“I told them you wanted to thank them,” she explained. “They know they can leave whenever they want.”
“Thank you for making sure they’re comfortable.”
I turned toward the children.
“When I was in the park, I couldn’t ask for help. You noticed something was wrong, and you called for an adult. That helped people understand what was happening so they could get me the care I needed.”
