She watched us cross the driveway with the expression of somebody who had already seen the beginning of the story.
I buckled Ella into the back seat of our SUV, placing the stuffed rabbit beside her.
Caroline came outside behind us.
“You are making this bigger than it is,” she said.
I closed Ella’s door before answering.
“I hope I am.”
Then I got into the driver’s seat and left.
The emergency entrance was bright enough to make every person look exhausted.
I carried Ella through the automatic doors while she kept one arm around my neck and the other around the rabbit.
At check-in, the nurse asked when the pain started, where it hurt, and whether Ella felt safe going home.
That last question made Ella look at me.
