I realized she was waiting to find out whether telling me had caused something terrible.
That changed what I did next.
I stayed beside her.
I kept my hand where she could feel it.
I answered Dr. Stevens without turning the exam room into an argument she had to absorb.
He seemed to understand the same thing.
Instead of questioning me over Emma’s head, he crouched in front of her.
His voice was gentle.
“Sweetheart, what did Grandma tell you these pills were for?”
Emma grabbed the hem of her T-shirt.
“For being good.”
He asked what that meant.
She hesitated.
Then she looked at me.
That glance lasted only a moment, but I understood it.
She was checking whether she was still allowed to tell the truth.
I kept my face as steady as I could.
