We walked outside.
There was a police vehicle parked near the curb.
But beside it stood a man I recognized.
Nathan.
Elena’s father.
He was wearing his police uniform.
He had tears in his eyes.
Alejandro stopped.
“Mr. Alvarez?”
Nathan walked toward him.
Then he knelt down so they were at the same height.
“Son.”
Alejandro looked confused.
“Why are you here?”
Nathan took a deep breath.
“Your mother told us you bought Elena a wheelchair.”
Alejandro nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
“And she told us how you paid for it.”
Alejandro looked embarrassed.
“Yes, sir.”
Nathan’s voice cracked.
“I need you to understand something.”
He placed a hand on Alejandro’s shoulder.
“You’re thirteen years old.”
Alejandro nodded.
“And you shouldn’t have had to carry something like that alone.”
Alejandro didn’t answer.
Nathan continued.
“But you did something yesterday that a lot of adults wouldn’t have done.”
He stood.
“And I wanted you to know that people noticed.”
Alejandro looked at the officers.
“Why did the police come?”
Officer Cooper smiled.
“Because your story reached the precinct.”
“How?”
Nathan laughed softly.
“I told them.”
He looked at Alejandro.
“And then everyone started talking.”
We got into the police car.
I still had no idea where we were going.
