Before Tyler left, my husband placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Tyler, I hope you’ll remember this. Being hurt doesn’t give you permission to hurt somebody else. But realizing you’ve done something wrong gives you an opportunity to become better.”
Tyler looked down.
“I’ll try, sir.”
“Good. And if those boys keep making fun of your skin, talk to a trusted adult at school. You shouldn’t have to deal with that alone.”
Tyler thanked him and left.
The moment the door closed, Emma’s composure disappeared.
She turned away from us and began to cry.
Daniel opened his arms, and she went straight to him.
“I still like him,” she whispered against his shoulder.
“I know, sweetheart.”
“What if he really is a good person?”
Daniel held her a little tighter.
“He may be. Good people can make hurtful choices. What matters is whether they take responsibility for those choices and learn from them.”
