Officer Ortiz and Officer Mercer exchanged a glance.
And suddenly this was no longer only about two cruel boys.
The officer crouched until he was level with my son.
“Ethan, I need you to listen carefully. None of what happened yesterday was your responsibility to fix alone.”
Ethan nodded.
“But what you did after Sophie’s chair started rolling probably prevented a catastrophic injury.”
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
“I just ran.”
“That matters.”
Then Officer Mercer stood.
“We need a formal statement from Ethan. We’ll need you present because he’s a minor.”
I nodded automatically.
But Ethan caught my sleeve.
“There’s something else.”
I looked at him.
His eyes filled.
“What?”
He swallowed hard.
“The chair outside isn’t the one I bought.”
Rebecca stopped crying.
The officers became still.
Ethan looked toward the new blue wheelchair beside the patrol car.
“The one I bought is still at the shop.”
