“Follow him one day and you will see why.”

I stopped eating my ice cream.

The cold sweetness faded in my mouth.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“He tells you we need groceries and shoes,” she whispered.

She let go of my coat sleeve and went back to twirling the white ribbon.

“Emma, your dad works very hard,” I said.

“He wants you to have a good life.