Instruments could be recovered, scrapes would heal, and broken rules could be corrected with patience and honest guidance.

True compassion, however, was a rare and precious gift that could never be bought in any storefront window.

My son had proven that when someone was hurting, he would never be the kind of person who simply looked away and walked on by.

PART 3

We did not drive to the station right away.

I went upstairs to change, and Noah stood in the hallway with his hands in his pockets, watching the officers’ cruiser through the narrow window beside the door.

When I came back down, he was staring at the empty guitar case.