What matters is that the people in them try to care for one another.”

I looked at the little girl and saw Poppy on her first day of school after the accident, gripping a backpack that was almost as big as she was.

After the visit, the teacher thanked us privately.

She said the class had recently been discussing empathy and different family structures.

Poppy had been reluctant to describe her home life before.

That morning she had stood in front of everyone with her shoulders straight.