He had learned a long time ago that a frightened child reads your body before she hears a single word, and that the fastest way to lose one is to move too fast.

“Junia,” he said gently, “I’m going to help your sister.

I promise.

But first I need you to tell me what happened, in your own words.

Not anybody else’s words.

Not what your daddy said, not what anybody told you to say.