Caroline listened without offering quick reassurance.

They discussed what had happened, who had helped, and what Nora might want to say if someone asked again.

Nora preferred a simple answer: “That’s private.” They practiced it once, then stopped.

The next morning Nora went back with her sister.

Button was waiting for them with a fresh pile of hay.

By Friday, Violet was making a paper crown for the guinea pig, and Nora had joined a group preparing posters for a school science fair.