He gently placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder.
“Oh sweetheart,” he said softly. “A bruise might look scary, but bruises don’t make people die. Your little sister is going to be okay.”
The little girl sniffed and lifted her head slightly.
“Really?” she whispered.
“Really,” he replied with confidence. “Sometimes brothers and sisters hurt each other by accident. It happens in almost every family.”
She listened carefully, trying to understand.
“The important thing,” the officer continued kindly, “is that we learn not to use our hands when we’re angry.”
The girl wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her coat.
“I was mad because she took my toy,” she admitted.
“That’s understandable,” he said gently. “But next time, you should use your words instead. Can you try that?”
She nodded slowly.
“I will.”
The tension in the room seemed to melt away.
The mother let out a long breath she had clearly been holding for days. Tears filled her eyes as relief washed over her face.
The father pressed a hand to his forehead, shaking his head slightly as if the weight of the past few days had finally lifted.
Officer Garcia stood up and looked at the parents reassuringly.