Chapter 13 - I PULL ROSALIE FROM THE BUS
I stopped letting Rosalie ride the bus.
Immediately.
Reasonable for a few days.
Then I told the school:
“She will never ride it again.”
Dr. Ruiz asked:
“Does Rosalie want that?”
“I don’t care.”
Silence.
Bad sentence.
I corrected:
“I care about her safety.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I looked at Rosalie.
She was drawing at the end of the conference table.
“Rosie, do you want to ride again?”
“No.”
Easy.
Then she added:
“Maybe later.”
I had already converted temporary fear into permanent policy.
Dr. Ruiz said:
“Let later stay available.”
That bothered me.
Why should my daughter ever return to a place where she was bullied?
Because the bus did not bully her.
Brady and Jasper did.
If the environment became safe, Rosalie might want ordinary life back.
I did not need to close every road because someone frightened her on one.
We changed the plan.
For now:
I drove mornings.
Neighbor picked her up afternoons.
Transportation option remained open pending safety measures.
May you like
Small difference.
Important.
