Chapter 11

Rain fell across Chicago the following afternoon: not a storm, just a steady gray drizzle that painted the city in muted colors. Water collected along curbs, bus tires hissed across wet pavement, and people hurried beneath umbrellas. Most stayed indoors.But Ethan found himself asking Robert to take him back to the park."Again?" Robert asked.Ethan nodded. "I need some air."That wasn't entirely true: he needed answers.The SUV pulled beside Jackson Park just after 3:00. The rain had emptied most of the walking paths; only a few determined joggers remained. The church across the street was busier than usual: volunteers moved boxes of donated food through the side entrance while families waited beneath awnings.Robert rolled Ethan beneath a covered pavilion overlooking the lake. Gray waves rolled against the shore; cold wind carried the smell of rain and wet earth.For nearly twenty minutes, nobody came. Ethan began wondering if Maya would show up at all.Then he saw her. The little girl emerged from the church carrying two bags of bread nearly as large as she was. Her oversized coat looked even bigger in the rain; water dripped from her curls. She spotted him immediately.A smile crossed her face: not excitement, not surprise, more like recognition—as if she'd expected him to come back. She handed the bread to an elderly woman waiting nearby, then hurried across the street.When she reached the pavilion, she stopped in front of Ethan. "I knew you'd come."Ethan laughed softly. "You did?"She nodded. "You looked like somebody thinking about something.""Is that unusual?""For grown-ups?" She shrugged. "Sometimes."The answer made Robert chuckle. Maya turned toward Ethan. "Did you practice standing?"Ethan blinked. "Practice standing?""Yesterday.""I was busy."She looked disappointed. "You should practice.""I can barely stand.""That's why you practice."The certainty in her voice was almost funny. Almost. But Ethan noticed something: Maya never spoke to him like a patient; she spoke to him like a person. That felt surprisingly rare.

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