She had come hoping she might.
For several minutes, she did nothing.
Then she slowly approached.
Marcus noticed first.
His expression changed.
Vanessa saw her too.
Jordan followed their eyes.
His smile disappeared.
Eleanor stopped several feet away.
“Hello.”
Nobody answered immediately.
She looked toward Jordan.
“Hi, Jordan.”
He stepped closer to his father.
Eleanor swallowed.
“I wanted to apologize.”
Jordan looked at her.
“For calling the police?”
“Yes.”
She had practiced a dozen explanations.
Neighborhood break-ins.
Concern.
Being alone.
Wanting to help.
Every explanation sounded like an excuse.
So she abandoned them.
“I called the police and told them you were suspicious when I did not have a good reason to believe you were doing anything wrong.”
Jordan studied her.
Eleanor continued.
“That was unfair.”
He looked toward his mother.
Vanessa said nothing.
This apology belonged to Jordan.
He asked the question Eleanor feared most.
“Did you call because I’m Black?”
Eleanor closed her eyes briefly.
When she opened them, she did not lie.
“I think that was part of why I became suspicious so quickly.”
Jordan frowned.
“You thought Black kids are bad?”
“No.”
Eleanor’s voice shook.
“I don’t believe that.”
Jordan looked confused.
“Then why?”
Eleanor struggled.
Because adults were complicated in ways children sometimes exposed simply by asking uncomplicated questions.
“I think I had ideas in my head I wasn’t paying attention to.”
Jordan considered that.
“Bad ideas?”
“Yes.”
“Are they gone?”
Eleanor almost smiled.
“I’m working on them.”
Jordan looked toward Marcus.
His father said nothing.
Finally Jordan nodded.
“Okay.”
Eleanor waited.
No hug.
No forgiveness ceremony.
No magical friendship.
Just okay.
That was all a seven-year-old owed her.
As they walked away, Jordan looked back once.
Eleanor remained beneath the maple tree.
He turned toward his father.
“Do you think she’s still scared of me?”
Marcus thought carefully.
“I hope she’s more scared of making the same mistake again.”
Jordan nodded.
That answer made sense.
Months later, Officer Morris was assigned to a school safety event at Jordan’s elementary school.
Jordan recognized him immediately.
Morris recognized Jordan too.
For a moment, both seemed unsure what to do.
Then Morris walked over.
“Hey, Jordan.”
Jordan held a basketball beneath one arm.
“Hi.”
“You still playing?”
Jordan nodded.
“I’m better now.”
“I believe you.”
Morris hesitated.
“I’ve been thinking about what happened in the park.”
Jordan waited.
“I should have spoken up sooner.”