She began gently petting his hand, her tiny fingers tracing his knuckles as if she were the one comforting him. Brian felt a lump form in his throat. In all his years on the force, he had never felt a connection this instant or this profound.
“She’s taking care of me,” he whispered to himself. When his shift finally ended, Brian went home to his wife, Cierra. He told her about the little girl with the black eye who had petted his hand, and for the rest of the night, neither of them could sleep.
