Lily: "Is he gone?"
Marcus: "He's gone, sweetheart. He won't be bothering you or anyone else anytime soon."
The crowd around the crosswalk began to disperse, several people clapping softly as Marcus turned his attention back to Lily. The middle-aged woman from earlier walked over, holding out a small bottle of water from her purse.
Bystander Woman: "Here, darling. Wash your hands off. You were very brave."
Lily: "Thank you, ma'am."
Marcus took the water bottle and carefully poured a small stream over Lily’s scraped palms while she rinsed the dust away.
Marcus: "Where are your parents, little one? Are you walking around here all by yourself?"
Lily: "My mom is inside the bakery right on the corner. She told me to wait outside while she paid for the birthday cake, but Barnaby fell off my lap, so I went to get him."
Marcus: "Ah, I see. Barnaby is a adventurous little guy, huh?"
Lily: "He likes to explore, but he gets scared of loud noises."
Marcus: "Well, Barnaby is safe now. Let's get you back to your mom before she starts worrying."
Just as Marcus finished speaking, a woman in her early thirties burst out of the bakery doors, her face pale with panic as she looked around the street.
Sarah: "Lily! Lily, where are you?!"
Lily: "Mom! Over here!"
Sarah ran down the marble sidewalk, her eyes wide as she saw the big bearded man standing next to her daughter near the crosswalk[cite: 1]. She dropped her shopping bag onto a nearby bench and dropped to her knees in front of Lily.
Sarah: "Oh my goodness, Lily! What happened to your clothes? Why are your knees dirty?"
Lily: "A teenager kicked my crutch, Mom. I fell down."
Sarah: "What?! Someone hurt you?"
Bystander Woman: "A teenage boy tripped her on purpose, ma'am. But this gentleman stepped in right away and made sure she was safe."
Sarah turned her head toward Marcus, her eyes filling with instant gratitude and lingering shock.
Sarah: "Is that true? Did you help my daughter?"
Marcus: "I just did what any decent human being ought to do, ma'am. Some kid thought it'd be clever to knock her down, but we got it sorted out."
Sarah: "I don't even know what to say... I was only inside for three minutes to pay for her brother's cake..."
Marcus: "Don't blame yourself. Bullies pick the exact second nobody's looking. But your girl here didn't shed a single tear once she got her feet back under her."