Maisie could answer, the stadium erupted again. Cole Brennan was still speaking.
“And young man?”
Parker froze and looked toward the field.
Cole pointed at him.
“You did the right thing giving it back.”
Parker’s face went red too, but for a very different reason.
Then Cole looked toward our section once more.
“Now I’d like the little girl and her mom to come down here for a minute, if they’re willing.”
Maisie turned to me so quickly I thought she’d hurt her neck.
“Mom.”
I was still trying to understand what I’d heard.
“Mom!”
“Yes, I heard him.”
“Are we going?”
An usher was already walking toward us.
I laughed through my tears.
“Apparently we are.”
Denise stared straight ahead while the people around us applauded Maisie.
Nobody yelled at her or called her names.
They didn’t need to.
She had spent the last several minutes insisting her
