Tears instantly filled her eyes.
“Oh…”
She gently touched the screen.
“That’s Tom.”
“You recognize him?”
“I’d recognize that face anywhere.”
She stared for a long moment.
“He passed away six years ago.”
My stomach tightened.
She shook her head with a tiny smile.
“He checked every window before bed.”
She laughed softly.
“He’d walk through the house at night making sure everyone was safe.”
Exactly what Ellie had described.
Mrs. Carter reached into a drawer.
“I think…”
She handed me an old photo album.
Inside were dozens of pictures.
Tom wearing overalls.
Tom holding tools.
Tom smiling beside a little girl.
And one photograph made me gasp.
His favorite stuffed rabbit sat on his granddaughter’s lap.
Identical to Ellie’s bunny.
Mrs. Carter smiled.
“He repaired toys whenever they fell apart.”
The Real Explanation
I expected answers.
Instead I found something better.
Hope.
Mrs. Carter gently explained.
