“I was checking that she was okay and making sure the bus had stopped. I asked Mr. Lewis to notify the office.”
“You could have called me yourself.”
“I should have,” Emily said quietly. “I’m sorry I didn’t.”
The apology did not calm Renee. If anything, it seemed to confirm her suspicion that the teacher had mishandled the situation.
A few parents had gathered closer. Some were watching with concern; others had begun whispering. The bus driver opened his window.
“Mrs. Carter,” he called, “I saw Miss Hart pull Maya back. She moved fast. The bus was rolling, and the girl was right near the lane.”
Renee looked at him. “Did you see the man?”
“I saw someone moving past the bus. I couldn’t see exactly what happened from my seat.”
“So you didn’t see what she did.”
“I saw her pull Maya away from the lane,” Mr. Lewis answered. “That part I saw.”
Renee turned back to Emily. “You keep saying you protected her, but nobody seems to know what actually happened.”
“I know what happened,” Emily replied. “And Maya knows.”
At the sound of her name, the girl’s shoulders rose.
Renee crouched slightly, trying to meet her daughter’s eyes. “Maya, did Miss Hart hurt you?”
Maya looked from her mother to her teacher. Her lips parted, but no words came.
“Sweetheart, you can tell me.”
“She…” Maya began.
Renee waited.
“She pulled me.”
“I know. Did she hurt you?”
Maya shook her head, then nodded, uncertainly. “It scared me.”
Emily’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Maya. I know it was frightening.”
Renee stood again. “There. You heard her. She was scared.”
“Of course she was,” Emily said. “She nearly fell into the bus lane.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“You expect me to take your word for it?”
“No,” Emily said, her voice suddenly steadier. “I expect you to look at the evidence.”
The phrase hung between them.
Renee’s expression shifted. “What evidence?”
Emily glanced toward the school entrance. “The bus has cameras. The school also has cameras covering the loading area. We can review them with the principal.”