A Necessary Distance

He nodded with a sigh. “You’re safe. That’s what matters.” He looked down at my bloody feet. A frown crossed his face. “You walked all the way here?”

I nodded, too, my head hanging low. “My phone’s not with me, and I don’t have any money. I can’t get a taxi!”

“Can’t you call me to get you?” He closed his eyes in frustration and then sighed. “Forget it. I didn’t think this through.”

He led me to th