Emma drew back between Ramsey’s knees. “Will that bad man be there?”
Ramsey rubbed his hands lightly up and down her thin arms. “No, he won’t. We’ll never let him get close to you again. I promise, Emma.”
Emma turned to face him. “He’s close, Ramsey. He’s real close now. He killed my daddy. He wants me now.”
“No, Emma, he doesn’t. He’s very afraid, and he’s running and hiding now because he knows the police are after him. I’d like him to be caught. Then he’d be in jail for the rest of his life. Everyone is trying really hard to catch him.
“I do know one thing for sure, Emma. We won’t ever let him come near you again. Do you believe me?”
Emma looked up at him for a very long time. Molly was aware that she was holding her breath. Emma continued to be silent, but she finally released her breath, letting it out slowly and quietly. She looked at Dr. Loo, who just smiled and shook her head slightly.
Dr. Loo took a quick look at her watch and stood. She pulled Molly aside. “It will take time. Don’t push her. I can already see that both you and Judge Hunt are dealing with this very well. I think Ireland is a fine idea. However, I think Emma and I should meet tomorrow. When had you expected to leave?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Molly said, her eyes on her daughter. “Emma’s what’s important. We’ll leave when you think it’s right and not before.”
“She’s doing well, Mrs. Santera. She really is. But this sort of thing-it will be with her forever. You must face that and find a way to deal with it. Her feelings about it will change as she grows up. Most of it will fade into blurry vague memories, and that’s good, but it won’t ever disappear. But now, she’s just a little girl. She doesn’t have a clue about the concept of rape. She knows this bad man hurt her badly, and that it wasn’t right, but there are no grown-up connotations. What you’re dealing with right now are feelings of fear and remembered helplessness.
“Eventually, she’ll have to understand that what happened to her can’t be changed, that it was real, and that the trick is for her to learn to deal with it so that it doesn’t ruin the rest of her life. It’s not going to be easy for either of you. You’ll put out a fire then another one will crop up in some other context.
“She’s lucky that you’re her mother. I know that Judge Hunt has known Emma for a very short time, but they trust each other, their affection seems to be deep and abiding.”
“It will be difficult when Judge Hunt returns to his home,” Molly said.
Dr. Loo let a couple of seconds go by, then said in that comfortable, matter-of-fact voice, “Well, these things have a way of working out. Tomorrow I’ll meet with Emma alone. I want to speak to her about the abuse, try to make her see that the man wasn’t normal, that it wasn’t in any way her fault, that this didn’t happen to her because she was bad.”
“But how could she possibly feel that way?”
“Children, Mrs. Santera, children can bring almost everything back onto themselves. Also, we have no idea what the man said to her, how he manipulated her, how he terrorized her, or how he hurt her. It’s always the adults who screw up royally. I have to deal with Emma now from the inside of her head. I’m telling you not to worry, but of course you will, both of you.”
“You won’t want either Judge Hunt or me here?”
“I think it would be better between the two of us. You would find it very upsetting. I can see Judge Hunt becoming quite enraged. No, just Emma and me.”
“If you think that’s best, Dr. Loo. You will call me, won’t you?”
“Of course.” Dr. Loo turned back to Emma with a smile. She leaned over and patted her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Emma. In the meantime I want you to get a lot of rest and try to smile at least three times a day at your mama.”