Joshua didn’t reply at first. He just looked at her—really looked. And saw something he hadn’t seen in years. Not fear. Not pity. Respect. For the first time in a long, long time, someone looked at him like he mattered. Like he was something more than what he appeared to be.
Blue and red lights painted the alley in waves. Two officers arrived within minutes. One checked on the woman, the other turned to Joshua. “You the one who stopped him?” Joshua nodded, suddenly aware of how cold he felt. The officer asked for a statement, and he gave it—clear, simple, nothing extra.