Relief and confusion crashed over me in equal measure. I was relieved beyond measure that Nathan, my brother, wasn’t the suspect. The thought of him harming Emily had been a nightmare I couldn’t bear to entertain. But how could a plant have caused so much distress? And why was Emily so frightened?

“Emily, sweetheart,” I said softly, crouching down to her level. “Can you tell mommy what happened? It’s okay, you’re safe now.”

With the encouragement of a kinder, more understanding environment, Emily began to talk. She recounted their trip to the park, how she’d wandered off to explore a patch of tall, intriguing plants. “It was big and thick, mommy,” she repeated, using the same words she’d told her teacher. “I just wanted to touch it. But it hurt me.”