The man paused, seemingly caught off guard by her sudden outburst. Emma seized the moment. She started to twirl and dance, her feet moving in a way that mimicked the steps her instructor had taught her. Her scarf fluttered with each spin, catching the late afternoon sun and casting fleeting glimmers of light across the sidewalk.

Emma giggled, intentionally loud and carefree, as if she were playing a game only she knew the rules to. She clapped her hands, each sound sharp and deliberate, reverberating off the building walls. Her laughter was infectious even to her own ears, a sound too cheerful and too genuine to belong to a girl who was scared.