Leah looked over her head at Yaakov, who looked back at her, his jaw flinching.

“We can’t know why people do things. HaShem allows everyone to decide what they’re going to do all by themselves.”

Chasya took her thumb out of her mouth. “Except for Pharaoh,” she whispered sleepily.

Despite their pain, Leah and Yaakov pressed their lips closed to hide proud smiles, winking at each other.

“What do you mean, Icy?”

“HaShem made his heart hard like a stone so he couldn’t change his mind and do teshuva, so HaShem could give him the worst punishment for what he did to the Yidden,” the child told them. “The man on the bicycle, he’s worse than Pharaoh! HaShem should give him eleven plagues!”

“My Icy.” Leah kissed her again, squeezing her gently. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve been so good. But you’ve had such a long day! So many things happened. Are you ready for your tateh to carry you to bed and tuck you in?”

She nodded sleepily, lifting her arms up to her father, who hovered over her.

“Did you say thank you to Bubbee for taking you home?” Yaakov whispered to the child, who lifted her tired head from his shoulder. “A dank, Bubbee.”

Fruma Esther got up and walked to the child, kissing her. “Your mommy is right. You were a very good girl, Chasya. Not even a minute’s trouble did you give your bubbee.”

The child nodded happily, acknowledging the compliment, settling her head back into her father’s chest as he took her to bed.

“Where’s Shaindele?” Leah asked, suddenly realizing she hadn’t seen the girl.

“She’s in her room. She’s ashamed from you. She thinks it’s her fault.”

“Please, tell her to come, would you, Fruma Esther?”

Shaindele came into the living room and just stood there, staring at Leah, then burst into tears.

“HaShem Yishmor, HaShem Yishmor, this is all my fault!”

“Come here and sit down with me, Shaindele.”

The girl obeyed, her movements slow and reluctant. “Now listen to me. Who are the guilty ones? All the criminals in jail or the people they attacked, robbed, and murdered?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know.” Shaindele wept, covering her face with her hands. “If I hadn’t sneaked around with Duvie and hadn’t been sent to Grub, none of this would have ever happened.”

You can’t argue with that, Leah thought, moved by the girl’s sincere contrition and sorrow. She put her arm around her heaving shoulders, just as she had her little sister’s. “And if you hadn’t gone to Grub, he’d still be abusing little girls from our neighborhood and no one would ever know. It was beshert you should go through this, to expose him, to help others. I’m so proud of you!”