Chapter 5 - The Speed Limit Meeting
The traffic committee's minutes showed that several businesses objected to the proposed speed reduction, citing delivery schedules and congestion. Marco's company had signed a general letter from the business association. The letter did not mention Rita's crossing specifically. It was tempting to say Marco had once again placed convenience ahead of children's lives, but the record supported a narrower fact: his company participated in opposition to a broader traffic proposal.
Rita prepared a presentation for the next public meeting. She gathered observations from other guards, asked parents about the times they crossed, and included the recent SUV incident without exaggerating the driver's speed. She wanted officials to consider actual behavior at the intersection rather than an argument powered solely by her pain.
Marco attended the meeting. He did not sit near Rita or approach her afterward. During public comment he acknowledged his company's earlier letter and said the current safety review should be based on evidence rather than his business preference. Some people applauded; others accused him of staging a redemption performance. Rita didn't applaud. She watched whether the committee would follow through.
The review recommended clearer markings, an extended pedestrian signal, and enforcement of the existing school-zone speed limit before deciding whether a new limit was necessary. It wasn't the sweeping change Rita wanted. Still, the plan had dates, responsible departments, and a process for collecting new data. Rita asked how residents could see the results. Officials agreed to post updates.
After the meeting Helen asked whether Rita felt better. "Not exactly," Rita said. "But I did something that wasn't just about him."
They stopped for dinner at a diner Tommy used to love. Rita ordered his favorite pancakes and laughed when Helen said they were still too sweet. For the first time in years the restaurant was a place to remember a happy afternoon, not merely the site of a meal she'd eaten before the accident.
Meanwhile, the driver of the recent SUV faced appropriate traffic and legal proceedings based on the new collision investigation. Rita provided her statement and medical records when asked. She did not demand a penalty before the facts were assessed, even though the similarity to Tommy's death frightened her. The driver apologized through counsel and said she had glanced at a navigation screen. Rita listened without offering forgiveness or punishment. The system would make its determination; Rita's task was to tell the truth about what she saw.
Oliver returned to the crossing on a morning when Rita was visiting the school for a safety meeting. He recognized her and ran toward her before his teacher could stop him. Rita knelt carefully, still sore, and smiled as he handed her a drawing of a giant yellow stop sign.
"I made it bigger so cars can see," he said.
"That's a good idea," Rita answered.
He looked at her with the solemnity of a child carrying a question too big for him. "Dad said he hurt your boy. Are you mad at me too?"
Rita's throat tightened. She wanted to reassure him that he'd done nothing wrong without making promises about what she felt toward Marco. "No, sweetheart," she said. "You didn't hurt Tommy. I'm glad you're safe."
Oliver nodded, relieved. His teacher guided him back to class. Rita stayed crouched beside the crosswalk until the pain in her ribs reminded her to stand.
Later Marco sent a message through the school asking whether Rita would permit Oliver to thank her in person at a supervised event. Rita declined for now. Oliver's drawing was enough. She didn't want a reunion staged for cameras or an adult story placed on his shoulders.
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That evening her therapist asked whether saving Oliver had changed how she thought about Tommy. Rita said it hadn't replaced him or healed the loss. But it had made her realize that the corner belonged to children who were alive now, not only to the memory of the child who died there.
She went home, took the old vest off its hook, and folded it carefully. It would remain hers whether she wore it tomorrow or not.
