"My name is Ezekiel. I'll be the one speaking with you today."
There was no response.
"I want you to understand something before we begin," he continued. "You don't have to answer anything you aren't comfortable discussing. If there's something you don't want to talk about, you can tell me. We can move on to another question, or we can stop if you need a break. Nobody is going to force you to speak."
He deliberately kept his voice calm and even. The microphone carried every inflection, so he was careful with the edges of his tone.
