Chapter 17 - Lily’s BreakthroughSpring arrived, bringing warm sunshine and blooming flowers to our garden. Lily’s school counselor called me in for a meeting, her face glowing with a smile.
"I wanted you to see this, Mr. Davis," the counselor said, handing me an art portfolio.
Inside was a drawing Lily had made for her class project. Unlike the dark, barred squares in her purple notebook, this picture showed a bright yellow house by the sea. Three stick figures stood hand in hand on the beach—a tall man and two small children—underneath a giant painted sun.
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At the top, Lily had written in neat, confident letters: Our New Beginning.
"She spoke about you today," the counselor added softly. "She told the class her dad is her hero." I held the paper tightly, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Related Stories
Chapter 18 - Owen’s First Words of CourageThat weekend, we celebrated Owen’s ninth birthday—his first real birthday in freedom.
Chapter 19 - The Final FarewellOn the anniversary of Emily’s passing, the three of us walked up the grassy hill overlooking the ocean where we had scattered her favorite flowers.
Chapter 20 - A Promise KeptYears have passed since the night I pulled Lily’s red craft box down from the closet shelf.
