Chapter 8 - LILY’S SECRET
Lily became afraid after the incident.
Not of tea.
Of being alone with adults.
That hurt.
Her therapist helped us trace why.
Nora had been talking to her for months.
Small statements.
Daddy is very busy.
Daddy gets rid of people who cause problems.
Mommy knew too much and had to leave.
That last one was particularly cruel.
Grace died.
Lily knew she died.
But children understand death emotionally, not always logically.
Nora had turned death into punishment.
If Lily exposed adult secrets, she might lose me too.
That was how Nora tried to silence her after Lily saw the dropper.
Not by saying:
I’ll kill your father.
By exploiting grief already inside her.
I wanted to hate Nora for that more than the drug.
Maybe I did.
But Lily needed more than my anger.
She needed repair.
I told her repeatedly:
“Mom did not die because she knew something.”
“I know.”
“You can tell me things.”
“I know.”
“You won’t make me disappear.”
She became frustrated.
“Dad, I know!”
Then one night:
“But what if you die?”
There it was.
The real fear.
I could not promise not to die.
So I stopped trying.
May you like
“If something happens to me, Aunt Elizabeth takes care of you. There are plans. You do not cause adults to die by telling the truth.”
That was a promise I could make.
