Chapter 23 - My apology to Lily
I owed Lily more than one apology.
The biggest was not leaving her alone for those minutes.
It was what happened after.
For months, I treated her like an assistant adult.
“Stay close to Noah.”
“Tell me if Daddy says anything about court.”
“Remember what the therapist said.”
Too much.
My sister Sarah noticed first.
“She’s seven, Rachel.”
“I know.”
“No. You are using her like a co-parent because she was competent during the emergency.”
That hurt.
Because true.
Lily had protected Noah when the apartment went dark.
Adults praised her.
I relied on her more afterward.
She started checking locks.
Watching Noah.
Asking where my phone was.
That was not resilience.
That was hyper-responsibility.
I apologized.
“You do not have to keep Noah safe all the time.”
She said:
“But I did.”
“That night.”
“What if it happens again?”
“Then adults handle it.”
She looked skeptical.
May you like
Fair.
We had to prove it through consistency.
