Chapter 14 - LILY'S BIRTHDAY
Lily turned twelve.
Emily asked what she wanted.
“Nothing baby-related.”
Everyone laughed.
Good.
They went bowling.
No twins attached to her chest.
Jenna kept them home for the first hour, then brought them for cake.
Owen and Noah were toddlers now.
Loud.
Healthy.
Obsessed with knocking over anything stacked.
Lily loved them.
And sometimes asked them to leave her room.
Also healthy.
Then Daniel sent a birthday card through Emily.
No money.
No giant gift.
Inside:
I hope this year gives you more chances to be twelve.
Lily kept it.
Then she asked Emily:
“Is he really a billionaire?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t he give us a million dollars?”
Emily laughed until she coughed.
“Because that would be weird.”
Lily thought.
“Yeah.”
Then:
“He did buy the formula.”
“Yes.”
“Three dollars sixty-two.”
Emily smiled.
“That was the shortfall.”
Lily corrected:
“He paid the whole can.”
Fair.
Then she grew quiet.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Was I brave?”
Emily thought carefully.
“Yes.”
Lily smiled.
Then Emily added:
“But I wish you hadn’t needed to be.”
The smile faded into something softer.
Both truths.
May you like
That was childhood after crisis.
Pride without romanticizing the burden.
