Chapter 7 - LILY'S LIE
Lily had lied to everyone for three days.
That bothered her.
At the emergency foster placement, she told Rachel:
“I’m bad.”
“No.”
“I lied to Mom.”
“Yes.”
Lily looked shocked.
Rachel continued:
“You lied because an adult told you something scary would happen if you told the truth.”
“Still lied.”
“Yes.”
No false comfort.
Then:
“That doesn’t make you responsible for what he did.”
Lily looked down.
The twins were temporarily placed with Aunt Jenna once she returned from Ohio and passed emergency checks.
Lily went too.
All three together.
That mattered.
No dramatic separation.
No guarantee siblings always stay together in every case.
Here, a safe relative existed.
Then Emily called by video from the hospital.
Lily cried before the screen even connected.
“I’m sorry.”
Emily stared.
“For what?”
“I didn’t tell you.”
Emily began crying too.
“You were supposed to be worried about homework.”
Lily laughed through tears.
Then:
“Dad said you’d get sicker.”
Emily closed her eyes.
“That was not your job.”
“What?”
“Keeping me calm.”
Lily went silent.
Emily continued:
“It was his job to keep you safe.”
That sentence became the center of Lily’s recovery.
Then Lily asked:
“Are you mad at Dad?”
Emily paused.
“Yes.”
Children deserve truthful emotion too.
“Do you hate him?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Is he coming home?”
Emily looked at Rachel offscreen.
Then back at Lily.
“Not right now.”
Lily nodded.
No promise.
No fantasy reunion.
Then one twin began crying.
Lily stood automatically.
Jenna gently stopped her.
“I’ve got him.”
Lily froze.
May you like
Then sat back down.
Being a child again felt unfamiliar.
