Chapter 8 - LILY'S REASON
Daniel confronted Lily with a child therapist present.
Not an interrogation.
No shouting.
He asked:
“Did you break the lamp?”
Lily cried.
“Yes.”
“Did you put the money in Emily’s coat?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
“Delete the file?”
Longer silence.
“Yes.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Why?”
Lily looked at him.
“Because you always picked her.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
Before their mother died, Emily had been closer to Daniel.
Soccer games.
Hardware-store trips.
Movie nights.
Lily had been closer to their mother.
Then their mother died.
Lily lost her person.
And watched Daniel and Emily continue having an existing bond.
She felt outside.
Then one day Emily got blamed for something Lily did accidentally.
Daniel comforted Lily.
Lily remembered the feeling.
Safe.
Important.
Chosen.
So she repeated it.
Small first.
Then bigger.
Every time Daniel believed her, the strategy strengthened.
The therapist asked:
“Did you want Emily punished?”
Lily whispered:
“Sometimes.”
“Did you want Dad to stop loving her?”
Lily cried harder.
“No.”
“Then what did you want?”
Lily looked at Daniel.
“To love me more.”
That hurt everyone.
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It did not excuse anything.
But it explained the engine.
