Chapter 26 - LILY AT NINE
Lily was nine when she asked to see Robert.
I did not celebrate.
I asked:
“Why?”
“I want to ask something.”
“What?”
“Mine.”
Fair.
Mediated office.
I sat nearby.
Robert entered slowly.
Lily looked at him for a long time.
He did not call her princess.
Did not say how much he missed her.
Good.
She asked:
“Did you think Daddy would choose company over me?”
Robert’s face changed.
“No.”
“Then why use me?”
He swallowed.
“Because I knew he would choose you.”
Lily stared.
“So you knew he was good dad.”
“Yes.”
“And used that.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled.
“That’s really mean.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Did you want Aunt Rebecca to hurt me?”
“I wanted her to scare you and leave something Daniel could see.”
“Like mark.”
“Yes.”
Robert cried.
Lily did not comfort him.
Good.
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
She looked at me.
Then back at him.
“Love doesn’t mean safe.”
Robert closed his eyes.
“No.”
Twenty minutes.
No hug.
At the end Lily said:
“I don’t want another meeting now.”
Robert nodded.
“Okay.”
She left holding my hand.
Outside, she asked:
“Can we get fries?”
May you like
“Yes.”
That was closure for the day.
