Chapter 16 - LILY THINKS SHE CAUSED IT
Lily came to our house one afternoon.
She sat on the sofa.
Would not take lemonade.
“I should’ve taken the phone earlier.”
Natalie looked at her.
“What?”
“If I picked it up before Ryan went over there, he wouldn’t have kept recording.”
“That would not stop his hands.”
“But maybe he wouldn’t—”
“No.”
Natalie’s voice was gentle.
“Lily, you were seventeen at your graduation party.”
Lily’s eyes filled.
“I knew something weird was happening.”
“So did adults.”
I thought of my father upstairs.
Me downstairs.
Ryan approaching.
Lily continued:
“I left.”
“You were called downstairs.”
“I still left.”
Natalie leaned forward.
“You are not responsible for monitoring grown men.”
There.
Same principle.
Children should not become safety systems because adults failed.
Lily finally drank the lemonade.
Then asked:
“Is the baby okay?”
Natalie smiled.
“Kicking my ribs right now.”
Lily laughed.
The baby kicked again.
Natalie put Lily’s hand against her belly only after asking:
“Want to feel?”
Lily nodded.
A small thing.
Consent everywhere now.
May you like
We were all becoming exhausting about it.
Good.
