My parents’ voices couldn’t undo what had already been done. They couldn’t erase the note, the decision, or the impact it had.
They had tried to make Lily feel small, temporary—like she could be moved aside when it was convenient.
But that narrative ended the moment I walked back through that door.
Because above everything else—family expectations, guilt, history—I was her mother first. And in this house, her safety, her dignity, and her place were not negotiable.THE END