Chapter 24 - LILY IS SEVEN AGAINLily’s art teacher called Daniel in.
His stomach dropped.
Then teacher smiled.
“Nothing bad.”
Lily had painted large canvas.
A kitchen.
Milk on floor.
Blue paint.
Baby bottle.
Daniel recognized night.
But in painting, Lily stood outside kitchen holding paintbrush.
No Noah in arms.
Noah was in Daniel’s arms.
At corner, Claire stood by door.
Not evil face.
Just far away.
Teacher asked Lily what painting meant.
She said:
“The night Dad came home.”
Daniel nearly cried.
Dr. Rhodes cautioned:
“Don't overinterpret art.”
He laughed.
“I know.”
But then Lily returned fully to class.
Two afternoons weekly.
Claire drove one day.
Daniel another.
After class she came home covered in green paint.
No one got angry.
At dinner Noah fussed.
Lily started to rise.
Daniel:
“I’ve got him.”
She sat.
Months earlier she would watch nervously.
Now she kept eating.
Noah threw spoon.
Lily laughed.
“Dad, he hates your food too.”
“Family trait.”
Claire once dropped by for scheduled handoff and watched moment.
Her eyes filled.
She did not enter uninvited.
Daniel brought Noah to door.
Lily grabbed backpack.
“Bye, Dad.”
“Bye.”
No checking bottle.
No:
Did Mom pack enough?
She trusted adults to handle.
That was childhood returning.
At Claire’s house, Noah cried later.
Lily yelled from couch:
“Mom! Your baby!”
Claire laughed.
“My baby?”
“Yeah. I’m busy.”
Claire looked at seven-year-old sprawled with crayons.
Exactly.
Sister.
Not parent.
She picked Noah up.
“That’s right.”
Lily did not hear.
She was coloring.
Claire cried quietly while warming bottle.
May you like
Not because sad.
Because relief can hurt too.
