Chapter 9 - Healing in the Light
Six months later, the bruises on Lily’s face were completely gone, leaving only the beautiful, bright features of the girl I had raised.
She had moved back into her old room, the one with the faded star decals on the ceiling and the shelves filled with books from her childhood. We didn't talk about Richard, or the court case, or the night of the rescue. We talked about the future.
She had enrolled in a local university, pursuing a degree in psychology. She wanted to help other women who had been trapped in the same darkness she had escaped.
On a crisp autumn afternoon, I found her in the backyard, raking leaves. The air smelled of woodsmoke and sweet apples.
"Need some help?" I asked, leaning against the porch railing.
"I’ve got it, Dad," she laughed, throwing a handful of leaves at me. "You just sit there and drink your coffee."
I took a sip of my black coffee, feeling the warmth of the mug in my hands. It was the same coffee I had been drinking on Easter Sunday, but the taste was different now. It didn't taste like regret. It tasted like home.
"I was thinking about taking a trip," Lily said, resting her chin on the rake. "Maybe to Europe. Just to see the world. Without having to ask for permission."
"I think that's a wonderful idea," I said. "And you don't need anyone's permission. Ever again."
She smiled, a genuine, radiant smile that reached her eyes. "Would you come with me? Just for the first week? To make sure I don't get lost?"
May you like
"I’ll go wherever you want, Lily," I said. "I’ll always be right behind you."
She walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder. "I know, Dad. I always knew."
