Chapter 9 - The Legacy of Claire
"Mommy said you were a protector," Lily’s small voice broke through the quiet of the afternoon.
She had run over from the leaf pile, her cheeks flushed with a healthy, natural pink, holding a beautiful, unblemished oak leaf. She climbed up onto the bench beside me, slipping her small hand into mine with the absolute, unforced trust she had once lost.
"She did?" I asked, pulling her into a gentle lap hug.
"Yes," Lily nodded, her big brown eyes clear and free of the fear that had once shadowed them. "She told me before she went to the stars that if I ever felt small, I just had to hold your hand, because your hands were big enough to stop the world from hurting us."
May you like
I looked down at my hand, the same hand that had installed the hidden camera, the same hand that had carried her out of that toxic backyard, and the same hand that had signed the eviction notices for my own past.
"Your mommy was the smartest person I ever knew, Lilybug," I whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her clean hair.
