CHAPTER 6 – BREAKING THE CYCLE
Months passed.
Lily returned to school.
Her balance improved.
The headaches became less frequent.
She smiled more.
One afternoon her teacher invited us to the school's annual Family Day.
Children had been asked to draw a picture of the people who made them feel safe.
Colorful pages covered every classroom wall.
Firefighters.
Grandparents.
Parents.
Pets.
Lily's drawing stopped me in my tracks.
She had drawn herself standing between James and me beneath a bright blue sky.
Behind us was a tall brick wall.
On the other side of the wall stood a man holding a belt.
The wall had a gate.
It was locked.
Above the picture she had written, in careful third-grade handwriting:
"Love keeps bad things out."
I felt tears sting my eyes.
Her teacher smiled gently.
"She told the class that families don't have to stay the way they've always been."
That evening I framed the picture.
May you like
Not because it reminded me of what happened.
Because it reminded me that the cycle had finally been broken.
