Chapter 9 - Lily Had Hidden More Than Fear
When Daniel went upstairs, he expected to find Lily crying.
He did.
But he also found something else.
She was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees, while the housekeeper hovered anxiously nearby. The moment Daniel entered, Lily reached for him.
He gathered her into his arms and sat down with her.
“You were brave,” he said softly.
She buried her face against his chest.
“I didn’t want you to eat it.”
“I know.”
After a long silence, she whispered:
“I have something.”
Daniel pulled back just enough to look at her.
“What is it?”
Lily slid off the bed, ran to her toy jewelry box, and brought back the tiny vial she had hidden.
She placed it carefully in his hand.
“I found it in the dining room yesterday.”
Daniel looked at the glass container, then back at her.
“Have you seen this before?”
She nodded.
“With Nora.”
“When?”
“A lot.”
That answer hollowed him out.
His six-year-old daughter had been carrying this fear alone.
“How long have you been scared of her?”
Lily looked down.
“Since she told me you’d get tired of me.”
Daniel had to close his eyes for a second.
Then he pulled her into him again.
“Never,” he said roughly. “Do you hear me? Never.”
She nodded, still crying.
“What if you didn’t believe me?”
“I do believe you.”
“What if she lies?”
He kissed the top of her head.
“She already did.”
The tiny vial lay cold in his palm.
Small enough to be hidden.
May you like
Big enough to destroy everything.
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