Because Lily wasn’t asking him to make everyone happy.
She was asking him to make her feel safe.
Six weeks after the birthday party, Margaret appeared at their front door.
She was alone.
Daniel opened the door but did not immediately invite her inside.
“Mom?”
“I came to see Lily.”
“She isn’t home from school yet.”
Margaret tightened her grip on her handbag.
“Then I’ll wait.”
Daniel remained in the doorway.
“Before you come in, we need to talk.”
Her expression hardened.
“Must you make everything difficult?”
“No. But I’m not going to pretend nothing happened.”
Margaret sighed.
“I already told you that I was trying to help.”
“You threw away Lily’s birthday cake.”
“It was an ugly cake, Daniel.”
“It was the cake she wanted.”
Margaret looked away.
Daniel continued.
“You embarrassed Hannah in her own home. You insulted the decorations Lily helped make. And when Lily asked why you threw away her cake, you told her she’d forget about it by the next day.”
Margaret’s eyes flickered.
“She was upset. Children get upset.”
“Yes. And the adults who love them are supposed to care.”
She stared at him.
For a moment, he saw the woman who had raised him, the woman who had packed his lunches, attended his school events, and sat beside him when he was sick.
He loved her.
That had never been the problem.
