Chapter 7 - LILY LEARNED ABOUT GRANDPA’S HANDS
Lily was four before she asked about Dad’s scars.
By then, his burns had healed into shiny uneven patches across both forearms.
She sat on his porch eating watermelon.
Then touched one carefully.
“Grandpa?”
“Yes?”
“Why arm shiny?”
Dad looked at me.
I nodded.
Truth.
Age appropriate.
“You had an accident when you were a baby.”
Lily’s eyes widened.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“I helped you.”
“How?”
Dad smiled.
“I picked you up very fast.”
She considered.
“Did I cry?”
“A lot.”
“Was I brave?”
Dad laughed.
“Very.”
Then Lily asked:
“Were you brave?”
His expression changed.
He thought for several seconds.
“I was scared.”
She frowned.
“But brave?”
He smiled.
“I guess brave can happen while scared.”
Lily nodded as though this were obvious.
Then offered him watermelon.
Conversation over.
I stood in the doorway fighting tears.
Children do not require family mythology.
May you like
They need truth sized correctly for their hands.
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