Chapter 13
I had one week left. I could feel it in my fading bones.
Dad didn't leave my side. He slept in a chair beside my bed, holding my hand through the night. Sometimes I woke to find him watching me, memorizing my face the way I had memorized his.
Grandma Rose brought flowers every day. Grandpa Thomas sat in the corner, silently whittling wood. He was making a bird. A companion for the one Dad had carved me years ago.
Aunt Claire read me stories in funny voices, and Sophie visited every afternoon, bringing drawings from school.
"The teacher says get better soon," Sophie said, placing a glitter-covered card on my pillow. "I told her you will."
I touched the card and smiled. "Thank you, Sophie."
...
On my second-to-last night, I asked Dad to take me to the porch. He wrapped me in a blanket and carried me outside. The night sky was impossibly clear — stars scattered like spilled sugar.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, baby?"
"In my first life, you made me a promise. You said you'd get us both out of that place. You kept that promise. Even though I was the one who ruined it the first time."
Dad's arms tightened around me. "You were a baby, Lily. A baby being manipulated by monsters. Nothing was your fault."
"I know that now." I pressed my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Daddy, I want you to make me another promise."
"Anything."
"Promise me you'll keep living. Promise me you'll find someone who loves you. Promise me you'll be happy."
His chest shuddered with a suppressed sob. "Lily —"
"Promise me."
A long silence. Then, hoarse: "I promise."
I relaxed into him, feeling the night air pass through me like I was barely there at all. "Thank you, Daddy. For everything. For keeping me when Mom wanted to throw me away. For feeding me when you were starving. For singing to me. For carrying me."
Dad rocked me gently, tears falling into my hair. "Thank you for saving me, Lily. Thank you for being brave enough for both of us."
We stayed on the porch until dawn, watching the stars fade one by one as the sky turned pink.
...
On my last morning, I woke feeling lighter than air.
The sunlight streamed through the window, and when I held up my hand, I could see right through it. My body was barely an outline now — a sketch of a girl, ready to be erased.
Dad was asleep in his chair, his face lined with exhaustion and grief. I looked at him for a long time.
Then I whispered, "Daddy, wake up."
He opened his eyes instantly. When he saw me — how transparent I'd become — his face crumbled.
"No." He grabbed my hand. His fingers passed through mine slightly before finding purchase. "No, Lily. Not yet. Please."
I smiled at him. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm not scared."
"I'm scared," he said, his voice breaking completely. "I'm so scared, baby. I can't lose you again."
I used every ounce of remaining strength to squeeze his hand. "You're not losing me. I'm just... flying home. Like the bird."
Dad gathered me into his arms, holding the almost-nothing of me as tightly as he could.
"I love you," I said. "I love you so much, Daddy."
"I love you, Lily. I love you. I'll love you forever. In every life."
I closed my eyes.
And I let go.
Dad didn't leave my side. He slept in a chair beside my bed, holding my hand through the night. Sometimes I woke to find him watching me, memorizing my face the way I had memorized his.
Grandma Rose brought flowers every day. Grandpa Thomas sat in the corner, silently whittling wood. He was making a bird. A companion for the one Dad had carved me years ago.
Aunt Claire read me stories in funny voices, and Sophie visited every afternoon, bringing drawings from school.
"The teacher says get better soon," Sophie said, placing a glitter-covered card on my pillow. "I told her you will."
I touched the card and smiled. "Thank you, Sophie."
...
On my second-to-last night, I asked Dad to take me to the porch. He wrapped me in a blanket and carried me outside. The night sky was impossibly clear — stars scattered like spilled sugar.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, baby?"
"In my first life, you made me a promise. You said you'd get us both out of that place. You kept that promise. Even though I was the one who ruined it the first time."
Dad's arms tightened around me. "You were a baby, Lily. A baby being manipulated by monsters. Nothing was your fault."
"I know that now." I pressed my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Daddy, I want you to make me another promise."
"Anything."
"Promise me you'll keep living. Promise me you'll find someone who loves you. Promise me you'll be happy."
His chest shuddered with a suppressed sob. "Lily —"
"Promise me."
A long silence. Then, hoarse: "I promise."
I relaxed into him, feeling the night air pass through me like I was barely there at all. "Thank you, Daddy. For everything. For keeping me when Mom wanted to throw me away. For feeding me when you were starving. For singing to me. For carrying me."
Dad rocked me gently, tears falling into my hair. "Thank you for saving me, Lily. Thank you for being brave enough for both of us."
We stayed on the porch until dawn, watching the stars fade one by one as the sky turned pink.
...
On my last morning, I woke feeling lighter than air.
The sunlight streamed through the window, and when I held up my hand, I could see right through it. My body was barely an outline now — a sketch of a girl, ready to be erased.
Dad was asleep in his chair, his face lined with exhaustion and grief. I looked at him for a long time.
Then I whispered, "Daddy, wake up."
He opened his eyes instantly. When he saw me — how transparent I'd become — his face crumbled.
"No." He grabbed my hand. His fingers passed through mine slightly before finding purchase. "No, Lily. Not yet. Please."
I smiled at him. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm not scared."
"I'm scared," he said, his voice breaking completely. "I'm so scared, baby. I can't lose you again."
I used every ounce of remaining strength to squeeze his hand. "You're not losing me. I'm just... flying home. Like the bird."
Dad gathered me into his arms, holding the almost-nothing of me as tightly as he could.
"I love you," I said. "I love you so much, Daddy."
"I love you, Lily. I love you. I'll love you forever. In every life."
I closed my eyes.
And I let go.