Sometimes, she had mistaken being strong for carrying everything herself.
The words reminded her that accepting help was not a weakness.
She could grieve and still allow other people to care for her family. She could miss Jonathan and still create new memories. She could be frightened by the future without assuming that every difficult moment would end in tragedy.
Most importantly, she could let Letty grow into her own person without trying to protect her from every mistake.
That evening, Piper invited Millie and her mother to dinner.
It was not a grand celebration. There were no speeches or cameras. There was simply food, conversation, and a chance for two families to spend time together.
Millie laughed at one of Letty’s jokes.
For a while, the children talked about ordinary school things instead of illness, appearance, or the difficult months behind them.
That ordinary moment was its own kind of gift.
