Annie had gone to find help. Marissa contacted emergency services, and they stayed with him until professional help arrived.
According to the story, Daniel asked them to make sure his wife and daughter knew that he loved them.
Marissa and Annie had not known who he was or how to contact his family.
They had simply tried to help a stranger in distress.
Later, Annie recognized Daniel from a photograph and realized that he was Lily’s father.
She had carried that knowledge without knowing how to share it, especially while her relationship with Lily was deteriorating.
When the truth finally emerged, Lily was overwhelmed.
She discovered that the classmate she had mistreated had been present during her father’s final moments—and that Annie and her mother had tried to help him.
Suddenly, the dress and the cardigan took on a different meaning.
Lily wanted to do something meaningful for Annie. She wanted to acknowledge a connection she had never known existed and express feelings she could not easily put into words.
