She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer.
Whenever she talked about that future, I encouraged her. I wanted her to believe that her circumstances did not have to limit her ambitions.
Then, one week, I noticed that she was staying up later than usual.
The light beneath her bedroom door remained visible long after midnight. Sometimes I heard the sewing machine running when the rest of the house was silent.
One evening, I finally asked what she was working on.
“A dress for Annie,” she explained.
Annie was a quiet girl from Lily’s school. Her mother worked long hours cleaning offices, and money was tight in their household.
The school was preparing for a concert, and Annie had been chosen to sing. According to Lily, the girl was worried about appearing onstage because she did not have a dress suitable for the occasion.
“The other students already make comments about her clothes,” Lily told me. “I don’t want her to feel embarrassed when she should be proud of herself.”
